Camp Brewing is really leaning into their name. They first opened about a year ago, on 29 acres of land which boasts RV sites, cabins, and even a pool.
Now, their second location, Camp Brewing Basecamp, is coming to Central Ohio, but this time, sans tents, cabins, and pool. Instead, they’re moving into the recently closed Walking Distance Brewing space, located at 222 E. 8th St. in Marysville. Doug Olsen, owner of Camp Brewing, was actually an original founder of Walking Distance, and was 50/50 partners with Walking Distance until he separated from them just over two years ago.
“I’ve had a long history in Marysville,” said Doug Olsen, owner of Camp Brewing. “ I lived there for roughly 15 years, and fell in love with the Uptown area. When we lived in Uptown, I used to walk my kids around the area on our way to Eljer Park in their double stroller. We always walked by the building and dreamed of bringing it back. It was in ROUGH shape and was actually condemned. In 2016, we bought the building with the dream of creating a brewery.”
Although Walking Distance closed recently, Olsen is still able to have a connection with the building he fell in love with. At the new Camp Brewing he’s opening there, guests can expect a welcoming atmosphere, similar to how you feel at a community campground. “You pull up next to sets of complete strangers and you’re suddenly welcomed and family,” said Olsen. Add that to a 50s/60s retro camping vibe and some craft beer, and we’ve been able to create a fun, family-friendly, and laid-back experience for our guests.”
While Olsen loves his “campground” brewery out in Indian Lake, and is opening a third location on a 66-acre campground in Bellefountaine later this year, he’s excited to be back in the “city.” “We want to use Base Camp as a launch point to start a lot of events in the area,” explained Olsen. “Marysville has a lot to offer, and I can’t wait to be able to show some of that off through the business. The reason we chose Basecamp as the name is we’re hoping that this will be the place to plan your next adventures, but also start new ones!”
Camp Brewing Basecamp will hopefully be open on May 16, just in time for the first Marysville Uptown Friday. They’ll have a mix of house, craft beers, guest taps, wine, cider, seltzers, and even cocktails. They’ll also have a full kitchen that serves pizza, wings, and appetizers.
