BELLEFONTAINE — After being a part of the Bellefontaine community for less than 16 months, Brewfontaine has been named the best beer bar in Ohio in the annual Great American Beer Bars competition.

The praise comes directly from the public, who were invited to fill out a survey conducted by CraftBeer.com, the Brewers Association website for beer lovers. Fans were asked to share their appreciation for various aspects of their favorite bars, including atmosphere, staff, beer selection and special events.

According to Julia Herz, publisher of CraftBeer.com, “[Our] readers understand what sets a beer bar apart and have continually shown up since 2012 to recommend and praise their favorite spots. This year we received more than 7,000 votes.”

To celebrate this victory, Brewfontaine will host a thank you celebration, March 9, from 5 to 10 p.m.

“Because it’s Ohio recognition, we decided to bring in some of the rarest beers being made right here in the Buckeye State,” said Adam Rammel, who partnered with Brian Wall and Jeramy Fitzpatrick to open the restaurant and bar in November 2015. “It will be all Ohio beers, ciders and meads for the big event and most of the offerings have never been through our doors before.”

This is Brewfontaine’s second accolade since they opened. They were named the best restaurant in Logan County on Cleveland.com’s list of top 100 Ohio restaurants in October 2016.