I'm surprised MSD is worried about sugar water vs the chemicals used for sanitizing. I don't understand, because to me sugar water is less dirty and harmful than poop water, which is going through the system all day every day.

I'm surprised MSD is worried about sugar water vs the chemicals used for sanitizing. I don't understand, because to me sugar water is less dirty and harmful than poop water, which is going through the system all day every day.

 

It's the EPA. The system is designed to deal with poop all day long, but not necessarily the waste product from brewing. I think the issue here is that MSD didn't realize they had been letting these breweries skirt EPA regulations, so they had an "oh crap" moment and sent them all letters stating they had to comply.

Oh yea that makes sense.

They should filter their waste of all solids like spent hops, and have Emmert Co. come pick it up.  They dry it and use it for animal feed.

 

http://www.emmert.com/

They should filter their waste of all solids like spent hops, and have Emmert Co. come pick it up.  They dry it and use it for animal feed.

 

http://www.emmert.com/

 

I believe that's what Sam Adams does...

Perhaps Christian Moerlein, Rhinegeist, and  MadTree could do that, but I don't know if it would make economic sense to Emmert to pick up or the other brewers to drop off their spent resources. They might not produce enough. Though I don't know for sure.

Rhinegeist continues to be awesome at everything (except their beer lol):

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2015/03/13/rhinegeist-brewery-reveals-expansion-plans/70275446/

 

(the recent issues with Kentucky were unexpected and tragic, but I think they are just going to keep plunging ahead).

They should get an elevator. 

Perhaps Christian Moerlein, Rhinegeist, and  MadTree could do that, but I don't know if it would make economic sense to Emmert to pick up or the other brewers to drop off their spent resources. They might not produce enough. Though I don't know for sure.

 

Almost all brewers work out agreements with farmers to use spent grain.  It's an exceedingly good additive for animal feed, and farmers can usually get it for the cost of gas to pick it up.  Short of throwing it away there's nothing a brewer can do with it - the volumes of grain used in even a small brewery's operation are too large to send down the drain, and composting isn't fast enough to dispose of it on-site. 

 

I believe MSD's issue is not with the grain, but with the cleaning and sanitizing agents.  MSD's systems are not set up to efficiently remove these "pollutants," so they are attempting to recover the costs of doing so from the sources.  The problem for the breweries seem to be two things:

 

1) Like all customers, their sewage bill is tied to the water bill.  So the surcharge looks huge based on the water usage.  MSD is offering a solution with a meter that deducts the water that's going out in product form and not down the drain, but that meter is pricey.  Brewing is a thin-margin business at the best of times, so dropping a few extra grand on either the meter or the surcharge isn't possible.

 

2) MSD in many cases didn't give enough notice of the change (Madtree claims it was two weeks), so the breweries couldn't plan for the additional expense.  Cranley's/Black's delay is actually useful here.

Rhinegeist continues to be awesome at everything (except their beer lol):

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2015/03/13/rhinegeist-brewery-reveals-expansion-plans/70275446/

 

(the recent issues with Kentucky were unexpected and tragic, but I think they are just going to keep plunging ahead).

 

Weird, I have liked every Rhinegeist beer I've tried, which is more than I can say for any other local brewery. If you don't like hoppy beers, you should try Rhinegeist's Cougar.

Rhinegeist continues to be awesome at everything (except their beer lol):

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2015/03/13/rhinegeist-brewery-reveals-expansion-plans/70275446/

 

(the recent issues with Kentucky were unexpected and tragic, but I think they are just going to keep plunging ahead).

 

Weird, I have liked every Rhinegeist beer I've tried, which is more than I can say for any other local brewery. If you don't like hoppy beers, you should try Rhinegeist's Cougar.

 

Also try Uncle if you're at the actual brewery- super smooth and mild but still flavorful.

I agree with Neil. I don't hate many of their beers, but there aren't many that I really enjoy. Truth is fine. Saber Tooth Tiger and Gramps are both good. I don't really like Cougar or Uncle much. And they've come out with a dozen variations of Pale Ales that all taste very similar and kinda bland.

 

In my opinion they are one of the average Cincinnati brewers. But they have the hype, funding, and great branding, so they are the most successful.

Rhinegeist continues to be awesome at everything (except their beer lol):

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2015/03/13/rhinegeist-brewery-reveals-expansion-plans/70275446/

 

(the recent issues with Kentucky were unexpected and tragic, but I think they are just going to keep plunging ahead).

 

Weird, I have liked every Rhinegeist beer I've tried, which is more than I can say for any other local brewery. If you don't like hoppy beers, you should try Rhinegeist's Cougar.

 

Also try Uncle if you're at the actual brewery- super smooth and mild but still flavorful.

 

Guilty as charged I am not a fan of the hops fad, I like more balanced beer and bitter for the sake of it just doesn't do it for me.

