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Brewery District History: Architectural and Brewing Tour
4.8
42 Ratings
Cincinnati
Explore the rich history of the Brewery District on this architectural and brewing tour. Visit historic breweries and learn about the people who shaped the beer industry. Includes a visit to the underground cellars of the Jackson Brewery and a pint of local beer.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Over-The-Rhine - Walk along the Brewing Heritage Trail past historic breweries, including a visit into one of the pre-Prohibition breweries’ underground lagering cellars.
What's Included
- Tour a historic pre-Prohibition brewery lagering cellar.
- Receive discounts on merchandise at the Brewing Heritage Trail store.
- Enjoy a complimentary beer or soft drink at a local taproom to conclude the tour.
Additional Information
Starting at the Brewing Heritage Trail Sign at Findlay Market, this brewing history and architecture tour walks the western portion of the Brewery District, marveling at the many remaining 19th and early 20th century structures and sharing stories of those who built or doomed these brewing empires during beer’s industrial revolution.
Tours include a visit into the subterranean lager cellars of the historic (non-operating) Jackson Brewery, as well as outdoor visitation to the Sohn/Mohawk Brewery, several Christian Moerlein sites, and the location of the Bellevue Incline. The Jackson Brewery cellars were excavated from the hillside under the brewery, so we enter from street level and there are no stairs to climb going in or out, making these cellars very accessible and the total walking distance of this tour is less than a mile.
At the tour conclusion, we stop in at a neighborhood taproom for a pint of local beer, included with each ticket, but soft drinks are also available.
Location
101 W Elder St
West Elder Street
This tour begins from Findlay Market at the Brewing Heritage Trail "Hop On" Sign, located on the east side of the market, where West Elder Street meets Race Street. The starting location is also near the Race Street Station Bar at Findlay Market.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(42 Ratings)
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Lisa_k
Aug 11, 2024
Great historical revelance - We had no idea that historical relevance and importance of the brewery industry before the industrial revolution. Amazing. Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide.
Review provided by Viator
Y7777gqannf
Jun 11, 2024
What a great tour! - This was such an interesting tour that took us to parts of Cincinnati that we hadn't ventured to. Lisa was a wonderful guide and be sure to download the app, because it is important to see the historic pictures of the brewery buildings.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jamie_f
Jun 9, 2024
Brewery Tour - We loved this tour and it was very interesting. Lisa our tour guide was great she kept it exciting and entertaining! We enjoyed walking through an old brewery!
Review provided by Viator
R5487kjmichaelr
Jun 9, 2024
Fun informative trek, go underground, and finish with a beer. - You start the tour at the Finley Market Brewing Heritage Trail sign where we met our guide Lisa. She’s wonderful by the way, but we’ll talk about the tour. You’ll walk a couple blocks where you’ll arrive at the first location. Lisa was on point with all the facts, dates, knowledge and could answer just about any reasonable question. Over the next roughly hour and half you’ll visit a few more brewery sites each with facts and stories. You’ll get to go into an old Lagering tunnel which is really cool, and you’ll finish up the tour with your choice of a locally brewed beer.
Well worth the money and 2-2.5 hours of time. Definitely recommend doing this tour if visiting Cincinnati.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kentattwell
May 27, 2024
Tour is worth the price, $45 per person - Very good tour. Lived in Cincinnati for 7 years and learned a lot of historical facts about the city and the brewing industry. Brian was our guide and was very knowledgeable. ld recommend this to folks 16 and over. Caverns are a steady 60F year round and damp. I’d suggest light jacket and pants. While not clear on aviator app we used, tours start at noon or 1pm on weekends. But we had to call to confirm. Start location is the east end of Findlay Market. Get there early to check out markets shops and grab a bite and or beverage. Nice little outdoor bar at meeting location. No alcohol allowed on city side walks during tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emily_m
May 5, 2024
Beer and History, a perfect pairing - Tour guide Laura was knowledgeable, engaging, and always open to questions! The highlight was visiting the lagering cave, but the whole tour was very worthwhile!
Review provided by Viator
Robert_v
Feb 21, 2024
Underground beer tour Cincinnati - Our guide Laura was super knowledgeable and patient with us. Even came into the brewery at the end and had a beer with us continuing to share her knowledge of the history of Cincinnati.
Definitely would recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Sara_b
Jan 28, 2024
Learned a lot - Lisa was a great guide who is clearly passionate about Cincinnati and its history. Even my fiance who is a brewer learned a lot about the city and its beer history.
Review provided by Viator
Ellie
Jan 1, 2024
Beer tour - 5/5 The tour was great, with a WONDERFUL guide who had a thorough knowledge of the area, past and present. The tour of OTR transports you to another time with beautiful architecture, tour of the lager tunnel, and how a community and beer left an imprint on the city . After tour, explored the area and even took advantage of the free trolley service around the city!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pen
Jul 28, 2024
Save your money and download the Brewing Heritage App - We were excited to learn more about beer and Cincinnati. The first stop was along a fence which housed multiple garbage bins behind it. It smelled and our group was repeatedly visited by biting flies. Unfortunately, our guide seemed completely unaware and just kept talking. Many of the old breweries are covered behind trees or have become private residences so we were repeatedly referred to looking at pictures on an app to see what they looked like. Going into the tunnel was a fun experience but that’s unfortunately the last part and maybe 20 minutes tops. We ended at Northern Row brewery- beautiful place with great beers. B- the guide- tried to be funny but most jokes didn’t land and so many things were repeated it was hard to stay interested. Definitely not worth the money unfortunately.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
