Grainworks

Following close on the heels of the Rhinegeist debacle, I took myself to the closest brewery to my house I could. And that is none other than Grainworks. This was originally going to be the first brewery I visited for the blog, but things turned out a little different. So I chose the 3rd of June to go, since it was part of a Pride Month celebration. And dammit, Pride will be celebrated here.

Grainworks is a decent size brewery located in West Chester, Ohio. Just a stone’s throw away from the University of Cincinnati' Hospital’s West Chester campus, so if you get too drunk, you can go and get yourself undrunk at a nearby hospital. Also conveniently located not far from I-75, this is super convenient to go to… as long as you don’t miss the turn. Butting up against a church and next door to a Frito Lay distribution center, this brewery is located just off of Cox road. For those looking to visit, it is very close to exit 24 off of I-75 in Ohio. Take the Liberty Way exit, and follow signs toward the hospital until you get to Service Center Dr.

Seriously, I want you to go here.

Pardon the horrible picture above. I feel a little weird sometimes taking pictures with my phone, and especially when I’m taking a picture of an otherwise unremarkable thing. You can behold my majestic shadow, and just the hing of my finger as well. This is roughly what you will see when you park. If you can’t see, there is a decent size patio section, which I believe might be dog friendly… I’m not certain, since I’ve never brought my dog.

Effectively a shot from just inside the doors. You can see the two TV’s that constitute their beer menu, as well as the non-beer menu in the middle. I’m actually sitting at a table just inside the door, because I’m antisocial, and try to avoid other people if I don’t know them… So I just take a seat at whichever table seems furthest removed from other people. To the left, you can see some of what I believe are the fermenters. Much like I described Rhinegeist, this place has a generally industrial motif. High ceilings and a clear view of the fermenters. Despite the rather expansive look, it still manages to feel very friendly, and at times seems almost cozy.

Today I broke my two beer rule, in part since I felt I deserved an extra beer after the Rhinegeist bottle. So let’s dive into those, shall we?

First up we have the Westcheteren VIII, a Belgian Dubbel, Coming in at nearly 8% ABV this beer packs a mild punch. This one is a beer to be consumed slowly, otherwise it can hit pretty hard with a boozy kick. While I am a fan of sours, which are rather fruity beers, I also appreciate the Belgian family of Dubbel, Tripel, and Quadrupel. Hopefully I will one day get to my favorite quad. Anyway, this is a good starter beer. Something to be appreciated with a clear (but increasingly inebriated) head. It is not a beer I would recommend that you pound one after the other. But at just under 8%, it isn’t the end of the world if you have two of these. Highly recommend this beer, if it is available on tap.

In recent years, I have become aware of an annual beer bracket in the Cincinnati are, to choose the best beer in Cincinnati (and surrounding areas). This bracket is voted on by the public, and for 2023 the winner was this particular beverage. Helles Real, a Helles-style lager. The name of the beer is a pun taken in part from a rather famous billboard that can be seen while driving up I-71 from Cincinnati to Columbus. The big, black “Hell is Real” billboard makes for a great play on words. This is a beer that one could drink one after the other and be able to enjoy every bit of it. With the pun of the name in mind, this comes in at an amusing 4.666% ABV, so it is mild enough not to knock you on your ass, but doesn’t suffer from an overly bitter flavor. So, is this beer dangerous? Yes. But it doesn’t matter, because Helles Real.

This last one was a last minute decision… Partly made because they had a DJ there for their pride party, and he recommended this beer. So, being the suggestible person I am, I caved in to peer pressure and I went and purchased a “Shauerbier”. This one is a German Pilsner, and much like Helles Real, this was a very easy drinking beer. With a 5% ABV it doesn’t pack much of a punch, so I could have definitely tossed a few of these back if it were my first beer, as opposed to my third. Carrying on with the amusing name, “Shauerbier” is pronounced “Shower Beer” and the can’s label features a stereotypical German guy taking a shower with a beer. For the hell of it, a picture of the label is below.

So in summation… Grainworks is definitely a great brewery to visit if you are in the area. And hell, if you come visit, let me know, I’ll have a beer with ya.