We’ve been talking about a possible second location for Listermann Brewing Company for a while now. When the news first caught wind of the plans, things looked a little different. In a pre-covid world the brewery had their eyes set on downtown, with a German-style beer hall planned. There were plans for authentic German-style food, beers and an atmosphere that screamed Cincinnati very loudly.
As everything has in the last year, those plans changed a bit.
That doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to get our second Listermann location, though. Instead, I want to talk about the Listermann Trail House.
Why Expand?
I mean, the question of why expand is a pretty simple one to answer. If you want to grow your volume, and thus grow your revenue – you’ve gotta keep growing your brewery. That idea has meant a lot of different things over the years, but it’s become pretty clear that being able to do a large portion of that under your own roof, selling beer to fans in your taproom is the “best” way to do it.
We’re seeing it all over with smaller brewpubs, or taprooms, or second locations becoming the norm instead of massive production facilities like it might have been in the past.
For Listermann, this means finding new ways to connect with people in their community… and new people to connect with. The Listermann brand has been around for a long time – and while it might be really, really big in some circles, in others it’s not as familiar. The idea to bring the brand into those circles is a really smart one.
Growing The Brand
As Listermann has continued to grow over the years, I’m not going to pretend that they haven’t become popular, clearly they have. But the people that they are most popular with are the geeks. “Beer People”. Listermann wants to continue to expand on that, which means tapping into another side of their personality a little more loudly.
Traditional, “normal” styles.
These guys have been known to crank out some fantastic lagers, pale ales, etc that sit right in the more “normal” category that folks might not know them for. To create a space that showcases that side of Listermann, while leaving the current taproom to branch out into the more trendy and wild stuff I think is a very smart move.
About The Trailhouse
The Listermann Trailhouse is a restaurant first and foremost. While they have a brewing license for the space, I don’t anticipate that we’ll ever see any brewing in the building. Instead you’ll see a nice restaurant that themes itself with the neighborhood and the lifestyle that surrounds it. The building sits right at the end of the Wasson Way bike trail, and you’ll see them cater heavily towards the people that will be using that space, with bike racks, etc.
As far as food, it’s going to be a little different than the German Beer Hall idea might have been. The Trailhouse is in the old Delicio Pizza space, which means there are great pizza ovens inside. You can expect some salads, and appetizer type stuff to go along with the pizza – there will be a little something for everyone.
The Opening
The Listermann Trailhouse is scheduled to have their grand opening on Memorial Day weekend, 2021. Hours and details are still upcoming, so make sure that you head over to their social media to get the latest as it’s available! Get out there, get yourself a great Listermann lager and let me know what you think when they start cranking!