“Cincinnati's largest craft brewery”
Our founder, Christian Moerlein, was born in Truppack, Bavaria in 1818. An apprentice brewer and accomplished blacksmith, he set sail to try his luck in America in 1841, eventually settling in Cincinnati, Ohio's predominantly German neighborhood Over-the-Rhine. Moerlein had a love of brewing hearty, European beers in the back of his blacksmith workshop. It wasn't long before Cincinnati's large number of German immigrants grew thirsty for his beers and their taste of home. In 1853, Moerlein directed his focus to brewing rather than horseshoes and wagon wheels. The Christian Moerlein Brewing Company of Cincinnati, OH was born.
Stopped here recently with a large group and they were super friendly and accommodating. The brewery owner Greg Hardman is a fun and interesting dude, loves a beer or 5 as you can imagine. He re-launched the Moerlein brand in 2010 after it had laid dormant since prohibition. While Moerlein sometimes gets a little overlooked in favor of the latest hip craft beers, I think they offer possibly the most refined craft brews in town. As testament to the team the Moerlein Select Lager became the first American beer to pass the strict Reinheitsgebot, or Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. Badass. As for the tap room here, it's a true bavarian style beer hall, full of history, large cavernous spaces with vaulted ceilings and absolutely no windows! Definitely more of a winter sort of place but interesting, friendly and well worth a stop if you are coming through town at any time of year.
It's a nice spot outside of the normal craziness of the brOTR bars. They always have TVs on, and they're unique in that their food options are centered around sausage and pretzels. Interesting spot. I'd go there more often if they did the same thing they do at their Lager House and offer beers from other breweries, but that's really the only downside.
I came here for the last stop on the Cincinnati Underground Tour and it was quite the fitting end to such a great experience. The architecture of the ceiling in the main room make for some interesting acoustics. When someone breaks at pool it carries really well. The staff are really friendly and knowledgable without being intimidating.
Excellent beers, a few tvs that usually have the most popular sporting event on (World Cup at the time I was there), and cornhole. Bathrooms are also nice and clean in case, y'know, anyone was wondering. Parking is available on the street and in a little gravel lot across the street, but convenient parking is very limited. A local vendor sets up a hot dog stand inside and sells some delicious weiners. Recommend the Curry Dog myself.
The Grand Hall for Bockfest! This place has incredible architectural details, and the city is lucky to have it back up and open to the public. The space is big enough for some cornholl or to catch the game on the tvs. It gets crowded (beyond crowded) during Bockfest, but the rest of the year it's got plenty of space for you and all your rowdy buddies. The inside is a little dark since there are no windows, so we always enjoy going in the winter b/c it feels like a warm cave... A cave that serves beer. Cheers.
Fantastic venue and fabulous beers on tap. The Northern Liberty is a super hoppy beer, but very very very tasty, and it will definitely get you drunk. The OTR is a classic, and everyone seems to enjoy it. The bar staff are very knowledgable and they know their stuff. So, if you want hoppy, a light ale, a dunkel or whatever your fancy they'll hook you up.
There's also really tasty food. The pretzel sampler platter comes with three different dipping sauces, two are mustard varieties and the third is beer cheese. I loved them all. Especially after my third Northern Liberty. They have huge TVs for you to watch sports on, and there's a corn hole game set up. This is a pretty sweet spot to go with a huge group of people. It's set up like a beer hall from Bavaria. A little dark, and a bit cavernous.
I walked in there as a vegetarian who doesn't drink thinking I'd be settling for Pepsi and chips. To my surprise they have veggie dogs and sausage, as well as Sioux City sodas. I went with a root beer and the veggie sausage and have been craving it ever since.
Moerlein brews some of the best beer to come out of Cincinnati. They are a less hip, a little older and pure about their brewing heritage, and I like that. Their space is amazing and authentic and I by that I mean they didn't do a whole lot of work to make the place feel "crafty" their building is just old and awesome and they keep it that way. Everyone who works there is nice. The last time I was there my friend was in town from SF and the head brewer chatted us up and ended up showing us around. Awesome! Christian Moerlein is a gem.
While this isn't my favorite beer, the tap room is top notch and the people are extremely friendly
Love the feel of the space. They have giant Jenga, which my family loves. I like their food, but the offerings are limited. Oh, and the beer. It's great.
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Christian Moerlein Brewing
Hours
- Sun: 12:30 pm - 6:00 pm
- Wed, Thu: 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm
- Fri: 4:00 pm - 12:00 am
- Sat: 12:00 pm - 12:00 am
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
- Reservations
- Does not take
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Bar
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Lunch
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Dinner
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Waitstaff
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Private Dining
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Outdoor Seating
Parking, Dining
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