Howdy, Hoperatives! Just a quick update to let you know that we are currently changing web hosts so we may not be posting for a while. This is all behind-the-scenes work so you shouldn't notice anything except the return of some features we've meant to add back for a while. Stay tuned! More information soon! Tom and Carla
Read more...Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Monday, May 27th to Sunday, June 2nd - First Anniversary Party at Fabled Brew Works Tuesday, May 28th from 4:00-9:00 pm: Cellar Sale Wednesday, May 29th: Guest Taps from Arkane Aleworks, Butchertown Brewing, Hidden Springs Ale Works, RAR Brewing, More Brewing Co., 450 North Brewing Company, Phase Three Brewing Company, Corporate Ladder Brewing …
Read more...Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Wednesday, May 9th from 3:00-6:00 pm - Thirsty Thursday Happy Hour at Wiedemann Brewing $3 pints and $8 beer & shot combo Saturday, May 11th from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm - 513 Day Celebration at Sam Adams Cincy Tap Room From Facebook: "With 27 years of brewing in this city, our love of Cincy runs deep! We’re going big for 513 Day by partnering up …
Read more...Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Friday, May 3rd - Cheers! to Saving Lives at Swine City Brewing The Donor Bus will be at Swine City from noon to 6:00 pm. All donors will receive a 40 oz Hoxworth tumbler plus a $10 Swine City gift card. Make your appointment at hoxworth.org/content/hoxworth/groups/scb Saturday, May 4th at 11:00 am - 150th Kentucky Derby Party at Braxton Brewing …
Read more...Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. The Boozy Book Fair featuring Roebling Books at Wooden Cask (York St) "It's pretty simple... just like the book fairs you remember as a kid, only with booze!" Saturday, April 27th at 5:00 pm - Wine Mixer on the Roof at Cincinnati Distilling Five wine selections and live music for $26 per person. Sommelier Sam Long will be pouring. For tickets, go …
Read more...Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Saturday, April 20th at 10:30 am - Bottle Release at Fabled Brew Works Two bottles being released: -- Ultralisk - Imperial Stout with coconut, coffee, and vanilla. Collaboration with Modern Times Beer $18 -- Marshmallow Cherry Bounce - Balaton and Montmorency cherry mead with marshmallow $30 Limit 1 bottle per style per person (each person can purchase 2 bottles total - 1 stout and 1 mead) while …
Read more...Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Monday, April 8th - Eclipse Party at Swine City Brewing They are promising 99.67% coverage on their newly renovated beer garden (as well as food, beer, glasses, and games). Wednesday, April 10th from 6:00-8:00 pm - Wine Tasting at Party Town Taste five Pinot Noir wines and then enjoy a pour of your favorite for $20. Saturday, April 13th - Speak …
Read more...Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Tuesday, April 2nd - Paint and Sip Night at Big Ash Brewing Ticket includes professional instruction, your canvas, all supplies needed, and a $5 food and beverage credit. This is a family-friendly event for all ages and skill levels. Tickets are required to participate. Friday, April 5th - Boards & Brews Home Brew Competition Registration …
Read more...Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Tuesday, March 26th - Beer and Cheese Pairing at Taft's Brewing With your ticket, you'll get a flight of four different beers, each paired with cheese and crackers. Each ticket is good for a one-hour time slot. Feel free to come early or stay late. This is a self-guided pairing. Upon entering, you'll be handed your pairing worksheet, brews, and …
Read more...It's the typical slower week after a busy one. As usual, more events will be added as they pop up. Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Mondays-Fridays from 3:00-6:00 pm - Happy Hour at Moerlein Lager House $5 Moerlein drafts, house wine, or well drinks Tuesday, March 19th from 4:00-8:00 pm - Tuesdays with Molly at Arnold's Grill & Bar Molly Wellman is back behind a bar! …
Read more...Twas the week before Saint Paddy's Day... and not all of the beer is green! Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Thursday, March 14th - Kölsch Night at Rhinegeist Here’s how it works: -Order Kölsch service at the bar on Kölsch Night from 3-9pm. They’ll bring you a Kranz (Kölsch wheel) with your Stange (glass) of Kölsch. -If you need another, they’ll come to you! If we see an empty …
