Moerlein Brewing Company

Great (and interesting history/​architecturally) space just on the outskirts of the «OTR» bar scene. Its huge inside and the times that I have gone, pretty empty which gives you room to spread out. I go here if we are having a birthday get together because I know we will be able to mingle, play some corn hole/​jenga, and not feel completely smooshed like the other spaces downtown. Its walkable to other places or plenty of parking around the building! O, yes… the beer– they have all of the Moerlein brews on tap, delicious!

Really surprised that they aren’t open… Store sign on the door says open 1−6pm on Sunday’s, but no Bueno! Closed :(

A very eclectic and trendy watering hole. The ipa beers had a bite and went down easy. As for the atmosphere the place was upbeat. The service was decent but the beer was good. There was a lot of room for activities and the interior was clean and fresh. Great place to bring out of town people!

Moerlein Brewing Company is a local institution, and a flagship in Cincinnati’s rich brewing history.
The «malt house» features a number of Moerlein beers on tap featuring fresh-​brewed Moerlein beer, as well as a small menu of German fare (think currywurst, soft pretzels, and goetta dogs). There is also plenty of parking in three adjacent lots, a couple of TVs to watch any sporting event of your choosing, and Last Call Trivia on Thursday nights.
If you like spending time at a brewery’s taproom in order to enjoy its beer, check out Moerlein Brewing Company.

This is my favorite taproom in the city. You can just feel the history that the place oozes. Such a cool space. We stopped here on the Cincy Brew Bus tour and everyone in our group was able to find a beer they liked. We almost had to be dragged out when our visit was up, we could have spent all day here. Yes, it’s off the beaten path a bit, but most good things are. Stop by!

We decided to walk up to Moerlein, but beware as the nice part of OTR arruptly stops. I’m from detroit, so the change didn’t bother me, but it may be a little too sketch for others. We arrived a few minutes before their official opening time of 4pm, but they must have opened early as there was already 25 or so people inside, drinking and playing games. The room is pretty cool with the old brick and large expansive area with games like bags and pool. I have to give a 3 because I thought the beer was not very good. I had the Chai porter which had a very stange aftertaste which made it very difficult to drink. My husband wasn’t too big of a fan of his beer selection either. They had a Friday growler fill up special, but we just didn’t like the beer enough to fill up. Definitely a cool space and worth checking out just for historical purposes, and maybe you’ll have better luck picking out a beer than I did.

On Saturday, we walked over from Rhinegeist, but after being approached by a few pan handlers and realizing that the distance in between the two breweries isn’t exactly ideal, I wouldn’t recommend trekking it. But, if you like to live on the edge too, go for it.
This is my favorite of the Cincinnati breweries that I’ve experienced. I’ve been to the Moerlein Lager House location on the river, but didn’t realize that there was an actual brewery or tap house location, until I sought out to do a brewery hunt around Cincinnati. I wasn’t a fan of the fact that they charge $ 15 per person for brewery tours, but who knows, maybe the tours are worth that price, I’ll never find out. I’ll give you my opinion based on what it seemed like to me. The walls are all brick, painted white and the support beams throughout gave it an awesome basement feel. I’m pretty sure that we were underground, but maybe that was just a perception or even an illusion.
I have to admit, that after a couple of other brewery visits, I wasn’t feeling up to anymore beer, so I opted for wine. At $ 5 a glass, and considering that wine was even an option, I was impressed. They did have a spot to order food, but I can’t elaborate on that though, because I didn’t order anything. If you’re interested, the name of it is Wienerwurst Mikes
My absolute favorite part of this place was the entertainment. We played a few games of pool on the one pool table that they had, and then played several games on the giant sized Jinga blocks. I lost two rounds in a row, and then in a sore loser fashion, I was ready to head out.

I am a fan of the tap room here. It’s a large space with usually plenty of parking. I enjoy their beers and they have a nice variety. They have plenty of seating and entertainment in the tap room as well. I am also quite a fan of Wienerwurst Mikes. He has a great selection of meats and cheeses and I love to get some food from him when we are down there having some beers. It was a perfect addition to their tap room. It’s never overly busy so it’s never been a problem to get a table or a seat at the bar.

Pros: Staff was incredibly patient and helpful when advising me on beers. Bar is spacious and has a very cool aesthetic with arched ceilings. Games available (giant Jenga in my personal fave).
Cons: exterior/​entrance isn’t inviting– looks like your average warehouse and took me a few minutes to even find the door. Aforementioned arched ceilings look amazing but make it *very* hard to hear people at your table. The sound is just weird– sometimes I’d catch tidbits of a conversation happening 30 yards away but couldn’t hear my friend next to me. When you enter the building there is a weird foyer that doesn’t make sense.
Verdict: Good place to have a drink with friends, but the space could use some improvements.

