Beer Sellar

Beer SellarBeer Sellar
Beer SellarBeer Sellar
Bar, Eatery

301 Riverboat Row
Newport, Kentucky, 41071-4585
United States

(859) 431-6969 | map
beersellar.net
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.47
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
29
pDev:
21.9%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by nasman:
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Reviewed by nasman from Ohio

1/5  rDev -71.2%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1
I have never been in an establishment that does so little with so much. Despite having a stellar selection of beers, particularly for a place in this region, they still fall miles short of the mark. Having been there before and being less than impressed with the upkeep of the craft beers offered, I agreed reluctantly to check the place out once again, hoping to see an improvement. It was the weekend of Cincinnati’s Bockfest and we were seeking a good beer bar away from the event after living off bock beer for three days.

When we arrived, despite the size of the establishment, we found them to be not very busy, with only five other patrons in the place and one barmaid. For the first round, we ordered several quality selections we were familiar with such as Stone’s Arrogant Bastard and McEwan's Scotch Ale. It immediately became apparent that this place does not clean their tap lines-ever! My friend who ordered the McEwan's noted it seemed a bit dark in color. When he sampled it, the taste was so bad he immediately coughed and almost spit it up on to the table. He asked us to try it to make sure it was not just him. Each of us who did had a similar, gut wrenching experience that caused us to gag. We immediately pointed out the product was bad to the barmaid working, who seem kind of dumbfounded. She told us everyone else liked it, but she offered to switch it with something else. My friend decided to play it safe and order a Guinness, which he figured was ordered enough that it would a t least be fresh. Meanwhile, I took a sip of my Arrogant Bastard and found it to be nearly as bad as my friend’s McEwan’s. I shared my opinion and a taste of my beer with my friends, who concurred. I have drank Arrogant Bastard many times and am quite familiar with it’s taste and texture. When the barmaid returned with my friend’s Guinness, we commented on the issue with the Arrogant Bastard. Our barmaid went on to explain that Arrogant Bastard is just a bad beer and always tastes that way. It became quite apparent she knows very little about beer. She told me she would check with her manager to see if she could replace this also. At the same instance a friend who we warned about this ongoing experience decided to get a club soda so those of us already with beers could finish up and go somewhere else. Our barmaid responded to his request by asking what club soda was, she had never heard of it. Apparently her job is to sit around in skimpy camouflage attire and flirt with the regular customers who drink primarily either Miller or Bud despite having nearly sixty-five other beers on tap. Any knowledge of drinks beyond those specific selections seemed to be beyond her comprehension.

The management seemed equally educated, he felt that Arrogant Bastard was just a bad beer and always tasted “skunky”, so it was not their fault. He was also unable to explain the similar results my friends were having with their selections, including my friend who ordered the Guinness as a replacement. He found his Guinness to be only slightly less satisfactory than his McEwan’s. We left the rest of our so called beers and got out of there as fast as we could. I could go on and on about other problems I see with the place. But the bottom line is, if you are trying to be a beer bar, you need to know your product and you need to take care of it. The way this place mismanages what were once quality products, if the barge on which it sits sinks into the Ohio River, only one thing could be the result of the submersion. The only foreseeable result is the foul river water could only undoubtedly serve to improve what is left in the Beer Sellar’s inventory of these once fine products, as well as improve their sanitation. Stay as far away as you can from this place. The Newport Beer Sellar will undoubtedly soon qualify for EPA Superfund money to get rid of all the spoiled beers and clear out the stagnant filth that is excreted by this establishment’s many taps.
Apr 09, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.03 by Manta200 from Kentucky

Aug 31, 2022
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Reviewed by smejzlik from Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +40.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
All the local brewery's in one great place! Along with rare and hard to find beer from all over the world ... smoke and vape friendly, an amazing view... a pretty good pizza and hooters right next door ....

