Ohio Brewery News
6.1.2022
Livin’ La Vida Lager
Ohio breweries have a long, storied legacy of brewing great lager beers. While the trends in craft brewing over the past decade have tended to lean heavily on hop-forward IPAs, heavily fruited sour ales and barrel-aged stouts, the earnest and straightforward lager remains a staple on tap lists and in beer fridges all over the state.
As if to drive home the point, Ohio breweries earned five medals for lagers at the 2022 World Beer Cup – colloquially referred to as the “Olympics of beer competitions” – for styles ranging from the simple, crushable American lager to the rich, strong, malty doppelbock. Ohio breweries are making exemplary versions of these classic beer styles, equally as enjoyable at a boutique bottle share or in the bleachers at a ballgame.
Celebrating the History and Future of Lagers
Cincinnati’s place in American brewing history is firmly cemented, as the Queen City’s early population of German immigrants brought their brewing traditions with them when settling along the banks of the Ohio River. Prior to Prohibition, as many as three dozen breweries operated in Cincinnati – primarily in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood – pumping out more than 30 million gallons of lager every year.
Sadly, none of those pre-Prohibition breweries survived into the 21st century, but the new crop of Cincinnati breweries have embraced the city’s lager roots. Next weekend, Northern Row Brewery‘s Lagerfest will honor Cincy’s brewing past and celebrate the outstanding lagers currently being made in southwest Ohio. In addition to the half dozen lagers the brewery will have on draft on Saturday, June 11 at their Over-the-Rhine tasting room, they’ll also tapping guest lagers from 16 Lots, HighGrain, Narrow Path, Nine Giant, Rebel Mettle, Rhinegeist and Sonder.
Lagerfest ticket holders will receive a limited edition keepsake tasting glass, tickets for beer samples and half pint pours, and a guided tour of the nearby lagering tunnels used by 19th century Cincinnati brewers churning out millions of gallons of beer without the benefit of modern refrigeration. Tunnels like these have mostly been lost to development in other cities, but were rediscovered largely intact in Over-the-Rhine just a couple decades ago.
Tickets for Northern Row’s Lagerfest are expected to sell out in advance of the event, so be sure to get yours soon. See the full list of beers and purchase your tickets at northernrow.com