If you haven’t been here yet, you are thoroughly missing out on life. I happen to live a stone throw away from the tap room, which makes me a pretty lucky beer drinker.
The tap room itself is extremely popular as a brew bus destination. They really outdid themselves by utilizing all the space they have to create a fun, kick ass, easygoing atmosphere.
Whether frolicking over just to enjoy their refreshing beer & droolworthy sammiches, participating in Thursday Trivia and usually placing last place, throwing darts with terrible aim, or hyperventilating at the intense game of jenga, a hell of a time is always had by all!
Thanks for always treating us well!
P. S. Did I mention… BOCKFEST?

Just in time for Bockfest!
Yes, this is that infamous spot, the place where we crown Cincinnati’s Sausage Queen and the last stop for our annual goat-​laden, bathtub-​on-​wheels clad parade celebrating one of the most moderately popular beers that I can think of off the top of my head.
Much like the odd celebration, Moerlein is a local must-​see, fraught with deeply ingrained and important traditions, and also local weirdos trying to be sexy with sausage links. And while the festival may have only been around for not even a quarter-​century, the brewery has been a Cincinnati staple since 1853, a true Over-​the-​Rhine original.
Now we all know that the cool kids are opening giant halls filled with semi-​athletic drunk games to schlep their trendy new micro-​brews, Moerlein is not one to be out done. You too, can traverse through one of the still pretty flippin’ shady parts of OTR to enjoy the cold, windowless, sepulchral-​toned tap room of grandpa Moerlein. Enjoy a plethora of draught beers, including one of my favorite local lagers, Moerlein’s Original Golden Helles or get into the festival Zeitgeist with an Emancipator Doppel Bock.
Enjoy some physical activity while you’re there and dunk a hot pretzel in your beer –or– shoot pool, pull Jenga, toss cornhole (teeheehee), or throw footballs at bowling pins in a not-​so-​cleverly-​named game of «Fowling». Seriously, were Fooling, Footling, and Bowlball already taken? As Nate S would say, name better!
Either way, I’ll see you amongst the throng this weekend. Happy Bockfest –and– Prost!

I have to admit I have always been a little skeptical about Moerlein beer and haven’t found one I truly like other than OTR. That being said, OTR is super good! To each her own when it comes to beer.
The Malt House is a great place to spend happy hour. While they don’t exactly have happy hour specials that I have seen (I usually go on Friday evenings), most of the beers are $ 5 which is typical. What I really like is the ambiance of this place. It is in the back of Bockfest Hall and appears to be located in a cave-​like area underground. There are no windows, dim lighting, and never a shortage of seats. They even give free brewery tours at times. That’s right, FREE. If you are hungry they have a makeshift kitchen that prepares snacks like pretzels and sausages. This is Cincinnati, so what other snacks would you expect?
While the brewery scene is expanding, this place is a top choice to visit because of the convenient location and vibe. I know Rhinegeist is all the rage these days, which is understandable because their beer is great, but when it comes to visiting a tasting room I would argue, hands down, Moerlein is the more enjoyable space and atmosphere. It is never too packed and they offer the same pub games like pool, cornhole, Jenga, and darts. You can also just sit at the bar and watch a game on TV.
Did I mention that there are several places to park — I believe there are literally 3 parking lots! That is 3 more than most places in OTR have! Need a shirt or other souvenir? They have that covered too.

Great beer. Great atmosphere. Odd location. But don’t buy food. Last time we were here than ran out of pretzels and potato salad as well as lost an entire food order. Come to drink, maybe play trivia on a Thursday, just skip the food.

Fresh beer and good food are the perfect mix! I ended up here at the end of a walking tour of Over The Rhine. Perfect spot to quench your thirst and grab a bite. The room is open with communal seating along the lines of a traditional German Bier Hall. There’s a really nice pool table and even indoor shuffleboard! Great place to quaff a pint of beer from one of the oldest, most historic breweries in the U.S.

The tap room is nice place to hang out with a group of friends and enjoy a good beer. I like the architecture of the building. The overall ambiance is neat.
I would recommend taking a tour of the tunnels underneath. There’s a lot of history here and it’s pretty cool to see.

