Cincinnati’s Seasonal Brews: A Guide for Beer Lovers
Cincinnati, with its long history of craft breweries, is a great place to explore seasonal brews. Be it summer, winter, fall or spring – you can find beers that are best suited for every season! Add some limited-editions brews to the list and you’ll never want to leave the city. Even though these seasonal beers aren’t available all year round, they are absolutely worth the wait!
Understanding the Appeal of Seasonal Brews
So, what’s the big deal about these brews? Let’s dive into what makes them so special.
What Makes a Brew ‘Seasonal’?
Seasonal brews are crafted to reflect the flavors, ingredients, and moods of a specific time of year. Brewers use ingredients that are fresh, abundant, or traditional for each season—like pumpkin in the fall, spices in winter, and citrus in summer—to create unique beers that align with seasonal tastes. While classic beers are always in style, seasonal brews offer fresh and exciting flavors that many look forward to as the seasons change. These limited-time offerings give breweries a chance to experiment and create something special that celebrates each season’s character.
Why Breweries Love Seasonal Beers
Breweries love a good seasonal beer because it is the perfect opportunity to incorporate new and exciting ingredients that may not be available all year round.It’s a fun and creative approach that not only keeps customers excited and engaged but also gives the brewers a new challenge to experiment.
Experimenting with seasonal ingredients can even yield brand new brewing recipes, which is always a plus! And sometimes these new recipes lead to some exceptional flavors.
Consumer Demand for Seasonal Brews
It’s natural to crave food and drinks that complement the season. A chilled glass of ginger beer on a hot day is such a relief! A glass of rich dark stout on a winter night is almost better than a warm hug! So it’s no surprise that there is high demand for seasonal brews.
Exploring the Different Seasons of Brews
Spring Brews: Crisp and Refreshing Choices to Kick Off the Year
Can you drink the essence of spring? Well, you can get the next best thing in Cincinnati breweries, which offer refreshing spring beers in time for the season of fragrant flowers. Brewed with floral notes, light lagers, wheat beers and pale ales are great choices as spring brews. These beers tend to be dry and crisp, to complement the season.
Popular Ingredients in Spring Brews
To bring out the floral and herbal notes, spring brews usually have ingredients like lemon, orange and lavender. The brightness of the ingredients, paired with the crisp and fresh body of the beer is quite the drink for spring!
Pairing Spring Beers with Food
Combine light and fresh dishes like salads, seafood and grilled vegetables with spring beers to get the feeling of the season.
Summer Brews: Light, Fruity, and Perfect for Warm Weather
Light, fruity and refreshing, summer beers make us look forward to the warm weather where you can spend your days outside, in the shade of a tree, or relax by the poolside. Don’t forget that a chilled beer in your hand – makes everything better!
Favorite Ingredients in Summer Brews
Imagine beers infused with sweet summer fruits like mango, pineapple and passion fruit… Just mouthwatering, isn’t it? These tropical flavors are such a refreshing change – no wonder summer brews are a fan favorite!
Outdoor Brewery Events for Summer
Live music, beer tastings and outdoor festivities in the beer gardens of Cincinnati – there is no better way to spend your summer!
Fall Brews: Rich, Spicy, and Earthy Flavors for the Cooler Months
Ah, fall… the season of falling leaves, pumpkins, Halloween and Oktoberfest. And of course, rich and earthy beer, infused with spice to give you a sense of adventure! As the city begins to cool down, try a sip of a fall beer and ease into the welcome arms of autumn.
Seasonal Ingredients in Fall Brews
Aside from the obvious (hint hint, pumpkins), cinnamon, clove and nutmeg are classic fall beer ingredients, perfect for evoking that cozy feeling of the season.
Best Events to Enjoy Fall Beers
Ever heard of Oktoberfest? You can enjoy this German tradition with yet another German classic – the Oktoberfest beer! Harvest festivals are another staple, so expect fall beer tastings to be held!
Märzen ABV 7.0% IBU 25
A classic Märzen brewed with Munich malt and German hops with a malty, bread-like aroma with just a hint of sweetness!
