Rhinegeist Brewery

Happy National Beer Day!

Another excuse to go try some of Cincinnati's great craft beers.

Tonight we visited Rhinegeist. Its located in "Over the Rhine". It was the original Moerlein bottling plant built in 1895. Ya know, the year when the only two vehicles in the state of Ohio supposedly crashed into one another? Ah, the good old days. One thing is for sure, The only two things crashing into one another at Rhinegeist are great beer and a great time. (shut up.. that's not corny...who asked you?) Rhinegeist is German for " Ghost of the Rhine".  Rightfully so.  These people are bringing back the Ghost of the great brewing district of Cincinnati. If you are a local you know that "Over the Rhine" is a place that many consider unsafe. I'm not going to lie to you. My Navigation was not being crystal clear on this location and all I could think was "Shit...shit...shit...". I pulled my car into the parking lot, crossed the street, walked inside and immediately heard the echo of people having a great time. I was desperately thirsty and excited. I bolted up the stairs to find a... group of people playing wiffle ball?  WTF?  This is suppose to be a brewery! Not a damn Little league tournament. Where am I? It doesn't matter. I can smell the sweet smell of wort. I need beer.

I stroll over to the bar and a guy named Kevin is ready to get me started. They serve flights and the first four he pours me are as follows;

Cougar :  4.8% Golden Ale that at first sip is nothing to be excited about, but after the third or fourth sip you realize this is a very well done ale. Respectful, flavorful and smooth.

Uncle:   3.8% English Mild that is fresh and delicious but still... not my favorite.

Truth: 7.2% IPA that is refreshing, sweet, and everything else you would expect from a well crafted IPA.

Luck : 4.5% Irish dry stout that is rich, flavorful and well, again nothing terribly unique but still a very well crafted dry stout.

While I am finsihing my flight, I am listening to what other customers are ordering. Truth and Cougar are very popular. I'm not entirely sure how I missed it on the board, but a gentleman with a long, red (and pretty glorious) beard comes to the bar and orders a Mastodon. (9.8% Belgian strong Ale.) For those of you who were not paying attention in 4th Grade, A Mastodon is that huge mammal that resembles an elephant, but basically use to run around the Cenozoic Era and fuck shit up with its massive tusks. You dont just name a beer after such a huge, bad ass creature and expect me not to give it a taste. Just looking at it glowing in its beautiful snifter would make anyone blush. Its amazing. Its sweet, with hints of Plum and Cherry (but not too sweet).  Its substantial yet refreshing, unique, and intriguing. Its a beer that keeps you coming back for more. (Try and remember that its 9.8% beer though, be careful. Or get trashed, who gives a shit, we don't judge. Just don't drive.)


A perfect brewery for a rainy day. If you live in Ohio, you know as well as I do that no one knows exactly what the hell is going on with the weather. It's a safe bet to make that no one is going to piss on your parade at Rhinegeist.

Kids are welcome and there is plenty of space for them to run around without getting into trouble. You can truly enjoy your beer. Relax and go play some wiffle ball, drink some beer, and hang out with Kevin the bartender. Kevin will take great care of you and can answer any and all questions you may have, make sure you leave him a hearty tip.