It’s not just about the beer. Yes, craft breweries in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are seeing a resurgence with numbers topping pre-prohibition days. And brew masters across town are taking great care to bring you high qual- ity beverages made in small batch barrels. But today’s breweries are serving up beers with a strong dose of socializing.
“When we started with beer, our focus was educating the public about craft beer with its different tastes and varieties,” says Bobby Slattery, co-owner of Fifty West Brewing Company. “But we quickly took in the bigger picture—beer invites community. People were being drawn to a place where they could gather and socialize.”
Driving by Fifty West on 50 West (Wooster Pike) most afternoons and evenings and you see throngs of people—those of drinking age and often their children and dogs—enjoying the outdoor spaces. There’s sand volleyball, cornhole, pickleball and biking in warmer weather and an ice-skating rink when it’s cold.
There’s no doubt that Slattery and his team are trailblazers in this brewery-meets-activity arena. In fact, Fifty West was the first brewery in the area to launch a running club. When asked about the combination of beer and athletes in training, Slattery says it’s really about those individuals wanting to loosen up (literally and figuratively) and be social. “Beer serves as a catalyst,” he says.
Other events the brewery has sponsored include a tug of war contest, boxing matches, multiple concerts and soccer games. Slattery admits soccer was not a hit, so they replaced that area with three pickleball courts.
“We like to be ahead of the curve,” he says. “We’re always trying to figure out what type of community-oriented events are needed. We get in there early and we take risks—acting sort of as trailblazers—and we’re not afraid to fail. We stick with what works and keep looking for new ideas.”
Ready to hop in on the fun?
In addition to Fifty West, other breweries across Greater Cincinnati are building communities of their own. We suggest you visit the following websites for activity and event calendars.
braxtonbrewing.com
fiftywestbrew.com
fretboardbrewing.com
grainworks.beer
rhinegeist.com
thirdeyebrewingco.com
