Fifty West Brewing Company has turned a stretch of Wooster Pike into a veritable outdoor recreation corridor.
Across the street from the flagship brewpub sits Fifty West Canoe & Kayak, Fifty West Cycling and Fifty West Production Works (home to six sand volleyball courts). All are geared toward building community through shared experiences, which include drinking craft beer and getting outside: It’s all about an active lifestyle, says brewery co-owner Bobby Slattery.
“Our mission, from a company standpoint is, basically, if you’re on the bar stool, we want to get you off the bar stool and figure out a way to add value to your life,” he says. “And if you’re not on the bar stool and you’re out there being active, we want to educate you on craft beer and get you to sit on the bar stool every once and a while.”
The initial impetus for the brand’s expansion into sports and recreation came when they realized they needed to make more beer. To meet demand, they had to add more tanks and fermenters and those fermenters couldn’t fit into the brewpub’s original building, a historic 1800s homestead and former speakeasy, so they turned their attention across the street, redeveloping the site that had been volleyball bar Hahana Beach (owned by Slattery’s father) into the brewery’s Production Works facility. Opened in May 2016, they kept the sand volleyball courts and added four 40-barrel fermenters plus more space for beer drinkers to mix and mingle.
“We kind of got this hunch, ‘Well, what if we could get the people to jump from spot to spot?’” Slattery says. “If you’re really into craft beer, we try to get you into volleyball. If you’re really into volleyball, we can get you into craft beer.”
Fifty West’s proximity to the Little Miami River and Loveland Bike Trail — arguably the city’s most popular thoroughfares for canoeing, kayaking, running and biking — also added a spark.
“We looked at being next to the river, being next to the bike path and thought, well maybe we can do more than just (volleyball). So that’s when we opened up the bike shop and the canoe and kayak livery,” Slattery says.
The addition of the new businesses brought the brewery’s outdoor activity portfolio to four: volleyball and running clubs at the Production Works, canoe and kayak rental at Fifty West Canoe & Kayak and cycling at Fifty West Cycling. Most activities are seasonal — running groups, volleyball and group bike rides take place March through November, and canoe and kayak rentals start around April or May, depending on weather, and run through October or November. Fifty West Cycling Co.’s bike shop is open year-round, however, for sales and fittings.
They’ve also added a family-friendly Roadside Grill to their seasonal offerings. While the brewpub offers chef-driven, sit-down dining, the Roadside Grill is a place to grab snacks, sandwiches and salads to eat before a bike ride or jog along the trail.
“It’s a permanent food truck, is the best way to describe it,” Slattery says. “You order at the window and we give you a number and we bring your food out to you. It’s very casual.”
The menu includes grilled cheese, burgers, wings and nachos and some more upscale offerings like shrimp banh mi. There’s also a kids’ menu and pour-your-own tap root beer and orange soda in barrels.
“For us, we make fantastic beer but there’s a ton of places making fantastic beer, so it’s how can we add value to your life that’s going to make you want to continue to be part of this Fifty West experience,” Slattery says.
Volleyball
Fifty West’s Production Works’ six sand volleyball courts host co-ed leagues for groups of four or six (for $240-$330 per team) during spring, summer and fall sessions. Games take place Monday through Thursday nights; courts are open to the public for free Friday through Sunday. Fifty West Production Works, 7668 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township, volleyball.fiftywestbrew.com.
Cycling
Fifty West Cycling is a full-service bike shop that sells new and used bikes, offers bike fittings and provides daily rentals (starting at $24). The building abuts the 80-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail, aka the Loveland Bike Trail, and goes all the way to Yellow Springs. Slattery says Great Parks will soon announce a trail expansion that will extend the path to the back of the Production Works facility.
If you already have a bike and want to join a group ride, Fifty West offers a Tuesday night ride and a bi-weekly Saturday morning women’s ride, among other events (like the Full Moon Bike Ride and Movie on April 28). The co-ed Tuesday night social ride leaves from the shop parking lot at 6 p.m. and travels about 15 to 20 miles through the Little Miami Scenic Trail and on roads in Terrace Park, Milford and Indian Hill. It’s no-drop and geared toward intermediate riders. The women’s ride starts at 10 a.m. every other Saturday and is also geared toward intermediate riders. Helmets are required for all rides. Fifty West Cycling, 7669 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township, fiftywestcycling.com.
Running
Fifty West’s running group leaves from the Production Works facility at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday for a 3- to 5-mile friendly run. “We might have the most popular running groups in the city right now,” Slattery says, adding that they expect up to 75 people each week, depending on the weather.
The brewery-led, rotating routes take runners on the bike trail toward Terrace Park, through Little Miami or into Mariemont and are set for any skill level.
“We’ve had guys come in there that are 400 pounds that walk a mile and that’s all they do. We’ve had people that go and they run 15 miles,” Slattery says. “It’s all different paces. It’s not like you have to be an Olympic runner to do it. A lot of people, it’s their first time running in a long time and they like (how casual) it is.”
