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Perhaps nowhere in the United States has the craft
brewing trend meant more towards urban revitalization
than in the once troubled neighborhood of Over-the-
Rhine in Cincinnati. The area itself was once the Queen
City’s brewing district but by the mid-2000s was in
full blown urban decay with literally more than half
its buildings abandoned. That’s all changed—it is
now the town’s hippest neighborhood and that
turnaround was accelerated by the arrival of a
number of craft brewers. Rhinegeist is located
in the historic 1895 Moerlein Brewing
Building where the concept has gone from
a partial space user to taking nearly all of
the 200,000-sf-plus facility with a full
brewery, multiple tasting rooms and
event space that is perpetually
booked. Meanwhile, Taft’s Ale House
took an abandoned 160-year-old
church and with the help of local
private/public economic
development partnership,
3CDC, turned it into a
stunning three story
gastropub. Their beer ain’t
bad either—Taft’s is
opening a 60,000-sf
brewing facility on the
outskirts of town.
TAFT'S ALE HOUSE
CINCINNATI , OH
RHINEGEIST &
12
CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD