There are some breweries that fit their location so well that you can’t imagine them anywhere else. Their character matches perfectly to their community. This is exactly how I’d describe Municipal Brew Works.
This neighborhood brewery opened up with a focus on making great beer, establishing strong community roots, and educating people about craft beer. They’ve been meeting their mission for over 2 years in Hamilton, Ohio and show no sign of slowing down.
Hamilton is North of Cincinnati and is well worth the trip to see what this brewery and area is up to. Let’s take a deeper look at how they got their start, what you can expect when visiting, and where they are headed next.
Origin Story
It’s a story that’s repeated over and over again but never gets old . . . someone falls in love with home brewing and opens up a brewery.
Jim Goodman and Sean Willingham met in 2014. At that time, Sean was the Assistant Brewer at Cellar Dweller Brewery in Morrow, Ohio and Jim had been home brewing for over 20 years. They were introduced through the Hamilton Mill, a small business incubator that manages the former Hamilton City Building.
During this meeting, they were able to tour the City Building and hear of the plans for revitalizing downtown Hamilton. Jim and Sean knew that this could be their opportunity to have their own brewery in an area that needed one. And this building might just be the perfect place.
These two guys brought in a few others into the plan; Aaron Holtz, Dave Frey and Mark Jackson since they knew they couldn’t do it alone. The group decided to move forward and open a brewery but they wanted to do it on their own terms. So they took on financing and didn’t seek any outside investments. To pull this off, they would all have to keep their day jobs and use their experience and skills to get the brewery going.
As for the name, the Hamilton City Building was often called the “Municipal” building so it wasn’t too hard to decide that this was the perfect name. They worked with a local graphic designer, Lemon Grenade, to create their logo and branding.
And just two years later in June of 2016, Municipal Brew Works opened its doors and started supplying the Hamilton, Ohio area with their beer.
More About The Building
It’s hard to look past the amazing building that Municipal Brew Works calls home. The Municipal Building, also called the Frederick Mueller Building, was built in 1933 and shows off the Art Deco style of that time.
But this building was never meant to be a brewery. There are jail cells on the 4th floor, the City Council Chambers on the 3rd floor, and many other elements that aren’t “normal” at a brewery.
Taking a building this unique and converting it into a brewery wasn’t easy. But their architect, Community Design Alliance, and contractor, Gridstone, were up to the challenge. Here’s a few ways they’ve used the building’s unique set up.
The former detective headquarters was converted into a walk-in cooler. The mill room is located in the city vault – that still has a massive Mosler Safe door on it. In the old police shooting range sits the boiler used to power the brew kettle. There’s even bullet marks in a pieces of steel and ricochet marks in the concrete.
The majority of Municipal Brew Works is located in what was the Station #2 Fire Department. The office is in the fireman’s bunkhouse and the former kitchen is the brewery’s laboratory. As you can see, they’ve utilized every they could to make Municipal Brew Works a one of a kind brewery.
The Municipal Building once served as the center of city activity and Municipal Brew Works is making it their goal to make that happen again.
If The Walls Could Talk . . .
A building this old comes with a long history of stories too. For example, an older man, whose father served as a Hamilton Policeman in the 40’s, asked them if there were still bullet holes in the duct work of the shooting range. He shared that as a kid, he tried to sneak in a shot when his father grabbed the gun causing the bullets to end up in the duct work. And yes, the bullet holes are still there.
There’s also been some ghoulish activity which many believer are tied to the death of a fireman in Station #2 and the suicide of two prisoners that hung themselves in the jail cells. They’ve even agreed to participate in the World’s Largest Ghost Hunt – a paranormal investigating team will be going through the brewery.
The brewery will add its own history to this building bug hopefully their stories will involve less bullet holes and ghosts. Instead, they are creating stories about building a community.
What To Expect
One of the greatest parts of Municipal Brew Works is its location. Situated in downtown Hamilton, Ohio, this brewery has an urban feel without the typical hassles of a dense business district.
That’s because Hamilton, Ohio is a very small, laid back urban area. It’s a small city with a historic downtown that is being revitalized.
While there might be some occasions where paying for parking will be needed, there are some options that are free. And within walking distance, there are plenty of restaurants, entertainment, and a new park.
As you approach the brewery, it’s hard to look past the massive patio directly in front of the building. There are tables, seating, etc throughout the patio providing an inviting first impression.
You’ll probably also see a food truck next to the patio but more on food later.
From there, your eyes will be drawn to the two massive garage doors (tall enough for a fire truck) and the Municipal Brew Works sign above them.
If the weather is nice, the garage doors will be open and the taproom and patio will feel like one huge space.
Inside the taproom, there’s a variety of tables across the front with the bar running across the back. To the left, you can order their beer. To the left, you’ll see stainless steel tanks and the brewhouse tucked into the back corner. The taproom feels larger than it is due to the high ceilings.
Service & Community Focus
The service you’ll get at Municipal is top notch as each member of the staff is minimally a Certified Beer Server through the Cicerone Program. This means they know the proper way to serve beer and can answer just about any question you have about it.
