The Return Of Mash Cult!

Written By: The Gnarly Gnome

1/30/26

I’ll forgive you if you haven’t heard about Mash Cult Brewing before. When we talk about small breweries, we’re usually talking about breweries that are 10 times the size of Mash Cult. We’re talking about places with neighborhood taprooms, staff, events, and all sorts of other things that make it all work.

None of that has any relation to Mash Cult, which has forged its own path, slowly, sometimes sputtering, and finding a way to keep existing more than ten years after first kicking things off in early 2015.

I suppose we should start there: where’d Mash Cult come from?

Born In A Warehouse

There are many stories about the origins of our local breweries, but none is quite like Mash Cult’s. Two employees (Tony Harrell and Jon Wells) at Party Town in Florence somehow convinced the store to let them start making craft beer on a very small system back in the warehouse.

No taproom, just a growler bar that serves their beers, and an excuse to hang out around town with other local breweries collaborating and making really fun stuff.

Throughout its history, Mash Cult has been a place that doesn’t do things the way everyone expects. They don’t make the styles that they’re “supposed to,” and they certainly don’t do it in a way that everyone else says is the “right” way to do things.

The result over the years has been awesome, too. They’ve had their own bottle releases, they’ve teamed up to make some incredible beers… so why haven’t you heard about them in discussions with other local breweries?

2020-2021

Mash Cult was already slowing down when the pandemic hit the industry. When the brewery opened in 2015, things looked very different from how they would just five years later, and the Mash Cult team was struggling trying to figure out their place in a quickly changing industry.

Things took a horrible, tragic turn when, in the fall of 2021, founding member Jon Wells passed away, putting the brakes on the brand and essentially shutting it down.

Slow Revival

For the next few years, Tony bounced around, working with other breweries (Humble Monk, Bircus, for example), and we even got a brief surprise when it looked like Mash Cult might be coming back.

Eventually, though, things fizzled out, and most of us accepted that this little brand seemed over.

Well, this month things took a happier turn when, all of a sudden, two new beers arrived.

The Return

I certainly can’t promise that this is the sign of a massive, triumphant return of Mash Cult, but Tony is back at it and has two beers that are currently available on tap at Party Town.

They’re calling it ‘The Comeback Series,’ and I’m so here for it.

First up is The Initiation. Their description reads: “The initiation is a London Common ale showcasing deep malt flavors, subtle hop balance, and a smooth, warming finish. Topping out at an impressive 6.3% ABV, this beer makes a statement.”

Next? Resurgance. “This crisp, approachable lager is lightly dry-hopped for a subtle aroma and modern twist, while staying smooth, clean, and easy to drink. A comeback beer done right.”

I love this. While it’s hard to make the argument that Cincinnati needs a brewery, especially one as small as Mash Cult, it’s not hard to tell you how excited I am that they’re still around. Maybe it’s a bit of nostalgia, maybe it’s a craving for places that are just different than everyone else around them, but whatever the reason… I just kind of love seeing their name pop up on a tap list.