 

They do have good non-hops stuff, but they aren't the best I've had (for the region I like Rivertown, wish they were downtown, and for the country New Glarus, which I wish was available outside of Wisconsin).

 

Still if I bring people not familiar with Cincy down its near the top of my must show list.  Getting that rooftop is going to be even more amazing too.

Urban Artifact in Northside is set to open April 24!

Interesting choices on their flagship beers- http://www.artifactbeer.com/beers/

Also, Taft's is beautiful and their beers are really good. I recommend their coffee milk stout and the saison.

Also, Taft's is beautiful and their beers are really good. I recommend their coffee milk stout and the saison.

 

Completely agree. I'm a big fan of the Mosaic IPL

2 Cirque du Soleil alums are starting a distillery

 

Two locals whose pedigrees include stints with Cirque du Soleil are hosting a grand opening for their new distillery next week.

 

Second Sight Spirits is set to show off its Unbarreled White Rum at its grand opening at 301 Elm St. in Ludlow on April 18. Click the image to the right for an exclusive first look at the distillery.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/04/10/2-cirque-du-soleil-alums-are-starting-a-distillery.html

Interesting choices on their flagship beers- http://www.artifactbeer.com/beers/

 

It's nothing that unusual, especially for a brand focused on sours.  Blank Slate has done a Gose for like forever (it's great), and Rivertown has had a Berliner weisse for some time, too (also good).  Listermann did a Kentucky Common last year I think, which I didn't have.  They have basically chosen the least sour of sour beer styles as their core, which is a good move, I think.  I suspect they will experiment around the edges.

Yea I'm excited about those. Just tried the berliner weiss last weekend, its VERY good.

I got to Taft Ale House on Saturday not and I can't say that I was particularly impressed.  They attracted the Dave Mathews frat crowd by playing...Dave Mathews over their surprisingly weak sound system.  The door guys and staff were the sort of jerks who bounce at typical meat markets, the beer was over-filtered, and the interior decor was no fun.  That space could be a great dance club if they had the place painted brightly with some colored lights and had some festive music going.

 

In fact that's an ongoing problem with these beer tap rooms -- the music or live entertainment is always an after-thought for these guys.  Are people patronizing these places currently because they really, truly want craft beer rather than Coors Light, or is it just because they're the new places?  Do they really have staying power? 

People do it for both. Some people really enjoy craft beer and breweries. Some do it to go to the new place.

 

I really liked the interior. And a restaurant/brewery doesn't need live entertainment. They can do just fine selling food and beer.

I got to Taft Ale House on Saturday not and I can't say that I was particularly impressed.  They attracted the Dave Mathews frat crowd by playing...Dave Mathews over their surprisingly weak sound system.  The door guys and staff were the sort of jerks who bounce at typical meat markets, the beer was over-filtered, and the interior decor was no fun.  That space could be a great dance club if they had the place painted brightly with some colored lights and had some festive music going.

 

In fact that's an ongoing problem with these beer tap rooms -- the music or live entertainment is always an after-thought for these guys.  Are people patronizing these places currently because they really, truly want craft beer rather than Coors Light, or is it just because they're the new places?  Do they really have staying power? 

 

Sounds like it might be better to check it out on an off night or on Sat or Sun afternoon.

The quality of live music to be heard in this neighborhood is downright atrocious.  Taft Ale House was also rocking Justin Bieber and various 90s boy bands.  It's like they spent $8 million and then borrowed somebody's aunt's iPod from an 8 year-old's birthday party. 

We've been through this. You just don't like music anymore. OTR actually gets good music, you just like none of it. And a place like Taft doesn't need live music. Not every place needs to also be a concert venue.

That space could be a great dance club if they had the place painted brightly with some colored lights and had some festive music going.

 

In fact that's an ongoing problem with these beer tap rooms -- the music or live entertainment is always an after-thought for these guys.  Are people patronizing these places currently because they really, truly want craft beer rather than Coors Light, or is it just because they're the new places?  Do they really have staying power?

 

Really glad it's not dance club cause that's really not my speed. But I would say dance clubs are almost strictly patronized because they're new and have the least amount of staying power of any kind of business. (Think of everything that's cycled through 7th street, the shelf life is two years tops.) I think going with really nice classic decor (one would even say timeless!) was a good choice.

Limelight, which was a famous dance club in a converted church, stayed in business with the same owner for around 20 years in New York City.  When Manhattan prices got truly out-of-control the owner finally sold out around 2007 and it's a cross fit place or something like that now.

 

The larger issue is that these bars, restaurants, and microbreweries are coming in all shapes and sizes, but the general mood at all of them is the same.  The crowds are very homogenous and there is no crackle of real excitement. 

