Braxton Brewing launching in Ohio

Good news for Braxton Brewing fans: The Covington brewery’s beer is about to cross the river.

Beginning Sept. 11, its four core beers – Storm, Sparky, Crank Shaft, Dead Blow – and seasonals, such as Dead Blow with coffee and upcoming Oktoberfest, will be available in Hamilton County.

“We’re really excited,” said Jake Rouse, brewery co-founder and chief executive officer. “From day one, when we launched Braxton, we wanted to be in Greater Cincinnati.”

Northern Kentucky demand has been so high, however, that Braxton has been brewing at capacity since it opened in late March just to meet that demand. The brewery’s beer has only been sold in Ohio at Great American Ball Park, special events and, more recently, Paul Brown and Nippert stadiums.

The addition of two new 80-barrel fermenters has almost tripled Braxton’s fermentation capacity. So the brewery is ready to make its official Ohio launch, which it will do at Cincy Beerfest on Fountain Square, set for Sept.11–12. Braxton will sponsor one area of the event, where the brewery will set up its draft trailer, a beer garden experience and its social media display board.

Braxton’s launch at the festival will be the kickoff of 10 days of events at local events and bars – places that have been asking for Braxton from day one and places that have really pushed craft beer forward, Rouse said. They also took a neighborhood approach, looking to see where its Kickstarter backers live to determine which neighborhoods they “had” to be in, he said.

Planned launch events are:

• Cincy Beerfest on Fountain Square, Downtown: Sept. 11-12

• Jungle Jim’s (Fairfield and Eastgate) Pint Night: Sept. 12

• 16-Bit Bar+Arcade Blitz Tournament: Sept. 13

• The Brass Tap Crank Shaft tap takeover: Sept. 14

• Zip’s Cafe tap takeover: Sept. 15

• The Lackman tap takeover: Sept. 15

• Growler House tap takeover: Sept. 16

• Wild Mike’s tap takeover: Sept. 17

• The Oak Tavern pint night: Sept. 18

• Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, Downtown: Sept. 18-20

• Rhinehaus kegs & eggs EPL tap takeover: Sept. 19

• Halfcut brunch and beermosas: Sept. 20

Rouse said they’ll be in about 30 accounts and add more as they can sustainably do so. In addition to the bars hosting launch events, Braxton beer will also be available at Jefferson Social, Tin Roof, Firehouse Grill, Keystone Hyde Park and Clifton, Quaker Steak in Colerain and Milford, Arnold’s Bar and Grill, The Blind Pig, Dutch’s, Cock & Bull Hyde Park, Kroger in Hyde Park, Flip Daddy’s in Mariemont and Symmes Township, Thirsty’s Oasis, Bar Louie in Oakley, Lachey’s Bar, Bakersfield and Rooties.

“We’re unbelievably excited to finally be on both sides of the river,” Rouse said. “But we’re never going to forget our Northern Kentucky roots.”

For example, Braxton’s Trophy will never be available on the Ohio side of the river. Rouse said that beer, which will change seasonally, is an homage to where the brewery started. A 5 percent donation goes back to Covington charities.

For the time being, getting draft beer throughout the 275 loop – Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in Kentucky and Hamilton County in Ohio – is Braxton’s primary focus. But Rouse said the brewery is actively looking into packaging options. They’d ideally like to start canning before the end of the year, though he can’t guarantee it.

In any case, he’s thrilled about how things have gone during Braxton’s first five months.

“The beer has been so well received,” he said. “We’re really honored about where we are.”