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’m a really big fan and supporter of the Cincinnati Craft Beer scene but I realized that I’ve only 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 eighth new to us brewery that we visited this year was HighGrain Brewing Company. It first opened its doors in the summer of 2019 and operates as a brewpub in the former Silverton Memorial Municipal building in Silverton, Ohio.
I really enjoyed visiting HighGrain Brewing for the first time this year. Honestly, I can’t believe I’ve waited this long.
First, A Clarification
For those who listen to the Craft Parenting Podcast, in a previous episode, I incorrectly stated that Silverton was close to downtown Cincinnati. I was 100% wrong on that one. For some reason, I pictured Silverton to be the area where Braxton Cincinnati, Nation, and Lucius Q are located. Forgive this west sider’s ignorance. That area is called Pendleton, not Silverton.
If you are a follower of this blog, you have probably already guessed that I don’t get out of my bubble very much, specifically my west side bubble. While I love the west side (best side) of Cincinnati and all that it has to offer, there are places right here in the city that I grew up in that I have yet to go to. This year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet people that I normally wouldn’t have gotten to meet and I’ve had experiences that are new and exciting. That’s what’s been so fun about my New Year’s resolution of going to 12 Cincinnati breweries that I’ve never been to before.
In my 33 years of living in Cincinnati, Silverton is not an area of town that I have frequented…ever. However, I was happy to go there to experience everything that HighGrain Brewing has to offer. I’ve heard a lot of great things about them from the local craft beer community and when we had the opportunity to go there, all of those positive comments were extremely warranted.
Sustainability
HighGrain Brewing is a brewery and brewpub but they are so much more than that. One of their core values is sustainability. According to their website, their building is powered by 100% renewable energy (20% solar / 80% wind). The roof of their building is covered with 33 solar panels, which provides about 20% of their electrical needs. Additionally, the building is equipped with a geothermal HVAC system which “reduces the amount of energy used to heat and cool air by exchanging the temperature of the air above ground with water pumped underground”.
They are also very big on sourcing the ingredients for their beer from local vendors. Shopping at locally owned businesses is a cause that I am passionate about. Because it encompassed so much of who they are, HighGrain Brewing has an entire page on their website dedicated to their sustainability initiatives if you are interested in reading more about how they are trying to achieve carbon neutrality.
The Taproom
HighGrain Brewing has a different feel to it compared to a lot of the Cincinnati breweries that I’ve been to and that is because they operate like a restaurant. They have table-side service and a scratch kitchen with some of the best food that I’ve ever had (more on that later). One additional observation that I had was that the beer tanks were not visible inside the building. I did notice that there was a staircase that led to a basement. I did not go down the stairs but I assume that it leads to the fermenters.
In addition to indoor seating, they have an outdoor area in the front of the building in addition to an outdoor beer garden along the side. The outdoor area is dog-friendly.
Food Options and Events
I am not exaggerating when I say that HighGrain Brewing has some of the best food that I’ve had in a very long time. Everything from their cauliflower wings to their pulled pork sandwich to their burgers to their mac and cheese has tasted delightful, a chef’s kiss. You can tell that they put a lot of time and effort into curating the perfect food menu.
Event-wise, they host trivia every Tuesday evening. Every once in a while, they have live music and a sustainable suds fundraiser. See their events page for the most up-to-date information.
The Beer
When we visited in August, HighGrain had about 20 different varieties of beer on draft: light, dark, sour, and everything in-between. I enjoyed everything that I drank when we were there. My favorite was probably either the Oktoberfest Fiestbier or the Schwarzbier.
If you are interested in grabbing some drinks to go, their beer is available in packaging at the brewery and in distribution at select local retailers. They also offer shipping and pickup options. If draft beer is more your style, they offer 32oz crowler fills.
A lot of local breweries offer a mug club option for their most loyal guests. HighGrain offers something a little more unique called the Brew Renew Monthly Beer Club, where they will send you a one-off experimental beer along with some of their best-selling beers. There are other perks for joining the club as well. You can read the details here.
What We Drank
Joe:
Festbier
HighGrain Brewing – Cincinnati, Ohio
ABV: 6.2%
Bavarian Hefeweizen
HighGrain Brewing – Cincinnati, Ohio
ABV: 4.7%
Caroline Flight 1:
Lone star – Schwartzbier
Rusen – Hefeweizen + Limó
Oh Honey – Berry Pop Sour Ale
Black and Blue – Blackberry and Blueberry Sour Ale
Caroline Flight 2:
Graf lime – Mexican Lime Lager
Lusen – Pilsner
Brewquality – Pride Wheat Ale
Rushmore – Oatmeal Milk Stout
Final Thoughts
HighGrain Brewing’s food blew me away. It was so freaking delicious. I honestly thought I was at a higher-end restaurant versus a local brewery. And the fact that they are doing their best to source ingredients for both their beer and their food menu is a bonus. The outdoor beer garden would be the perfect place to drink a beer or two with friends during a cool autumn evening.
Make sure you get out to HighGrain Brewing in Silverton. Your stomach will thank you and you will also have some great beers.
For more information about HighGrain Brewing, check out their website or you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Other Brewery Adventures:
- Exploring Swine City Brewing
- Exploring Alexandria Brewing
- Exploring Wooden Cask Brewing
- Exploring Third Eye Brewing
- Exploring Rebel Mettle Brewery
- Exploring Humble Monk Brewing Co.
- Exploring Wiedemann’s Fine Beer and Taproom
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From the Blog
- Exploring Dead Low Brewing
The ninth new brewery we visited this year was Dead Low Brewing, a brewpub that sits along the Ohio River in California, Ohio, a place I didn’t even know existed. - Exploring HighGrain Brewing
The eighth new to us brewery that we visited this year was HighGrain Brewing Company. It first opened its doors in the summer of 2019 and operates as a brewpub in the former Silverton Memorial Municipal building in Silverton, Ohio. - Exploring Swine City Brewing
The seventh new brewery that we visited this year was Swine City Brewing in Fairfield, Ohio. The brewery first opened its doors in early 2018. - Lilly’s Third Birthday Party
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The sixth new brewery that we visited this year was Alexandria Brewing Company in Alexandria, Kentucky, about 25 minutes south of downtown Cincinnati.