Read more...All recovered from Bockfest? Time for another week of events! Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Tuesday, March 5th from 4:00-8:00 pm - Tuesdays with Molly at Arnold's Grill & Bar Molly Wellman is back behind a bar! Specifically, the bar at the Cincinnati treasure that is Arnold's. Every Tuesday, Molly will be featuring a different cocktail and telling how it ties into …
Read more...Happy Bockfest Eve, Hoperatives! Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Friday, March 1st-Sunday, March 3rd -- 32nd Annual Bockfest -Friday at 6:00 pm - Parade steps off from Arnold's Bar & Grill -Saturday and Sunday - Check out all three Bockfest Halls: Moerlein Lager House, Northern Row, and Rhinegeist For more information, check out the Bockfest website. Saturday, March 2nd at …
Read more...Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Monday, February 20th-Sunday, February 25th - Four Years of Standard Beer Celebrating their fourth anniversary with lots of better beer offerings on draft and in bottle. Special hours for the week too: T-Th: 1-10, Fri : 1-11, Sat : 1-11, Sun: 12-7 (FC home opener). Tuesday, February 21st at 3:00 pm - Pints for a Purpose at Figleaf Brewing $1 from …
Read more...Happy Lincoln's Birthday/Fat Tuesday/Galentine's Day/Valentine's Day and more! Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Tuesday, February 13th at 6:00 pm - Mardi Gras Tapping Party at Barleycorn's Brewhouse Barleycorn's tapping their Three Mile Milk Stout with chocolate, toffee, and coffee notes. The first 100 people who order this get a free Three Mile pint glass. There will be free …
Read more...More events this week! Huzzah! Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Tuesday, February 6th - Streetside Brewery Pint Night Streetside has extended their weekly Pint Nights through February. All new limited edition glassware, cutesy stickers, and $1 off refills for $10. Wednesday, February 7th at 5:30 pm - Wine Dinner and Artist Showcase at Cincinnati Distilling's Millcroft Gallery …
Read more...Sorry for missing last week's TWiBB post. As a dear friend used to say, life was too much with me. Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Friday, February 2nd - Funky Beer Friday at MPH Brewing February 2nd and 3rd - Cincy Winter Beerfest at the Duke Energy Center The granddaddy of beer festivals returns with sessions on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday night. For the …
Read more...Stay warm all you Hoperatives out there with better beer and beverages! Cheers and here's to better beer (and beverages)! Carla Know about a beer or beverage event this week that we missed? Just drop us a line on Facebook. Tuesday, January 16th from 4:00-8:00 pm - Tuesdays with Molly at Arnold's Grill & Bar Molly Wellman is back behind a bar! Specifically, the bar at the Cincinnati treasure that is Arnold's. Every Tuesday, Molly will be featuring a different cocktail and telling how it ties …
Read more...As the Robert Burns poem goes, the " best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men" often go astray. In this case, when I published the November 27th edition of This Week in Beer (and Beverages), I fully planned on publishing more of them for the next few weeks. Alas, I came down with the chest cold from hell and spent much of December coughing like a 5-pack a day smoker. To be honest, I looked into publishing one for this past week, but I couldn't find any events in time to publish. January is …
Read more...A year ago today we brought Hoperatives back. This is the first post I’ve written since then. That tells a story all by itself, and that’s pretty much the story I’m going to try to tell. I’ve thought a lot about what I wanted to write, but I’m having one of those days where thinking isn’t my strong suit. “A bad day to take up bomb disposal” is what I usually say on days like this. Not that I really want to know what a day good for taking up bomb disposal is like. So I’m just going to write and …
Read more...As the old saying goes, “Everything old is new again.” The return of This Week in Beer is thanks to a Chimay beer dinner at Taste of Belgium and a long post-dinner talk we had with the Gnarly Gnome. We discussed so many beer-related topics, but the final result was my agreeing to bring back TWiB with some assistance from the Gnome. Given the change in Hoperatives’ focus, the new version (as you can see) is This Week in Beer (and Beverages) or TWiBB. Because of our history and connections, the …
