Braxton is also getting into the baseball-beer game. On Friday, they’ll release an English-style mild called 1957 for sale in cans at the taproom. The beer will be paired with Cracker Jacks while supplies last. The name comes from a controversy surrounding the 1957 All-Star Game, when there was a disproportionate amount of Cincinnati Redlegs players selected to start for the National League — seven in total, with one player from the St. Louis Cardinals. This seemed a little fishy to MLB, which investigated and discovered that bartenders in Cincinnati had been refusing to serve customers until they filled out an All-Star Game voting ballot. Turns out, half of all ballots were cast by Cincinnatians.
Opening Day is April 3 and MadTree will be stationed on Fountain Square all day for Rally on the Square, the largest annual fundraising event for Give Back Cincinnati, which hires volunteers to help out in local communities.
Rhinegeist is also getting into the Opening Day festivities with an all-day party starting at 9 a.m. Nada will be on hand to serve breakfast tacos in the taproom, and Rhinegeist will be making beermosas and cidermosas. Bonus: There will be a free shuttle running noon-4 p.m. from the brewery to the 4:10 p.m. Reds game against the Phillies.
Raise a glass to the return of baseball and patio drinking.
New Beers
• Urban Artifact’s new spring beer is called Pinwheel. It is a gose made with kumquats, described as “a hazy-orange tart crash of flavors.” The beer is available on draft in their taproom and also in cans.
• Fifty West recently released a collaboration Scotch ale called Wee Heavy Bevvy, made with award-winning breweries Revelry Brewing Co. from Charleston, S.C. and Real Ale Brewing Co. from Blanco, Texas. The beer is on tap at all three breweries.
• On Saturday, Listermann will release two New England IPAs in limited-run cans: Tricky and 99 Problems But a Beer Ain’t One. You can snatch them up at the taproom.
• One of Streetside’s most popular beers has been Suh, Brah?, a New England IPA. Starting at 10 a.m. on April 8, the brewery will debut and sell the beer in four-pack 16-ounce cans. They will also tap a special batch of the IPA featuring high-oil Cascade hops. Quantities will be very limited, so they’ll only be selling snifter pours.
Events
• On Thursday, Rhinegeist teams up with the Cincinnati Zoo for Zoogeist. The event features animal encounters, a raffle, games and Goodfellas pizza, all to benefit the Living Classroom Education Access Fund.
• Say goodbye to Ei8ht Ball at The Last Brunch on Saturday, featuring beermosas and food trucks. Earlier this year the owners of Ei8ht Ball announced they were shuttering because they wanted to focus on their distillery, New Riff. But in happier news, Braxton will take over Ei8ht Ball’s space this summer. Braxton Labs will give the brewers more room to experiment with different beer styles — 40 taps will pour a combination of their own beers and guest beers.
• Pink Boots Society is a group that champions women who work in the beer industry. On April 8, Brink Brewing will tap Queen Bee Imperial IPA to raise money for the group. Women from Brink collaborated with women from Fibonacci Brewing Company to create a beer that contains 40 pounds of local honey from Bee Haven. Come out to support the ladies of craft beer. More info: pinkbootssociety.org.
• On April 15, the Holler Festival returns to New Riff, celebrating Kentucky’s craft beers and spirits. Kentucky breweries like Goodwood, Braxton, Against the Grain, Country Boy and Mash Cult will pour their beers, with spirit tastings from distillers, including Ludlow, Ky.’s Second Sight Spirits. Attendees will also be treated to food, live music and a tasting glass. Tickets cost $50 for regular admission and $75 for VIP. ©
