Written by: Joe Ludwig
Cincinnati has always been a beer city. We have 60+ craft breweries to choose from and that’s not even including the ones in Dayton, which isn’t that far away. I realized that I can’t call myself a true supporter of Cincinnati craft beer if I only have been to half of the breweries. That’s why one of my goals this year is to get out and explore 12 local breweries in the Greater Cincinnati area that I haven’t been to before. The sixth new brewery that we visited this year was Alexandria Brewing Company in Alexandria, Kentucky, about 25 minutes south of downtown Cincinnati.
About the Brewery
Alexandria Brewing Company (A.B.C.) officially opened its doors in April 2018 with the help of a Kickstarter crowdsourcing campaign that started in 2016.
The brewery was started by Andy Reynolds, a former Combat Engineer in the United States Army who fell in love with beer while he was stationed in the Bavarian region of Germany. After serving two tours in Iraq, he attended the Siebel Institute of Technology (the oldest brewing school in the U.S.) to study the craft of brewing.
Andy eventually graduated with a degree in Advanced Brewing Theory, which is very apparent when you taste the final product (more on that later). And that is not just my opinion either. Alexandria Brewing Company was named the “Best Brewery” in Northern Kentucky Magazine’s Best of NKY for 2019, 2021, and 2022.
The Taproom
Alexandria Brewing Company’s taproom is located at the Jolly Towne Center, a strip mall alongside U.S. 27. If you don’t know where you are going (like me) then you will probably miss it, as there isn’t any obvious signage visible from the road. Make sure to have your GPS handy when you drive down there!
They have an outdoor patio in front of the main entrance with many wooden picnic tables. The area is not covered, so if it is raining you won’t be able to sit outside.
Alexandria Brewing’s taproom is separated into three sections: the front area, the side area, and the back. The front area has plenty of seating options for parties of all sizes. The bar is immediately in front of the entrance so you don’t have to waste any time getting what you came there for. The bar continues into the side area towards the back of the taproom and includes some additional seating options including bar stools.
The back room is where the important stuff happens. It’s a very large room with a strong warehouse vibe to it. When you first enter, you immediately see the beer tanks all lined up in a row. To the left, there’s even more seating and against the far left wall is a stage, perfect for live entertainment.
I really liked how family-friendly Alexandria Brewing felt. Christmas lights were placed throughout the taproom, which gave it a really fun atmosphere. There are several arcade-type games plus an entire shelf of board games available to play as well. This will be a great hangout when our kids get a little older.
Food Options and Events
When we visited the taproom a few weeks ago, Alexandria Brewing had its own food in-house. Unfortunately, they have recently parted ways with their food partner. So, when you visit, for right now at least, you will have to bring your own food.
Alexandria Brewing has the “sign of the horns” in its logo and that is no accident. As mentioned, in the back of the brewery, they have a stage where they frequently host musical artists to come and perform for the brewery guests. And depending on who is playing that night, it can get pretty loud.
I’m all for loud music. I’m all for live music. But when we originally sat down with our young kids at the table twenty feet away from speakers as tall as I am and the band started playing, we had to get up and move to the other room because our youngest, Elliot, was getting agitated. I don’t know if the band playing noticed but, nevertheless, here is my public apology to whoever was playing on that Friday evening. We didn’t get up and leave our table because you were not good at playing music. In fact, you were rocking out some great songs. But we had to go to the next room to 1) protect our kids’ hearing and 2) keep them happy. Because if the kids aren’t happy then no one is happy.
The stage isn’t only reserved for live music. Earlier in July, they hosted the Midwest Comedy Tour which is pretty cool in my opinion. Of course, the calendar is always changing so make sure you follow their social media accounts for the latest information about their upcoming events.
As far as weekly events go, Tuesdays are trivia night and every Wednesday is deemed “Whiskey Wednesday”.
Additionally, the brewery is available to rent for special events and private parties. If you are interested in learning more, click here.
The Beer
When we were there, Alexandria Brewing had around 15 different styles of beer to choose from, in addition to seltzer and cider. For the non-beer drinkers, they have a very robust specialty cocktail menu, wine, and even a non-alcoholic ginger beer.
I really enjoyed the beer that I’ve tried so far. Their Hefeweizen, Das Henker, was unlike any Hefeweizen that I’ve ever had before. It was absolutely delicious.
Alexandria Brewing does package their beer in cans and bottles for special occasions. You can pick up six packs of their beer at the taproom and at select retailers in Kentucky and Ohio.
What We Drank
Joe:
Samhain of My Soul – Kolsh
ABV: 5%
IBUs: 20
Caroline:
(Flight)
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ale
Winter Warmer
ABV: 6.04%
IBUs: 18
“Over 2018 & 2019 we held an employee brewing competition of beers brewed on our pilot system. Michael was one of the winners and brewed a batch on our main production system. We are considering this as half of our winter warmer series. It is made with plenty of oats, real raisins, and vanilla beans.”
Ale of Eris Lemon Raspberry
Sour Berliner Weisse
ABV: 6.75
“Made for the Pink Boots Society, this is our Lemon Raspberry Tart Berliner! This should be a great summer beer ready to be crushed on these hotter days.”
Saturn Ascends Raspberry Birthday Cake
Russian Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels
ABV: 10.85%
IBUs: 44
“Raspberry birthday cake variant of Saturn Ascends.”
Saturn Ascends Black Forest Cake
Russian Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels
ABV: 11.16%
IBUs: 44
“A new addition this year! Loads of chocolate and hints of cherry added to our anniversary beer!
To Go Beer
Das Henker
Hefeweizen
ABV: 5.12%
IBUs: 11
“Our Bavarian-style hefeweizen brewed using decoction. An easy drinker that will take your pallet to the Bavarian countryside.”
Saturn Ascends Raspberry Birthday Cake
Russian Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels
ABV: 10.85%
IBUs: 44
“This Bourbon Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout beer was initially brewed by seven friends who met in the Army. All of them went to war together, at least once, some twice. They came together one Saturday to remember, to forget, and to celebrate their survival. When this beer is available, it is only sold in a snifter. Very limited release.”
Final Thoughts
I will be honest. If I didn’t set out to try new Cincinnati breweries this year, I probably would never have gone to Alexandria Brewing Company’s taproom. With two kids who like to cause trouble at every opportunity that they get and with a far drive, it’s just not a very convenient place for this Westsider to go to.
But the whole point of my New Years’ resolution was to travel to local breweries that I would otherwise never visit and drink local beer that I’ve never had before. I don’t want to get in the habit of experiencing the same places over and over again. I want to try new experiences, even if it means I have to go out of my way to do it. For this reason, I’m incredibly happy that we were able to visit Alexandria Brewing because their taproom had a great atmosphere and the beer was outstanding.
If you haven’t been to Alexandria Brewing’s taproom yet, believe me, it is worth the drive. Go down there, grab a drink or two and enjoy some live music. And if you can’t go to the taproom, keep an eye out for six-packs of their beer at your favorite retailer. You won’t be disappointed.
For more information about Alexandria Brewing Company, check out their website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Other Brewery Adventures
- Exploring Wooden Cask Brewing
- Exploring Third Eye Brewing
- Exploring Rebel Mettle Brewery
- Exploring Humble Monk Brewing Co.
- Exploring Wiedemann’s Fine Beer and Taproom
Resources:
- Our Story – Alexandria Brewing Company
- All About Alexandria Brewing Company – The Gnarly Gnome
- Why You Need to Help Kickstart Alexandria Brewing Company – The Gnarly Gnome
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