The Brews Traveler series focuses on the continuing craft beer adventures of the Liberty Brew Tours crew as they explore breweries across the world.
Overview
We found Grainworks Brewing just north of Cincinnati off route 75 during our tour of Ohio. This family-friendly brewery isn’t well-known outside of its local region, so we didn’t have any expectations heading in. Grainworks is a recent addition – like so many – opening in 2017. A rotating variety of food trucks provide culinary options during visits, and the brewery is stocked with games for the kids.
The Beer!
Grainworks has a more approachable beer list than some of the other locations I’ve reviewed. This generally means you’ll find an assortment of IPAs, porters, stouts, and maybe a handful of lighter offerings. No crazy sours or barrel-aged brews were available (at least not when I visited). This definitely isn’t a bad thing – some of the best beers are traditional styles done well.
Here’s what I found !
My Blue Heaven – A refreshing, light blueberry ale with a robust malty backbone, this is a good example of a well-traveled style.
Brewer’s breakfast – The polar opposite of My Blue Heaven, this is a thick oatmeal stout with a texture reminiscent of coffee grounds.
Black & Blue – I usually don’t do combination beers, but made an example here due to the unusual blend. This is a mixture of the previous 2 beers – the oatmeal stout and blueberry ale. I found it to be quite light, closer to the blueberry than the stout.
Chocolate Porter w/Lactose – I was a major outlier on this beer, which has a rating over 4.0 on untappd. This may be a case of lactose overload for me – living in Philly gives us access to breweries like Tired Hands which have been playing the lactose game for years. A porter is also a bit of an odd choice for the addition. I found this to be overwhelmingly sweet and thick-bodied without the flavor to back it up.
Conclusion
Grainworks is a great spot to hit if you’re traveling through Ohio. It’s super family friendly, with tons of space indoors and a solid selection of brews. Extra points for the .beer website !
— Jeff, brews traveler series extraordinaire
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