Understanding Cincinnati requires a solid grasp of the past and the present: our city continually grows and innovates, while our people hold steadfast to our traditions and heritage. Bridging this divide is our communal love of craft beer. Local breweries played a pivotal role in Cincy’s history, sparking an economic boom at the turn of the 20th century that even managed to circumvent Prohibition. Thanks to entrepreneurial spirit, the city has reclaimed its roots as a community of brewers and beer aficionados, with new faces seeming to crop up each month. Here’s a formal introduction to some of these newcomers.
16 Lots
Mason, 16lots.com
Twenty years of home-brewing experience and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering are evident in Jeff Cosgrove’s German-inspired beers, ranging from APAs to pilsners and porters. His company takes its name from the 16 lots of land purchased by Revolutionary War officer William Mason that expanded into Mason, Ohio, where Cosgrove and his friend Mike Burton later founded the city’s first brewing company. Holding firm to the area’s history, 16 Lots’ aesthetic is inspired by the American Colonies’ military uniforms, marked by a logo modeled after 18th-century surveying tools. Brews to try: 16 Lots’ flagship APA is the 1803, which pays tribute to the year Mason was founded with a distinct citrus flavor and aroma.
Bircus
Ludlow, Ky., bircus.com
Bircus beckons from the intersection of your subconscious that joins childlike wonder and affinity for ale. Ludlow’s first microbrewery is the product of two concepts you’d never expected to pair so well: the acrobatic surreality of trapeze performance and the full-flavored innovation of craft beer. Former Ringling Bros. clown and Circus Mojo founder Paul Miller serves as the company’s CGO (Chief Goof-Officer). Since officially opening up shop in late December, he’s offered a unique sipping experience that brings juggling, fire-breathing and hula-hooping to the nearby Ludlow Theatre and other local venues. Brews to try: The oddly named Comic Walrus was inspired by one of the circus acts that frequented Ludlow Lagoon in the late 1800s. It’s tinged with cranberries.
Little Miami Brewing Company
Milford, littlemiamibrewing.com
Founded by brothers-in-law Dan Lynch and Joe Brenner, Milford’s Little Miami Brewing Company sits on the banks of its namesake river, pouring 11 beers alongside a selection of brick-oven pizzas. The RJ Express is the menu’s most inventive offering: it’s topped with pepperoni, sausage, banana peppers and toasted almonds. Is 2018 the year we make nuts on pizza a thing? Will legumes usurp pineapple’s reign as the most controversial topping? Ponder these questions and more over glasses of Bike Path, a European-style lager with spicy, noble hops, and Blackbird Fly, unfiltered American wheat blended with real blackberries. Brews to try: Pterodactyl is worth a sip based on its name alone. It’s a classic Bavarian wheat beer infused with hints of banana and clove.
Happy 2 Brewing Company
Anderson, facebook.com/happy2brewing
What could be a more happy medium of comfort food classics than pizza and beer? Located within Mio’s Pizzeria, Happy 2 Brewing works on a small scale, using a two-barrel system that brews exclusively for the taproom. “It leaves our experimentation and drive to make interesting beers wide open,” says co-owner Dan McGrath, who says that although many breweries cash in on a burgeoning market, H2B “functions for the love of the craft.” Brews to try: McGrath recommends Also Amber, Happy 2 Brewing’s signature lager and the mildly hoppy Vision.
West Side Brewing
Westwood, westsidebrewing.com
Hoping to revitalize Westwood’s business district, West Side Brewing Company opened its doors in summer 2017, offering 30 taps’ worth of beers and wines. It’s a family-friendly and community-oriented establishment, featuring cornhole, live music and a steady rotation of food trucks. Pet lovers can cart their fur babies to weekly Dog Friendly Tuesdays, which happen to coincide with West Side’s recurring Drunken Hog BBQ. Brews to try: The Oktoberfest is an amber lager made from toasted bread malts and a touch of hot spice.
Coming Soon
Alexandria Brewing Company
Alexandria, Ky., alexandriabrewingcompany.com
Bridging Cincinnati’s heritage with Northern Kentucky’s tight-knit community, Alexandria Brewing Company is a family-friendly, Rock & Roll themed brewery that places high importance on fun. Opening in March 2018, ABC will focus on a four-beer roster of classics that prop up its rotating list of seasonals, which includes the honey-brewed Go Hop Yourself and the murky-black Licking River Water. While you’re waiting on these tongue-in-cheek brews to be released, grab the trucker-chic mesh hat that’s up for sale on the brewery’s website.
Esoteric Brewery
Walnut Hills, esotericbrewing.com
Their name implies arcane knowledge — ancient forces that can only be discussed in hushed tones. Cincinnati’s first black-owned brewery, set to open this winter in Walnut Hills, owns its intrigue: inspired by Egyptian mythos, the company brands itself with the lotus symbol, which is meant to represent the elevation and rebirth it plans to bring to the local community. Esoteric plans to set up shop in the neighborhood’s former Paramount Building, which has remained unoccupied for over 50 years, looming over the intersection of E. McMillan Street and Gilbert Avenue. Esoteric will specialize in Belgian beers served in traditional glassware.
Humble Monk
Rabbit Hash, facebook.com/humblemonkbc
Formerly known as Rabbit Hash Brewery, Humble Monk will brew its homegrown creations atop what its owners believe to be a network of catacombs. True to its monastic name, Humble Monk looks to the brewing practices of Trappist Monasteries for inspiration: the brewery’s “parti-gyle” technique yields three different types of beer from a single mash, varying in alcohol content and taste.
Rebel Mettle Brewery
OTR, rebelmettlebrewery.com
Hoping to settle into its 40,000-square-foot space on McMicken Avenue this spring/summer, Rebel Mettle will honor OTR’s former status as pre-Prohibition America’s brewery capital, occupying what was once the home of the historic Clyffside and Sohn Brewery and offering ales, lagers and maybe ciders.
This article appears in Jan 24-31, 2018.
