Greater Cincinnati craft brewery partners with Courier's Joe Hoffecker on brew

 

Fretboard Brewing Co. in Blue Ash is releasing a beer in collaboration with the Business Courier's editorial cartoonist in time for this year's Bockfest.

 

Fretboard at 5800 Creek Road in Blue Ash is releasing its Reverberator Doppelbock beer on Feb. 22. The beer, in time for this year's Bockfest being held March 3-5, was illustrated by the Courier's Joe Hoffecker, himself a homebrewer and craft beer enthusiast.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/02/20/greater-cincinnati-craft-brewery-partners-with.html

DogBerry – Growth, Cans, and staying the same.

 

http://www.thegnarlygnome.com/2018/02/dogberry-cans/

 

It’s still the same guiding philosophy at DogBerry that is driving the move into cans, and that’s what makes it special.  It’s not a drive to grow into a Cincinnati brewery powerhouse.  It’s a drive to make the beer that they love, and share it with those that love it too.  It’s a move to make it easier to drink the beer that so many people in West Chester (and beyond) have fallen in love with, easier.  Quicker.  It’s brilliantly timed, and it’s going to make my refrigerator a much happier place.

 

As for what’s hitting cans, you have two of the taproom favorites to look forward to:

 

    Bray’s On Target – Brown Ale

    Undone – American IPA

 

Greater Cincinnati brewer, candymaker team up on new beer

 

Two Greater Cincinnati companies have joined forces to create a limited-edition cider.

 

March First Brewing of Sycamore Township and Erlanger-based Perfetti Van Melle have created Airheads Green Apple cider.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/02/28/greater-cincinnati-brewer-candymaker-team-up-on.html

Cincinnati venue wins Ohio Brewery of the Year

 

Cincinnati is home to the Ohio Brewery of the Year.

 

Moerlein Lager House was the winner of the award given by the prestigious New York International Beer Competition.

 

The Lager House and Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. competed against more than 600 breweries in the U.S. and 14 other countries in the annual contest.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/03/08/cincinnati-venue-wins-ohio-brewery-of-the-year.html

We've got Rhinegeist, Nashville now has...Geist:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2018/03/13/inside-look-geist-germantowns-newest-restaurant/408122002/

If that was a brewery or distillery, they would for sure have already received a cease and desist.

We've got Rhinegeist, Nashville now has...Geist:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2018/03/13/inside-look-geist-germantowns-newest-restaurant/408122002/

 

Seattle has a German bar and restaurant called Rhein Haus.

Cincinnati culinary luminaries, including MadTree founder, Maribelle's chef, opening a distillery

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/03/13/cincinnati-culinary-luminaries-including-madtree.html?ana=twt

 

 

^That looks interesting... and is in an interesting location, mostly surrounded by industrial/commercial buildings... but it's super close to Mariemont and Mt Lookout, so it's easily accessible. I wonder if it'll have much visibility from Columbia Parkway.

 

 

Five years ago, Christian Moerlein brewed their first batch of OTR Ale in their new OTR brewery.

New Pendleton brewery aims to be hub for local art

 

A new craft brewery opening this spring in Cincinnati's Pendleton neighborhood plans to do more than just make good beer and hope people show up.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/03/27/exclusive-new-pendleton-brewery-aims-to-be-hub-for.html

Five years ago, Christian Moerlein brewed their first batch of OTR Ale in their new OTR brewery.

 

I miss the old recipe they used for the first few batches of OTR Ale.  Not as big a fan of the newer stuff with the new recipe :(.

Apparently they are about to bring back Hudepohl Lager from the original recipe.

Five years ago, Christian Moerlein brewed their first batch of OTR Ale in their new OTR brewery.

 

I miss the old recipe they used for the first few batches of OTR Ale.  Not as big a fan of the newer stuff with the new recipe :(.

 

I been told by a couple people that the original hops they used, they can no longer get ahold of which is the change in the recipe. Shame, but i know the hop market is very competitive with so many breweries popping up all over. 

Samuel Adams Tap Room coming to OTR

 

Samuel Adams will open a taproom across the street from its brewing operations in Over-the-Rhine.

 

The nearly 9,000-square-foot taproom will be located inside the Film Center at 1632 Central Parkway, which is also home to 44 luxury apartments that recently opened.

 

“We’ve been dreaming of opening a taproom in the neighborhood since we purchased the brewery 21 years ago so we could share our beers with local drinkers,” Samuel Adams founder and brewer Jim Koch said. “However, our main focus up until now has been to continue to improve and enhance our brewery capabilities. Now, I’m thrilled to see this dream finally become a reality.”