64 draft Beer, over 100 bottles; on a boat. .. it truly does not get better than that!
May 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.3 by CBrodbeck from Florida

May 19, 2016
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Reviewed by WesMantooth from Ohio

3.42/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.25 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
Decent selection, some pool tables, music, and a good view on the river, but I would never go there again if I had to be inside. Soooo smokey. Like drinking beer in an ashtray.
Jul 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by Doublechar0517 from Kentucky

May 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Jstonerock24 from Ohio

Nov 25, 2014
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Reviewed by patpbr from Ohio

3.01/5  rDev -13.3%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
On the Ohio River with a great view of downtown. The bar gets smoky and when they have a band its been more bad then good. However shooting a game of pool on the rough pool tables has some unknown merit. I have waited a while for a beer in an empty bar and also given great service with bartenders willing to talk about the beers. Beers and lots of them. Its overpriced In my opinion. Never had food, not even sure they do? I do not view it as a value. Sure its nice to sit on the patio but it could just improve in about every way.
Oct 20, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Rod_J from Kentucky

Oct 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by BSharpy from West Virginia

Oct 12, 2013
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Reviewed by Philcray from Kentucky

2.13/5  rDev -38.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 2 | selection: 2
Nothing has changed since the last review, draft lines still need cleaned. I was lured in by the impressive looking array of taps, but was disappointed by the "off" taste of the Dogfish Head 90 minute that I had purchased. A friend had the same problem with his Sierra Nevada Pale ale. Another friend had an Abita Purple Haze which was ok. I'm not really for sure which way the owners are trying to go with this place. Beer Bar? Sports Bar? We were there on a Wednesday night and there was acoustic music, and the food looked and smelled good, but there was a black mark on the evening from tainted beer.
Aug 05, 2012
Photo of b3shine
Reviewed by b3shine from Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -15.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 1.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 5
It's remarkable how such a good setup can end up so disappointing. The most beers on draft I've ever seen - and plenty of esoterics. But it's all downhill from there. Let me begin by saying that you can have the best draft beer selection in the world, but if you don't clean the lines, the beer will suck. And they don't. And it does. The place is on the Ohio River, yet it's almost always empty. And it's a pity too, because the view is great. The bar is not cleaned like it should be, and they allow cigar smoking inside, which I don't appreciate, as it detracts from the bouquet of my $8+ pints. The staff is unknowledgeable and the place is poorly managed. What a waste of potential!
Mar 30, 2011
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Reviewed by wishdp from Ohio

3.11/5  rDev -10.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2 | selection: 5
I just recently moved to Cincinnati and had heard great things about the Beer Sellar. I decided to check it out today and overall I was not impressed. While the beer selection is phenomenal, it seemed as if the staff knew nothing about the product they were selling. Being so overwhelmed by the variety of beers on tap and in bottles, I asked for a menu. However, when I had a question about a type of beer (the list only has the names of the beer, no style, abv, or price) the bartender had no idea what type of beer it was. I chose Three Floyds Dreadnaught, and thought it would cost anywhere from $9-13. Now I'm ecstatic that I purchased this phenomenal IPA, however I wish I was warned of the nearly $20 price tag. I feel that the bartender should have at least known how much the beer was, let alone what type of beer it was. Go for a fantastic selection, but don't expect a knowledgeable staff.
Sep 20, 2010
Photo of klewis
Reviewed by klewis from Ohio

2.63/5  rDev -24.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 1 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
My wife and I visited 8/3/09 before a Reds game to take advantage of the water taxi.

Atmosphere: typical, large-bar atmosphere, yet it scores points for its openness and nice patio.

Selection: 60+ beers on tap 120+ in bottles - high in number, yet sub-par in availability and originality.

Service: Prompt and somewhat friendly, but, as this was in an empty bar, this was expected. One bartender fervently tried several times to open a Two Hearted Ale as a twist-off - a harmless mistake perhaps, yet I view it as an ignorance of the product being sold (especially in a bar with such a large amount of craft beer).

Quality: Oh dear. Our first two pints were hardly drinkable and laden with oxidized, stale, and just plain nasty off-flavors. My wife couldn't finish hers, offering to "throw (her)self into the river" instead. Round two brought Two Hearted to the table for us both. With only one bottle left, I took one for the team submitted myself to the offering on tap. My draft beer was as bad as the others - bland, oxidized, and lacking in any flavorful character. The bottled version was nearly as bad and was void of its typically wonderful hop characteristics (and a batch number). It appalls me that any craft beer, let alone such a stellar one, should be presented in this way. Simply the worst quality of beer that I've ever had - anywhere.

Food: Typical bar fare, but our pizza was tasty and ample for the price.

