Explore Cincinnati's brewing legacy and learn the tales of breweries past with a walk through the neighborhood that is home to one of the largest collections of pre-Prohibition breweries. The Brewing Heritage Trail is a non-profit organization based in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine, establishing a physical walking trail featuring embedded trail markers, informational signage, and public art, while leading a series of guided tours that celebrate the city's brewing heritage.
TOURS PROVIDED:
Built on Beer Tour
2 Hour Walking Tour
Starting Location: Brewing Heritage Trail Tour Center at 1939 Race St., Cincinnati Ohio 45202
Tickets: $39
Ticket Link: https://brewingheritagetrail.org
Schedule: Offered Year-Round
Description:
Brewing high quality beer was an art form to many Cincinnati breweries and the buildings that housed their operations needed to be an extension of this passion. Come and witness the evolution of the brewing industry through the size, complexity, and architectural grandeur of the city’s historic breweries. Beginning at the Trail Tour Center on Race Street, we follow the Brewing Heritage Trail along the western portion of the Brewery District and marvel at the many remaining 19th and early 20th century structures, while sharing stories of those who built or doomed these brewing empires during beer’s industrial revolution. Tours include a visit into the vast 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. At the conclusion of each tour, the group will stop in at a neighborhood taproom for a pint of local beer, which is included with each ticket. Soft drinks are also available for anyone who prefers this option.
Brewers & Barons Tour
2 Hour Walking Tour
Starting Location: Brewing Heritage Trail Tour Center at 1939 Race St., Cincinnati Ohio 45202
Tickets: $39
Ticket Link: https://brewingheritagetrail.org
Schedule: Offered Year-Round
Description:
Step into the past and discover the people who made brewing a cornerstone of the Queen City’s history. Beginning at the Tour Center on Race Street, we follow the Brewing Heritage Trail along the eastern portion of the Brewery District, sharing stories of the workers, brewmasters and beer barons from the 19th and early 20th century. Experience the places they worked, learn the dangers they faced, and the empires they built by producing America’s best brews. Tours include a visit into the subterranean lagering cellars and tunnels of the historic (non-operating) Schmidt Brothers / Crown Brewery, as well as outdoor visitation to historic Lafayette, Hudepohl and Kauffman Brewery structures. Those joining us in the underground cellar will need to be able to traverse a series of stairs leading in and out, but all guests have the option to remain topside. At the conclusion of each tour, the group will stop in at a neighborhood taproom for a pint of local beer, which is included with each ticket. Soft drinks are also available for anyone who prefers this option.
Over & Under the Rhine Tour
2 Hour Walking & Streetcar Tour
Starting Location: Brewing Heritage Trail Tour Center at 1939 Race St., Cincinnati Ohio 45202
Tickets: $39
Ticket Link: https://brewingheritagetrail.org
Schedule: Offered Year-Round
Description:
Over-the-Rhine is a historic neighborhood comprised of amazing structures both above and below the ground. Come and explore with us as we walk and ride the streetcar to major topside landmarks such as Findlay Market, Music Hall, Washington Park, and the location of the Miam-Erie Canal. We'll also learn about it's underground history as we stop by several places from above, including the pre-Prohibition lagering facility of the Lafayette Brewery and Cincinnati's abandoned subway system below Central Parkway. Then we'll go underground, where the Gerke Brewery fermented and cold-stored their beer dating back to the 1850s. Our journey concludes at the Sam Adams taproom, where we'll have a pint or a soft drink, while learning about this modern brewery's connection to the historic Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewery. Beverages are included with the tour and those joining us underground will need to be able to traverse a series of stairs leading in and out of the Gerke lagering cellar, but all guests have the option to remain topside.
