Captivating guests from across the area and beyond, the clever chefs, bartenders and brew masters at Blue Heron Brewery officially own these next few months

By Ken McEntee

Part of the fun of enjoying craft beers at Blue Heron Brewery is sampling the new and creative concoctions of Mike Piazza, brew master and co-owner of the establishment. Just in time for the spring and summer season, Mike recently tapped into Version 3 of his ongoing rotating Pale Project.

“In the Pale Project, Josiah (Beha, brewer) and I get creative experimenting with different blends and ingredients in India and American pale ales,” Mike explains. “We still have some Version 2 on tap, so people are able to sample both and let us know which one they like best. It’s a lot of fun.”

Another brew that many Blue Heron regulars like best in the summer is Mike’s Crisp Lemony Zip—also known as CLZ—a pale Mexican lager with a hint of lemon.

“CLZ is targeted toward the time when you’re finished mowing the lawn, coming off the pontoon or just sitting by a fire,” Mike explains. “It’s your go-to for just relaxing and refreshing yourself all summer long.”

And a good place to do it is on Blue Heron’s spacious patio that overlooks picturesque Austin Badger Park.

“We have arguably the best patio in Northeast Ohio, with our spectacular views, and having the sunset right there every night,” says Ben Erjavec, executive chef and co-owner. “A cold beer, a bite to eat and live music provide an ideal way to spend the summer with friends and family.”

For the season, Blue Heron has rolled out some sensational new cocktails and a new menu of light, summer fare, Ben announces.

To get the fun started, you might try a Lavender Haze, featuring Empress gin, lavender syrup and Earl Grey tea topped with champagne and lemon. Or you may sip a Peace-Love-Matcha, an enticing blend of Smirnoff blueberry vodka, Tazo Matcha blend, brown sugar oat milk and brown sugar syrup.

New seasonal dinner selections include a Cuban sandwich, with shaved ham, smoked pork shoulder, pickles, Swiss cheese and spicy Dijon aioli. Another spicy choice might be the Spanish rice and chorizo chili relleno topped with queso fresco and finished with a green chili white queso.

“I decided to go vegetarian with two new pasta bowls, but guests can add proteins like jumbo garlic Parmesan shrimp, pan-seared salmon or char-grilled chicken,” Ben says.

The pasta bowls are a chilled Asian noodle bowl with julienne fresh vegetables, pickled ginger, snow peas and a ginger soy dressing and a Mediterranean orzo bowl featuring kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and feta.

“I’m trying to have as many different offerings as possible to attract as many different likes and tastes, along with covering as many dietary restrictions as I can,” Ben says.

Back by popular demand, Blue Heron is offering all-you-can-eat crab legs on Wednesday evenings.

“Although everything in the world is going up in price, our Wednesday night crab legs are still $65,” Ben says. “They are served with salad, hush puppies and fresh seasonal side dishes. I did everything I could do to secure crab at a price where we don’t have to raise our price. Wednesday nights are very popular, so reservations are highly recommended to ensure you can get a seat.”

Once you settle in with your food and your beer or refreshing cocktail, you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the patio. Mellow live weekend music is featured on the patio starting Friday evenings from 5 to 9, continuing Saturdays from noon to 4 and 5 to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 3 to 6 p.m.

“We’ve got some new acts joining the rotation this year,” Ben says. “As our patio has grown more popular, more people want to come and play here. It lets us offer a greater variety of music throughout the summer.”

For indoor fun, the Blue Heron event center is planning some special events.

“We recently did a murder mystery dinner theater and a comedy night that were so successful we’re going to do some more,” Ben says. “We put the murder mystery on Facebook and sold all 350 tickets in a matter of two hours. We added another show the next day and sold that one out in a couple hours as well. People are starving for some fun and unique entertainment and we’re going to deliver it.”

Future events may include a magic show and a big band dance, Ben says. You can check Blue Heron’s Facebook page, @BlueHeronMedina, for event announcements and schedules.

Before you call it a night, you may want to grab a few pints of Blue Heron’s beers to go.

“It’s a convenient way to enjoy favorites like Hazy Wife, Hazy Life [a hazy IPA] and Matrimony [cream] Ale at home,” Mike invites.

You can learn more about Blue Heron by visiting BlueHeronMedina.com or by calling 330-870-BLUE (2583). Blue Heron is located at 3227 Blue Heron Trace in Medina.