Value: Despite the quality, our beer was far overpriced ($5.50 for a bottle of spoiled Two Hearted!) Food was a bit pricey but acceptable.

Overall reaction: It is quite obvious that, as others have mentioned before me, the taplines here are not cleaned, and product is not moved. Quality should be an establishment's biggest concern. We will never again visit and will encourage our friends to refrain as well. For the next Reds game, we'll go to Hofbrauhaus instead.
Aug 04, 2009
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Reviewed by redbird from Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +16.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
The location is great, right on the river, with a huge deck. Since we're in Kentucky, there is smoking inside. The band playing makes things quite loud on the inside as well. But we're here for good beer, so you gotta roll with punches and embrace what you can. 2 Stone, 2 DFH (60 and 90), 4 Rogue (Double Dead Guy), 3 Great Lakes, 1 Bells, 1 Schlafly (soon to be coffee stout) on tap, about 50 beers in all. A guesstimate of about 80 beers in bottles as well.

I can understand how people can view this place differently. If you're looking for a nice quiet place to drink good beer, this isn't the place for you. Given the beer situation in downtown Cincy though, you should give this place a try.
Nov 16, 2008
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Reviewed by TheBierBand from Ohio

2.96/5  rDev -14.7%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Well, the wife and I were in Newport, KY (at Newport on the Levee) prior to a Reds game. We had about an hour to spare so we decided to have a beer at The Beer Sellar. It was about 2PM on a Saturday.

We walked on to the barge and turned past Hooters (on the right) and made our way past the patio and into The Beer Sellar (on the left). It was kind of difficult to figure out where Hooters stopped and the Beer Sellar began... The patio was filled with several beer stations tended by girls in bikini tops.... so I'm assuming that was still Hooters. They were right outside The Beer Sellar's door! But it was all BMC being served out there... so we ventured inside.

The first thing I saw was the rocks of tap handles... it was quite a sight. The atmosphere was smokey and loud... and just typical.... nothing special here.... quite underwhelming. Just a big ol' bar with typical BMC neon lights and a several TV's.

We bellied up to the bar and I asked to see a beer list. The had to have been 70-80 beers on tap... Stone, Rogue, Dogfish, Great Lakes, Bells. I selected an Arrogant Bastard and my wife opted for a Purple Haze. They were served in chilled pint glasses.... with lots of condensation. I don't think that I would review the beer... because it wasn't in "controlled conditions" (smokey atmosphere, condensation on the glass, old beer on tap(?)....etc.).

The the selection was pretty good.... although, there was nothing on tap that I hadn't already tried.... so there was nothing REALLY SPECIAL. My second beer was from a bottle... some Scottish Heather Ale.... They handed me the bottle and it had a freshness date of August 2007... the date was May 31 2008! Sorry Beer Sellar, you've got a big selection.... but you can't turn it over enough to keep it fresh. I suspect that the taps are pretty much the same way.

We didn't try the food. Sorry, this was a lack-luster experience... This place could be wonderful.... but it's not...
Jun 02, 2008
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Reviewed by becktone from Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -15%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2 | service: 2 | selection: 5 | food: 2
This is a nice looking bar. I can imagine it gets really crazy here in the summer, especially during a Reds game. They've got plenty of taps, a whole wall of them, and even more in bottles. The bartenders didn't seem to know that much about the beer that they were pouring. Selection is great, but in my opinion everything is a bit overpriced. I ordered an Arrogant Bastard...the bartender had quite a hard time pulling the tap forward, thats when an middle aged man also behind the bar, whom I suspected to be a manager, told her to pull it really hard. Once it was in my glass, he chuckled and said "...yeah, that taps not been pulled in at least 3 days." The beer also tasted a bit off, I've heard that they don't really take good care of their lines there, I believe it. Also had the food there...overpriced and not even good. Seven dollars for a turkey sandwich and chips, I could get a better deal at subway...and if the bread is going hard there its because I got it toasted, not because it is stale. I'll not be going back to this bar. Great selection of beer, but the quality of the place really sucks.
Mar 29, 2008
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Reviewed by pwoods from Ohio

3.44/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
I've been here many times before but this is the first time since I've joined this site. This was also the best experience I've had there.

