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Over the
Barrel: Frequently Asked Questions
From time to time, we get questions from readers and other
interested persons about Cincinnati brewing history, breweriana
collecting, and the Over the Barrel project. Below
you can find the author’s answers to some of the most common questions we
encounter.
Have a question that’s not included here? Feel free to e-mail the author
(deutschmeister@sbcglobal.net) and receive a direct reply.
On Cincinnati’s Beers and Breweries …
Q: I
recently bought a six-pack of Christian Moerlein
beer. Is that the same one that was made by the Moerlein
brewery before Prohibition?
A: No. The recipe for what is now known as Christian Moerlein
beer is similar to what was prepared within the Hudepohl
Brewing Company, before it reintroduced the name to the public in 1981. That
said, it does remain faithful to the lager beer brewing style of the
original, in that it has a fuller body than most American beers, and – like a
number of pre-Prohibition beers – it does not use adjuncts (such as corn or
rice, instead of pure barley malt) to lighten the flavor or color of the
brew.
Q: Are many of the old brewery buildings in Cincinnati still standing? If
so, where can I find them?
A: Several of the most prominent pre- and post-Prohibition brewery structures
(e.g. the Moerlein and Hauck/Red Top brewhouses, as well as much of the former Windisch-Muhlhauser/Burger complex) have been torn down
over the years, but many others remain. Although they are no longer used for
brewing purposes, you can still marvel at their architectural splendor and
envision the everyday hustle and bustle that took place there, as well as
imagine the appetizing smell that lingered on brewing days.
For a guide to which local brewery structures still stand and where they are located,
consult Robert J. Wimberg’s book Cincinnati
Breweries, available at the Ohio Book Store and selected other retail
outlets.
Q: Why did so many of Cincinnati’s recent breweries go out of business?
A: In a word, competition. For better or worse, Cincinnati’s brewers did most
of their business close to home, and made relatively little attempt to market
their product extensively in far-away markets. While that made them readily
identifiable to local beer drinkers, it also left them highly vulnerable to
national brewers, with countless millions of dollars to spend on advertising
and promotion. In the end, none of Cincinnati’s breweries were able to match
their much larger rivals in economic might, and thus were literally spent
into oblivion.
Sad but true: even though Cincinnati beers were no less good than those
produced by the nationals, very few local beer drinkers remained loyal to
their hometown products over the years. Eventually, the bill came due.
Q: Why is it so significant when a local brewery closes?
A: From a civic point of view, each closure represented the loss of a known,
often beloved hometown establishment, and a loss of employment for workers
needing a job to support families. Tax dollars that previously were kept in
the community, and supported area needs such as police, firefighters, and
schools, flowed in the direction of other cities instead. And from a buyer’s
perspective, the consumer was the loser, in that with each closure, beer
buyers had fewer options at the point of purchase, and over time often paid
more for their beer as a result of less competition to keep prices in check.
Q: What traditional Cincinnati beers can I buy at the grocery store?
A: Although Hudepohl-Schoenling no longer makes its
beers in Cincinnati, it still has strong ties to the local community and Greg
Hardman has done a great deal, and a great job, in recent years to revive the
brands and the brews in the public eye since he acquired them. Its products,
including Christian Moerlein, Little Kings, Hudy Delight, and Burger, are still available at many
area stores – and are a good buy, in terms of both price and quality. Additionally,
an extensive line of Samuel Adams beers and ales is made in the former Schoenling brewery and likewise can be found at many groceries
and carry-outs. Also worth noting: new brews from area microbreweries and
brewpubs likewise are of consistently high quality and are well worth seeking
out at finer retail establishments.
Q: Where can I find information on Cincinnati brewing, if I want to
research a specific company or the industry in general?
A: Well, let’s see … Over the Barrel would be a good starting point!
Beyond that, the Wimberg text (Cincinnati
Breweries) is a useful reference work, as are recent books by Sarah
Stephens, Cincinnati’s Brewing History,
issued by Arcadia Publishing (2010); and Mike Morgan’s Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King (History Press, 2010). Back
issues of local newspapers and magazines have featured many stories about
area brewers. And of course nearby libraries and historical archives (e.g.
