I love this time of year. We’re rolling through fall, along with the fantastic beers and beer-centric events that it brings with it. I sure hope you know what that means… Beer, Booze, and Bonks is almost here! We’re headfirst into planning the festival and will have lots more to share with you over the coming weeks. But you’ve been patient… so it’s probably time to share twenty-two reasons why you should get your tickets as soon as possible!

What Is Beer, Booze and Bonks Anyways?

Simply put, Beer, Booze, and Bonks is a highly curated beer festival that ties drinking great beer with your friends with the incredible game of Fowling. (Fowling is a strange, incredibly fun combination of Bowling, Football, Beer Pong, and Cornhole that you really need to see to understand and appreciate fully.)

The festival, which takes place on November 11th this year at the Fowling Warehouse over in Norwood, is a massive part of my fall. This is our third year putting it on, and I really think that this year will be the best yet.

I’ll definitely be talking about the festival a lot more over the coming month, but for now – we’ve got some big news. My role is all about the beer (I’m the curator of that side of things), and if you haven’t guessed… I’ve got a brewery list for you!

The Official Brewery List For Beer, Booze, and Bonks 2024

• Turtle’s Brew
  • If you haven’t tried Turtle’s Brew yet – I want to ensure that changes this year. These guys have been working their butts off to bring a unique whiskey/tea beverage to the market here in Cincinnati, and I have to tell you… I’m loving it way more than I thought I would. With several flavors that are designed to mimic cocktails in a much easier-to-drink form… you’ll love ’em!
• Northwood Cider
  • I’ve written about Cincinnati’s first dedicated cidery a few times since it opened its doors last year and wanted to ensure we had them on hand at the festival. I think that cider plays a crucial role in the world of drinking – and if you’re even a little cider-curious, you’ll love getting to sample a few of their ciders!
• Floral Beverages
  • I was just turned onto Floral recently via some industry friends. I was so interested in what they’re doing with their CBD and THC beverages and RTD cocktails that it sounded like a great chance to get them into Beer, Booze, and Bonks to see if you would have as much fun with it as I am.
• Sunshine Punch
  • I’m always looking for fun new beverages to bring into the fold with this festival, and when I heard about Sunshine Punch, it sounded EXACTLY like something that needed to be involved.
• Fretboard
  • Fretboard is the head-to-head smashing of craft beer and music that Cincinnati desperately needed. With a new taproom in Norwood, they are neighbors to the Fowling Warehouse and a must-have at the festival.
• Listermann
  • If you’re a Cincinnati craft beer fan, you’ve crossed paths with Listermann. You might not know it, but there isn’t a brewery in the city that you can’t tie back to this spot. They have built a reputation around craft beer and, more importantly, the beer community. This festival just makes sense for them.
• 16 Lots
  • If you didn’t already know about 16 Lots, I hope you do now. The Mason Brewery has kicked things up a few notches with its new location in Newport and the addition of two new brewers, Josh Wilson and Chris Mitchell. Pay close attention…
• Fifty West
  • Fifty West is OG. I could tell you stories for hours about memories that revolve around the Fifty West Brewpub, and I’d bet a solid penny-flip that you have a few yourselves. As time has progressed, so have the folks at this brewery, and I’m always thrilled to see what they have in store for us as drinkers.
• March First (Astra)
  • SELTZER. I can’t even begin to talk about the Cincinnati Seltzer world without talking a LOT about March First and their Astra Seltzer. You should know by now that there is no way I’d throw this festival without having their Astra on tap for you!
• Canvus
  • I’m a creator, so when I heard about Canvus and their mission to blend art and beverages my ears perked up. These folks understand the world that blends all of this stuff and with that… I had to bring them on board this year!
• CinBev
  • If you are a Cincinnati beer drinker unfamiliar with Christian Moerlein, Little Kings, Hudepohl, or Schoenling… I think you’re doing something wrong. This company now owns many historic Cincinnati brands, bringing them back slowly… and the right way!
• Darkness
  • I love these guys. Darkness is a near-perfect picture of what craft breweries can be in 2023… they have slowly allowed themselves to grow without letting that growth control them on the beer side. Did I mention that I love them? I love ’em.
• Wandering Monsters
  • This brewery brought a bunch of highly talented industry folks together and let them build a brewery around all the things that they thought craft beer was yearning for in today’s market. That’s a recipe for one of two things – chaotic BS or a great brewery. They’re at Beer, Booze, and Bonks… so I’ll let you guess how they fell.
• Nine Giant
  • Under The Radar. No matter how many great beers these folks put out or how many people shout about them, their small brewpub will always fall under the radar. I think I’m okay with that, but it also means I have to shout about them when possible. Nine Giant is unique, and I’ll say it now… I’ll never be part of a beer festival without trying to get them involved.
• HighGrain
  • High Grain is beautiful. They’re one of the best examples of a place in this city where tradition collides head to head with modern craft beer. It’s a hard road to travel, but they do it with pride. Their beer is excellent. Their personality is fantastic… Even if we can’t get an episode of Cincy Brewcast scheduled (*Call me, guys), they HAVE to be at this festival.
• Brink
  • As one of Cincinnati’s most awarded breweries (and THE most awarded at GABF), these guys deserve to be at Beer, Booze, and Bonks. They’d get an invite even if they didn’t win a single medal. I love what they do. I love who they are… if they’re not at BBB, they said no.
• Alexandria
  • I’m a sucker for a great brewery that combines traditional styles with “modern” craft beer – and that’s 100% what Alexandria does. It gets even better when you take a snapshot of where and when they opened their doors – taking a risk on Alexandria when many folks said it wouldn’t work. Spoiler… it did.
• Narrow Path
  • Wait… you still haven’t heard about Narrow Path? This might be your lucky day! If you take a brewery like Brink with all its medals and mash it up with a place still under the radar, that is what Narrow Path is. That’s not going to be the story for long. These guys are creating too much of a ruckus to keep playing the “under the radar game” – but for now? Own it.
• West Side
  • It takes a heck of a brewery to get me to say you make the best Double IPA – and these guys are it. It gets even more fun when I tell you that the DIPA isn’t why I belly up at West Side. Their lineup of traditional styles is amazing. A-Maz-Ing.
• Fabled Brew Works
  • I’ll give you a free pass if you haven’t heard about Fabled. They’re new. Once you try their beer, you’ll see they’re a perfect addition to Cincinnati craft beer and with that, the perfect addition to this festival, too.
• Esoteric
  • Esoteric has been on my list to get at Beer, Booze, and Bonks every since our first year throwing the festival. This year, we finally made it happen, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share what these guys have been doing with all of you!
• Sonder
  • Sonder is one of a kind, a brewery that teeters along the line of a bigger distro brewery and one that focuses heavily on its own taproom. They straddle between a traditional style powerhouse and one that isn’t afraid of playing with new trends. They’re a great brewery and one that I’d be crazy if I didn’t try to get them involved with this festival!

Get your tickets to this year’s Beer, Booze and Bonks festival here – and make sure you share it with your friends, because much like a game of Fowling, beer festivals are better. with friends!