Went on a Saturday night. As expected, completely packed, very smoky, and very loud(3 live band throughout the night... though all were actually good /surprised). This is definitely a place that's better when it's slow. Played pool and darts most of the night and wasn't bothered too much(won $40 in darts before me and my buddy were left alone). The selection has always been pretty decent here with names like stone, brooklyn, bell's, etc. I think the 3 most surprising beers I saw were Bell's Expedition Stout, Brooklyn's Monster, and Stone's Ruination. The service, which has been mediocre at best, was actually quite good. One bartender was knowledgeable of there beers, while the others at least knew exactly what beers I asked for and how to pour it. In past experiences, I've gotten the tiny party girl bartenders that don't know any of there beers except BMC. The quality also seems better than in the past. I tried about 6 different beers(yay for a DD) and they were (mostly)nicely maintained. My 2 complaints were minor and dealt with. First complaint was on my 4th beer, Two Hearted. Tasted watered down and lacking some of it's hops. I mentioned it to the knowledgeable bartender and he replaced it with 2 bottles of Two Hearted(instead of the on-tap stuff) and only charged me for 1. On my 5th beer, I asked the knowledgeable bartender for an Arrogant Bastard. He sent me a sample first, to check quality. The taste was still right but the hops were subdued. I told him I was probably getting palate fatigue but he poured me a free pint as an apology. After that, a great Expedition Stout capped off the night.

Overall, it was a good night and a better experience than I expected. I'll write a few more reviews of this place to see if they've changed their ways or if I just had a rare(good) experience there.
Nov 04, 2007
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Actually, its name was "Beer Sellar on the Barge". On the barge was a fitting designation as it actually is on the west side of a barge in the Ohio River on the Newport, KY side. To enter, you have to transit their enclosed brow and once aboard, turn port, pass through their short vestibule, and yer aboard, matey! The big, bad, BeerWolf guarded the entry, just past the m.d.s. on the right. The marble-topped bar sat at a left-oblique to the entry. To the right was a tile-floored area with a combination of high tables and chairs and standard restaurant tabes and chairs. To the left of Wolfie was a pool room with two tables. Aft of the bar were the washrooms, at about the centerline of the barge. The DJ booth was off to the extreme right of the bar. I was satisfied, overall, but there was a good bit of cigar smoking, if that is a consideration for you.

They had around sixty-plus bottles and sixty-four taps. There was lots to choose from, including Schlafly, Bell's, Sam. Adams, Stone, and Rogue products, as well as the standard BMC. They also had a free "Beers Around the World" club with a card to keep track of your progress and a "bitchin' jukebox".
Oct 21, 2007
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Reviewed by mcallister from Ohio

2.99/5  rDev -13.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5
Went here before the Newport Italian fest. It happened to also be before the Reds Indians game so the place was quite packed on this Saturday afternoon. Walk accross a small bridge and arrive to a Hooters on the right and the Beer Sellar on your left. The place was packed and the walk accross had an aroma of dead fish.

Lines were long and the bartender was impatient. They had a decent selection, I had a BBC IPA and Pixel a Commodore Perry. The place was just too packed with drunken baseball goers to really enjoy myself and the beer selection overall wasn't as good as it should have been considering the amount of taps.

I'll have to return in the future on a more laid back night and sit by the water and have a few brews. Maybe things will be more delightful.
Jun 20, 2007
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Reviewed by brewdlyhooked13 from Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +9.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
I've heard about and seen this place for several years and finally got a chance to check it out prior to a Reds game recently. It was a Sunday afternoon. The back deck was filled with folks headed to the game via the ferryboat, the inside is large and roomy and at the time about a third filled. The taps are plentiful with macros, well known craft selections (Sam Adams, Bass, Blue Moon, Stella, etc.) , and some better beer ones like DFH, Stone, Bells. I had a DFH 60 Minute followed by a Stone pale, both were great. 3 to 4 bucks a pint, about average for a bar. While I didn't try any bottles, that menu is several pages long.

The place is known to be a meat market on weekends, the management is content to leave it at that. They don't really cater to the craft beer enthusiast outside of providing the taps. And that's great, but they have the room to do much more. A beer appreciation class, seasonal tasting events, things that could tie in their investment a little better to the people.

