Are you a beer drinker? I love beer. There’s just something about a cold beer after a long day that gives me so much peace. I challenged myself to venture to 10 different local breweries around Cincinnati. It was a lot of fun and I found some great gems around town.
Listermann Brewing Company – Located in Norwood about 10 minutes from downtown Cincinnati. It is near Xavier University. I was curious about the type of crowd and the bartender stated, “not a big Xavier college crowd, due to the students not wanting to spend excessive money on craft beer. They serve more of a graduate/mature crowd.” I visited around lunch hour and it wasn’t too busy. I sampled a few of the beers and my favorite was Nut Case. It is a creamy and delicious peanut butter porter. For food Listermann houses Renegade Grill. They have appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and treats. I did not eat but everything smelled amazing. There’s a wing challenge – if you complete the challenge you get your picture on the wall and free wings. Also, in the back there’s a store where people can buy a “make your own beer kit.” For entertainment - The List @ Listermann - Open mic - every 2nd and 4th Monday @ 7pm. Overall experience 8/10
Streetside Brewery – Located near Mt. Lookout about 10 minutes from downtown Cincinnati. I visited around 4 pm on a Tuesday. There was a small crowd that started to grow. The seated area is indoor/outdoor. Streetside has a decent sized space. For food they have an outdoor food trunk. They have an array of diverse options such as; burgers, tacos, mac n’ cheese, fries, and etc. For entertainment they have live music, themes nights (Mondays are Pint Nights from 7-9 you can purchase the featured beer of the night and KEEP your glass! Refills on the featured beer are $1 off after initial purchase!) Overall experience 6/10
Woodburn Brewery – Located in Walnut Hills. This was my first visit. I spoke with some people around the bar and they said they enjoy their beer but wish they had food. The outdoor patio appeared to be under construction. I visited around 8pm on Wednesday and there were about 20 people. The vibe of this brewery was more upscale modern. I enjoyed their Chocolate Mint Stout. It was very refreshing and reminded me of peppermint patty! For entertainment they have live music occasionally for special events/parties. Overall experience 5/10
3 Points Urban Brewery – Located in Over the Rhine. I visited around 9pm on a Friday night. It was extremely busy with a diverse crowd. As expected on a Friday night scene there were long waits at the bar. The space is big and overall had a unique young atmosphere. I enjoyed their Easy Ale which is a House Ale. My favorite aspect of this brewery is the vast number of events they have throughout the month. When I visited, their current event was the Women Exhibit. They setup different portraits of forgotten women in history. It was cool to drink my beer and learn a bit about history. For food they have sandwiches, tacos, and salads. On the weekends they even have a brunch selection. Overall experience 8/10
Braxton Brewing Company – Located in Covington, KY. I visited around 5pm on a Wednesday. It was extremely busy. They were hosting an event for people to sample the burgers for Burger Week. The space was very open inside. They were also in process of renovating their upstairs patio deck (which is now open). I tried many of their beers. My favorite was the Tangerine Wheat and Garage Beer (Light American Lager). Braxton hosts many events weekly and monthly. Check out their social media outlets to see all the fun upcoming events. They do not have food but here are many nearby locations to grab a bite to eat. For entertainment - Live music, game nights, themed party nights, Beer 5k, Tasting Tour, Exercise classes, Poker. Overall experience 9/10
Little Miami Brewing Company – Located in Downtown Old Milford, Ohio. The location is very fitting as their neighbors to the Little Miami River. I visited around 12 pm on a Monday. There was a small crowd that seemed to be there for the lunch hour. For food they specialize in pizzas but also offer sandwiches, soups, and salads. I sampled Bike Path (Bohemian Pilsner), Uno Mas (Mexican Lager), and Pterodactyl (Hefeweizen). All of them were very flavorful but my favorite was their Peace Frog (Citrus IPA). It was light but had a refreshing summer taste. The space was very open with huge garage doors and a big outdoor patio. For entertainment there were some weekly postings - Mondays = Trivia Tuesdays = SINGO Wednesday = N/A Thursday - Sundays - Live Music.
Overall experience 7/10
Wooden Cask Brewing Company – Located in Newport, KY. I visited around 7pm on a Wednesday. It was pretty empty, but in their defense, there was another big local event that night. It is very spacious with lots of seating for groups and a good lot for parking. I sampled their Girl Next Door (Blonde Ale) and Peach Orchard Cider. Both were decent beers full of flavor. In addition to beer they offer a full bar with whisky, wine, and other various liquor. For food they house The Farmstand Café which offers appetizer, sandwiches, and salads. They offer brewery tours for local nearby breweries and have a grand selection of board games. Overall experience 6/10
Fifty West Brewing Company (BrewPUB) - There’s two locations. Located Eastside, Cincinnati. The locations are directly across from each other. I did not know this till after leaving. Across the street is their “production site” which is more of your traditional taproom. I went to the Brew Pub which is more of a restaurant. I visited around 5pm on a Monday and there a decent size crowd. The elaborate architecture caught eye - It had a speak easy type of atmosphere. There were lots of seating inside and out. My favorite area was their patio where they have an old hippie bus that is open for you to sit in. I enjoyed their Fortune Seeker (Pale Ale) and Tastee Whip (Cream Ale). Both had full of flavor. For entertainment they have live music, theme days, trivia, volleyball leagues, and food theme days. Overall experience 7/10
West Side Brewing – Located in Westside, Cincinnati. I visited around 3pm on a Sunday. It was extremely busy with a diverse group of people. On the wall they list a lot of their upcoming monthly events. Some of the events include; food trucks, game nights, work-out classes, and live music. There is not a lot of parking. I enjoyed their Hefeweizen and Farmhouse Mango beers. Both were very tasty and refreshing. The space is huge with two different seating areas for sitting and standing. Overall experience 8/10
Wiedemanns Fine Beer, Brewery, & Pub – Located in St. Bernard, Ohio. Fun fact the building used to be a funeral home. I actually work at this brewery (so not biased at all!) However, I really do enjoy this brewery as I go even when I’m not working. The space is big with lots of seating both indoors and outdoors with weekly events such as; trivia, Singo, live music, open mic, and more. My favorite beer is their Blood Orange Blonde Ale and Dunkel. The atmosphere at Wiedemanns is family oriented and a great place to host events. For food they offer a full menu of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, wings, pizzas, goetta inspired meals, salads, and more. My favorite appetizer is the goetta tots. I am not a fan of goetta (crazy since I live in Cincy lol) but their goetta tots are amazing. Overall experience 9 /10
Cincinnati offers many other breweries that are great! These 10 caught my eye and I overall enjoyed my experience at each of them in a different way. If you are beer drinker or not I suggest you check out some these locations!
What are some of your favorite breweries? Let me know in the comments!