You also get rewarded for running. Fifty West keeps track of your mileage and how many times you run. After five runs, you get a T-shirt; after 10 runs, you get a long-sleeve shirt; and after 50 miles, you join the 50-mile club and celebrate with a party twice a year. There’s no cost, and the brewery has started integrating free craft beer education sessions after the running group. Fifty West Production Works, 7668 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township, fiftywestbrew.com.
Canoe & Kayak
Fifty West’s livery offers myriad floating rentals, including tubes, rafts, kayaks (single or tandem) and canoes. The 2018 season will officially begin Memorial Day weekend and all hours are subject to change based on weather. All trips — priced for 5 and 10 miles — begin and end at the livery. You can call ahead to RSVP for groups (10 or more boats) and RSVP is required 24 hours in advance for the 10-mile trip. Dogs who can swim are allowed on the river, but alcohol is not. Separate your cabrewing experience into two distinct parts with canoeing first and brews at the bar second. Fifty West Canoe & Kayak, 7605 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township, fiftywestcanoe.com.
More Outdoor Groups
Fifty West isn’t the only place to join a volleyball league or running group. Plenty of other Tri-State clubs and businesses offer opportunities to get involved and get outside.
Volleyball
- Cincinnati Recreation Commission — The CRC offers summer volleyball leagues at Sawyer Point and the Dunham Recreation Complex with evening games Monday-Thursday. Prices range from $100-$270 per team and new team registration takes place April 24-May 4. cincyrec.org.
- The Sandbar — This seasonal beach-themed bar in the East End features seven sand volleyball courts and a thatched cabana bar. Organized by Cincinnati Sports Leagues, the spring and summer volleyball games are co-ed and recreational. They also host open play/pick-up games on Saturday and Sunday for $4 per person. 4609 Kellogg Ave., East End, thesandbarcincinnati.com.
- Setters Beach Volleyball & Outdoor Lounge — Hosts indoor and outdoor beach volleyball leagues year-round, with doubles, quads and sixes. Register online for women’s, men’s and co-ed teams in levels from purely recreational to very competitive. Spring, summer and fall outdoor leagues run April 30-Oct. 21. Setters also has a bar. 4005 Hopper Hill Road, Cherry Grove, cherrygrovesportscenter.com.
Cycling
- Bike Month — May is National Bike Month and Cincy is celebrating with group rides, happy hour events, themed film screenings and more. Find rides and how to get more involved with local bike culture at cincybikemonth.com.
- Cincinnati Cycle Club — The oldest cycling club in the region, the Cincinnati Cycle Club offers and organizes group rides and social activities and provides a weekly ride calendar listing cycling opportunities for urban, trail and casual riders. cincinnaticycleclub.org.
- Queen City Bike — This local nonprofit bike advocacy group’s Facebook page shares upcoming rides and events from a variety of biking sources. facebook.com/queencitybike.
Running
- Fleet Feet Sports — Fleet Feet offers community fun run groups as well as training programs for races and marathons like the Flying Pig. For more than a decade, the Cincinnati Sunday Runners have taken on a different part of the city with run options ranging from 6 to 20 miles. fleetfeetcincy.com.
- Runners’ Club of Greater Cincinnati — A 40-year-old nonprofit that promotes “running, walking and general fitness.” Membership dues are $25 per year and include gatherings and group runs. The club calendar also lists upcoming running events and 5ks. cincinnatirunning.com.
- Queen City Running & Walking Club — This training group with more than 600 members is for runners and walkers from novice to experienced, with pricing options and events for each level, whether you’re just starting out or looking to tackle a marathon. queencityrunningclub.com.
Canoeing & Kayaking
- Green Acres Canoe & Kayak — Located in Harrison, Green Acres takes paddlers on 3- or 8-mile trips down the Whitewater River with prices ranging from $21.75-$24.75 per person. They also rent out rafts and tubes for “leisure floating.” 10465 Suspension Bridge Road, Harrison, greenacrescanoe.com.
- Loveland Canoe & Kayak — A family-friendly excursion along the Little Miami River. Their Castle Adventure trip lasts between two and four hours and travels 5 miles, past the Loveland Castle. The Seven Bridges trip lasts between four and six hours and travels 10 miles from South Lebanon to Loveland Canoe & Kayak. 174 Karl Brown Way, Loveland, lovelandcanoe.com.
- Scenic River Canoe — This southernmost livery on the Little Miami river offers three trips: Terrell’s Short Trip (2.1 miles), Fletcher’s Mid Trip (6 miles) and Isabella’s Long Trip (10 miles) for $21-$29 per person. RSVP is required for 10-mile trips. 4595 Round Bottom Road, Terrace Park, scenicrivercanoe.com.