My advice is to go during low tide, weekdays or afternoons.
May 10, 2007
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Reviewed by Yetiman420 from Ohio

3.24/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5
Gosh, this place is tough to review. Very good and very bad at the same time.

My wife and I went prior to a Reds game in early August. From a location standpoint, it's on a shared barge with Hooters on the Ohio river. They were charging $5 to park right in front, but I drove down towards Don Pablos for plenty of free parking. The location is also within easy striking disttance of the Haufbrau Haus and The Party Source which is the #2 grossing liquor store in the nation and has an excellent beer selection.

So the good includes the largest beer selection in the Cincinnati area (plenty of "crap on tap" though), good happy hour prices, an excellent view of the river/Cincinnati, and the opportunity to take a $4 round trip ferry to the Reds game. We often walk to Reds games from the Hofbrau Haus so you could also do it from here.

The bad, which makes me very sad. My wife an I are convinced there was something wrong with the beer. She had the Bar Harbour Blueberry and Hoegarten and I had the Stone Pale/IPA and a Bell's Two-Hearted. They all tasted funny. She could not finish her Hoegarten is was so bad. Given the run-down status of the facility, I suspect they never clean their beer lines. She had to resort to Corona in a bottle. It's also dissapointing to see most of the people drinking domestic macro schwag when there are so many good options. Frankly, the poor quality of the good beer would turn me off to it.

If you like to people watch and enjoy a slice of mid-western Americana, you can hang out here or at Hooters after an event or when they're busy and enjoy some sweet mullets and people who are frozen in the 80's.

Go in with low expectations, enjoy the view, and laugh deep down inside at the low points of the tri-state lifestlye.
Aug 10, 2006
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Reviewed by Tchuck from Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -5.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4
We went here after spending most of the day at the Hofbrauhaus (our waitress recommended it), and it was a nice change of pace. It was quiet, the sun was setting, and I was pretty impressed with the tap selection, bearing in mind that I didn't have many opportunities to try the local beer. The bartender was attentive, gave samples out to my friends who weren't sure about what they wanted. The other patrons were pretty friendly, which I'm not used to, being from Boston and all. I left and came back a few hours later in the evening, and there was a loud cover band there that didn't provide me an incentive to stay. I would definitely go back during the daytime--has a nice view of the river and the Cincinnati skyline, there is a good selection of drafts (which pleased my BMC-preferring friends and me as well). There is a cover charge to enter the barge on weekends--I think it was $5, but there was a live band inside the Beer Sellar as well as outside on the barge, which had another bar and Hooters.
Jun 05, 2006
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Reviewed by cproioi from Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +16.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
Atmosphere: Went in during the day at 2. I think I was the first customer. It was pretty empty and seemed like it could accomidate a large amount of people. However, it was not overly impressive atmosphere wise.

Quality: Very good the bartender knew how to pour a beer.

Service: Very friendly and able to talk about beer took time to make sure I was happy with the place.

Selection: I love this part 60 Beers on Tap 120 bottles. Beers ranging from Stones IPA and Arrogant Bastard, three different Bell's (Two Hearted Ale, Porter and Amber), BBC Bourbon Barrell Stout, a couple of Rogue Beers, Great Lakes Brewing Company Beers and your usual domestic water.

Price: paid $3.50 a pint for microbrews not bad in my opinion.
Apr 12, 2006
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Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.84/5  rDev +10.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
Stopped by on the way through Cincinnati. After hearing mixed reviews, I was quite delighted with the visit, though I see why the criticism exists. The bar has a terrific approach, located literally on the Ohio river in a barge, beside Hooters (I almost didn't make it to the Beer Sellar), overlooking the Cincy skyline--quite nice. The buildings rustic nature adds a sense of tradition and history without becomming pretentious. They offered some nice draft beers such as Arogant Bastard, Dead Guy, Stone IPA, some nice English / Scottish fare, several Bell's beers, and local brewery beers. 1/3 to 1/2 of their offerings is the stuff that can easily be found at your local karyoke bar or you negihborhood Speedway gas station. They are a little schizophrenic about whether they want to take beer serious or just attract the 'smash-the-can-on-your-head' crowd. The staff, though slight, has a terrific knowlege of beer and is eager to ensure that your visit was pleasant. Definately worth a stop, but there's not much there to surprise you.
Mar 03, 2006
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Reviewed by fightingwords from Kentucky

4.3/5  rDev +23.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Great place to drink any night except Thursdays. 60 taps that rotate frequently 120 bottles that hardly get enjoyed. The food is your typical burger and fries kinda offering. I love drinking here on a calm summer night with a couple of guys. I tend to duck out when this place becomes a college bar with awful live acts. There are so many good offerings and there is a great beer guide to help you make your decision with acurate nomenclature and descriptions. The staff has always been quick with the pints and super fun to talk to. Though if they are busy, regardless of the tip size, service is cookie cutter and first come first serve.

