BLUE ASH, OHIO — The owners of Queen City Brewery of Cincinnati are abdicating their throne as the first of a wave of craft breweries to open in recent years either in or around Blue Ash.
Owners explained why and when they planned to close their brewery in a lengthy note posted Thursday afternoon on Queen City Brewery’s Facebook page.
“Unfortunately a lot has changed in the industry over the past few years, and people were either wanting more than we could afford to provide, or had an expectation of who they wanted us to be,” read part of the post signed by the “QCB Team.”
Brothers Mike and Marquis Wofford, head brewer Jason Surniak and a fourth, silent partner opened Queen City Brewery at 11253 Williamson Road in December 2016.
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Before the opening, Mike Wofford described opening a brewery as a dream come true. He also said he and his partners built the brewery’s taproom and brewhouse themselves.
“This is like my dream man cave,” he said.
Three months after Queen City Brewery opened March First Brewing in nearby Sycamore Township began producing and distributing its own lineup of craft beers. Then in November 2017, Fretboard Brewing Company opened at 5800 Creek Road in Blue Ash.
“In order for a small business like ours to succeed, we relied on the local community to support us, just as we supported the local community. For whatever reason, we were never fully embraced,” Queen City Brewery’s Thursday announcement explained.
The brewery’s owners also stated they plan to officially close by the end of September, if not sooner.
In the meantime, Queen City Brewery will offer $5 pints and discounted sales on existing merchandise and “anything that is not bolted/nailed down,” according to the Facebook post.
You can read the full announcement post here.
