March First Strengthens Taplist With A Beer “Refresh”

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

7/23/25

It’s been a while since I’ve bellied up to the bar at March First, or if I’m being sincere, at any March First-owned location. It’s not that I care about an owner’s politics (spend some time on Reddit if you want to go down that rabbit hole) – it’s simply that, in my opinion, the quality of the beer was sliding. I kept finding myself getting a pint of beer more and more, and then leaving a little unhappy with what I had drunk.

There are far too many places in this city making far too great of beer for me to waste my time on beer that I’m not enjoying.

I knew that the brewery had hired a new head of brewing operations… and curiosity got the better of me. I had to see if things were any different. (let me make this clear too… I’m not in any way, shape, or form trying to knock any previous employees by my eagerness to do so).

Things Are Definitely Different

If you haven’t been to the March First taproom in a while, you’ll be a little surprised at some of the changes that have taken place. Depending on when you last visited, the biggest change is that the taproom is a bit bigger than it was before. (I mean… if it’s been a LONG time since you were there last, since they moved from that tiny little taproom in the back of the building, you’re going to lose your mind). They’ve converted what used to be the company’s offices into additional taproom space, as well as a rentable event space. For any brewery of a decent size, events are a big deal, so that shouldn’t be that surprising.

The biggest shocker for me was the addition of a new “Astra Arcade” as you walk in the front doors. This arcade room immediately reminds me of the old Rivertown Brewing Company days, with a space dedicated to playing games, keeping many of us in our seats for much longer than we would be otherwise. It’s a near-perfect addition to this taproom space, and I’m shocked that it took them this long to figure out a way to make it happen.

The taproom looks a little different, feels a little bigger… but that’s not why I showed up.

What About That Beer?

There were a lot of beers that I needed to try, and March First made it really easy for me to do that. They’ve actually gone and marked the new recipes or new beers right on the menu to let you know that things are refreshed. I’m not going to hit all these one by one, as I’m hoping that you’ll head to March First to do it for yourself… but I’ll hit a few highlights.

The new beers (as of writing this) and yes, I’ve tried them all before you ask:

• That’s A Bingo! – German-style Pilsner
• Solo – Coffee Blonde Ale
• Forklift Juice – American IPA
• Haze of Glory – Hazy IPA
• Easy Ryeder – Rye IPA
• Encantado Wildberry – Sour Ale
• Hefeweizen – well… It’s a Hefeweizen
• Weekend Wheat – American Wheat
• Solar Shandy – Shandy

If you know me, you know I latched right onto that German-style pilsner first. I freaking love a great pilsner, and this is the step in the right direction for March First. When they opened their doors back in 2017, they did so with the intention of being a lager-heavy brewery. That didn’t necessarily stick, but it remains a significant part of their personality. Unfortunately for me… their lager game has been a little “lackluster” for a while. I’m sorry, M1… It’s just my opinion.

This shows a new desire to change that perception. I think the company is great at identifying places where they need to focus their attention, and this beer is a wonderful representation of that.

Their Hefeweizen was never a beer that I would have said was “bad” – but drinking this new version of it… It was freaking great. It caught my attention enough that I even drew a little smiley face next to my notes as I was working my way through the beers… a smiley face.

The absolute star of the show for me was ‘Easy Ryeder’ in my book. This Rye IPA reminded me of some old school IPAs from my early days of drinking craft beer. The beer’s personality was about so much more than just the hop bill. Remember what that was like? It was sweet, full of flavor, and one of those beers that begged for another pint when I finished it.

Overall Impressions

March First is on to something big here. I feel like they’ve spent the last few years focusing hard on building their spirits brands and figuring out what their taproom spaces need to be. Turning their attention back to the beer is the next logical move (I’m admittedly biased, though).

They’ve got the talent, they have the drive (from what I can see from the outside looking in), and they’ve got an arsenal of taprooms that can continue to move the needle in a lot of fun ways… and I’m here for it.

I can appreciate, and in a lot of cases understand, the gripes people have expressed to me, publicly or privately, about the March First brand family. With that said, I wouldn’t write these folks off, and I certainly haven’t. They are a big piece of Cincinnati’s beverage scene, and are poised to become a big part of the Cincinnati Beer Scene, again.

If it’s been a while since you paid one of their taprooms a visit (and yes… although that’s not what this post is about, I’m still a little upset about that ONE that is closed and for sale, too), I think you need to remedy that. Stop by, grab a flight, see how they are changing things for what I’m hoping and believing is for the better.