I think it depends on the person but it seems like the breweries are drawing in a crowd of people, and I bet some of them wouldn't necessarily go to different bars.  As in, I bet there is some cannibalization from different bars, but maybe it's 50/50.

 

Me personally, I am not a big fan of breweries.  They are cool for a bit, but I like music if I am drinking.  The most fun I ever had at a Cincinnati bar was when my girlfriend and I went to Japp's (the quieter side), and they were playing some live jazz type music and we spent some money on some bourbon drinks they concocted.  Now to me, that was a blast.

 

It all depends on the person and that is why I like Cincinnati, because there is a lot of different types of bars.

 

My other favorite bars depend on what I am looking for.  Some drinks and chilling outside I like Tap n Go in Mt. Adams.  If I want to show up around 6 pm to watch a game and it is nice weather, I like the open air and big screen at Next Chapter (I loathe it at night though).  If my girlfriend and I want a quieter night and some Japanese, we go to one of the sushi spots in Mt. Lookout and buy some drinks then maybe meet up with friends at MLT's.  I never spent much time in Clifton Gas Light since I moved here, but I have a friend who loves to play pool there.  I like the gumbo spot there, though.

 

It all just depends on what you are looking for, certain things work for certain people.

 

 

I had a chance to get out to http://www.oldfirehousebrewery.com/ this past Saturday. It's a nice little brewery. Plenty of open space, outside sitting area and friendly bartenders.

 

I got to try the Probie Porter which was a nice porter and I had some of the High Ryse. Wow, excellent beer. Great coffee taste in a red ale.

 

There are pizza places nearby for food and they do growler fills also

 

Even though it is way out on the east side, I recommend getting out there  :drunk:

Blank Slate partners with Cincinnati's top rated restaurant for exclusive beer series

 

Blank Slate is releasing a seasonal series of beers for Orchids at Palm Court in the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel beginning Thursday.

 

The first beer in the series is Orchids Bloom, a French-style Saison brewed with coriander and hibiscus. It's available at the Orchids bar. There's also a very limited amount on draft at the Blank Slate taproom.

 

"It’s a nice, light springtime beer. You get a little bit of fruitiness from the saison yeast, but you also have this almost flowery note from the hibiscus and coriander," Blank Slate proprietor Scott LaFollette told me. "It has a pinkish note to it, too, for more of a springtime feel."

 

Planning for the beer began last winter. LaFollette met with Orchids chef Todd Kelly and other Orchids staff to talk about what styles and ingredients would be complement Orchids' seasonal menu.

Disappointing...

 

EXCLUSIVE: Why Eden Park's brewery project is likely kaput

Chris Wetterich - Staff reporter and columnist - Cincinnati Business Courier

 

Under its lease with the city, Brewery X, the $5.2 million microbrewery and taproom project set to be built in a dilapidated old pump station in Eden Park is supposed to be complete by Dec. 31.

 

Construction hasn’t started and probably won’t ever begin for several reasons, including the city’s insistence that it maintain ownership over the pump station, said Jack Martin, co-proprietor of the project. A change in IRS rules and Brewery X’s inability to modify the terms of a state grant also played a role in the project’s likely demise, Martin said.

 

Mayor John Cranley and Councilman Kevin Flynn, who led the charge to keep city ownership of the site, reject the notion that doing so helped lead to the deal’s death. They suggest Martin could restructure his deal or seek more deep-pocketed investors.

 

Cont

Will the pump house now be taken over by a Cranley crony?

I love this Cranley quote in the article:  "My guess is he needs someone with high wealth to sign the loan.  That’s how people get their start in this world.”

Cynical Cranley wanted to see this project die simply because the Martins supported the streetcar.

Cynical Cranley wanted to see this project die simply because the Martins supported the streetcar.

 

Correct.  The Martins still own the Moerlein house directly across from Rheingeist that has had the pro-streetcar graphics on it for 6-7 years.  They haven't renovated that house because they've been concentrating on the Brewery X project this whole time. 

It is a bummer and now that building will just continue to sit. Hopefully they can regroup and have their brewery in otr instead.

It is a bummer and now that building will just continue to sit. Hopefully they can regroup and have their brewery in otr instead.

 

I think that's what's the most disgusting thing here - this was an opportunity for the city to help provide and restore a unique building, one of many fallow structures it could have leveraged to help sell Cincinnati's uniqueness but sigh, parochial petty poltics got in the the way.  Its a huge tragedy.  The quicker you guys get rid of Cranley the faster your city will see greatness.

The thing was they really tried to make the Martins look like they were pulling a fast one by giving them the right to buy the building.  But the fact is the city itself could not apply for the same state and federal tax credits as a private party if it wanted to renovate the building and then lease it to a restaurant/bar tenant.  So it was the city as much as the private party that was benefiting from the deal. 