 

The space will incorporate on-site brewing and feature both indoor and outdoor space with a variety of beers on tap including the Cincinnati-inspired 513 lager, Boston Lager and Summer Ale. Growlers and crowlers will be sold in addition to single servings.

Art Museum, Greater Cincinnati brewery team up on new beer

 

The Cincinnati Art Museum is partnering with one of Cincinnati’s largest craft breweries as a highly anticipated exhibit nears.

 

Norwood-based Listermann Brewing Co. will celebrate the upcoming exhibit “Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China” with a new beer, Terracotta Army New England Red IPA. It will be sold at the Listermann Brewing taproom, 1621 Dana Ave., beginning April 21. It will also be available at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/04/03/art-museum-greatercincinnati-brewery-team-up-on.html

Greater Cincinnati brewery, distillery needs to expand one year after opening

 

A new brewery and distillery in Sycamore Township says it needs to expand to keep up with the demand for its beer, cider and spirits, the Enquirer reports.

 

March First Brewing opened in March 2017 in space it leases in at 7885 E. Kemper Road. Now, the brewery-distillery wants to add a patio and more parking outside the building and convert storage and office space inside into manufacturing and taproom space.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/04/04/greater-cincinnati-brewery-distillery-needs-to.html

Dinosaur skeleton to go on display at Rhinegeist:

https://www.wcpo.com/entertainment/local-a-e/local-events/rare-dinosaur-going-on-display-at-rhinegeist

Greater Cincinnati brewery to double production capacity

 

One of the largest breweries in Greater Cincinnati doubled its production capacity Thursday after announcing plans to fully resume distribution to Indiana, Tennessee and Northern Kentucky markets later this year.

 

Urban Artifact, a brewery and taproom located at 1660 Blue Rock St. in Northside, received two 120-barrel fermenters from Columbus-based Heritage Equipment on May 17. The $100,000 upgrade will increase production capacity from 3,500 to 7,000 barrels per year once operational, co-founder and chief of strategic development Scotty Hunter said.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/17/greater-cincinnati-brewery-to-double-production.html

Cincinnati brewery, nonprofit team up on beer to honor music legends

 

A Cincinnati brewery is collaborating with a local nonprofit to produce a beer that celebrates the 75th anniversary of the studio where James Brown recorded.

 

Evanston-based Listermann Brewing Co., nonprofit King Studios and We Have Become Vikings, an Over-the-Rhine design and print shop, have teamed up on a summer beer series that each month salutes musicians from the historic King Records in Evanston.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/29/cincinnati-brewery-nonprofit-team-up-on-beer-to.html

New $1.7M Greater Cincinnati craft brewery wants to challenge people to try new things

 

A father-daughter team, both longtime homebrewers with decades of combined experience, is opening a Greater Cincinnati craft brewery that they want to use to challenge people to try new things.

 

Tom and Chloe Schaefer are part of a group opening Third Eye Brewery at 11276 Chester Road in Sharonville. The brewery broke ground on May 24 and is aiming to be open in the first quarter of 2019.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/29/exclusive-new-1-7m-greater-cincinnati-craftbrewery.html

Pleasant Ridge craft brewery doubling down on neighborhood with new barrel aging facility

 

A Pleasant Ridge craft brewery that was a pioneer in the business district's redevelopment is doubling down on the neighborhood with a new barrel-aging facility and taproom.

 

Nine Giant Brewing opened at 6095 Montgomery Road on June 25, 2016. It's expanding its footprint in Pleasant Ridge with a new barrel-aging space and taproom called the Nine Giant Fermentorium to craft experimental beers behind the original brewery at 6111 Ridge Road.

 

"Since the brewery was first announced, the level of support we got was staggering," Nine Giant co-founder Brandon Hughes told me. "Pleasant Ridge feels like our home now. Talking about going anywhere else feels gross."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/06/06/exclusive-pleasant-ridge-craft-brewery-doubling.html

 

I went to 9Giant recently and was pretty impressed with their beer. They also have a good food menu. P-Ridge has some nice stuff going on, in addition to the mainstays like Everybody's Records and Pleasant Ridge Chili.

I had the food at Nine Giant for the first time over the weekend and quite frankly I was blown away. Maybe my perspective was skewed because I was just expecting "bar food" quality, but it was actually the best burger and best fries I've had in the city in a very long time.

