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 fifth brewery that we visited this year was Wooden Cask Brewing located in Newport, Kentucky.
About the Brewery
Wooden Cask Brewing has two locations in Northern Kentucky: the brewery on York Street and the taproom on Newport on the Levee. We’ve only been to the York Street location, which had its grand opening in November 2016.
The brewery is owned and operated by Randy and Karen Schiltz. If those names sound familiar, it is because Wooden Cask is their second Cincinnati craft brewery. These two have been a part of the local craft beer community since 2009, so they know all about the craft of craft beer. They pride themselves on brewing traditional Irish, Scottish, and English beers with integrity.
They opened their Newport on the Levee location in May 2020 at the Bridgeview Box Park, an outdoor food and beverage market created out of old shipping containers. Today, their second location is still at Newport on the Levee but they recently moved to a bigger space that has small bites and a balcony that overlooks the Ohio River.
When we recently visited the York Street location with the kids, I realized that I have previously been there. I know, I know. The whole point of my New Years’ resolution is to visit Cincinnati breweries that I haven’t been to before. The fact of the matter is, Wooden Cask Brewing was listed incorrectly on the list of breweries that I haven’t been to before. And you know what? I’m not mad about it. Wooden Cask Brewing makes great beer and the food was fantastic (more on that later). We had a really great time and Lilly even briefly played with a girl her age while the girl’s parents played trivia.
The York Street Location
Wooden Cask’s York Street location has a very large taproom, spanning over 4,000 square feet according to their website. It has its own (free) parking lot, which is a huge plus for a brewery located in an urban center. Near the main entrance, there is a large outdoor patio with wooden picnic benches covered by an awning.
Immediately when I walked into the main entrance of the brewery, it felt like an inviting place to be. The centerpiece of the room is a long wooden bar with many tap handles and three shelved worth of liquor. They clearly want their patrons to go to the bar first thing when they enter the taproom.
The taproom has a ton of seating options. To the left of the entrance, there is a small open kitchen serving award-winning barbecue with a New Orleans twist. To the left of the entrance is an entire wing dedicated to tables and booths. The taproom has a very industrial feel to it with exposed air vents and minimal lighting.
The building itself used to be the home to gangsters, mobsters, and gamblers at the Flamingo Club. If you are interested in reading more about the history click here.
Food Options and Events
Wooden Cask’s York Street location offers some of the best barbecue that I’ve ever had. It is served up by Beards & Bellies Barbecue which operates in the open kitchen in the left corner of the taproom. To eat, I had the Trio (brisket slider, pork belly slider, and pulled pork slider) with mac and cheese. Caroline had The Belly Slider with French fries.
Throughout the week they have a whole host of events and specials. Wednesdays are designated as Whiskey Wednesdays, featuring $5 pours and Thursdays are trivia night. They have other one-off events as well. For the most up-to-date information about upcoming events at the York Street location make sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Additionally, their second-floor functions exclusively as a private event space. For more information about availability and rental rates, visit their website.
The Beer
When we visited Wooden Cask’s York Street location, they had over 20 varieties of beer and seltzer on tap. For the non-beer drinkers, they also have a very impressive selection of liquor and house-made wine available as well. If traditional European-style beer is your thing, then Wooden Cask is the brewery for you. They have a wide selection of Scottish Wee Heavy, porters, regular stouts, imperial stouts, barrel-aged stouts on draft, year round which is especially rare. But if you want some lighter, bubbly or hoppier, don’t worry, they have other styles available too.
There are plenty of to-go options for beer. There’s an entire cooler of six and four packs of cans available for take-out. If you prefer your to-go beers in draft form, for select styles, they will fill your 32 or 64-oz glass growler. If you can’t make it down to the brewery or the taproom, they also distribute cans locally.
What We Drank
Joe:
Kentucky Farmhand
American Pale Wheat
ABV: 5.2%
IBUs: 20
Levee Lager
American Lager
ABV: 4%
Caroline:
Blackberry Sangria Sour
Fruited Sour
ABV: 5.6%
IBUs: 15
Belgian Linck
Belgian Red Ale with Missing Linck Yeast
ABV: 6.2%
IBUs: 20
To Go Beer
Newporter
American Porter
ABV: 5%
IBUs: 22
Reformation
Scottish Stout
ABV: 7.5%
IBUs: 32
Final Thoughts
It has been years since I first visited Wooden Cask’s York Street location. I’m very happy that we made Wooden Cask part of the 12 “new” breweries that we visit this year. I am a big fan of traditional, dark, malty beers and while Wooden Cask does make other styles, it is these traditional European-style beers that really make this craft brewery shine, in my opinion. Their stouts are even available all year round. Who doesn’t love a good Scottish Wee Heavy in the middle of July?
If you haven’t been to Wooden Cask Brewing, what are you waiting for? Stop what you are doing and go visit them. And if you see their beer out in distribution pick it up because they make some great beer.
For more information about Wooden Cask Brewing, check out their website. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Other Brewery Adventures
- Exploring Third Eye Brewing
- Exploring Rebel Mettle Brewery
- Exploring Humble Monk Brewing Co.
- Exploring Wiedemann’s Fine Beer and Taproom
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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
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