CINCINNATI — IPAs, lagers, stouts, sours and more — there's a lot of options when it comes to beer.
There's also a lot of options when it comes to breweries in the Cincinnati area.
The Tri-State is home to dozens of breweries that all have their unique atmosphere and selection of brews. Based on a culmination of Yelp, Google and Untappd reviews, here are the top breweries in various parts of the Tri-State:
Downtown and Over-The-Rhine
Rhinegeist Brewery
The largest craft brewery in Cincinnati, Over-the-Rhine's Rhinegeist Brewery is a staple of Cincinnati drinking. Rhinegeist, which opened to the public in 2013, has grown from serving just a few beers to serving dozens upon dozens. In the past year or so, the company has continued to grow with the introduction of RGBevs, which has fruit-forward craft drinks. Rhinegeist's beers are also available in a variety of states, including Tennessee, Michigan, Massachusetts and more.
Northern Row Brewery & Distillery
Just a stone's throw from Rhinegeist sits Northern Row Brewery & Distillery. The brewery, which started distribution in 2018 and opened its taproom in 2020, occupies a pre-prohibition building north of Findlay Market that was originally used as Christian Moerlein's icehouse and storage. The brewery has an array of beers, including lighter, hoppier and darker offerings. Northern Row also has a slew of rotating seasonal beers, such as the "Crusher," which is a low ABV Helles Lemon Radler.
Cincinnati Neighborhoods
Esoteric Brewing Co.
Located in a historic building on the corner of Gilbert Avenue and E McMillan Street in Walnut Hills, Esoteric Brewing Co. is Cincinnati's first minority-owned brewery. The brewery opened in 2020 and pays homage to traditional Belgian, English, German and American style beers, according to the brewery's website. All of Esoteric's beers are made with locally sourced ingredients that are also grown organically in an effort to uphold the brewery's vision of craft beer that has so much integrity it has a social impact.
Brink Brewing Co.
A domineering business in College Hill's redevelopment, Brink Brewing Co. has officially been brewing craft beers since 2017. With a motto of "good beer makes good neighbors," Brink has grown into not only one of the Tri-State's best breweries but a champion for other businesses and organizations. The brewery serves more than a dozen beers of various styles that have won awards, including the "Moozie Milk Stout," which won three consecutive gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival.
West Side
West Side Brewing
Opening its Westwood taproom in 2017, West Side Brewing has grown into a staple of the west side. Nestled in Westwood's DORA district, the brewery is a popular spot offering dozens of beers with varying styles and flavor profiles, with its Double IPA and Hefeweizen as some of its fan favorites. Recently, the brewery also announced it would be launching West Cider, a range of hard ciders that will be available in the taproom and for sale.
East Side
Listermann Brewing Company
A longtime contributor to the growing craft beer industry, Listermann Brewing Company has been crafting brews since 2008 after growing out of a homebrewing business. The brewery, which is located by Xavier University, has 18 rotating taps featuring lagers, IPAs, ciders, stouts and more, including the award-winning "Chickow! Double Brown Ale" and the "Nutcase Peanut Butter Porter." In early 2023, it was announced that longtime owners Dan and Sue Listermann were retiring leaving the business to Terrie and Steve Ipson.
Streetside Brewery
Rooted in Cincinnati's oldest neighborhood, Columbia-Tusculum, Streetside Brewery offers "exceptional craft beer that's as diverse, and original, as the community they serve." The brewery has 21 rotating taps, as well as to-go beers, crowlers and growlers for a variety of their offerings. Streetside has no problem getting fun and creative with their craft beer names, including the "Suh, brah?" New England IPA, "Return of the Mac" Blonde Ale and "John Lemon" Milkshake IPA.
Nine Giant Brewing
Opening in Pleasant Ridge in 2016, Nine Giant Brewing has grown into a popular spot for a cold beer — and the brewery also has a robust food menu. Nine Giant has various beer styles that are always rotating and changing, including IPAs, pilsners, porters, sours, barrel-aged beers and more. In 2021, the brewery also opened its Fermentorium right around the corner from the brewpub.
Northern Cincinnati Suburbs
Municipal Brew Works
Sitting within a historic building in Hamilton, Municipal Brew Works restored the city's longtime beer tradition when it opened in 2016. The brewery's taproom has as many as 20 in-house beers and seltzers on tap, including popular picks the "Approachable Blonde Ale," the "Orange Agave Blonde Ale" and the "Scout American IPA." The brewery also opened its second location in fall 2022 when it added a taproom to Hamilton's Spooky Nook Sports Complex conference center, Champion Mill.
Third Eye Brewing Company
Third Eye Brewing Company, which opened its taproom in Sharonville in 2020, features experimental small-batch brews and a variety of styles, whether that be "the latest trendy IPAs to more traditional European inspired lagers," the brewery's website says. Some of the adventurous beers on tap are the "Gettin' Twisted" German Pretzel Ale, the "Funky Diablo V3" Mango Habanero Margarita Sour and the "Higher Purpose" Milk Stout, which won bronze at the 2023 World Beer Cup.
Northern Kentucky
Braxton Brewing Company
Braxton Brewing Company began in Covington in 2015 and has since grown into one of the domineering breweries in the Tri-State area. With four locations throughout the Tri-State, Braxton has a little bit of everything for various neighborhoods and continues to expand and break barriers in the craft brewery world. The brewery has multiple popular beers in varying styles, including "Tropic Flare" New England IPA, "Storm" Cream Ale and the "Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip" Milk Stout, which is one of the multiple collabs with the popular Queen City ice cream shop.
