MadTree is not just bringing what they are calling a “nook of nature” into OTR with their opening of the Alcove, but they are saving a piece of Cincinnati Beer history. They are saving a piece of Cincinnati’s history as a city. This expansion for the brewery is big, even if it’s not physically so like the move to 2.0 was.

I respect and understand that some of you might have no idea what I’m talking about, so we can take this slowly.

What’s The MadTree Alcove?

The MadTree Alcove can be described in a few different ways, depending on who is doing the describing. It’s a new bar/restaurant in OTR – a beer garden – it’s MadTree 3.0 – it’s an escape from the city, in the city. It’s all of these things very much so. They all play integral parts of the personality of what this new space will be.

From what I understand, MadTree has been toying with the idea of something like this for a long time, with rumors of 1.0 opening its doors back up to the public with a different personality swirling around town for a while now.

Instead of opening their original taproom back up, they ended up with a taproom/restaurant in the heart of OTR, which to me – while my soul desperately wants to sit at a table in that original space with a pint of beer again – is the much smarter choice for the brewery.

The new space will bring MadTree beers together with a farm to table menu from Steven Williams (from Bouquet) and package it all in a building that has an incredible history. Their personality will infuse itself into every nook and cranny of the new space, with the outdoors being a massive part of the “theme” of The Nook.

A ‘Nook of Nature’ in the City

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what makes the perfect beer garden or patio. While there are several factors for me, the biggest two are sunshine and a piece of nature.

MadTree doesn’t just have the word tree in their name, they’ve got it in their blood. A tie to the natural world around them is an integral part of their brand, and will be brought front and center with The Alcove. When you step outside you’ll be placed in a beer garden, centered around their greenhouse bar. Extensive greenery will showcase living walls, living chandeliers and a space that brings you away from the concrete that looms just outside their doors.

Urban Blooms is the non-profit that designed their living wall in the Oakley taproom, and they’ll bring their touch to the new space as well. I’m thrilled to have a space come to live that resonates with me as deeply as this does.

The new space will feature two different event spaces, which I have a sneaking suspicion will become just as popular as the beer garden itself will. This new bar will become an absolute treasure, an escape from the world around you, and a perfect addition to the personality of MadTree that they have spent so long crafting.

Why MadTree Is A Group Of Heroes As Much As Visionaries

The beer garden patio space at The Alcove is going to be impressive, beautiful and the showcase of what brings people in to grab a drink, most likely, it’s not what makes them heroes to our history. It’s the building itself that does that.

Weilert’s Cafe

1410 Vine Street was built in 1873 and is packed full of more stories that I can possibly hope to tell you. The cafe once hosted the city’s largest beer garden behind it that stretched an entire city block. The orchestra that used to play in the beer garden became the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The balcony that overlooked the beer garden was where the World Series was conceived, the space next door was where Ezzard Charles trained as a boxer. It’s from a personal table at Weilert’s that Boss Cox ran the city (and his business empire).

This space is a piece of the city that can’t be replaced, and it sat vacant for a long time – the subject of the fears of a lot folks who didn’t want to see it disappear.

It’s “easy” to expand a brewery like MadTree with a fancy new building, giant windows, maybe a “big ass fan” and create a space that enables you to have a sweet little restaurant. It’s not as easy to take a place like Weilert’s retrofit it into a LEED certified building. They’re going to do just that, and I love them for it.

MadTree Keeps Growing Up

The world of a craft brewery in Cincinnati was a little different when MadTree opened their doors back in 2013. You could just crank out good beer, make a spot for people to sit and drink it, and you could do well for yourself. It’s changed since then, rapidly. (read more about MadTree’s growth here, when they moved into 2.0)

To be as successful as MadTree is today (and as successful as they will be in the coming years) you have to hone not just your product, but you have to nail down who you are. It’s something that I can’t emphasize enough to anyone out there thinking of getting into this business.

Craft beer fans may not consciously see though your bullshit… but it registers in how people feel. You have to be the place you say you are on paper. You have to be the people you describe when you write a press release. It sounds easy, but looking around at the craft beer landscape, it’s clearly not. Few places seem to be able to nail it.

Brady, Kenny and the folks that make up MadTree are absolutely hitting it right on the head right now. They continue to craft a culture that isn’t just about making beer and we are lucky to have them in this city.

The MadTree Alcove is scheduled to open this fall on Vine Street in OTR, which is good timing. I’m really, really freaking thirsty right now.

Be Gnarly, Support Good People.