 

 

Ironic that Cranley proposed putting a biergarten in Mt. Airy Forest but crancelled the Eden Park brewery!

 

http://bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/09/18/cranley-how-about-a-beer-garden-in-mount-airy.html?page=all

Ironic that Cranley proposed putting a biergarten in Mt. Airy Forest but crancelled the Eden Park brewery!

 

http://bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/09/18/cranley-how-about-a-beer-garden-in-mount-airy.html?page=all

 

Do you think he would stop something in progress because he thinks it *might* compete with something he came up with that *might* happen someday? Does he really think that his ideas are that much better than everyone else's?

Do you think he would stop something in progress because he thinks it *might* compete with something he came up with that *might* happen someday?

 

No, he would stop something in progress because the Martins have been long-time streetcar supporters and supported his opponent in the last mayoral election.

 

Does he really think that his ideas are that much better than everyone else's?

 

Yes.

The second new microbrewery of the month is opening...I visited Urban Artifact on Thursday night.  It will have regular live entertainment unlike the other tap rooms which I think will enable it to attract a wider variety of people to that location than they would have otherwise. 

The second new microbrewery of the month is opening...I visited Urban Artifact on Thursday night.  It will have regular live entertainment unlike the other tap rooms which I think will enable it to attract a wider variety of people to that location than they would have otherwise. 

 

I wish their original idea of redoing the Metal Blast room hadn't have fallen through.

The second new microbrewery of the month is opening...I visited Urban Artifact on Thursday night.  It will have regular live entertainment unlike the other tap rooms which I think will enable it to attract a wider variety of people to that location than they would have otherwise. 

 

I wish their original idea of redoing the Metal Blast room hadn't have fallen through.

 

Somebody's going to do something with that eventually.  It might be 10 years but when it happens the property value in that area is going to go way up.  So finally we will see Renner St., etc., built-out after 20 years in purgatory. 

 

Rhinegeist sprung a major leak in its roof this past week, as luck would have it, directly over its entrance staircase.  On Friday patrons walked through sheets of water on the staircase's top flight.  On Saturday it leaked some more even after that night's rain ended and took on the musty odor of a NYC subway staircase. 

 

I don't know if the leak is related to the expansion work or not, but the expansion work seems to be taking forever. 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2015/10/07/fifty-west-brewing-plans-15-million-expansion/73445086/

 

Fifty West Brewing Company is growing, to the tune of  $1.5 million. An expansion, set to break ground in November, will add a production facility, volleyball courts and a cycling company to the Columbia Township brewery.

 

The expansion involves redeveloping the space that's currently Hahana Beach, 7605 Wooster Pike. Located across Route 50 from the brewpub, that space will house a new production facility, with four 40-barrel fermenters to start. That will allow the brewery to produce between 4,000 and 5,000 barrels annually, up from its current production of 1,500 to 2,000 barrels per year. And there will be room to grow.

 

The additional capacity will allow Fifty West to increase the supply of its draft product, which is much needed, said Blake Horsburgh, Fifty West brewmaster and co-owner. It will continue packaging on a small scale, perhaps a little bit more than it does now: Horsburgh expects to package about 10 percent of the brewery's beer in 2016

Five Cincinnati brewers will make special beers in streetcar’s honor

 

To mark the arrival of the five streetcars that will be delivered starting next week, the five breweries or brewpubs along the streetcar line will make special commemorative beers for release the day each streetcar arrives.

Columbia-Tusculum family plans to open new Streetside Brewery

CINCINNATI -- A family with strong ties to one of Cincinnati’s oldest communities hopes to open a brewery next year and rejuvenate the neighborhood.

 

The Hickey family (Brian and Kathie, and their son, Garrett), plans to open Streetside Brewery in mid-summer 2016.

 

The brewery will be at the corner of Eastern Avenue and McCullough Street. Streetside will be at the site of what was once the East End Café before it collapsed.

http://www.wcpo.com/news/insider/columbia-tusculum-family-plans-to-open-new-streetside-brewery

Look inside Rhinegeist's new expansion: PHOTOS

 

Over-the-Rhine craft brewery Rhinegeist is putting the finishing touches on an expansion that added an annex, event space and rooftop bar to its Elm Street facility.

...

Rhinegeist will publicly unveil its new spaces during its Hopgeist event on Saturday, which will be held from noon until 6 p.m.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/10/29/look-inside-rhinegeists-new-expansion.html

 

 

MadTree names 'preferred location' for expansion

After more than a year-long search, MadTree Brewing in Columbia Township has identified a preferred location for its expansion.

 

The brewery is eyeing a spot at 3301 Madison Road in Oakley. The site was formerly home to paper manufacturer RockTenn.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/nightlife/bars-and-clubs/2015/12/02/madtree-names-preferred-location-expansion/76677484/