Jackie O’s on Fourth in Columbus
This favorite southeast Ohio brewery opened a Columbus taproom with plenty of outdoor seating and a continued dedication to its longtime sustainability efforts.
Jackie O’s Brewery has long been a fixture in the college town of Athens, churning out creations like Chomolunga brown ale and Mystic Mama IPA. Owner Art Oestrike founded the brewery after buying and converting O’Hooley’s bar in 2005.
He named the business after his mother, and over the years Jackie O’s grew to include a public house and brewpub as well as a taproom and production facility in Athens. In 2023, Jackie O’s expanded once again, this time with a location in downtown Columbus. Oestrike says Ohio’s capital city has long been on his radar for expansion.
“There are more OU Bobcats living in Greater Columbus than there are humans of drinking age in Athens County,” he says with a laugh. “Columbus has always been one of our home markets. We’ve gotten more support [there] than any other city outside of Athens.”
Dubbed Jackie O’s on Fourth, the Columbus outpost is housed in the former Elevator Brewery production facility. Jackie O’s converted the interior into an airy 6,000-square-foot space with booths, tables, a concrete bar, bottle shop and upstairs event space.
The outside can accommodate even more as the brewery took over former parking spaces to add 8,000 square feet of patio space spread over two levels. There is a mezzanine strung with lights, a pair of firepits, a collection of picnic tables, small tables in concrete alcoves and even porch swings.
The Columbus taproom serves roughly 25 Jackie O’s brews and offers a full cocktail menu. For food, the brewery rounded up a trio of Columbus restaurateurs to create Goood Friends, a pop-up that serves over-the-top Midwest-inspired sandwiches for dinner and weekend brunch.
Jackie O’s has been lauded for its sustainability efforts, and the brewery has continued those endeavors in Columbus. The taproom’s roof is lined with 32 solar panels, and a retired fermentation tank on the mezzanine collects rainwater for the patio’s greenery.
“There’s also a plethora of plants, trees, shrubs and vines adorning the entire location,” Oestrike says. “I’m very excited to see where they go this year.”
171 N. Fourth St., Columbus 43215, 614/929-5265, jackieos.com
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