I have been very happy about Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. since they started brewing here in Cincinnati. They had been contract brewing in Pennsylvania but have since opened this location. While some of their beer is still brewed Pennsylvania, more and more of it is brewed right here in Cincinnati. They are improving old recipes and creating new ones. There is definitely a noticeable improvement since brewing started here and some of the new beers are fantastic.
The Malt House (tap room) is an awesome room for a bar. The arched ceilings in this old malt house give the room a very distinctive look and feel. Every bartender I have interacted with is friendly and helpful. When I first started going here all that was available was freshly brewed beer and this awesome room. It has a nice big winding bar and the rest of the room is set up beer hall style with long rows of communal seating. Now they have added cornhole, pool, and my favorite, shuffleboard. They also sometimes have a musical act performing but the sound is not the best and tends to be very muddled due to all the echoing. The addition of games has, in my opinion, definitely improved the atmosphere in the bar.
The latest addition is that of the Wienerwurst Mike Frankfurtary. They converted the end of the bar to food/​deli stand. You can order sausages with toppings, sandwiches like a Reuben, as well as some side dishes. I recently stopped in to grab a beer and try out the Frankfurtary. I had a bratwurst with sauerkraut, mustard, and horseradish sauce and my wife had a mettwurst with sauerkraut and mustard. They both came with chips and pickles. I liked my bratwurst although it was just a standard bratwurst with nothing too special about it, but sometimes that’s all that is needed with a good beer. My wife was not too impressed with her mettwurst because she found the casing on the sausage to be tough making it a little hard to eat. They had some very impressive looking pretzels that looked like the best I had ever seen. I will definitely try one the next time I come. They also had a sandwich which I really want to try that was described as a pretzel stuffed with sausage and other stuff (or something like that).
I have drank many of their beer but will review the ones I most recently tried. I started with the Saengerfest which is a maibock style and have had previously only at the Lager House. It’s a good easy drinking beer with some nice malt characteristics and not a lot of hops. Next, I tried the ¹⁰⁄₁₆₁ which is a barrel aged beer aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels. It had the characteristic sweetness of a bourbon barrel beer which I could smell as soon as it was set in front of me. I would love to drink this beer while eating dessert. It’s strong, sweet, and has an intoxicating aroma that should definitely be tried by those who like barrel aged beers or those that like something a little sweeter like some Belgian tripels and quadrupels. After that I tried the Dunkelweiss which is a dark wheat beer. It has a dark amber color and is unlike other dark beers since it’s a wheat beer giving it a distinct flavor. It seemed to be more carbonated than the other beers I drank and had a good toasted malt flavor combined with a light banana fruit flavor that is typical of a hefeweizen. Overall a good beer that I will definitely drink again. The last beer I tried is my favorite beer from Moerlein. I knew this going into it as I have drank it many times before. It is the Zeppelin, which is labeled as a Bavarian style pale ale. The aroma is citrusy with a strong grapefruit smell that carries over into the taste. As soon as I get a taste of this beer I am in heaven. It has a great citrus hops flavor that is just perfectly refreshing. I could drink this beer over and over again. It is in my opinion one of the best pale ales I have ever enjoyed.
I love this tap room. I think Christian Moerlein beer is great and is getting better all the time. The tap room itself also fits this description. I definitely recommend this to beer lovers, history buffs, and those that love cool architecture.

Finally the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company’s own tasting room and brewery is finally open. Greg Hardman’s vision to bring back Moerlein brewing in OTR is a reality
I’ve attended many events here Bockfest and Oktoberfest through the years volunteering with the Over The Rhine Brewery District Community Urban Development Corp.
Spacious bar with variety of taps, the regulars to special limited edition beers to be able to sit an enjoy a beer, take a tour of the brewing line and they finally have real bathrooms finally installed — no more port-​a-​pottys!

Came here a few days ago after a brewery tour of the city. This was the last stop and a good last stop at that.
The space itself is pretty cool! It was part of an old brewery and reminded me a bit of some of the brewery’s I visited once upon a time in Europe. The person who redesigned it when it opened did a good job of giving it a old German brew house feeling. Since brewing in OTR was started by German immigrants, it is only fitting for it to have that German feel.
As for the drinking, the handlebar mustache sporting bartender was very helpful in letting us try a few brews and pick which one we wanted. There was plenty of space around the bar for us to drink a bit and there was more than enough space to sit. We, however, decided to play a couple games of cornhole while enjoying our drinks.

Really cool space with a lot of history behind it. They also do regular tours of the brewery itself and the tunnels and things underneath the building, both of which are really cool. If you live in Cincinnati you’ve probably had Moerlein’s beers before, so you know what you’re getting.
If you haven’t had them I do recommend them, I am in general not a fan of beer but there are two of Moerlein’s — the OTR and the Barbarossa — that I actually like.
Just don’t go if you want a quiet place to chat. The arches and columns make for very interesting architecture but also very poor acoustics. There’s lots of echoing and when it gets busy it can make conversation a touch difficult.

Moerlein’s Tap Room is a great place for beer lovers and fans of Cincinnati history. It’s a neat, large communal space (although weird acoustics) and you can sample their various beers. I’m not a huge beer fan, but if I’ve had some beer+food pairings before and Moerlein’s were always the best.
They also do tours of the facilities underneath which is really is the highlight of the place and I highly recommend you do it.

Very cool space for a tasting room. If you’ve been to Bockfest in the past, it is the back room that is up the ramp from the previous bathrooms area. The really unique room with the arched ceilings and columns. Picnic tables are set in rows amongst the pillars and arches. Taps on one wall, all Moerlein of course.
Moerlein’s modern facilities are on display down a ramp to the left of the bar, but the really cool part was what lies beneath the facility. I went on (what was apparently) the first day the tap room was open during Taste of Cincinnati 2013. They had tours of the tunnels underneath the facility during Taste, pix to follow. I don’t know if they plan to keep doing tours of the underground tunnels, but it was a definite highlight.
A VERY distinctive tap room, and I’ve been to many. Just so you know, there’s literally 10,000+ square feet of arched space below you, and 10,000 square feet of tunnels below that! History is here.