Cincinnati Burger Week Returns July 10-16, 2023

Best True Crime Beer Dinner: Washington Platform

Taylor Speed

Cincinnati historian and author (and lawyer and adjunct professor and curator of the Brewing Heritage Trail…) Michael D. Morgan has a flair for storytelling. And beer (alcohol in general, really). And telling stories about beer. One could probably gather that based on his two books: Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King and Cincinnati Beer. The third Thursdays of the month, Morgan hosts a thrilling true crime dinner series at Washington Platform called Murder on the Menu. It’s not like one of those murder mystery dinners where guests have to solve clues provided by a troupe of well-intentioned but low-budget actors in between courses. Morgan weaves a tale of a real unsolved Cincinnati murder from 1879. Check in, chug a drink and then Morgan will lead you on a walking tour around the neighborhood to see where Harry Baldwin was shot and mortally wounded, pointing out historic brothels, converted breweries and twisting plotlines along the way. Baldwin’s case was never solved and, as so eloquently put on the event website, “almost destroyed the Schaller-Gerke brewing empire, threatened to expose a celebrity Madam’s list of exclusive and influential clientele, and laid bare the depths of Cincinnati’s moral depravity.” Afterward, head back to the restaurant and saloon for a paired dinner with a different brewery. Chef Jon Diebold crafts a unique menu each time (let them know about any dietary restrictions in advance) and Morgan unravels more of the top case theories between each dish. Washington Platform, 1000 Elm St., Downtown, queencityhistory.com.