Nine Giant is the perfect example of a neighborhood brewery. They do everything well, and appeal to more than just beer nerds. They aren't relying on an increase in craft beer retail sales to stay in business like a lot of the breweries playing for regional dominance are doing. Someone is going to get burned eventually. I'm thinking of Taft's, Rhinegeist, MadTree, and Braxton.

Eh I don't ever see those four companies having issues.  Not only are they four of the biggest and most popular breweries in the city but they all have other ways of making money besides their beer through food and/or event space.  They're also all in great locations where they get lots of foot traffic from visitors/locals.  They could all stop distribution and still make enough money just off their tap rooms to stay in existence.  I think the smaller breweries in not as popular locations out in the burbs are way more at risk then those four. 

All four of the breweries I mentioned are rapidly expanding, and that costs a lot of money. They are taking out big loans to buy equipment and purchase land for brewing space. I'm worried about those breweries because their business models seem to depend on steady growth. They had better plan to level out at a certain point and be prepared to pay off their existing debts without growing revenue.

Nine Giant is the perfect example of a neighborhood brewery. They do everything well, and appeal to more than just beer nerds. They aren't relying on an increase in craft beer retail sales to stay in business like a lot of the breweries playing for regional dominance are doing. Someone is going to get burned eventually. I'm thinking of Taft's, Rhinegeist, MadTree, and Braxton.

 

The thing about those four is that they anchor a neighborhood AND have a broad distribution. That's diversification at its finest.

^Right, but they can't sustain themselves on their tap room business. If retail sales plummet or don't grow as projected, they could be in trouble. Breweries like Nine Giant aren't relying on retail to support their brewery. There are risks with both business models, but the uncertainty in retail sales and consumer trends seems to be the riskiest in this business. Just my opinion on the situation. And I don't expect any individual brewery to fail, but I am a little worried that we have too many breweries trying to be the biggest fish in the pond.

People have been calling the craft beer business a fad for years.  I don't think it's going anywhere, a lot of people are just done with drinking flavored water like Bud and Miller. 

But the personal finances of all of these different business owners might not be able to hold up despite strong figures in the macro environment.

Think about cities like Ashville that has tons of breweries and both Sierra Nevada and New Belgium brewing there along with Wicked Weed, Wedge, Hi-Wire, etc. They rely on tourism mostly but there is a huge scene there.

 

A year ago my wife and I were there and we met a couple from Raleigh. When they found out we were from Cincy they said, "Ah Cincy, heard there are some great breweries there. We have to check it out."

I don't think craft beer is a fad that's going away any time soon. I think it's in for the long haul. But if Braxton, Taft's, MadTree, and Rhinegeist are counting on expanding their service area to states that don't border Ohio, I think they might have a tough time. Even trying to push their cans in Cleveland or Columbus could start to get difficult as more local breweries open up making quality products and people are buying hyper-local beers more and more.

All four of the breweries I mentioned are rapidly expanding, and that costs a lot of money. They are taking out big loans to buy equipment and purchase land for brewing space. I'm worried about those breweries because their business models seem to depend on steady growth. They had better plan to level out at a certain point and be prepared to pay off their existing debts without growing revenue.

 

I believe MadTree paid off their loan for their new brewery within 3 months of opening it is doing so well.

I don't think craft beer is a fad that's going away any time soon. I think it's in for the long haul. But if Braxton, Taft's, MadTree, and Rhinegeist are counting on expanding their service area to states that don't border Ohio, I think they might have a tough time. Even trying to push their cans in Cleveland or Columbus could start to get difficult as more local breweries open up making quality products and people are buying hyper-local beers more and more.

 

I think that's true of them all except Rhinegeist. I think Rhinegeist knows what they're doing in the macro-craft game. Of course, they could make a bad move and try to expand too quickly, but so far they've been smart. And they do what they do well, making high-quality, mass-appeal beer with a slick brand that stands out on the shelves.

I don't think Rhinegeist or MadTree is in danger of failing but I agree with ryanlammi[/member]. I think we will likely see at least one of the middle-tier Cincinnati microbreweries fail in the next decade, not due to "craft beer dying" but due to that specific brewery's poor financial/marketing decisions. Also I wouldn't be surprised if Rhinegeist gets acquired by SABMiller or ABInBev at some point.

Rhinegeist is already the 33rd biggest craft brewery in the country and they're only going to get bigger.  Their plan from the beginning was to do this and they're very smart with their marketing and distribution.  Madtree and Braxton are doing it more slowly and expanding as more people/places ask for their beer.  They're just gradually increasing their distribution further out from Cincy, but I don't expect either to jump to far away cities like Pittsburgh or Boston like Rhinegesit has done.  Tafts certainly distributes but it seems to be on a much smaller scale then Madtree or Braxton.

