This past Saturday, I finally had a chance to get out and visit Urban Artifact which sits on the North Side community of Cincinnati. A spacious and currently being renovated old church is what is now this home for sour bases beers. The church was purchased last year and the brewery was able to open earlier this year. I was able to get a chance to tour the brewery and have a more reflective talk with Scott Hunter who is their Chief of Strategic Development and of course, finally get to taste their offerings. First, before talking about the beers, I feel that I should describe the feel of the brewery as they have a lot of good things going on. Now, I am not one that usually goes to church, but this is the kind of mass that I can get into for sure. The church itself was built around 1873 and was active until 2008. I mentioned spacious earlier, and it is. There will be a floor that will act as a reception hall and is slated for completion for next year. And, they are currently in talks...

A good many beer enthusiasts get into the habit of cellaring beer, which can be a great way to learn how to smooth out flavors over time. But in doing so, a person has to know the right kid of beers to cellar. For instance, a common rule is to choose beers that are at least 8% ABV. But, that is only a baseline as it should also be the right kind of beer. For instance, hop heavy beers such as IPA's will lose some of their bitterness over time and although they will be drinkable, they won't most likely be the expected taste that is desired.  But, cellaring more malty and lower IBU beers can create a more distinct taste as the flavors open up over time. For instance, here is one of the beers that I have cellared recently: As indicated Voodoo Vator over time becomes much more smoother and in fact, the taste of the alcohol was lessened even more then when fresh. So what should you know about cellaring? The beer should be a minimum of 8% ABV as a general rule. Although, I ...

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One of the newer breweries now located in the Cincinnati region, Covington, Kentucky actually, is Braxton Brewing Company . They recently opened and have already created a nice buzz about their brewery located on West 7th. I had a chance to talk with Jonathan Gandolf who is their head of marketing about the brewery and make them the focus of the next Give Me Five! 1. What Makes The Brewery Unique? "Braxton Brewing Company aims to combine the age-old technique of brewing beer with new consumer technology. We have a very diverse team with different brewing and business backgrounds. We want everyone on the team to bring something special to the table. Whether it be our Brewmaster, Richard Dubé, with 35+ years of brewing experience or our CEO, Jake Rouse, with experience building software partnerships at one of the largest tech companies in the world, we are now leveraging all of these experiences to create one cohesive brand and beer experience."  2. How Did You C...

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This past Saturday, the wife and I had dinner at one of our favorite places, KungFood Chu's AmerAsia in Covington, Kentucky. This is a great little place that features some of the best Chinese food in the Cincinnati region and on top of that, some of the best beer selection for any establishment. During our time there, I was able to sample three new beers: 2 from Rhinegeist and one from Apocalypse Brew Works. Both are regionally local breweries, Cincinnati and Louisville and as I always, I try to support the local movements as we all should. As far as the food, I went with the Mongolian beef, chicken wings and a spicy egg roll. But we are here to talk beer so let's get at it. Stryker My first choice was the Rhinegeist Stryke r. This beer featured a good off-white head with good lacing as well as a nice clarity with an amber hue. There was a smooth pine taste that complemented the dankness of the aroma very nicely. As for the texture, it was creamy with a crisp finish ...