The Northern Kentucky Breweries

Just a reminder; Craft Connection’s public tours run with a minimum of six guests. The maximum is 14. In the rare and unfortunate instance there are not enough bookings, we have to cancel the tour and, of course, issue full refunds. This notification is given to guests 4-5 days in advance. For the guests who are not from Cincinnati, they have no idea what to do! As anyone who is unfamiliar with a city, you google “Things to Do Cincinnati/NorthernKY” which provides fun sightseeing activities, along with concerts, festivals, dining, and sporting events going on that particular week. Cincy Weekend is always a good resource as well. It’s almost too much to choose from so we’ve compiled a list of Northern Kentucky Breweries if you’re into beer. Keep in mind, all these breweries are a $15-$20 TOTAL uber ride to get around and visit. 

Discovering Northern Kentucky Breweries; Newport

Cincinnati’s southern neighbor, Northern Kentucky, is Kentucky’s third most populated region behind Louisville and Lexington. Once you cross the bridge, you’ll feel the different vibe of the south. Despite the lack of palm trees and southern accents, Kentucky definitely has a different feel from their neighbors to the North. This fresh feel is accented by southern-style homes and an excellent selection of bars, restaurants, and…breweries! Kentucky is known for their bourbon but the breweries do not disappoint as they are some of the most popular spots on our tours! You’ll want to first start with Braxton Labs which is connected to the world’s largest alcohol retailer, Party Source. This is Braxton’s innovation brewery, meaning they brew some pretty crazy stuff here! Once you make it through the retail store of Party Source, you’ll be glad you made it to the actual brewery. With 42 beers on tap, 8-15 of these being Braxtons Labs beers, and the rest local, regional, and very rare international beers. This is the destination you want to hit if are all about beer and what to find those Whalez! No formal dining option here but they do serve free popcorn 

After trying a couple thousand beers at Braxton Labs, lets head on over to Northern Kentucky’s other brewery; Wooden Cask. This is one of the Cincinnati areas newer breweries. Their focus is on true-to-style english and irish beers – they are delicious! They will also brew some more modern styles so go ahead and try them all, why not?!?

Discovering Northern Kentucky Breweries; Covington

Braxton Brewing Company. On your way (7 minute uber) if you would like delicious, stone-fired pizza, call Strong’s and they will have it delivered to Braxton. Other delicious, intriguing options are KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia (2 minute walk from Braxton) or a 5 minute drive to Wunderbar, a German pub with excellent grub! ONE other pizza option with a really cool venue is The Gruff in Covington, a 7 minute walk from Braxton.

Got your food, back to the beer! Braxton opens early for those “work-from-homers” and serves delicious, locally roasted coffee from Carabello Coffee. They also have unbelievably fast Wi-Fi. At 11 AM, they open up the taps and start serving their delicious beer! Bring your own food (hence the food recommendations above) and enjoy this lively yet comfortable atmosphere. Special events occur almost daily but, more importantly, new beers are released frequently, making this a fun stop well worth the visit! Don’t know what to order? Their friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to help you out. Along with Taft’s Ale House, this brewery was ranked in the top 33 new breweries in 2015 by BeerAdvocate; a worldwide leader in beer reviews and news – nice work guys!