I don't see Rhinegeist or Mad Tree selling out any time. Braxton seems to be more likely to be bought up to me. There are already a few breweries in town that I wonder how they stay open.

 

My cousin is the president of a very large craft brewery in the south and I was recently talking to him about all the small neighborhood breweries like 9 Giant and he said if you open a small brewery in a good neighborhood and sell a kale salad you'll be set for years. He also mentioned places like Mad Tree and Rhinegeist make the majority of their money off their taprooms.

Anecdotally, Rhinegeist seems to be one of the most popular beers in the state. You can go to Columbus, Cleveland, Athens, Kent, Akron, etc. and find it on tap everywhere and people rave about it. I only see them getting bigger.

He also mentioned places like Mad Tree and Rhinegeist make the majority of their money off their taprooms.

 

Once upon a time, when you visited a brewery tap room, you could buy beer very cheap since you were buying it straight from the source. Rhinegeist figured out that they could charge bar prices in their tap room ($6 and up) and people would still pay it. I think most of the other breweries in town have caught on. I don't think any breweries are selling IPAs for $3 in their tap rooms anymore.

Anecdotally, Rhinegeist seems to be one of the most popular beers in the state. You can go to Columbus, Cleveland, Athens, Kent, Akron, etc. and find it on tap everywhere and people rave about it. I only see them getting bigger.

 

I hear people complain with some regularity that Rhinegeist's beer sucks.  Because it does. 

 

I still don't get why the logo is so popular.  It looked like a Klansman when they came up with it and it still does. 

I hear people complain with some regularity that Rhinegeist's beer sucks.  Because it does. 

 

I still don't get why the logo is so popular.  It looked like a Klansman when they came up with it and it still does.

 

lol

Rhinegeist Truth IPA is really great IPA.

 

I remember when I first moved to Cincy in 2013 or so drinking Truth out of the tap in OTR. Wasn't too hot wasn't too cold, just perfect.  Seems like it's got more of a streamlined taste to me now though.

I still don't get why the logo is so popular.  It looked like a Klansman when they came up with it and it still does. 

 

It looks more like Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

If you don't like hoppy beers you're not going to like most from Rhinegesit.  Though at least in the last couple of years they've started putting out more variety (ciders, fruits, tarts, sours) but most of their beers are either IPAs or hoppy pale ales.  It's what the majority of people like to drink so it's what they concentrated on from the beginning.  They've gotten so popular recently though that its become trendy to say their beers suck, just like it's trendy to complain about anything that's popular.  In reality you either liked them from the beginning or you didn't, and if anything they've started putting out way more non hoppy beers lately then they had 3+ years ago. 

It's really weird to think about how Rhinegeist opened just 5 years ago and this was their entire brewing operation:

 

They also didn't have any AC or big ceiling fans. It was a truly miserable experience.

 

I try to explain this to people who are visiting, but it's hard to convey how small this place was.

I took my little brother and his girlfriend there a year or so ago when they were visiting.

 

We walked around Findlay Market and sat on the rooftop for a few cold ones.

 

I had this weird moment of clarity thinking, I remember this place and area 3 years ago and how swampy it was but so much fun.  And then I looked around at all the construction thinking, dang, pretty soon there isn't going to be these seedy alleys and general complete quiet and abandonment, it's going to be like losing a part of history.

 

It was a strange feeling

Anecdotally, Rhinegeist seems to be one of the most popular beers in the state. You can go to Columbus, Cleveland, Athens, Kent, Akron, etc. and find it on tap everywhere and people rave about it. I only see them getting bigger.

 

I hear people complain with some regularity that Rhinegeist's beer sucks.  Because it does. 

 

I still don't get why the logo is so popular.  It looked like a Klansman when they came up with it and it still does. 

 

Way to express your opinion as fact, as usual. 

Anecdotally, Rhinegeist seems to be one of the most popular beers in the state. You can go to Columbus, Cleveland, Athens, Kent, Akron, etc. and find it on tap everywhere and people rave about it. I only see them getting bigger.

 

I hear people complain with some regularity that Rhinegeist's beer sucks.  Because it does. 

 

I still don't get why the logo is so popular.  It looked like a Klansman when they came up with it and it still does. 

 

Way to express your opinion as fact, as usual.

 

I only see people on the internet saying Rhinegeist sucks. Nobody I actually know dislikes it. Most of their beers are hoppy but that's what people like. That's certainly what I like.