Finally, crisp autumn nights have replaced summertime, and that means robust fall beers, food pairings, plus weekend Halloween celebrations.
On Friday night, Rhinegeist will throw their annual Halloween bash. There will be live music and a catwalk Halloween costume show, with the 50 best hand-crafted costumes (no store bought ones) pre-picked to strut their stuff. (On Saturday, Rhinegeist continues the festivities with Rare Beer Fest. The event is sold-out, so hopefully you can talk a friend into taking you.)
Also on Friday, Taft’s puts on a Silent Disco Costume Party at their OTR location. The idea is simple: Wear a costume, dance silently. First place will win a Wicked Cool Cooler and second place wins a $100 Taft’s gift card. Drafts, Smirnoff and Crown drinks will all be $3.
Of course, Darkness Brewing goes all out for Halloween. Continued from last weekend, this weekend features two more nights of spooktacular happenings. On Friday, they’ll host a horror-movie trivia, and on Saturday, expect karaoke and a costume contest, alongside a haunted maze and fortune tellers. Now would be a good time to try Witch Head Nebula, a red IPA.
On Friday, board games haunt The Rook and Braxton Brewing co-hosts an evening of Trick Or Treat Yo’ Self on the Rook’s second floor. Food and drink specials will be on hand, and so will a costume contest and Braxton Labs’ Chocolate Pepper Porter on draft.
On Saturday, Urban Artifact and Cappy’s Wine and Spirits in Loveland host a joint Halloween bash, taking place at Cappy’s. Come dressed as your best Trump, hear live music and try one of Urban Artifact’s beers — Love Letter white peach ale, a new tart brown ale called Owler and a couple of special Halloween beers. On Halloween night, Urban Artifact will have a party at their taproom, complete with a walk-the-plank costume contest.
Moerlein gets into the seasonal spirit on Saturday, too, with Boos and Brews Halloween Bash, held at their Malthouse locale. Eli’s BBQ will cater, and the bar will offer Moerlein drafts, themed cocktails and Jell-O syringes. If you’re feeling lucky, enter the costume contest. Admission is $5, which benefits Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce.
New Beers
Last week Nine Giant unveiled its latest seasonal beer, Howling at Nothing, a black walnut pecan porter.
The Woodburn Brewery teamed up with Mount St. Joseph University to brew Winter Blues Oatmeal stout. It is available at their taproom and “can help curb those inevitable winter blues early.”
Urban Artifact only recently unveiled the aforementioned Owler, a “cool weather perennial.” It is a tart vanilla brown, made with vanilla beans, and is available on draft and in cans at the taproom.
A couple weeks ago, 13 Below Brewery opened in Sayler Park. They are open Thursday through Sunday, and have food trucks on the premises most days.
Blue Ash is poised to get another brewery when the music-themed Fretboard Brewery opens on Nov. 4. They will pour beers, like Jazz (American Stout) and Lyric (Hoppy Wheat Ale), and of course will have live music.
Events
Come to The Brass Tap on Oct. 26 for Braxton’s Beer and Ice Cream Social. The bar will make beer floats from Graeter’s ice cream and Braxton’s Graeter’s collaboration Blueberry Pie Brown Ale. They will also have a special Braxton Labs beer to sample with the ice cream.
On Oct. 30, Science on Tap hosts an evening at Fibonacci called “Bats, Not So Spooky.” Over some pints learn how beneficial bats are to farmers, and be reassured that they don’t turn into Dracula.
On Nov. 4, Fifty West and Great Lakes Brewing Company once again get together for the annual Great Ohio Brew n’ Que. Tickets are $40 and include an unlimited buffet of wings, beef brisket, pulled pork, mac n’ cheese and Fifty West brownies. Each ticket comes with eight beer tickets, including a chance to try a Fifty West and Great Lakes collaboration brew.
Just like beer and ice cream, beer and chocolate go together, too. Local chocolatier Velveteen Chocolate and Wooden Cask put on a beer and chocolate pairing on Nov. 4 at Wooden Cask’s taproom. Four beers will align with four chocolates, such as dark chocolate lime, and salted caramel. Tickets are $22 and include a pint of beer.
Nov. 11 is Veterans Day, but Braxton will celebrate the holiday a day early on Nov. 10, when they honor Covington’s firefighters with a tapping of a beer made by members of IAFF Local 38.
Listermann’s Nov. 15 Trivia with a Twist will be Hip-Hop themed. Questions will focus on East Coast and West Coast Hip-Hop and current music. A dollar from every pint purchased will support Elementz, a local urban arts center. On Nov. 19, Moerlein hosts Brunch, Brews, and Breweries. The morning begins at Moerlein’s OTR Malthouse. Then, take the Cincinnati Connector to Moerlein Lager House for a brunch, followed by tours of the breweries. Tickets are $45. ©
This article appears in Oct 18-25, 2017.