Read more...When it comes to creating delicious summer cocktails, finding the right mixer is essential. One beverage that stands out as the perfect companion for crafting refreshing and vibrant summer drinks is Squirt soda. With its unique blend of citrus flavors and effervescent bubbles, Squirt soda adds a delightful twist to classic cocktails, elevating the experience to new heights. Join us as we delve into the reasons why Squirt soda is the ultimate summer mixer and explore its fascinating history. The …
Read more...Earlier last month, Tom and I were lucky enough to be judges for the second time U.S. Open Whiskey Championship. It’s part of a series of competitions that also includes the U.S. Open Beer, U.S. Open Seltzer, U.S. Open Cider, and the U.S. Open College Beer Championships. Almost every competition, the judges and stewards receive a piece of glassware as a thank you. As we received the ones for this year, I happened to mention that the glasses were perfect for drinking port. Immediately, everyone …
Read more...I had myself a birthday a few weeks ago. Actually, it was one of those milestone birthdays that really make you scratch your head and contemplate both the road behind and the ever-shortening road ahead. Such rumination is clearly best done with an adult beverage, and when I began considering my options for the evening, it was probably somewhat inevitable that my thinking about both life and beer would overlap. What sage epiphanies did I have then, you might ask? I realized that, sweet baby …
Read more...Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Or, as I like to call it, one of the two holidays from other countries that we Americans have turned into days for drunken debauchery.* According to my Ancestry DNA results, I'm 4% Irish. Of course, they also point out that it really means that it could be anywhere from 0-9% Irish, and my heritage could be from the Channel Islands, Faroe Islands, France, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, or Scotland. So who knows? But, as someone who is nominally Irish, …
Read more...The India Pale Ale (IPA) beer style has long been a favorite of craft beer drinkers. With its bold and hoppy flavors, it’s the perfect beer for those who like a bit of bitterness in their brew. But a new kid on the block has been gaining popularity in recent years: the cold IPA. A Cold IPA is meant to be a showcase for hops. It contains adjuncts like flaked rice or corn (or a combination of the two). Caramel malts are not used since the goal is medium-to-low malt character. While Cold IPAs are …
Read more...I went to a work-related event at a local brew pub late last year. It had been a while since I had been there, and I was curious to see what it was like. My first disappointment came when not one but two different bartenders told me that a beer I was asking about was a "light beer." (It was actually a Belgian wit.) The second disappointment came when I was served my beer. I know I shouldn't have been surprised that bartenders who don't know beer styles don't know how to properly clean beer …
Read more...[ Editor’s note: This week’s cover story was co-written by Hoperatives writers Michelle Lentz and Monika Royal-Fischer. At this time, our CMS is only showing Michelle’s byline, but it definitely was a collaboration. As they say in Hollywood, we’ll fix it in post. 😁] Laissez les bon temps rouler! What comes to mind when you think of Mardi Gras? Likely your imagination immediately goes to New Orleans and lively celebrations, parades, beads, masks and colorfully costumed party-goers. But have you …
Read more...Aphrodisiacs The dictionary defines an aphrodisiac as “something (such as a food, drink, or drug) that causes or increases sexual desire.” They are aptly named for Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. According to ancient Greek legend, Aphrodite was born from the sea and arrived on land carried on either an oyster or scallop shell. This helps to explain why we hear that oysters and shellfish are thought to be aphrodisiacs. But what about drinks? Can cocktails be aphrodisiacs? In the spirit of …
Read more...Since launching The Grape Gatsby back in the fall, I've started to feel a lot of pressure (self-induced, of course) to always drink higher-end wine. But here’s the thing - sometimes a girl just wants a “pizza wine.” And for me, pizza and wine is a pairing that is meant to be. Photo by The Nix Company on Unsplash With the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday, this seems like a perfect time to talk about two of my favorite pizza wines. Rus Jimenez Manchuela Spain, 2020 ~$15 14% AbV This is a weird …
