I have fallen in love with Paradise’s new taproom in Williamsburg, Ohio. The brewery took over what used to be Old Firehouse more than a year ago. In the meantime, they have been working extremely hard to refresh the entire personality of the space. I stopped by last night (Friday, 5/20) to check them out on their first night of soft openings… and I had to share my thoughts with you.

Paradise East is officially the first Cincinnati brewery to open its doors in 2022, and my goodness… I love how they’ve done it.

Why Soft Openings?

While the brewery is open and definitely cranking along, they haven’t actually tapped any beers that have been brewed on the “new” system. That means that all the beer is still coming from their other location over in Anderson – and the small brewhouse over there.

That means that they have limited taps right now, just a few beers, and are being a little cautious about how much beer they are able to sell without frankly running out of it.

So… soft openings for now – limited hours (Friday and Saturdays from 2-10 pm) and just a few beers on draft until they get things really rolling along.

What Should You Expect

When I tell you that the new Paradise taproom feels like a vacation – I mean it. If you picked up this taproom and dropped it into a beach town, it would 100% be at home. I felt when I was walking out of the big garage doors last night, walking into the warm Williamsburg air that I was going to hear distant crashing waves, and smell a light salty breeze.

The walls got a new coat of paint, light sandy tan, with bright blue ocean-like accents. The lighting was all upgraded, bright led strips make the space feel way more open and welcoming than before.

The 15-barrel brewhouse sits on one side of the room behind a large wire fence – there’s no mistaking that this is a brewery first and foremost – it’s old school taproom in the absolute best sense of it.

My Overall Thoughts

I love this place. I don’t just love it because I think the folks at Paradise are great people – though… that certainly helps. I love the vibe, I love the beer, I love the town of Williamsburg… it all comes together into something absolutely beautiful.

I’m endlessly fascinated with the fact that this taproom feels more like ‘Paradise’ than their old taproom does. It’s like they’ve been planning this since they opened their doors (even though I know they haven’t). The Paradise theme comes through bright, strong, and in my opinion, dead on. This taproom is definitely paradise to the core.

The beer is already great, they’ve been spending their entire ‘brewery life’ over in Anderson perfecting them. It’s all set to be something really, really amazing.