The RenFest Returns To Rhinegeist!

Written By: The Gnarly Gnome
Photography By: The Gnarly Gnome

8/7/25

I didn’t know that I wanted magic and whimsy to be included in my beer drinking, and yet… here I am. Last year, when I heard that Rhinegeist was inviting the folks from Ohio’s Renaissance Festival into the taproom for an event, I couldn’t help myself out of curiosity and had to stop by just to see what the heck was going on. I left, calling myself Sir Gnome and challenging people on the street to random jousting matches.

It was a ton of fun, and it’s back this weekend in the taproom.

What To Expect

Think of this as a smaller version of everything that you love about the RenFest, scaled down, and inside the taproom of Rhinegeist. I fully recognize that it may be a little difficult to imagine… so let’s break it down.

All throughout the weekend, you’ll get different pop-up activations like sword play, live music, and appearances by the Queen herself. There’s even a performance on Sunday from 2-5 pm by the Cincinnati Barbarians armored combat team, which, if it’s your first time seeing them, you’ll understand why I was challenging so many folks to combat last year.

There’s a ton of fun shopping, including medieval weaponry, jewelry, pottery, leather, art, drinking horns… all the things you need to feel like you’ve travelled back in time.

The Beer

None of this would be nearly as much fun if you didn’t have a beer in your hand the whole time, though… and Rhinegeist is bringing back their signature RenFest beer, called Chain Mail. It’s a Pale Ale, clocking in at 5.5%. They describe it like this:

One pale ale to rule them all…
Chain Mail Pale Ale sports a glimmering panoply of hops over nimble Pilsner and wheat malts for a profile that is as balanced as a trebuchet and delivers a siege of flavor. If you’re searching for the Holy Grail of pale ales, Chain Mail is a quaffable delight fit for a queen! Chain Mail Pale Ale was specially brewed for the Ohio Renaissance Festival, and is a limited, draft-only release.

I’ll tell you that from my notes, I remember a beautiful blend of peach and blueberry hop aromas, sitting right alongside a soft, but present malt sweetness. Well balanced and extremely drinkable, it was lighter and crispier than I was expecting… hoppy, but not super bitter, either. It’s a great beer to sip while you’re watching grown men hit each other with medieval weapons.

The Event

This event goes on all weekend this year. Saturday and Sunday from noon until 9 pm. It gives you plenty of time to get your horde of friends together, to find your finest armor, and get your butt down to the taproom to see what it’s all about!

For a little more convincing, I included some photos of last year’s event to convince you!