Remembering Humble Monk Brewing

Written by: Joe Ludwig

Humble Monk Brewing was located in Northside, which is just five miles Northwest of Downtown Cincinnati. They officially closed their doors in February 2025. This blog was written before they closed their doors and is a historical record of what they once were.

Humble Monk Brewing: From Humble Beginnings

I’ve been interested in visiting Humble Monk Brewing since they opened in January 2019. I was an early follower on Facebook and was especially interested because their name and logo implied (to me at least) that they would be the go-to spot for Belgian-style beers, a style that is not necessarily common or popular. Humble Monk is not very far away from where we live and we don’t have any excuses for not going before this year, not any good ones at least. So when the opportunity to visit the brewery for the first time presented itself, I was excited to finally remedy this mistake and make this new brewery number two for the year.

The Taproom

You can’t miss it as they have a picture of a monk with hops for his beard on the side of their building. They have on-site parking available, which is a big plus for that area of town. If the parking lot is full there is also plenty of street parking nearby.

The first thing that I noticed when I entered the taproom was the friendly atmosphere. When we first walked into the taproom, we were immediately greeted by a person behind the bar who later introduced herself as Alicia, a co-owner of the brewery. She enthusiastically told us about the brewery and the beer that they have on tap while we looked at the beer menu. Eventually, Mike, the brewmaster and co-owner, walked out from the back room and introduced himself as well. I’ve been to many taprooms in Cincinnati (and beyond). In my experience, it’s pretty unique to be acknowledged as soon as you walk in and be served by the owners of the brewery, on a Friday night no less. 

Caroline and I ordered our drinks, (Caroline got a flight and I got a pint), and we found somewhere to sit. After a few minutes, Mike came over and talked to us again. He told us all about how he started off as a homebrewer, his love of farmhouse ales, and the upcoming Missing Linck festival on June 4, 2022. Both Mike and Alicia were a joy to talk to and it was obvious how passionate they are about the work that they do at Humble Monk.

The taproom has a very apparent theme. When we visited, the lighting in the taproom was low and made it feel like a cellar or a basement. The decor is reminiscent of a church or at the very least somewhere a monk might hang out in his free time. Throughout the taproom, there are repurposed church pew benches and tables for sitting. Empty bags of malt are wallpapered to some of the walls. Their logo, the monk with the hop beard, can be seen throughout the taproom as well. In the backroom, they have a variety of board games to choose from, a piano, and a dartboard if you aren’t just there for conversation. The beer tanks are in an adjoining room that is visible through a window. 

The Beer

While the name of the brewery might imply that they only do Belgian-style beers, that is certainly not the case, although when we were there, they had quite a few on tap. They have a total of 12 beers on tap with a variety of styles, including a fruit seltzer. Some of the beers were up there in ABV so make sure to pay attention to what you order. 

I ordered a pint of the Pancake Porter, which tastes exactly how it suggests. It was dark and roasty, with a sweet maple finish. Absolutely delicious!

Caroline, meanwhile, got a flight of beer which included the Peaceful Pear Saison (ABV: 5.8% IBUs: 22, Goldie Lincks Belgian Blonde (ABV: 4.8% IBUs: 35), Pancake Porter (ABV: 6% IBUs: 30), and Krampus Krumps BBA Wheat Wine (ABV: 12.8% IBUs: 21). We both thoroughly enjoyed all of the beer that we had that evening.

You aren’t likely going to see Humble Monk beer available in distribution. If you go to the taproom, however, you can grab a four-pack of your favorite beer to go in 16 oz cans which they will package in front of you. When we left for the evening, we grabbed two pints of Uncle Gids Belgian Farmhouse Ale and two pints of the Pancake Porter to-go.

Food Options and Events

Humble Monk doesn’t offer food on site. However, according to their website, NYPD Pizza in Northside will deliver to the taproom for free and they occasionally have food trucks available. There are a wide variety of dining options also available around Northside as well.

As far as events go, their calendar is pretty full. They have Dungeons & Dragons every Sunday, SpeedQuizzing Trivia on Wednesdays, Humble Hounds Pup meet up on Thursdays for “well-behaved dogs”, and even “Bachata at the Brewery”, which I must admit looks really fun.

Make sure to visit their website for the most up-to-date information about their upcoming events. If you are interested in renting out the brewery for a wedding rehearsal or a party, their taproom holds 10 to 200 people and is available to rent.

Final Thoughts

From the moment you walk into the Humble Monk taproom, it feels like home. The people behind the beer are really friendly and obviously very passionate about what they do. They offer a variety of beer styles that will be sure to satisfy most beer drinkers but especially those who are looking to find a good Belgian or Farmhouse ale. 

Great things are happening at Humble Monk and I’m very happy that we decided to finally visit them for the first time. It definitely won’t be our last visit. Like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram. Get out to Northside and visit them.

Resources:

• Humble Monk
• Humble Monk – The Gnarly Gnome
• Volume 5, Episode 44 – Humble Monk, Belgian Inspired Cincinnati Beer – The Gnarly Gnome
• Humble Monk Brewing opening in Northside – Cincinnati Business Courier