Winter Brews: Bold, Warming Ales and Stouts for Cold Nights
Bold and complex, winter beers are all you need to warm you up during the holiday season. Dark stouts, porters and winter ales are quite in demand during this season. A warm fire and a glass of winter beer – the holiday cheer is here!
Ingredients that Define Winter Brews
Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, spices – no, this isn’t a recipe for cake! These ingredients are some of the most popular additions to winter beers to give you that warm and comforting feeling of being cocooned in a giant blanket during the cold winter nights.
Holiday Events for Winter Beer Lovers
With the festive season around the corner, winter beers are about to become all the rage. Gear up for holiday beer tastings and gingerbread house competitions!
Limited Edition and Experimental Brews: For the Adventurous Palate
To bring you a fun and exciting experience, Cincinnati breweries also offer limited edition brews and experimental beers. With a wide range of new flavors, these beers won’t be waiting for too long, so don’t forget to grab them as soon as they drop!
What Defines an Experimental Brew?
Any beer that is brewed using unconventional ingredients or innovative techniques can be considered experimental. These experimental beers, usually produced in small batches, are perfect if you’re looking for something new.
Why are they produced in small batches you ask? Because that’s exactly what makes them valuable and desirable!
Tips for Finding and Enjoying Seasonal Brews in Cincinnati
Don’t miss out on these seasonal specific brews anymore! Here are some tips to keep you updated.
Keeping Up with Seasonal Beer Releases
Follow the social media pages of Cincinnati’s breweries to keep up with seasonal beer releases. You can subscribe to their newsletters for a more detailed description. You can also use apps like Untappd and Ohio on Tap to track new releases and record your impressions of them. Handy, isn’t it?
Finding Seasonal Brews at Beer Festivals
Cincinnati is no stranger to beer festivals, being the hub of expertly crafted beer. And of course, seasonal brews are the stars of a beer festival. Find out when the next beer festival is happening in Cincy and plan ahead so you can enjoy an amazing day with your community, exploring all the delectable beer options!
Local Spots to Try Seasonal Brews
By now you know that whenever you are in Cincinnati, seasonal beers in local breweries are a must-try. With its long history of beer brewing, Cincinnati has plenty of spots you can try – our first recommendation? Little Miami Brewing Company, of course!
Little Miami Brewing Company’s Seasonal Offerings
Located at the heart of Old Milford, our craft brewery Little Miami Brewing Company is famous for its amazing beer and mouth watering food. Our regularly rotating seasonal brews are some of the best there is! We offer up to 16 different types of fresh beer with seasonal or specials rotated in 4 different Series. You can visit check out the chalkboard in the Taproom or check out our menu to know more about the beers available.
Where to Try Seasonal Brews Across the City
If you’re still confused as to where to try seasonal brews in Cincinnati, we recommend taking a tour of the brewing heritage trail. Get to know all about the breweries of the city, their year-round beers and seasonal brews. You can also visit the Over-the-Rhine district, Pleasant Rich, or the Little Miami River Corridor – the Cincinnati neighborhoods famous for their breweries.
Embrace the Season with Cincinnati’s Best Brews
From refreshing ales in the spring to cozy, warming stouts for winter, seasonal brews can always uplift your mood and let you enjoy the season to the max. So, grab a glass, embrace the season, and sip the limited-edition magic while it lasts! Because just like your favorite ugly holiday sweater, these brews only come out once a year.”
Visit Little Miami Brewing Company to get a taste of our wonderful year-round beers and stunning array of seasonal beers. We guarantee you an evening of great beer, great food and great fun! Take a look at our beer menu, taproom pizza kitchen and enticing monthly food specials and you will be convinced in a heartbeat!
Check out our blog ‘Why Little Miami Brewing Company Should be on Your Cincinnati Brewery List’ to know what makes our brewery special!
Take a peek at these blogs to know all about seasonal beers and Cincinnati’s brewery scene:
- The Seasonality of Beer
- The Guide to Seasonal Beer: What, When and How to Serve It
- Beercation: Cincinnati, Ohio