The Old FirehouseBig News! If you missed it, last week was Cincinnati Beer Week (That was sarcastic, because there were so many events that I think even wine drinkers were aware of beer week this year. It was a week of amazing insanity.) On Thursday night The Old Firehouse was out at Jungle Jim’s Fairfield for what I think turned out to be a great pint night.  They brought a selection of beer that included their Pin-Up Blonde ale, Flash Point IPA, Winter Ale, and Probe Porter, but the best part of the night to me was getting a chance to have a quick chat with owner Adam Cowan about some of the new things coming to the brewery in the near future.

Beer… Please More Beer.  More, and More Beer.

They have been steadily rolling out new beers since their opening last September, and things are heating up at The Old Firehouse lately with a couple exciting new beers on the way.  Brewer Ben Ramsay has been busy crafting what sounds to be some of their most unique offerings to date.

First up (it’s in kegs and if it’s not on tap already, might be showing up this week) is their High Ryes – This is a small batch beer that is based of their popular Code 3 Red Ale, but with some Rye Malt and Columbian Coffee added to the recipe.  I’m told that Coffee is a very predominant flavor in this, which after falling in love with Mt. Carmel’s Coffee Brown, gets my mouth watering.  More local breakfast beers!

Still in the pipeline is another exciting addition.  It’s being called Nutty Pyro and is a Maple Nut Brown.  The beer is currently fermenting, so I’ll have to get back with you on a description of it. (You do follow me on untapped, don’t you?) I have word that they used an English Ale yeast, and an addition of locally sourced Maple Syrup is forthcoming after the little yeasties get done with their work.

If you follow the brewery on Twitter or Facebook, you might have noticed a teaser shot of the start of their barrel aging program, they are currently working out ideas, but their Winter Ale and some wine barrels are going to have a “chat” soon. There are also some Whiskey Barrels coming around sometime soon.

Drinking The Old Firehouse not at the Old Firehouse

Patriot Pin-UpsOk… I get it.  You don’t have to keep mentioning that Williamsburg is too far away for you to drive.  Luckily for you when they signed with Cavalier in October they started the ball rolling to provide their beer to all the thirsty drinkers who are afraid to spend a little time in the car.  You can find their beer on tap all around the area at this point, with upwards of 50 tap handles spread from Hamilton to Springfield, to Dayton and Beavercreek and back to OTR.  It’s getting easier and easier to find their beer around your home, and it’s about to get even easier.

Cans.

They are working on getting their can designs together currently.  One thing that you have to understand about the folks at The Old Firehouse is that they are genuinely good people.  Not only are they set on helping the Village of Williamsburg with their brewery, they are using the brewery as a vehicle to give back to charity. Their work with the Patriot Pin-Ups made some news this winter when they donated somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000 dollars to the charity that aims at helping Veterans.  Part of the can designing is incorporating the pin-ups into the artwork.  Any can that features the pin-ups will have a portion of it’s proceeds donated to the charity.

It’s a lot.

And it’s good.

If you haven’t made it out to the Taproom, I can’t encourage you enough.  It’s a unique space that is something you should see for yourself.  Until then… Follow them on Twitter.  Like them on Facebook.  And as always…

Be Gnarly, Drink Local!

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