Exploring Rebel Mettle Brewery

May 29, 2022
Rebel Mettle
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.

Rebel Mettle is new brewery number three for us this year and it was well worth the trip. It is located in downtown Cincinnati on Central Ave and W. 4th Street. Rebel Mettle, according to their website, is a celebration of forging your own path and marching to your own drum. Their mantra is that they are a place where “all are welcome” and they pride themselves on “operating a warm inviting space”.

They do a good job of this. When Caroline and I stopped by to pre-game before a Cincinnati Reds game recently, everyone was really welcoming and they were happy to answer all of our questions. With two kids, we don’t go downtown or even Over-the-Rhine as often as we used to, but I’m really happy that we had the opportunity to go.

Rebel Mettle Brewery is a Veteran-owned brewery, which makes it even more fitting to write about it over Memorial Day Weekend! Join me in raising a cold one for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedom of our country!

The Taproom

Rebel Mettle Brewery hosted its grand opening on September 12, 2020, during an extremely difficult time to open a new business. Their taproom is located on historic W. 4th Street, a vibrant, walkable district in downtown Cincinnati. The main entrance to the taproom is very well marked with signs and the front entrance. The “lobby” area immediately tells you about their rebellious nature. The words “ALL ARE WELCOME” are painted above the entryway.

Rebel Mettle is not a small taproom. The building is over 17,000 square feet of industrial floor space (over multiple floors). The bar sits in the middle of the room and has seating all around it. There are also plenty of tables throughout the first floor. Immediately behind the bar, sits several rows of fermenters. There’s a stage for live music in the corner of the room and an outdoor patio as well. The ceiling is wide open, making the second floor visible. On the second floor, there’s more seating, a row of pinball machines, an ice hockey table, and a second bar. You can really tell that they carefully planned out the look and feel of the taproom.

One unique piece of decoration that we noticed by happenstance was the hidden rubber ducks. We spotted well over a dozen rubber ducks hidden throughout the brewery. When we asked how many ducks there were, the bartender didn’t give us a straight answer. I’m guessing he gets asked about the ducks a lot. If you ever go there, make sure to keep an eye out.

They offer all kinds of game day deals for all of the local professional teams like FC Cincinnati and Bengals. Happy Hour is Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 6 PM.

The Beer

Rebel Mettle says that they are “united by their love of lager”. It definitely shows because when we went their beer menu was mostly lager beer. I absolutely love lagers so I felt right at home.

They package select varieties of their beer in 12 oz cans. They offer “to-go” beers in the form of crowlers (32 oz cans), howlers (32 oz glass jugs), growlers (64 oz glass jugs), 1/6 barrel kegs, and ½ barrel kegs. On their website, they have an online store that has a TON of Rebel Mettle spirit wear such as socks, shoes, t-shirts, towels, sweatshirts, and more. Their beer is also available for curbside pickup, delivery, and in distribution at select locations.

If beer isn’t your thing, then Rebel Mettle has you covered. They offer several varieties of hard seltzer, beer and seltzer cocktails, wine, plus a full liquor bar.

Food Options and Events

Rebel Mettle does not have food available onsite, however, there are quite a few places nearby to pick up food from. In fact, Django Western Taco just opened a permanent location right around the corner from the brewery (full disclosure, I’ve never had it before but I’ve heard great things.)

They have an event calendar on their website but it is currently empty. So make sure to keep checking it for the most up-to-date information.

What We Drank

Caroline got a flight of beer which included:

Volume (Juniper Schwarzbier)
ABV: 8.5%
IBUs: 48

Sauvin Zwickelpils (Italian Style Pilsner)
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 30

Bock and Roll (Bockbier)
ABV: 6.5%
IBUs: 20

All Moussed Up (Chocolate Milk Stout)
ABV: 6.2%
IBUs: 12.5

Joe got a pint of:

Ask Me About My Maibock
ABV: 7.3%
IBUs: 40

Final Thoughts

I was really excited to finally be able to experience Rebel Mettle Brewery for myself. As someone who really enjoys a good lager, this one was right up my alley.  

Their taproom was really unique and showed off their rebellious nature. The rubber ducks hidden in plain sight throughout the brewery were fun to discover. I liked how the taproom spanned multiple floors and how open and connected it felt.

Between their beer selection, their hard seltzers, beer and seltzer cocktails, wine, plus a full liquor bar, drinkers of all kinds are indeed welcome. So “for the love of lager” beer, go check this place out.

For more information about Rebel Mettle Brewery, check out their website. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Resources:

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