Let’s start with the sweet: Rhinegeist is now in the ice cream business. The brewery partnered with UDF to create Tropical Truth ice cream, made with Truth IPA and described by the brewery as “malty” with a “tropical tsunami of flavor.” Rhinegeist hosts an ice cream social on Thursday, giving out free scoops of the ice cream and beer floats. The ice cream will also be available at UDF locations around town.
The sixth-annual Cincinnati Beer Week takes place June 18-24 at venues across the Tristate, with educational and alcohol-fueled events that celebrate well-crafted local beer. Several bars and breweries have partnered to release six collaboration brews especially for Beer Week, including a Get Wit It Belgian wit from Wooden Cask, Cellar Dweller, Bad Tom Smith, Nine Giant and Old Firehouse; and Blossom, a gose-hibiscus from Braxton, Rivertown, the Queen City Brewery of Cincinnati, Fibonacci and Hofbräuhaus. Check Cincinnati Beer Week’s website (cincinnatibeerweek.com) for information on events.
And in craft beer expansion news, Braxton recently opened their second location, Braxton Labs, inside the old Ei8ht Ball taproom at the Party Source in Bellevue. With a focus on innovative and experimental brews, the tap list includes a coffee-vanilla milk stout brewed with Carabello coffee and a cherry saison brewed with morello cherry juice. The Lab is also pouring Braxton’s Core beers, the seasonal Summertrip passionfruit Berliner weisse and 30 guest taps from local, regional and international breweries.
West Chester’s DogBerry has also expanded. The brewery closed its Cin-Day Road location and moved to a larger space on Crescent Park Drive. Dogberry 2.0 opened to the public last weekend.
New Beers
• Rhinegeist and Senate just released Chunky Brewster, a Hazy IPA brewed with guava and pineapple. The beer is available at Rhinegeist and Senate’s OTR and new Blue Ash location.
• For the Bunbury Music Festival (June 2-4 at Sawyer Point), the fest’s Craft Beer Village sponsor Braxton created a Bunbury-themed brew called Bunbury Buzz. The kölsch is made with honey (the fest’s icon is a bee) and peaches. Outside of the fest, find the beer at the Party Source and Braxton’s taproom.
Events
• Every Thursday through October, Cellar Dweller/Valley Vineyards and Morgan’s Outdoor Adventures offer Twilight Canoe and Dinner for 2 for $105 per couple. You get an hour-long guided three-mile canoe trip on the Little Miami River, a grilled dinner, live music and a chance to try the Twilight and Canoe Honey Wheat Ale.
• On the first Saturday of every month, Listermann will distribute new cans. This month it’s Sabotage, a New England IPA brewed with lactose, vanilla and strawberries; and Babycat Meowface, a super hoppy IPA blended with sauvignon blanc grape juice and named after someone’s cat.
• Queen City Bulldog Rescue holds Brews and Bulldogs at Fifty West on Sunday. The fundraiser features a Kiss-A-Bull booth, raffle tickets, burgers, beers and a good way to support local bulldogs. Tickets are $25.
• On June 10, Newport on the Levee puts on Local Brews & Blues, which is exactly what it sounds like. For $30, guests receive 18 tasting tickets and a four-ounce tasting mug. Blank Slate, Thirsty Dog, Wooden Cask and Darkness Brewing are just a few of the 15 breweries participating.
• On June 10, Hamilton-based Municipal Brew Works celebrates its first anniversary with a bash featuring music, food trucks and a lot of free-flowing suds. Mt. Carmel also celebrates a big anniversary on June 10 — 12 years — with an all-day fiesta.
• On June 21, Denver chef and cicerone Jensen Cummings will pair his food with New Belgium and Rhinegeist brews for Brewed Food Dinner at Salazar. The cost is $65. ©