Cincinnati Museum Center) have many items catalogued, with trained reference
librarians to help you find what you are looking for.
Q: Which Cincinnati brewery was your favorite, and why? And, what do you
think the best local beer was?
A: I’m pretty sentimental about Hudepohl, which I
grew up with and of which I have many fond memories from when it was open. (Note:
the author discusses in detail his personal relationship to the Hudepohl Brewing Company in the introduction to Over
the Barrel, Volume Two). It will be a particularly sad day for me when
they tear that brewery down – which sadly may occur sooner, rather than
later, as parts already are gone and the rest is essentially abandoned and
decaying rapidly. I suspect I'm not the only one who grew up with it and
remembers just how big a seller its beer used to be, thinking that there
would never be a time when there wouldn’t be a Hudepohl
brewery in town. But, obviously, things change over time, sentimentality
aside.
As for the best beer, that’s a subjective answer to give. For me, Hudepohl 14-K was a really great, everyday drinking beer,
with a wonderful grain flavor to it that I’ll never forget. Among the superpremium brews, Christian Moerlein
has always been special, with a nice malty taste and aroma. And I honestly
think that, among light beers, Hudy Delight is
about as good as it gets. Fortunately, the latter two brews are still readily
available for people who wish to seek them out.
On the Over the Barrel Project
…
Q: What compelled you to write the definitive story on beer and
brewing in Cincinnati? Do you have a family or otherwise personal
connection?
A: It was a labor of love, one which grew out of childhood hobby interests
and many years living in and around the city, and hearing so many rich
stories about the topic. It was also an attempt to give something back
to my old hometown community, which had been good to me in many ways.
And, no, I have no personal connection to the industry beyond having sampled
some of the top-quality beers that local breweries have put out over the
years and also having toured a few of them while they were still open.
But those experiences also were formative in my growing interest in the
subject and, ultimately, the decision to write about local brewing and beer
culture. In that sense, you could say that the brewery tours certainly
served their purpose, and then some. I miss them greatly,
particularly the ones offered by Hudepohl up to the
mid-1980s (see the introduction to Volume Two for a personal reflection about
that).
Q: Volume One of Over the Barrel is now sold out, and I
wasn't able to get it before the print run was exhausted. Is there any
chance that Volume One will ever be reprinted?
A: I wish that were possible, as there is still plenty of demand for
the title. But economics have a lot to do with the issue. As a one-man
venture with (I think) a good idea but, alas, no financial empire, I'm not
able to put up the amount of money it would take to reprint the book in a
quantity that would make it cost-effective for the consumer (= a reasonable retail
price) and then have to tie up its value until the copies sell over time (=
long-term inventory) -- in the case of a book which is no longer new, slowly
and gradually, compared to when it was first published. If a beneficent individual or corporate
entity in search of a sponsorship opportunity were to come along and seek to
get involved, that might make a difference.
Otherwise, beyond the very few author copies remaining for sale through
this website only, and used book vendors (in the latter case at some pretty
astounding prices, it seems), there's probably not much chance of finding it
outside of selected libraries and private collections.
Q:
Are there any plans for an Over the Barrel Volume Three someday?
A: I didn’t leave much out of the first
two volumes from what I had to say, so (tongue-in-cheek) if I did another
one, I might have to call it Scraping
the Bottom of the Barrel! But more
seriously, there certainly have been some recent developments worth talking
about – new brewpubs and microbreweries; the Moerlein
Lager House and the return of Christian Moerlein as
a true Cincinnati beer; the revival of the Hudepohl
brand and other traditional Cincinnati labels under Greg Hardman’s astute
leadership; and the Cincinnati Beer
Story film project, to name just a few.
All deserve the attention of those interested in the city’s great beer
culture and what keeps it compelling in the 21st century. So, who knows what the future holds? For now, though, I’m happy to read what
others are writing about them and to take part in them in person as I can.
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