Rod J BeerVentures: May 2021

In 2017, brewers from Urban Artifact discovered a beer yeast strain clinging to life in a wooden, pre-Prohibition fermenting vat within the previously sealed-off 164-year-old lagering cellar of the long-defunct F. & J.A. Linck Brewery. Due to its mysterious circumstances and in homage to the Linck Brewery, the yeast was named Missing Linck.

In 2019, Cincinnati City Council passed a Resolution declaring June 1 "Missing Linck Day." The Resolution both honored the discovery of the yeast, the storied history of F. & J.A. Linck Brewery, and vowed that "Urban Artifact will open their brewery on the first weekend of June 2020 and the years thereafter to professional brewers and homebrewers alike who want to share beers that they create with Missing Linck Yeast." Missing Linck Festival was born! Then there was a pandemic. The first festival was canceled and the yeast has not been used since 2019.

NOW, the yeast that refuses to die is back! On Saturday, June 5, 2021, Cincinnati brewery Urban Artifact is reviving Missing Linck for a draft-only release, but this event is bigger than one brewery and one beer. Keeping the promise that is made to the City of Cincinnati in 2019, Urban Artifact has invited some of the best breweries in Greater Cincinnati to brew with this heritage yeast, and Missing Linck Festival is proud to announce that the following breweries are partners in Missing Linck Fest 2021: Bircus Brewing Co., Fibonacci Brewing Company, Humble Monk Brewing Co., Knox Joseph Beer Co. in the OTR Stillhouse, West Side Brewing, and Wooden Cask Brewing Company.

"We are extremely excited to expand Missing Linck this year and bring together an amazing team of people. When the discovery was first made, we were a bit overwhelmed with the gravity and importance of this yeast," says Bret Kollmann Baker, Director of Brewing Operations at Urban Artifact, who is also co-founder and co-owner. "Being able to bring other breweries on board this year, and see how they add their own style is what we had always hoped to see." He adds, "That's what will ensure this tradition carries on."

Each participating brewery is using Missing Linck Yeast, but other than the use of the yeast, this collection of talented brewers are making a variety of styles and no two Missing Linck beers will be the same.

Each participating brewery will have its version of Missing Linck on tap in their taproom. To highlight each of these amazing breweries, tapping events will be held at different locations on June 4th, 5th, and 11th on the following schedule:
Friday, June 4, 5:00PM, all of the following Missing Linck brews will be released:
Bircus Brewing Co., 322 Elm St., Ludlow, KY 41016 will be serving a Flemish Red style sour made with Missing Linck Yeast.
Knox Joseph Beer Co. in the OTR Stillhouse, 2015 Branch St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 is tapping Missing Drink-a-Linck, a Belgian Trappist, and giving guests a preview of the soon-to-be-open OTR Stillhouse.
West Side Brewing Co., 3044 Harrison Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45211 will be tapping Cincinnati Historical Ale, a homegrown Missing Linck version of a Belgian Blonde that lets the peppery spice and funk of the yeast shine through.
Wooden Cask Brewing Co., 629 York St., Newport, KY 41071 will be tapping Highlanderthal, which starts as a classic Scottish Ale and takes a turn into something very different when fermented with Missing Linck Yeast.
Saturday, June 5, Noon:
Urban Artifact Brewing Co., 1662 Blue Rock St., Cincinnati, OH 45223, the genesis and epicenter of Missing Linck Festival taps their newest version of Missing Linck, a Cincinnati Tart Saison with Strawberry and Passionfruit.
Humble Monk Brewing Co., 1641 Blue Rock St., Cincinnati, OH 45223, across the street from Urban Artifact, will be tapping Goldi Lincks, a session ale with subtle citrus and spice coming from the yeast. Humble Monk will also be hosting Big Gs Barbecue food truck.
Friday, June 11, 3:00PM
Fibonacci Brewing Co., 1445 Compton Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45231, Mt. Healthy's one and only brewery, Air BnB, beer garden, and urban farm. Fibonacci's version of Missing Linck is a steam beer brewed with blueberries, for a delightfully fruit-forward crisp drinking beer!
Due to the ongoing issues and concerns with COVID-19 this year, Missing Linck Festival 2021 will not have a centralized location. We encourage you to head out to all the different breweries this year and try all these unique Cincinnati beers. Missing Linck is evolving, and June 5 will mark the beginning of an annual festival centered around this historic yeast. And in future years the festival will continue as that funky sea of humanity in Northside that we hope it will become for years to come.

For years, brewers have created beer using yeast that has been analyzed and reconstructed from old beer. However, we believe that Missing Linck is the first-ever modern-day beer to have been made from original brewer's yeast, which likely dates back to at least Prohibition and maybe decades before. Cincinnati is the only city in America to have its own heritage yeast strain.

More about the participating breweries, Missing Linck Festival, the history of F. & J.A. Linck Brewery, and a link to the documentary about the discovery of the yeast can be found at www.MissingLinck.com.