The word...One place with a number of guises. The atmosphere can change by the hour but the beer is always good. The only place of its kind when it comes to draft beer.
Mar 01, 2006
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Reviewed by frazbri from Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +17.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5
We stopped at the Beer Sellar Saturday evening. The bar was nearly empty. (we started early I guess) Our bartender was friendly and attentive, but not incredibly knowledgable.

The tap selection had a great range of styles and nationalities. I had an Arrogant Bastard and a Dead Guy, but I could have had Hoegarten, Spaten, Great Lakes, Fullers, Chimay, or more.

I wish there was a little more crowd. It's kind of hard to judge a place when the place is empty. I know it was fairly early, but...
If you are searching for selection in Newport, give the Beer Seller a try. It's on the barge next to Hooter's.
Nov 29, 2005
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Reviewed by clvand0 from Kentucky

3.43/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
Stopped by this place with over the weekend with a fellow homebrewer. It's on a barge on the Ohio River on the same barge as a Hooters. A guy at a local beer shop recommended this place, said they have 160 beers and 60 on tap ... so we obviously had to stop by. They have a very large selection of beers in the bottle and they do have a lot of taps. But honestly, the beers on tap aren't all that great. They have a Great Lakes brew, Tennets, Guinness, Harp, Bells Brown, and things like that. Nothing really struck me as excellent. We didn't have any food, just liquid bread. It has a great view of Cincinnati from the river. There is a bar area and some tables and then you can sit out on the deck, right on the river. The atmosphere was very geared toward the macro drinkers with Miller and Bud specials posted all over the place. The bartender seemed a little stuck up and uninterested in talking about the beers. Not a bad place, but it didn't live up to my expectations.
Feb 14, 2005
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Reviewed by AtLagerHeads from Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +23.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
This is located on a barge in the middle of the Ohio River (which, by the way, belongs to Kentucky, not Ohio) and moored just off the levee in Newport. It is located next to Hooters and shares outdoor deck space. The selection of draft beers is awesome and includes many macros, but, more importantly, lots of craft brews and fine imports. The bottled selection is equally huge. The service was great on a Tuesday afternoon, but then it had a limited crowd as this is obviously a hot nightspot. Huge seating areas and an outdoor area overlooking the river. Good prices and decent parking on the levee road.

Update: I must be getting sloppy with my reviews as I've heard from both AKSmokedPorter and hoprus this morning. In any case, hoprus asked about the selection and here's some of the lowdown -

Partial draft listing:

Alts - W. Frankenheim

Ales - Barrelhouse Pale Ale, Bass, Boddingtons, Flying Dog Doggie Style, Goose Island Honkers Ale, Goose Island seasonal (Summertime right now), GLBC Eliot Ness (misclassified), Honey Brown, John Courage, Leinenkugel Red, Lindeman's Lambics - Framboise, Kreik, and Peach, McEwans, Murphy Red, Newcastle, SNPA.

Wheats - Abita Purple Haze, Blue Moon, Frankiazaner Dunkle,
Hacker-Pschorr, Hoegaarden, Paulaner Hefe, etc, etc.

They also have selections for Bocks, Stouts, Porter (Edmund Fitzgerald), Pilsner, Dunkles, Ciders, and Lagers (about 20 and it includes my old favorites - Tennants and GLBC Dortmunder Gold.)

You get the idea and there are perhaps 50% more than the drafts in bottles; great stop. $2.50 domestic pints from 2-8 weekdays. Their fax number is (859) 291-4182; perhaps they'll fax the beer menu directly to you.
Aug 06, 2003
Beer Sellar in Newport, KY
Place rating: 3.47 out of 5 with 29 ratings