Survey Says . . .

Best places to experience the history of beer in Cincinnati

Top 6 answers on the board . . .

1. Brewery District Spanning Over the Rhine and the West End, Cincinnati’s Brewery District contains structures of at least 12 former breweries, one of which is still being used as a brewery (Samuel Adams). In addition you can see related buildings like the homes of the brewery owners (Hauck Mansion – 187o) or the apartments built for their workers (Kauffman Apartment Building – 1876). Brewery operations moved to this area of the city due to a variety of factors including proximity to the canal, proximity to various water sources, and the ability to create tunnels and basements in the hillsides in which the lager beer could be stored.

2. Vine StreetVine Street was a street of bars. In 1890, from the Ohio River to McMicken, there were 136 bars on Vine Street alone. Between 12th & 13th Streets it is said there were 23 bars, saloons, halls, and cafes alone. To experience what this was like, take a walk down Vine Street particularly in Over the Rhine where many of the buildings still exist like Cosmopolitan Hall (1313 Vine Street) or Wielert’s Concert Hall (1408-1410 Vine Street).
3. Arnold’s Arnold's is considered Cincinnati’s oldest and continuously operating bar. The buildings that now house Arnold’s were built in 1848. The bar itself however began operation in 1861 and has continued ever since through various owners, after the Arnold family, and through adding rooms and the restaurant.

4. Mecklenburg GardensMecklenburg Gardens began with the construction of John Neeb's Mount Auburn Garden Restaurant and Billiard Saloon circa 1865. The name was changed in 1881 when Louis Mecklenburg purchased the place. The building however sat empty generally from the early to mid 1980’s until 1996 when the current owners reopened the place.

5. Washington Platform The Washington Platform building was constructed around 1860 as the Johan Armleder Wine and Lager Beer Saloon. In 1875 the name changed to the Washington Platform. From Prohibition until 1986 when it was reopened, the building was used for a number of different purposes which did not include alcohol.

6. Bellevue Hill Park Bellevue Hill Park is on 15 acres that once included the Bellevue House and Cincinnati & Clifton Inclined Plane Railroad. German speaking immigrants, before Sunday liquor laws were enforced in the 1890’s, would generally spend Sundays relaxing with their families. This included going to one of the "houses" at the top of the inclines or to a beer garden, a park, or even a bar. These buildings at the top of the inclines included bars and restaurants but also concert halls, theatres, and picnic grounds where one could spend a leisurely day. I am picking Bellevue Hill Park over any of the locations of the three houses that served alcohol – Lookout House in Mt Auburn and Highland House in Mt. Adams being the other two. (Fairview Incline did not have a house and Price Hill House did not always serve alcohol.) I like it because of its proximity to the Brewery District, because it is a park, and because the interesting pavilion (1955) stands on the site of Bellevue House.
Historic photos from Library's Cincinnati Memory Project.