Read more...I don’t know about you, but when I’m feeling sick or the weather is cold and gray, there’s only one drink that will chase away the chill – a warm, cozy hot toddy. Nothing says comfort like a mug of bourbon (my fave), honey, and spices, with their toasty goodness. But what makes the hot toddy the beverage of choice on cold winter nights? Interestingly, the origins of the hot toddy are as varied as the recipes to make it. Maybe part folklore, part fact? You decide. INDIA, ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND …
Read more...Once a week (or so), we post a beverage (or two) that we are enjoying right now. These aren't long reviews analyzing the drinks, just what it is and a sentence or two about why it's our go-to right now. We may even talk about the foods that pair well with those beverages. You never know! [This article may contain affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.] Carla and Tom - Certain restaurants will always be …
Read more...It’s been six months since I’ve had real whiskey. Maybe my palate has changed– but the NA spirits being introduced today are shockingly good. None of them quite duplicate bourbon (okay, maybe my palate is just right) but if you’re looking for a substitute, there are some pretty decent options. I’ve recently tried three different “whiskies”, from three different “distillers”. A quick warning about all NA spirits: they are not meant to be consumed neat. Not a one of them. I assure you, you will …
Read more...Once a week (or so), we post a beverage (or two) that we are enjoying right now. These aren't be long reviews analyzing the drinks, just what it is and a sentence or two about why it's our go-to right now. We may even talk about the foods that pair well with those beverages. You never know! [This article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.] Carla and Tom - We went old school this week. Some …
Read more...I remember parts of the phone call vividly. “We got your test results. You’re diabetic.” I managed to let the medical assistant from my doctor’s office know that I appreciated her calling and I would discuss it more with the doctor at my appointment. I said good-bye and hung up. Then I sat there for a bit and then I told Tom. “My A1C is 7 and I’m officially diabetic.” I said “officially diabetic” because I had been pre-diabetic for years. My A1C had been hovering in the 6.3-6.5 range for so …
Read more...They say the path to Hell is paved with personalized Instagram ads. Wait, no, it's "good intentions," isn't it? I always get those two things mixed up. Don't get me wrong though, in general, I 100% do believe that personalized ads on social media are effectively the opening of the rabbit hole that's sooner or later going to lead the Alice in all of us down into a dark, corporately-controlled, advertising Wonderland. But that's a rant for another time (and probably a whole other place). Rail as …
Read more...Once a week (or so), we post a beverage (or two) that we are enjoying right now. These aren't be long reviews analyzing the drinks, just what it is and a sentence or two about why it's our go-to right now. We may even talk about the foods that pair well with those beverages. You never know! [This article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.] Carla - The last few years, we’ve really gotten …
Read more...Happy 2023! If you’re someone who’s doing a Dry January– you’ve come to the right place. Yes, I know this is Hoperatives. Yes, I know we focus on better beer. But in 2023, those of us who are sober, sober-curious, reducing our alcohol consumption or just want to have some other options? Well, we finally have them. The last time I went dry was in 2017. And honestly, there just weren’t many options, and the ones we had were pretty bad: sparkling cider tastes nothing like Champagne. Mocktails were …
Read more...Exactly fourteen years ago, a brand new bouncing baby blog was born. And though there was a test post before it, that was indeed the title of the first post on Hoperatives. It started like this: Welcome to Hoperatives, a place for believers in better beer. What's better beer? It's not just the beer you like, it's the beer you love. It's the beer you'll search for far and wide, the one you'll drive long distances to sample and buy, the one you'll hoard for yourself or grudgingly share, but only …
Read more...