Cellars, Saloons, & Streetcars Tour
2 Hour Walking & Streetcar Tour
Starting Location: The Moerlein Lager House 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati Ohio 45202
Tickets: $39
Ticket Link: https://brewingheritagetrail.org
Schedule: Offered Saturdays Year-Round
Description:
Cincinnati is a city full of history and none greater than its brewing past. Walker, Bavarian, Gambrinus, Klinckhammer, these are brewery names thought lost to time, but if you know where to look, glimpses of their legacy can be found all around the city. Join us as we go Over the Rhine and share stories of not only the breweries that helped to build the Queen City, but also the saloons where thirsty citizens gathered every day. Our exploration begins at the Moerlein Lager House at the Banks, where we catch a streetcar to Cincinnati's the Over the Rhine neighborhood, containing the largest collection of pre-Prohibition brewing structures in the country. As we walk through the southern portion of the neighborhood, we'll learn how beer permeated many aspects of life on our way to visit the historic underground lagering cellars of the the Gerke Brewery, once located along the Miami-Erie Canal. We'll then take the streetcar back to the Moerlein Lager House, where we'll enjoy a pint of their refreshing beer, brewed onsite. Beverages are included with the tour and soft drinks are available for guests who prefer this option. Those joining us underground will need to be able to traverse a series of stairs leading in and out of the Gerke lagering cellar, but all guests have the option to remain topside.
Brunch, Beer, and Breweries Tour
4 Hour Brunch, Beer Tasting, Walking & Streetcar Tour
Starting Location: The Moerlein Lager House 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati Ohio 45202
Tickets: $75
Ticket Link: https://brewingheritagetrail.org
Schedule: Offered Sundays Year-Round
Description:
Delicious food and beer, accompanied by a modern and historic brewery tour, sign me up! This expanded version of the Cellars, Saloons, and Streetcars Tour begins at the Banks in the Moerlein Lager House where we will have our first beer tasting and take a behind-the-scenes tour of the brewpub and the rich history showcased there. After brunch, we catch a streetcar to Cincinnati's the Over the Rhine neighborhood, containing the largest collection of pre-Prohibition brewing structures in the country. As we walk through the southern portion of the neighborhood, we'll learn how beer permeated many aspects of life on our way to visit the historic underground lagering cellars of the the Gerke Brewery, once located along the Miami-Erie Canal. We then proceed to a neighborhood taproom for our second round of beer tastings before riding the street car back to the Moerlein Lager House. Tours include 8 beer samples (32 oz of beer) and brunch. This tour is 18 & up only and non-beer tasting tickets are available at a reduced price. The average duration of this tour is between 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on group size, the streetcar schedule, and some other logistical factors.
Brew Bus Built on Beer Tour
4 Hour Walking & Beer Tasting Tour via the Brew Bus
Starting Location: Brewing Heritage Trail Tour Center at 1939 Race St., Cincinnati Ohio 45202
Tickets: $75 / Non-drinking $50
Ticket Link: https://cincybrewbus.com/brewery-tours/underground-tunnel-brewery-district-and-craft-beer-tasting/
Description:
Two tours, one day! Take a stroll along the Brewing Heritage Trail to see historic breweries and underground lagering cellars, then afterward hit up three local craft breweries. Celebrate and experience Cincinnati’s amazing beer tradition on this version of the Built on Beer Tour, offered Saturdays on a limited basis! Go back in time with us and celebrate local beer, then hop on the Cincy Brew Bus to enjoy a Craft Brewery Tasting Tour (16-20 oz of beer at 3 different locations) and receive a Souvenir Cincy Brew Bus Taster Glass!
We will start at 1pm at the Brewing Heritage Trail Visitor Center in Over-the-Rhine (1939 Race Street, 45202) near Northern Row Brewery & Distillery. Parking is next to and across from the Tour Center on McMicken Avenue and Race Street. The walk is relatively short, but wear comfy shoes and dress for being outside in the elements, as the lager cellars are cool even when it is warm outside and these tours run rain or shine. The history tour portion is one hour along part of the Brewing Heritage Trail, including an exploration of the historic (non-operating) Jackson Brewery lagering cellars. These 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. Afterward, the Cincy Brew Bus will pick everyone up and you'll head out to 3 local craft breweries where you will be treated to a behind the scenes tour, 16-18 ounces of fresh locally made beer and proper tasting techniques.
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