This is exciting news! Moeller Brew Barn has a date on the calendar for the grand opening of their Monroe Production facility – and it’s coming fast! They’ll be opening the doors this week, in fact. The brewery will be open tomorrow (Wednesday, 9/14) and on Thursday (9/15) before finally kicking things into high gear with their grand opening on Friday, September 16th.

Moeller Brew Who?

I have a hard time believing that the news has slipped past anyone – but just in case, we’ll get you caught up. Rivertown, one of Cincinnati’s oldest breweries announced its closure early this year, and the rumors of what was going to happen with the former brewery space swirled around the community for months until finally in May the announcement came through that Moeller Brew Barn was buying the brewery, and using it to put a stamp on a massive expansion.

But… that’s not really a lot of help for you to get to know who Moeller Brew Barn is.

Moeller Brew Barn started out its life in Maria Stein, Ohio – it’s about two hours north of here. The brewery captures the laid-back “country” atmosphere that you find in Maria Stein and brews an eclectic lineup of beer that runs the full gamut of styles. Their vibe, their beer, all of it comes together to create something that folks clearly identify with. The brewery was so successful, so quickly that they decided to expand with a second taproom in Troy in 2019.

With the new expansion, it showed the brewery that its brand didn’t need to exist in Maria Stein alone and that folks all across the state would be able to rally behind it. They opened in an old church with a 10bbl brewhouse and learned a ton about taking a brand that meant one thing in Maria Stein in a different direction in a new space with its own personality. Once this really sunk in, the sky really became the limit for how they could keep growing the business. Plans were laid for a new spot in Dayton, right downtown, next to the ballpark (that location just recently opened its doors, too)… and then when the Rivertown spot “opened up” – the pieces fell into place for a bigger plan.

As I mentioned earlier – they made the announcement in May that they were coming… and things have been happening fast and furious since then.

The Details

Moeller Brew Barn Monroe will bring the brewpub experience that folks love about Maria Stein into the Cincinnati market. You’ll find not just a wide lineup of beer brewed both on-site and in their other taprooms, but some great food, too (we’ll talk about that in a second).

The taproom will feel familiar if you spent any time in it when Rivertown was there – but they put their own spin on it. The brewery brough in not just touches that remind you of the Maria Stein atmosphere but nods to some of the history of the area, including some pieces of historic Lesourdsville Lake.

I can’t wait to see what they’ve done with it – so stay tuned, because I’ll share it as I do!

It’s not just a taproom, though… or just a production brewery. This is a full-fledged brewpub just like their original spot is. Their menu covers a lot of ground, with brick oven pizza, burgers, tacos, and all sorts of stuff that you will fall in love with. If you have been up to their space in Maria Stein, the menu will be extremely familiar – which, if you’ve been, you know is an excellent thing. This is a great food program that is going to be really, really welcome in Monroe.

The brewery will be open Tuesday-Sunday – and I promise you that as soon as I get in there – I’ll have a full report for you! For now, you can visit their website, or their social media – or even better, you can listen to Cincy Brewcast when I made my way up to Maria Stein to sit down with owner/founder Nick Moeller to talk all about the brewery and what makes them who they are!