What Makes DogBerry Special?

DogBerry is small, and when you first here that it doesn’t exactly sound like something that makes a brewery special in a good way.  But it is.  DogBerry is one of the first of a new wave of breweries to pop up in the Cincinnati area that takes what is called a Nano Brewery format, which in it’s most simplistic definition is just a tiny little brewery.  Being small enables DogBerry to brew quickly changing beers that can enable the customer to have different experiences in regards to their drink every time they come in the taproom.  The owners of DogBerry are extremely family oriented guys, and this part of their life carries on into their brewing life as well.  The taproom doesn’t have extremely late hours (so they can be home with their families at some point) and on any given evening you are as likely to find a nerdy beer blogger drinking a pint as you might be a family with a couple of kids off playing in the corner.

DogBerry is the one of the first breweries that has started that is designed to serve a neighborhood…not the entire city.  And if you watch…it’s not going to be the last.

The Space

I love the space.  The DogBerry taproom reminds you of something you would find in one of your neighbors basements.  It’s polished, sure, but not too much to make it lose part of it’s “down to earth” feel.  The bar is massive, and there are several picnic tables lined up in the room for friends or families to gather around.  Along one wall is a beer bottle display stand that shows off some of the impressive bottle collection that they have amassed over their drinking careers.  DogBerry reminds me a bit of Listermann in how the taproom feels.  When you are there you feel welcome, or like you might be at home…having a pint.

The Beers

DogBerry leans towards a West Coast style of hop forward beers.  I hesitate to say that to people because their use of hops is not meant to overpower the drinker.  They create a whole slew of wonderfully balanced beers that showcase the ingredients in an exquisite, and artful manner.  The very nature of being small allows them to have a lot of different rotating beers that will make each experience there a bit different from the last.  You never know what the latest tap handle will showcase for your palate.