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Urban Artifact Acquires Northside Real Estate Lease

Urban Artifact is proud to announce that they have entered into a lease agreement with Gaslight Property for the historic warehouse space located at 1638 Blue Rock Street, next to Hoffner Park. The 53,000 square foot space will allow the 6-year-old craft brewery to continue to grow as a neighborhood community hub for its sour beer and fruit focus. The brewery built its taproom and music venue into the heart of a historic 1873 church building next door to the existing warehouse. The Radio Artifact media lounge has expanded to incorporate recording, radio, streaming, and has become a platform for artistic content development. The taproom and outdoor courtyard have grown to be a staple for neighborhood gatherings and a regional destination for beer lovers.

As part of the expansion plans, the additional warehousing space will be used for packaging operations, storage, and offices while the production brewery continues to expand inside of St. Patrick's gymnasium building. Urban Artifact intends to preserve the historic warehouse facade and keep all of the circa 1900 architectural elements intact. The brand is based on the beauty and historic elements found in the built environment, and the character of this uniquely urban Northside neighborhood is a key part of the neighborhood's beauty and appeal.

Urban Artifact owner, Bret Kollmann Baker helped work out the details. "We'd like to thank Gaslight for being incredibly helpful and thorough during this process. We've been utilizing a small portion of the space for the past several years, and when Gaslight bought the property, they were dedicated to keeping us in the space and working together. We appreciate being able to continue to grow our small business with the help of a company that also got their start in Northside."

Dave Taylor, CEO of Gaslight, said, "I hope that this partnership will facilitate the growth of Urban Artifact within Northside, and could lead to other projects between the parties in the future."

As Urban Artifact continues to grow its production and distribution footprint, its community-oriented goals and mindset are more important than ever. Marketing Coordinator Hannah Rogers explains, "We look forward to renovating and resorting this old carriage manufacturing space to working order, cleaning up the back parking area, and continuing to contribute to Northside in a positive manner. We are deeply thankful for the neighborhood that has encouraged Urban Artifact to be our authentic selves, thrive, and brew our world-class fruit and sour beers."

MadTree Brewing Opening Alcove – A New Bar and Restaurant in Cincinnati's OTR

CINCINNATI (May 10, 2021) – MadTree Brewing announced plans for a new bar & restaurant, Alcove. Located at 1400-1410 Vine Street in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine district, Alcove will feature MadTree beers, house-made cocktails, and upscale farm-to-table offerings from chef Stephen Williams, proprietor of Covington’s Bouquet Restaurant and their new concept Spoon: Kitchen & Market. Alcove, which is being developed in a partnership with building-owner 3CDC, is slated to open in fall 2021; Drawing Department is leading the architectural design.

Alcove is a nook of nature in the heart of the city, with a series of unique spaces for guests to explore. The main space will feature a large bar, light-filled lounges, dining areas, and an intimate private dining room for small groups. Connected by expansive windows and doors that run the length of the building, the main space opens to one of the city center’s rare outdoor spaces. Alcove will feature a lush outdoor patio space for lounging and dining, which connects to a lively greenhouse bar filled with vibrant plants; herbs growing in the greenhouse will be used in the house-made cocktails.

To create an immersive, warm space, MadTree will invest in extensive greenery, created by non-profit Urban Blooms, who designed the living wall in MadTree’s Oakley taproom. Filled with living walls and living chandeliers, the company will create living greenspaces throughout Alcove, designed for people to relax and revive with good friends and good food in a great atmosphere.

“Our goal is to create experiences that encourage people to connect with each other, get comfortable, and relax in an easy-going, vibrant, and natural space. Whether you’re popping in for a drink and bite, or making a night of it, we’re creating a space that feels like an urban oasis and a break from the norm” said Brady Duncan, co-founder of MadTree Brewing.

Open for lunch & dinner daily, Chef Stephen Williams’ menu will feature bar snacks, shareable small bites, and entrees that will be locally and sustainably sourced and constantly evolving with the seasons.

The Building

Alcove, located at 1410 Vine Street, was built in 1873 and has been mostly vacant for decades. 3CDC acquired the property in 2008. While there has been significant interest from several potential operators over the years, 3CDC wanted to make sure it found the right collaborator to restore the space to its former glory.

“3CDC has waited more than a decade to find the right partner to bring the old Weilert’s Beer Garden back to life, and we feel we’ve finally found the perfect collaborator in MadTree” Lindzie Gunnels, 3CDC’s Senior Commercial Leasing Officer, said. “We are incredibly excited about Alcove. It’s going to be an amazing addition to the neighborhood.”

In the early days of the building, the space was a traditional family-friendly German beer hall run by Henry Weilert and featured the “summer garden” - a canvas-covered patio in what is now the parking lot behind the building. The balcony overlooking the garden is where the World Series was conceived.

The private event space, at 1400 Vine Street, used to house the Yokum Athletic Club, where Ezzard Charles trained as a boxer.

