About a year ago, Cincinnati native Mic Foster started thinking about opening a craft beer and cocktail bar in town. In the end, he decided to open a
Brass Tap franchise at
U-Square at the Loop.
“Cincinnati is having a craft beer renaissance, and I felt Brass Tap was a good match, and this was a good place to start developing the bars,” says Foster.
Jeff Martin founded Brass Tap in Tampa, Fl., and traditionally, most of the bars are in Florida. But soon, a few of the beer and wine bars will start cropping up in the Midwest, Foster says.
Cincinnati’s Brass Tap doesn’t have an official opening date yet, but Foster hopes to have it up and running by the time the school year gets underway. He wants Brass Tap to be a destination for those who love craft beer, as well as a place for students to hang out with their friends.
Brass Tap will focus solely on craft beer—there will be 80 craft beer taps, with 20 of them designated for local brews. The bar will also offer 300 bottles of craft beer. While the menu doesn't include liquor, there will be a wine list for non-beer-drinking patrons.
The beer-centered bar will also have a limited food menu that includes pretzels and mini pizzas on pretzel crusts. Patrons can also catch live music at Brass Tap Thursday through Saturday.
“Brass Tap is a bar bar where people can go for happy hour,” says Foster. And if you want to catch a game, Brass Tap will have 25 hi-def TVs and a projector, he says.
Foster also wants to bring more beer education to Cincinnati. “There are lots of educated beer drinkers in town, but craft beer can be an intimidating situation for someone who doesn’t know what they’re looking for,” he says.
Foster is spending a lot of time educating his staff and hiring knowledgeable people who can help patrons learn more about craft beer in a relaxed environment.
By Caitlin Koenig
Follow Caitlin on Twitter
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.