Blue Heron Brewery is lightening up for summer with a slew of seasonal food and drink offerings and outdoor entertainment

By Ken McEntee

The Blue Heron Brewery is lightening up for the summer.

That trend applies to the food, the drinks, and the mellow music offered by local artists during the brew pub's day and evening patio parties, reveals Ben Erjavec, executive chef and co-owner.

"Our new summer menu features light summery fare, including an eclectic selection of appetizers for groups of friends to sample and share," says Ben, whose unique culinary selections pair nicely with the home brews developed on site by brew master and co-owner Mike Piazza.

The Blue Heron's spacious patio, overlooking picturesque Austin Badger Park, is the ideal venue to spend a quiet Saturday afternoon—or evening—relaxing with a cold pint and a spicy taco or a pepperoni stuffed calzone, Mike suggests.

And your dog is always welcome.

"People walking the park trails often stop up to our patio for a beer break," Mike says. "We're very pet friendly."

Any day is a good day to visit The Blue Heron to enjoy an entree, an appetizer, a cold beer brewed on site or a creative cocktail, Ben insists. But the Blue Heron also has scheduled a full slate of special days throughout the summer weeks.

If you're into tacos, for example, you may want to mark the Blue Heron's weekly Taco Tuesdays on your calendar, Ben says.

"For just $12, you can mix and match three from a vast variety of inventive tacos, like the carne asada tacos with a charred jalapeno cream, shrimp ceviche tacos with fresh mango slaw or salmon tacos," Ben tempts. "They are served with rice and beans—and Taco Tuesdays also include chips and guacamole as well as enticing margarita specials."

And be sure to make your Wednesday reservations as well.

"That's when we have our weekly all-you-can-eat crab leg special," Ben says. "For $55 per person, you get all the crab legs you can eat, along with hush puppies, a salad, a starch and a vegetable. The special is served from 4:00 to 9:00, and reservations are highly recommended."

Live music is offered on the patio, weather permitting, on Friday evenings and Saturdays.

“Easy listening local musicians are featured at our patio day parties every Saturday afternoon from noon to four, then another band comes in on Saturday evenings from five to nine,” Mike announces. “Local duo Laid Back and Lazy is a house favorite that plays the patio frequently.”

The Saturday afternoon parties feature Happy Hour pricing, including three select appetizers for $20 and $5 pints of beer.

Appetizers might include a fire braised flank steak quesadilla stuffed with aged white cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and topped with black bean salsa and bacon chipotle barbecue sauce, for $12, or a plate of Southwest chicken egg rolls, also topped with black beans salsa and jalapenos, for a buck less.

A vegetarian option, Ben offers, is the grilled Portobello Philly, with caramelized onions, provolone and mozzarella cheeses on a toasted ciabatta roll, topped with sun dried tomato pesto.

The Blue Heron’s popular Sunday brunch, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., features some of Ben’s latest creations, like the Steak and Egg Burrito, stuffed with smoked brisket, aged white cheddar cheese and homemade BBQ sauce, wrapped in a jalapeno cheddar tortilla—all of which go well with a flight of mimosas that include blueberry, peach, orange and pineapple flavors, for $12.

“They are light, summery and refreshing, as well as being very bright, pretty and colorful,” Mike insists.

Similarly, Blue Heron’s flight of beers is a tasty way to sample Mike’s original concoctions—like his award winning Matrimony Cream Ale, which he identifies as his lightest and most crisp offering. Also popular are the “Yes Hefe” Hefeweizen—a cloudy, light selection with a note of banana and clove and the CLZ Lemon Mexican Lager.

In all, Blue Heron has 16 taps of draft beer available by the pint or a growler.

And, Mike announces, The Blue Heron’s new Medina County Brewery Passport will offer craft beer connoisseurs a chance to sample local brews from all over the county.

“When you make two visits and make purchases at all of the breweries on the passport, you’ll be invited to a special party at Blue Heron on Sunday, September 12,”

Mike says. “It’s going to be like a festival, with bands, vendors and all of the breweries represented. There’s a nice camaraderie among the local breweries—it’s like being part of a fraternity where we’re all helping each other.”

The Blue Heron Brewery is adjacent to the elegant Blue Heron Event Center, which hosts personal affairs and business gatherings for up to 350 guests. You can make reservations and learn more about the brew pub and event center at BlueHeronMedina.com or by calling 330-870-BLUE. Blue Heron is located at 3227 Blue Heron Trace, in Medina. You can get the latest updates on parties and entertainment at Facebook: @blueheronmedina.