I’ve been waiting, talking and getting excited about the Brewing Heritage trail for literally years at this point. I’ve been a firm believer that there are a lot of things that we can do that will keep pushing Cincinnati into being more of a beer city than it currently is – and increasing beer tourism is a massive part of that.
The folks behind the OTR Brewery district have been working tirelessly in that time to making this become a reality and April 26 marks a massive milestone as they officially open the first phase to the public.
I’ve written a little bit about the trail before (check that out…) and while I hope that you know about it by now, if you don’t I can give you the Cliff’s Notes version. The Brewing Heritage trail is an urban walking trail that explores the history of brewing in Cincinnati over the course of a two-mile route through the city and it’s amazing historic buildings and sites in the Brewery District and downtown.
In addition to sharing the history via signage and way finding – they have public art installations, digital experiences, and guided tours that add to the experience. In addition, the project includes ongoing programming of speakers, gallery exhibits, research and promotion of the brewing history and families that make this city’s beer past so spectacular.
It’s a showcase of who this city was, who this city is, and who this city will always be… a beer town.
The Opening Event
You can help the beer fans of Cincinnati celebrate this milestone a few ways – but the biggest one is to head down to Grant Park on Friday, April 26th at 3pm where they’ll have a short ceremony to mark the opening. Of course… after the ceremony everyone will head over to the Christian Moerlein Malt House for a few drinks in the taproom. They’ve got an event set up on Facebook so you can read some details – and share it with all your beer-friends too.
A Toast To The Trail
If you want to hear a little bit more about the trail itself, and celebrate how and why the folks from the OTR Brewing district have been so passionate about this project, they’re also hosting a dinner the night before the opening ceremony. Thursday, April 26th at 6pm they’ll be hosting a gala at Woodward theater to showcase the the trail in style.
The dinner has food (of course) drinks (of course) and a silent auction coupled up with a program of speakers to share the how and the why of the Brewing Heritage Trail. If you decide to go, your ticket will get you Dinner, 2 drink Tickets and a special limited edition souvenir of the event. Doors open at 6:15 and dinner kicks off at 7pm with the event starting at 8pm. If you want more information or to get your tickets, head over to Facebook asap!
Other Events
Of course, there’s more still. There will be a series of free events from 11am to 4pm on Saturday April 27th where the trail itself will come to life with reenators, demonstrators, kids activities, exhibits and more (check out the event on Facebook)