| Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. | |
|---|---|
| Location | 1621 Moore Street Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio United States |
| Owner(s) | Greg Hardman (Independent) |
| Year opened | 1853 |
| Annual production | 1853-1920 (Prohibition); Reintroduced 1981; Hardman purchase: 2004 |
Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. is a historic, high quality craft beer company headquartered in the Cincinnati, Ohio neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine.[1]
Hudepohl Brewing Company is wholly owned by the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company.
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Christian Moerlein was a Bavarian immigrant born in Truppack, Bavaria in 1818. He traveled to America in 1841 after becoming an apprentice brewer and blacksmith. He settled in the neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio known as Over-the-Rhine. Over-the-Rhine was a heavily populated neighborhood of mostly Germans and German-Americans. In 1853, Christian Moerlein opened the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company.
In its first year of production, the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company produced one thousand barrels of beer.[2] In just over a decade, twenty-six thousand barrels were being produced and Christian Moerlein fast became the most prominent brewer in the city of Cincinnati.[2] When production reached its peak, Christian Moerlein beer was being shipped to places as far as Europe and South America, and was the only Cincinnati beer exported internationally. Moerlein died in 1897, but the company continued until Prohibition began. The company never recovered from Prohibition, and sat idle until the brand was reintroduced in 1981.
The new Christian Moerlein Brewing Company was at the forefront of the craft beer movement. The Christian Moerlein Select Lager became the first American beer to certifiably pass the strict Reinheitsgebot, or Bavarian Purity Law of 1516.
In 2004, the Christian Moerlein brand was purchased by Greater Cincinnati resident Greg Hardman. Over a period of five years, Hardman also acquired Hudepohl, Burger and Little Kings, the best-known of the Cincinnati brands. He purchased not only those, but 63 other long-forgotten brand names, such as Top Hat, Hauck and Windisch-Muhlhauser, bringing many of the historical Cincinnati Brands under the same roof.[3] Since the purchase, Christian Moerlein has reintroduced several classic Cincinnati brands including Hudepohl and Burger.[1]
In 2010, Hardman purchased the former Husman Potato Chip factory at 1621 Moore Street. The location is just blocks from the original site of Christian Moerlein in Over-the-Rhine. The first beer brewed in the new location was the 1861 Porter, which was made available on New Years Eve 2010, in recognition of the 150th anniversary of Cincinnati's longest continuously running bar, Arnold's Bar and Grill.[4] Plans are currently under way to utilize the space for up to 25% of all Christian Moerlein products at the location in 2011. Currently, almost all of the Christian Moerlein beer is contracted to other breweries in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.[5]
Along with bringing brewing back to Over-the-Rhine, Hardman is opening up a brand new Christian Moerlein Lager House on the Banks development. This sits along the new Riverfront Park in Downtown Cincinnati and adjacent to Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds. The new 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) site will feature two stories, and multiple beer gardens. Approximately 500 seats will be inside and an additional 600 can be seated outside. A large beer garden will adjoin an outdoor event lawn on the new Riverfront Park. The building will serve as a restaurant and a working microbrewery. Food featured on the menu will replicate 19th century German cuisine prominent in Over-the-Rhine's historic beginnings. The site is also expected to provide about 200 new jobs and live entertainment. It is expected to open in fall of 2011.[6]
| Beer title | ABV% | Description |
|---|---|---|
| OTR Ale | 6% | With a rich copper color, this ale is made with three separate malts and Cascade and Fuggle hops, and is named after the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. |
| Lager House | 5.2% | A Muncher-styled Helles, this golden colored lager features a slightly toasted, yet defined malt character, with a touch of hops for a clean finish. Made to the standard of the Reinheitsgebot Purity Law. |
| Northern Liberties IPA | 6.3% | Named after a section of old Cincinnati downtown north of Liberty street, prior to 1849 an area outside of municipal law known to for its tolerance of beliefs and behavior otherwise shunned in Cincinnati proper. |
| Barbarossa | 5% | A Bavarian double dark lager, the Barbarossa is slow-aged with a reddish-brown color and a malt aroma derived from Munich dark malt. Named in honor of Frederick I, emperor of Germany, known as Barbarossa. |
| Emancipator | 7% | Brewed with six unique varieties of malts, this doppelbock boasts a toasted character with a deep brown color and hints of caramel and toffee. First brewed to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. |
| Friend of an Irishman | 4.7% | This stout has a mild coffee-like aroma and a brown-black appearance; oats enhance a complex yet smooth flavor with a subtle sweetness. Name is in reference to Cincinnati's historical immigrant populations, the Germans and Irish. |
| Fifth & Vine Oktoberfest | 5.4% | A marzen style lager with a lightly toasted character with a touch of sweetness and a deep copper color. This selection is a seasonal offering available only in the autumn months. |
| Christkindl Ale | 6.95% | A large malt-bodied ale with the essence of chocolate sweetness and a subtle spiced flavor. This selection is a seasonal offering available during the winter holiday season. |