Cincinnati

Third Eye Brewing Co., Cincinnati

When Third Eye Brewing Co. won gold for its Higher Purpose Milk Stout at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival, head brewer Kelly Montgomery was certainly excited. However, it wasn’t his first time winning the top prize in the category at the nation’s biggest beer competition. Or his second. Or third. A Montgomery-brewed beer has been chosen as the best milk stout in the country an astonishing four straight years, stretching back to his time at Brink Brewing Co. across town, where his Moozie Milk Stout won gold in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

After leaving to start Third Eye Brewing Co., Montgomery could have just taken the recipe he wrote with him, but he decided to make things even harder for himself.

“Coming to a new brewery, I already had a pretty good milk stout at Brink, and formulating a brand new milk stout was a challenge,” he says.

He clearly met the challenge, as he’s now brewed two different milk stouts that have both earned gold on craft beer’s biggest stage.

“There were a lot of tweaks I wanted to make on Moozie, but when I was winning it didn’t feel right making them,” he says. “Higher Purpose has a bit more caramel and richer flavor.” Milk stout isn’t the only roasty style where Montgomery shines. Third Eye Double Astral medaled at the 2021 Ohio Craft Brewers Cup, along with its coffee variant. “It’s this monstrous chocolate oatmeal stout, and I put about a Double astral $1,000 worth of cocoa nibs from Cincinnati’s Maverick Chocolate in it. It’s super rich but not as crazy sweet as some pastry stouts,” he explains. “The accountant flipped when he saw the bill for the cocoa.” Third Eye Brewing Co. is also becoming known for its upscale food menu, regularly hosting steak dinners, low country shrimp boils and other events. Despite his past success with the classic milk stout, Montgomery is in love with his most recent creation. “I think Double Astral is my favorite I’ve brewed,” he says. “It’s certainly the most expensive beer we’ve ever brewed.” 11276 Chester Rd., Cincinnati 45246, 513/771-2739, thirdeyebrewingco.com

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