It’s one thing to read about the history of a beer on the back of a bottle, but it’s another experience to attend local brewery tours. To give Cincinnati, OH, visitors and local foodies the opportunity to explore the origins of beer, Cincy Brew Bus takes tourists on fascinating trips through the city, where they can see the roots of the brewery tradition that has made the area famous for its love and passion for beer. 

Here is more information about the history of beer in Cincinnati, and why you should book a local brewery tour of your own:

Early 1800’s

Around the turn of the 19^th century, thousands of immigrants moved to Cincinnati Ohio from Germany. When they noticed the similarities in the geography, Germans flocked to the area near the Miami and Erie Canal. They even nicknamed the area “Over- the-Rhine,” as an homage to the Rhine river in Germany. These early German immigrants loved the area for the freedom and economic opportunities, but yearned for a taste of the strong, delicious beers made back home — so they started building their own breweries.

Development of Over the Rhine

By 1875, there were 17 breweries in operation in the Over the Rhine area, and the area had become famous for its beautiful Germanesque architecture, its incredible food, and the delicious lagers. By 1893 we had 36 local breweries producing an incredible 1.5 Million Barrels of Beer a year. Although other entrepreneurs opened successful businesses like pork packing plants, bakeries, lumberyards, and grocery stores in the area, the breweries drove the economy in Over the Rhine and Cincinnati until prohibition, and then more famous brands came afterward like Burger, Hudepohl, Schoenling, Red Top, Bavarian and Wiedemann. 

Modern Brewery History 

The breweries famous in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky took a hit during prohibition and up to the late 1970’s due to the strong marketing and advertising programs of other National brands. Ultimately seeing the last locally owned brewery close in 1978.

Now Cincinnati brewing is currently experiencing a renaissance and quickly becoming recognized nationally for the great craft beer it is producing. Within Cincinnati city limits, there are 16 operating breweries, with dozens more in nearby southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana, currently we are 39 local breweries and counting!

The great news is at Cincy Brew Bus we cover most if not all of those local craft breweries giving folks the most options to choose from on your craft brewery tour. Want to design your own craft brewery tour? Give us a call and we can make that happen. 

Are you itching to learn more about the brewers of yesterday and today? Interested in going down into the cellars where they aged lagers before commercial refrigeration? How about tasting fresh, locally made craft beer? Book a local brewery tour today. With weeknight, weekday afternoon, and weekend tour options, you can kick back, relax, and enjoy an excellent brew while you soak in the fascinating history Cincinnati has to offer. For more information about local brewery tours, visit Cincy Brew Bus online, or call (513) 258-7909.