I Don’t Want To Burst Your Bubble – But These Are The New Brewery Projects You Should Be Watching

By: The Gnarly Gnome

10/22/24

Beer Bubble? BEER BUBBLE? Seriously… If I have this conversation in a bar over a pint one more time, I might actually scream. Craft beer is certainly different than it was 5-10 years ago in Cincinnati – heck… anywhere. I hardly believe that we should all be standing outside worrying that the sky is falling. It just looks different than it did before.

Much like the sun that sets to only rise again the next morning, Cincinnati beer is in a different phase than it was previously… and while, yes, we need to support the places that we love to make sure that they get through this period… rest assured for any beer fans that are out there – you’ll have a pretty easy time finding a great pint of beer in this city for a VERY long time.

I’m not going to dive into the numbers of openings and closings and tell you why the whole idea of a beer bubble is absurd today, though – (it’s coming later this year) – instead, today… I really want to talk about why you should be talking about what’s on the horizon instead of what we’ve lost.

These are some projects that are coming in the (hopefully) short term that you should keep an eye on.

Bad Tom Smith New Brewery/Tasting Room

Bad Tom Smith has a long history here in Cincinnati. They opened their doors at the beginning of 2013. In that time, they’ve seen a couple of different ownership changes, name changes, moves, new products, and new branding. They’ve been through it all.

It’s hard for me not to view this new location as a long-awaited step for them to take the brewery to a new level. The multi-level brewery and restaurant is part of a new development in Union Township, Ohio (think Eastgate), and it will be right next door to a new ‘Works’ pizza place with an outdoor amphitheater separating them. They’re looking to heavily incorporate Bourbon and Tequila into their concept, with a space that brings it all together in a way that the brand has never seen before.

The brand has had its ups and downs, but this move suggests that the possibility of them taking off in the right direction from here is higher than ever.

Follow Bad Tom Smith on Facebook here for the latest.

Barleycorn’s 1842 Brewery

This new Barleycorn’s Brewhouse location will be a massive upgrade to their small brewpub in Wilder, Kentucky (which will remain open as a smaller “test batch-type facility”).

This new brewery is part of a much bigger development called Limestone that will house restaurants, event centers, and more to a part of town that doesn’t have a lot along those lines. It’s going to do incredible… and even considering how long it will take me to make the drive, you’ll find me bellied up to the bar as regularly as I can.

Construction is well underway, and I anticipate you’ll hear more details about the opening schedule very soon!

Follow Barleycorns Brewhouse on Facebook here for the latest.

Bircus Big Blue

Bircus is making moves…

After the sad closing of their location in Covington, the Ludlow-based circus-meets-brewery is putting all their chips into a space that they lovingly call ‘Big Blue.’ (look at pictures of the building, and it will all make a lot more sense) – they are in the process of transforming the historic building into a brewery and event space that will hopefully leave a big stamp on the town of Ludlow, which has struggled at times to keep up with Northern Kentucky around it. It’s begging for more businesses to call Ludlow home, and Bircus wants to show why they love their home on the river.

This is a huge project, and it’s hard to give an accurate timeframe for when you’ll see it come to life, but rest assured—you should be watching it.

Follow Bircus here for the latest information on ‘Big Blue’.

Braxton Union

The Rouse family started Braxton Brewing Company in the literal garage of their family home on Braxton Drive in Union, Kentucky. Just a tiny jog away, their latest taproom is also located.

This spot will be very different from the other spaces you’ve come to know from Braxton. It sits right in the middle of a little development that houses a Dewey’s Pizza, a Graeter’s Ice Cream parlor, and the taproom. This spot will have a little something for everyone, with a green space right in the middle for you to hang out and enjoy it all together.

You should be watching this space for a lot of different reasons. Not only will Braxton Union be a great taproom, but it’s also a great showcase of a brand that understands the changes in the industry and how it can appeal to different crowds without losing sight of who they are.

It doesn’t hurt that the story of the Brand returning home to Braxton Dr, right where it all began resonates pretty loudly with the blogger in me.

Follow Braxton’s new Union Taproom here for the latest news.

Depot Brewing Company

Depot Brewing is moving into the old train depot (does the name make a little more sense, now?) in Morrow, Ohio. This is going to be a fun space that brings craft beer into a neighborhood that I think needs it. The community has a brewery inside of Valley Vineyards (Cellar Dweller is one of the OGs here in Cincy) but a place that is a little more focused on beer is going to be a really welcome addition.