Depending on what day you stop in, there’s a good chance that they will be involved in some form of community event. They regularly host charity events in the taproom since they are truly connected to the citizens of Hamilton.
One of their latest programs is the “Pour It Forward” board. Customers can purchase a beer for someone who isn’t there to enjoy when they visit next. And it doesn’t need to be a specific person; it can be a member of an organization. For example, you can purchase a beer for a police officer to enjoy whenever they stop in. It’s a clever way to help connect people and build community
Related Post: Building Community At The Neighborhood Brewery
The Brewery
One of the most challenging parts of building a brewery is determining the type and size of the brewing equipment.
Get a system that is too small and you can’t meet the demand; go too big and you have expensive equipment sitting there not being used. And in many situations, the amount of space available can have a huge impact on the size of the system.
Here’s what Municipal Brew Works is working with:
- 15 bbl Brewhouse Made In The USA By Crawford Brewing
- Four 30 bbl Fermenters
- A 30 bbl Brite Tank
Jim Goodman of Municipal Brew Works tells me that it was really important to buy products made in the USA so they were thrilled to find Crawford out of Rock Island, Illinois who makes high quality equipment.
In additional to the top notch brewing system, they also mounted it with measuring devices from Vega Systems allowing them to determine liquid volume within a tenth of a gallon, the evaporation through the boil, proper barrel taxation, volume lost through trub, and much more. This data helps ensure the quality and consistency of their beer.
The Beer
That amazing brewing system is only as great as the beer that comes from it and Municipal has a wide variety of styles to check out.
Their flagship beer is their Approachable Blond Ale.
It won the silver medal at the Ohio Craft Brewers Cup. You’ll find that it has tons of flavor while remaining light. It’s satisfying and poplar among craft beer experts and novices.
The “Woltermelon Blonde” takes their great blonde ale and loads it with watermelon. It’s named after a local fallen firefighter, Patrick Wolterman, and a portion of the sales go to charities selected by the Wolterman family.
They also use this same blonde ale to create their Orange Agave Blonde which is like a liquid creamsicle. It’s a must try; especially on a hot day.
From there, you’ll find up to 18 different beers on tap. They work hard to make sure that each beer is a true representation of the style.
Here are a few noteworthy ones that I’ve enjoyed:
- Anniversary Series #2 – This Double IPA was released at their 2nd anniversary event. With the addition of honey, this beer is just as sweet and boozy as it is hoppy.
- Long Slumber – You won’t find many Old Ales but when you do, make sure to try it. It is dark and rich but not heavy.
- The Duelist – I love stouts and this Belgian Stout has all of the great flavors I enjoy with just a touch of Belgian character. This adds a sweet, fruit like layer to the roasty, dark flavors of a stout.
I’ve never been disappointed by anything I’ve tried there so grab a flight and see what they have to offer.
Related Article: Pint Or A Flight?
What To Eat When You Visit
It’s hard to deny the importance of a taproom that offers food. And while Municipal does not have a kitchen, you’ll find plenty of options to keep your belly full while visiting.
When planning their patio space, they knew that food trucks would be an important element of meeting the needs of their customers. So they have an outdoor breaker box that food trucks can use which eliminates the noise associated with generators. Here’s a list of some of the great food truck options that make frequent visits to Municipal.
- Bones Brothers
- Piggin’ And Grinnin’ BBQ
- Carbonara
- Legasea
- Smokin’ BBQ
- Sea Cuisine
- Bite Me Corndogs
- Mexi-Q
- Cheese and Chong
In addition to food trucks, there’s a ton of local restaurants and most are within walking distance.
- Basil 1791
- Quaterbarrel
- Roll On In
- Alexander’s Deli
- Neal’s BBQ
- High St Cafe
- Plaza One Grille
- All 8 Up Pizza
What makes all of this even better is the recently created DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) within downtown Hamilton, Ohio. This allows you to buy a beer and drink it while walking around this specific area. So feel free to grab to-go beer when leaving Municipal and head to a local restaurant for dinner.
Location
20 High Street, Hamilton, Ohio 45011
(513) 642-2424
Taproom Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 3:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Wednesday 3:00 pm – 10:30 pm Thursday 3:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Friday 3:00 pm – 12:00 am Saturday 12:00 pm – 12:00 am Sunday 12:30 pm – 6 pm
Connect With Municipal Brew Works
Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Untappd
Final Thoughts
There’s over 50 breweries in Cincinnati to choose from so there’s no shortage of options. Some are close to me and some are a little bit of a drive.
Municipal isn’t the closest but after getting my first beer, I quickly recall that it is more than worth the drive.
Hamilton, Ohio has a lot of positive momentum right now and this brewery is in the heart of this change. The community is embracing craft beer and making Municipal their hometown option.
By staying true to their focus on beer, community and education; they’ve reached a point where expansion will be needed to bring their beer to more people. Municipal Brew Works tells me that an expansion is within sight and they hope to package beer in the future as well.
This is great news for those in the surrounding areas that want to see their beer in more bars, restaurants, and maybe even on retail shelves.
Their beer is delicious, the taproom is really cool, and they are truly part of their community. It’s the trifecta of what makes craft beer great. What else could you ask for?
