Hello there, I live in Western KY and want to visit Rhinegeist brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio. I've never been to Cincinnati or Ohio for that matter and when I mentioned to a friend that I wanted to make the trip he told me to avoid the Over the Rhine area which is where the brewery is. Doing some research I have read that the area has a history of being unsafe but that some parts have gotten better. I'm wondering if anyone with recent experience in the area can give me any insight, as I don't want to take my family to an unsafe area but I really want to visit one of my favorite breweries. Also, any other advice about the area would be appreciated : is there parking? Places to eat near the brewery, etc. Thanks in advance
OTR used to be pretty sketchy but the vast majority of it is fine now. There is still pockets of "bad areas" but no different than any other metro area. I have never heard of anyone having problems around Rhinegeist. Parking shouldnt be an issue. Plenty of good food around too, especially on vine st. Senate has amazing gourmet hot dogs. A Tavola good pizza. Bakersfield for tacos. Taste of Belgium for tasty gastropub belgian recipes. Tafts ale house is also nearby and has solid to great beers of their own, in addition to good food. Also, if you want a good sour taplist (or specialty kegs in general) - check out Libertys bar and bottle, my favorite bar in the city.
I recently did the walk from Taft's to Rihinegeist during mid-afternoon. I wasn't harassed or anything like that but there were enough sketchy characters that I'd just take a short Uber next time
As someone who has lived in the suburbs of Cincinnati for my entire life, I can tell you that 10 or 15 years ago you would not have wanted to go down there. Now, I feel like it is fine. There is a parking lot directly across the street from Rhinegeist, also plenty of street parking nearby. The new streetcar system will be up and running next weekend (Sep. 9), and there is a stop literally right in front of Rhinegeist. After you check out Rhinegeist you can take the streetcar to check out other spots in town. I'd recommend taking it all the way down to the Banks area and have a meal at the Moerlein Lager House (one of my favorite spots in the city). While you are in the Banks area, I'd take the super short walk down to Smale Riverfront Park and enjoy the views of the Ohio River. After all that just hop back on the streetcar and ride back up to Rhinegeist. Here is a link to some info about the streetcar... http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/street...i-bell-connector-for-free-on-opening-weekend/ Edit: If you do end up having a hard time finding parking by Rhinegeist, you could just head down to the Banks area and park in the huge underground parking garage. Then just hop on the streetcar to get to Rhinegeist.
Thanks so much for the replies guys! Unfortunately we are going to be limited on time so we won't get to see everything but we'll try to check out as much as possible! Do you know if the parking by rhinegeist is pay to park? I usually assume it will be in bigger cities but I'm never sure what to expect.
Awesome! You guys are awesome! Do you all know if Rhinegeist has a lot of bombers and stuff like that available that I can get to bring home with me?
Okay so I found out they don't sell their bombers at the brewery but I can get growlers filled. Does anyone know by chance the prices on fills? And what the growlers cost? Should I bring my own from a different brewery? Just trying to be prepared and plan ahead. Cheers!
Im not sure about the growlers - but if you are looking for their bottles - check out Market Wines at Findlay market, which is very close by and should have some if not all that are currently in the market - only thing is they probably have different hours than Rhinegeist so i would look up when market wines is open
Thanks! Im just looking to bring as much home with me as I can that I don't have access to here in KY. I will definitely check that place out. Is that a good place to go for other non-rhinegeist stuff that I wouldn't find at home?
Yes market wine has a good beer selection - they get all of the sought after Ohio stuff - jackie os, fatheads, and the other good local cincy stuff. Plus Findlay market is a great market to check out on its own. There isnt too many retail bottle shops downtown, but Libertys Bar and Bottle is my favorite bar (always have rare kegs and limited beers) and they have a solid selection of Retail to-go beers in the cooler also - might be worth checking out as its close to rhinegeist also
If you are short on time Market Wines in Findlay Market is a safe bet as mentioned. Party Source right across the river in Bellevue will be a pretty good option as well. The lot across from Rhinegeist fills up VERY quickly. There are metered spots right in front of the building, which can also fill up depending on when you can go. If you had time for another stop I would highly recommend Taft's Ale House. You could in theory park in the Washington Park Garage, walk up to Taft's, then get on the streetcar up to Rhinegeist.
I will be leaving very early in the morning so with the time change I should be getting to Rhinegeist around 1:30 or 2pm depending on traffic. We are taking the brewery tour at 3. It is a Saturday, but do you think I will have a hard time with parking early in the afternoon? If so, what is a good alternative for parking that is close to Rhinegeist? Also, if anyone has suggestions for must haves that I should find at Market Wines, that would be welcome as well.
I don't have experience with parking there that early on a Saturday - but I would guess it would be weather dependent. If its nice - its far more likely people will start drinking earlier on given their rooftop bar and all now. I have been there quite a few times and mostly had luck parking in that lot - except for weekend nights. as far as grabbing bottles - if you like barrel aged beers, I would grab anything barrel aged from Jackie Os - always top notch stuff.
No clue on parking difficulty at that time. You are limited to street parking, the lot at Rhinegeist, or parking at Washington Park and taking the Cincinnati Bell Connector (streetcar) up to Rhinegeist. Anything else is going to be quite a few blocks away.
I have to thank you all again for all the excellent advice and recommendations. We parked at findlay market because the lot across from the brewery was full, went to Rhinegeist first, had drinks and took the brewery tour at 3. I didnt get to experience the rooftop bar becuase it began to rain as soon as the tour was over. We filled up some growlers and then headed to Market Wines. They had a leak from the rain so their beer section was inaccessible but they were nice enough to go back there and bring me some local stuff to look at. I grabbed a six pack of Jackie O's Mystic Mama, and bombers of Rhinegeist Sabertooth Tiger and Glow. Then we headed to Moreleins for dinner. We really enjoyed the food there and the house beers I tried were pretty solid. Finally, we stopped by Liberty's bar and bottle for some more beers and I picked up a six pack of Mad Tree Shade. We had an awesome time, thanks again for all your help!