From what I can tell, this project is part of a great little redevelopment of “downtown” Morrow that will make a town center type of area for folks to gather and spend time with each other. It’s the community aspect of craft beer that has the ability to draw in new fans, and one of the things that I love so much about the industry.

They’re moving along nicely, and I anticipate we’ll see a grand opening next year when it’s warm out, again!

Follow along with Depot Brewing right here on Facebook!

Humble Monk’s New Location

Humble Monk has had a rough year, but its future looks great. It was forced into this move and is making the best of it by moving its Belgian-inspired taproom to a new building down the street from its original location.

There is a ton of work that they needed to do to the space to make it work for their brewery, but they’ve been working tirelessly to make it happen. You can bet that once they open their doors, their fanbase will FLOCK to them to get back on a barstool. There aren’t many places with a fanbase that feels as much love for ownership as Humble Monk does – and if you spend an afternoon sipping away with them, you’ll quickly see why.

This one means a lot, not just because it’s a new space but also because of the people and community behind it.

Follow along with Humble Monk for news about their new location here.

MadTree Parks And Rec.

If you’ve been spending time at Summit Park this summer, you’ve undoubtedly seen the construction around MadTree’s latest taproom project. Dubbed ‘Parks and Rec,’ it takes over an old hangar at the former airport and is transforming it into a space that will remind you exactly why MadTree loves the outdoors.

With a massive patio and a to-go window for food and beer (you have to take advantage of all those walking trails and the DORA district they sit in), this place is going to quickly become an integral part of Summit Park.

MadTree has learned a lot since opening their “2.0” taproom, opening up ‘The Alcove’, and taking over their own food operations, and it all leads up to this next space. I have pretty high standards for what this taproom will be like, and I’m confident that the team will live up to them.

Follow along with the new MadTree Parks and Rec project right here!

Mellotone Beer Project

I anticipate that these guys will open their doors in 2024 (they hosted a sneak preview event this past weekend at BLINK). They’ve been working hard to transform the former Taft’s Ale House space on Race Street into something that brings a new personality to the mix.

With two unique spaces under the same roof, they are creating something very big that will hopefully bring something special to the neighborhood. The closure of Taft’s Ale House was a big loss to beer drinkers in OTR, and it seems to me that these folks will not only fill that void but build far past what we had before—making a spot that a lot of people are going to want to enjoy.

They’re saying mid-November as their projected opening… Keep your eyes peeled!

Follow Mellotone on their Facebook page right here!

West Sixth Covingtonhaus

I know I know… not only is this a taproom-only space, and not only is it from a brewery that isn’t exactly from Cincinnati. It still counts, folks. West Sixth has been quietly operating a small “taproom” at Newport on the Levy – it’s in a shipping container, but they’ve also been looking to do something ‘bigger’ for quite a while.

The news finally came out that they are planning to convert the former Axe Throwing spot in Covington into a taproom that they’re calling ‘West Sixth Covingtonhaus’. The name is a nod to a restaurant that used to be in the space. While they won’t be brewing beer there, their taproom will need to lean hard into their food program to live up to what people are going to want the space to be.

I’ll be interested in seeing how they do in this location. Being right around the corner from Braxton’s Covington Headquarters is either going to help them or make it really hard—time will tell!

Follow along with West Sixth’s new Covingtonhaus here!

It’s Ok To Be Excited

It’s a strange thing with beer, folks. When someone gets “too excited” about craft beer these days, it’s easy for a segment of their friends to immediately want to discuss the negative aspects of the current state of the industry.

While we have to be aware that there are not currently a lot (if any) new craft beer drinkers coming into the market (though I think that will change in a few years) – it’s ok to be pumped about what is currently happening in a city like Cincinnati.

Our beer is good. No, let me restate that… our beer is GREAT. Every new brewery that opens up brings with it a new personality, a new concept, and a new place to drink craft beer. The world of Cincinnati craft beer is only improving over time—and it’s 100% not only okay to get excited about, but I think that if you’re not, you’re missing out.

Follow these places on social media. Share their posts, be freaking excited that Cincinnati beer is still growing!

NOTE: I know, I know… these aren’t ALL the projects in the works, but they’re the ones that I think are the farthest along, and that have been public about what they’re working on!