MadTree will maintain the historical aspects of the building while introducing environmentally efficient features to qualify the building for LEED Certification; Emerald Built Environments, based in Cincinnati, is consulting on this process. Oswald Construction is the contractor for the remodel.

Impact

MadTree Brewing is a member of 1% For the Planet, contributing 1% of all sales to environmental non-profits through financial donations and volunteerism. With the opening of Alcove, MadTree will continue its impact efforts in the downtown Cincinnati area. In October 2020, MadTree planted over 100 trees in the West End’s Laurel Park, in partnership with Cincinnati Parks Foundation. The tree planting is part of the revitalization of Laurel Park, which will feature a 13-foot bronze statue of Ezzard Charles, to be dedicated at this October’s Ezz Fest — a celebration put on by Cincinnati Parks Foundation and Seven Hills Neighborhood Council — honoring West End native, philanthropist, world heavyweight champion, Ezzard Charles. Earlier this year MadTree launched a new lager brand, MadTree Legendary Lager, featuring Ezzard Charles as the inaugural legend in the series.

Through 1% For the Planet, the MadTree team recently volunteered at Rothenberg Rooftop Garden, on the roof of Rothenberg Preparatory Academy in Over-the-Rhine, preparing the educational garden ahead of Cincinnati Public Schools’ return to in-person instruction.

The garden provides unique learning opportunities for the students of Rothenberg Preparatory Academy through hands-on garden-based lessons that are integrated with math, science, and language arts. The garden’s innovative program creates opportunities to enhance students’ learning in an outdoor garden classroom as well as engages neighborhood families in garden activities and skill-building.

Get In Touch

Alcove will feature two private event spaces, something unique for the heart of Over-the-Rhine. One of the spaces will accommodate parties of 60, the other, 150. MadTree is now accepting reservations for dates starting November 1, 2021. For more information, please call 513.836.8733 or events@madtreebrewing.com.

To manage the opening and operations of the new space, MadTree is kicking off the search for a new role — General Manager of Alcove. The person will oversee the day-to-day operations of the bar & restaurant. Additional information about this role and the opportunity to apply may be found here: https://jobapply.page.link/7fvo.

For updates on the progress of the space and future events, follow @MadTreeAlcove on Facebook or Instagram.

About MadTree Brewing Company

When MadTree was started 8 years ago, we were driven to craft great beer - but more importantly - to build something bigger than ourselves and the high-quality beer we produce. Since the beginning, we have cared deeply about creating meaningful connections with our communities. We embrace our name MadTree and work to celebrate and protect nature while reducing our impact on the environment. We are proud members of 1% For The Planet, with a commitment to donate 1% of our sales to non-profits focused on environmental sustainability. The craftspeople at MadTree wake up every day to connect people to nature and each other.

We are MadTree. Inspiring Madness, Rooted in Purpose.

About 3CDC

The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) is a private, non-profit full-service real estate developer with a mission and strategic focus to strengthen the core assets of Downtown Cincinnati in partnership with the City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati corporate community. Its work is specifically focused on revitalizing and connecting the Central Business District and Over-the-Rhine. For more information, visit http://www.3cdc.org.

About Stephen Williams

Chef Stephen Williams opened Bouquet in 2007 as one of the first restaurants in the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area to embrace local and sustainable farming as a cornerstone of its mission, and that practice remains at the core of Bouquet and Spoon: Kitchen and Market operations today. Through their involvement in initiatives such as Zero FoodPrint, Seafood Watch, Chefs Collaborative, and Slow Food USA, Williams’ restaurants are able to reduce their carbon footprint, promote biodiversity, and connect with the local community.

Williams’ deep relationships with over fifty local farmers and purveyors allow for a constantly evolving menu, inspired by the seasons’ freshest ingredients. In addition to an innovative and ever-changing array of charcuterie, small plates, entrees, and desserts, Bouquet has become known for their extensive bourbon collection and elevated, farm-to-table dining experience within a relaxed, neighborhood atmosphere.

COMBUSTION BREWERY & TAPROOM ADDS 4-PACKS!

COMBUSTION ADDS 4-PACKS!

Combustion Brewery & Taproom now has 8 varieties available in 16oz 4-packs for carryout and drive-thru pickup from their Pickerington taproom.

• Combustion IPA (India Pale Ale)
• Lady Peiskos (Hazy India Pale Ale)
• Now We’re Talkin’ (Double IPA)
• Wanderlust (Blonde Ale)
• Blueprint (Blueberry Blonde Ale)
• Sir Veza (Mexican Lager)

Combustion Cider Series
• Blood Orange Cider (Fruited Cider)
• Pick Cherry (Fruited Cider)

4-pack availability will vary with inventory.

Online ordering available at combustionbrewing.com.

“We've seen our To-Go crowlers traveling further from our brewery as people share our beers and ciders with friends from out of town, which we love to see. With this in mind, we want to keep our to-go beer fresher longer and these 16oz cans will help us fulfill our mission to deliver fresh beer every time," said Keith Jackson, Co-owner & Brewmaster at Combustion.