It’s that time of the year, again… and to wrap up Volume 11 of Cincy Brewcast I invited Bill Marx back on the show to talk about this year’s Bacchus Brewfest & Beyond. The festival is continuing to find ways to connect with drinkers, no matter what they happen to be looking for. From what’s in your glass to what’s keeping you entertained to the space that you’re enjoying it all in, they’re doing a great job of putting together a festival that folks actually want to go to.

I cracked open a can of Fifty West’s Piggy Bank light, while Bill teased us with a bottle of a big barrel-aged stout from Rhinegeist, and together we figured out what makes a festival special as the drinks industry continues to try to figure out what it actually looks like.

During the episode we mention that if you’re a listener to The Weekly Pint on Monday nights… you’ll have a shot over the next few weeks to win a few tickets – so make sure you’re tuning in around 9:30 pm every Monday to snag yours!

You can go ahead and buy your tickets, or learn more about the festival by hitting them up on Facebook (there’s a link to the tickets on there) https://www.facebook.com/oakleybeerfest

As a reminder, if you didn’t know already, this show is supported by listeners just like you. If you like this, or if you like any of the stuff that I create, you can support it all by going to https://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support, and you can become a Gnomie there!

I LOVE the yearly tradition that consumes my garage fridge every winter. We call it Beervent, and it’s more than just a box filled with a different beer that I get to open each day – it’s a piece of the holidays that can’t be skipped. It starts my days (though… I don’t always get to drink the day’s beer until later), and I’m not sure that Christmas would feel right without it.

For this year, I thought it’d be fun to chat about my favorites, to break down some themes, and to fill you in on WHY you need to get one for yourself next year!

It’s a solo episode, with a can of Northern Row’s Hustler Helles… crack one open and enjoy it with me!

• Volume 8, Episode 12 – Higher Gravity Talks Beervent In July

This has been an eagerly anticipated episode for me. As someone who both LOVES Alexandria Brewing Company, AND lives on the other side of the Greater Cincinnati area from them, a West Chester outpost is pretty perfect for me. Full disclosure, I work with Alexandria in my day job, and while that doesn’t come in to play at all with this episode… I want you to know!

Andy Reynolds has been on the show a lot, but this one hits a lot different. This is a show that talks about both the growth of them as a company, about the changes that the industry is going through and how some places are managing to navigate them with growth, while others aren’t. We drink some beers… of course – but it’s really an episode about the future of what all this might look like as we keep forging on into uncertain waters.

Huge thanks to Andy and the whole Alexandria crew for making this episode come to life – make sure you’re following along via their social media to catch the latest about the new location (or their website at https://www.alexandriabrewingcompany.com of course) and if you like the stuff that I’m doing on this show, or any of the stuff I’m working on – head to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/support to help it all keep going!

Big shout out to http://www.CincinnatiBartenderJobs.com for being the sponsor of Cincy Brewcast, Drinking With The Gnome – and hopefully a lot more in the future! Stay tuned!

• Andy Reynolds, Alexandria Brewing Company

• Alexandria Brewing Company – Ale of Eris

• Alexandria Brewing Company, Website
• Alexandria Brewing Company, Facebook
• Alexandria Brewing Company, Instagram

In this episode of Cincy Brewcast, I had the pleasure of welcoming back Garrett Hickey as we celebrated some exciting achievements in the world of Streetside Brewery, particularly coming off the recent GABF weekend. We dove into the significance of winning medals and the competitive landscape of Ohio breweries, and discussed how certain styles dominate the awards scene. Garrett shared insights on their approach to selecting beers for competitions and the challenges of standing out in a crowded market. We also reflected on how awards can influence sales and the importance of brewing what they believe to be their best offerings.

As we transitioned to the upcoming Demogorgon Day, we explored the unique variants that will be featured this year, including a special collaboration with Superstition Meadery. Garrett explained how the event has evolved, bringing together the community and showcasing their experimental spirit. We touched on their new food partnership and the excitement surrounding their 10th anniversary celebrations, highlighting the importance of staying connected with their roots while embracing growth and change in the craft beer scene.

If you want to know more about Streetside, Demogorgon, or any of the other awesome stuff that they have going on, you can always check out their website – or make sure you’re following them on Facebook or Instagram. If you like THIS show, or any of the stuff that I do: make sure you hit up http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/support to become a Gnomie!

My goodness. Technical difficulties? Again?! I get it slightly under control as the episode progresses, and it WOULD be frustrating if I didn’t have so much fun with this show every year. It’s Oktoberfest season, and this is the finale of a massive bracket I do every year to determine the winner, and the brewer of Cincinnati’s BEST packaged Oktoberfest!

I was joined by Marco and Julia from Truth Beer Podsequences – because you know… I can’t make this final decision by myself… and as expected, it was tough.

If you want to know the final four, and you want to know who takes the ‘Golden Gnome’ trophy – you’ll have to listen to this episode!

Huge thank you to this year’s host, MadTree, to Truth Beer and Podsequences for helping with the judging, and of course to every brewery that made a KILLER Oktoberfest this year!

I’m a huge Oktoberfest nut. I’m sure that if you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you’ve put that together. With a TON of great festivals happening here in Cincinnati, it’s hard to figure out exactly which ones you want to go to every year – but this one? This has become essential for me. I was joined by Justin Neff from Sonder and Brenden Douglass from Northern Row to talk about Sonder and Friends Oktoberfest – and to explore what’s going on in the industry right now.

If you’re a fan of this show, or of ANY of the stuff that I do – you can always show your support by going to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/support

It’s a painful process to watch, the closing of a brewery. I can only imagine what it’s like from the perspective of an owner and founder of a brewery… but we get a little peek at what it’s like in this week’s episode with DogBerry’s founder, Tony Meyer. He talks about how he has rediscovered a love for craft beer, after it had almost disappeared at the end of DogBerry’s run… It’s a wonderful episode with someone that I’m happy to call a friend.

If you like this show, or any of the stuff that I make, don’t forget that you can go to http://www.TheGnarlyGnome.com/Support to become a Gnomie and help make things happen!

• Tony Meyer – Former Owner, DogBerry Brewing Company

• HighGrain – Innit, English Mild
• HighGrain – Lusen, Czech Pilsner

Norwood, Ohio, gets a big win with the opening of Braxton’s new taproom at Factory 52. In what COULD have been a huge loss, HiWire recently announced the closure of their Cincinnati taproom to focus on their efforts back home in North Carolina, and with it, a partnership of sorts where Braxton will always be keeping some HiWire beer on tap there.

I sat down with Jake and Evan Rouse, two of Braxton’s founders and owners, to talk about what this means for the brewery’s future growth, for the future of craft beer, and for the future of what taprooms might look like.

It’s a great conversation, and one that I know a lot of beer drinkers here in Cincinnati are going to be excited to hear! If you’re curious to know more about Braxton or their new taproom space, make sure that you hit them up on the Braxton Factory 52 Facebook page.

• Jake Rouse – Braxton Brewing Company
• Evan Rouse – Braxton Brewing Company