The Drinkery Is Changing And I’m Not Sure That I Want It To.
Written By: The Gnarly Gnome
Photography By: The Gnarly Gnome
Cincinnati’s OTR is a really cool, extraordinary neighborhood. It oozes soul and history and has more bars than any other neighborhood that I can think of. You can barely round a corner in Over The Rhine without tripping over a different watering hole. At first glance – that’s a great thing.
When you focus your attention, though, you’ll quickly see that most of the bars in OTR just kind of fall short (depending on what you’re looking for) – there are great cocktails, craft beer, and good food, all the building blocks for a wonderful night out all over the place – and yet… they still lack a little something else.
Soul. Too many bars lack any soul.
Enter The Drinkery
The Drinkery opened its doors in 2010 and, ever since, has been pleasing drinkers with a space that doesn’t really fit into any category. It’s just a neighborhood bar, ready to serve anyone walking through the door.
It’s a hideout if you’re looking for a quiet night, a warm blanket if you’re looking for support that only a stranger at a bar can supply, and a wonderful place to get a good, affordable drink.
In short, it’s a bar that doesn’t really exist anymore in OTR… especially after this September.
The Big Rebrand
The Drinkery was purchased by 4EG, a local bar/restaurant group, in April 2023, and they wasted no time announcing that it desperately needed updating. We finally got word back in July that this update meant a little more than a fresh coat of paint and a good scrub down.
Construction on a full rebrand of The Drinkery is set to start in September. They hope to make the space match their other locations a little bit more. The new concept, ‘Nice Life,’ is being branded as a “playful, free-spirited bar with a rustic yet modern vibe.”
That sounds like a far cry from the personality some of us loved about The Drinkery.
The character-filled wooden floors will be replaced, and there are deer antler chandeliers coming, rose gold disco balls, and a photo booth will soon adorn the renovated space. With all of that, I can’t help but fear that the soul of the space will quickly be lost to the memories that were created in that room.
I Do Get It
I’m not saying that there was a way that this could always continue the way that it has. I’m not naive enough to think that a failing business can remain the same and suddenly become successful.
I also can’t fault an ownership group like 4EG for trying to turn things around. That should be exactly what they are supposed to do.
Time moves on… but holy smokes, this one hurts… stay tuned.