Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Bad Tom Brewery (Cincinnati, Ohio) - 4 MAY 2014


Sometimes it's the combination of many factors that make a brewery experience so special.  This was the case for me during a recent visit to Bad Tom Brewing in Cincinnati, OH.  My visit coincided with the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon held annually on the first Sunday in May.  My wife and I had joined her cousin, other relatives, and her friends and neighbors to cheer on the marathon runners at mile 17.   I know this sounds absurd, but it was actually quite tiring to watch several thousand runners/walkers as they toiled up a short, but very steep, hill.  After more than 3 hours of that, we were ready for some recuperation. We knew that we were just a short distance from Bad Tom Brewery and decided to pay it a visit.



Your first glimpse of Bad Tom Brewery may not be the most welcoming, but once inside the door, we were greeted by the incredible aroma of boiling mash and a friendly brewer.  It is interesting that in my many visits to breweries, I don't think that I have ever encountered the smell of brewing beer.  Wow!  It was awesome.  We arrived at a sort of an odd time.  The brewery had been open earlier as the marathon course (mile 19) was literally just outside the front door.  Bad Tom was open for "Kegs and Eggs" that morning featuring Bad Tom Eggs - eggs fed on the spent grains from the brewery.  That crowd had dissipated as the marathon runners had long since passed by this point (except for one lone walker that we saw courageously continuing as we pulled into the parking lot), and the official 1:00 Sunday opening had not yet arrived.

From the front door of Bad Tom Brewery:  The eventual Flying Pig Marathon winner and his pacer.

However, that was great for us.  We had the place to ourselves and were able to engage the head brewer and his assistant.  Probably my favorite part of visiting a brewery is the chance to talk to the brewer; to get a feel for what he is trying to do and what the place is all about.  We got to hear about Bad Tom (the uncle of one of the owners who was truly bad and was both baptized and hung on the same day), learn about how their emphasis was on drinkable beers not just creating the next overpowering IPA, discover the all-natural ingredients that they use (clementines in Brother Clement and cinnamon sticks and chocolate nibs in the Stout), and watch as they worked to create a red beer for distribution at UC football games this fall.


The bar area at Bad Tom Brewery with the brewing equipment behind the partial glass doors.

Picnic bench seating at Bad Tom Brewery.
My wife and I got the sampler, consisting of 6 beers for $10.  This included, Old Abe, Bad Tom, IPA, Brother Clement Belgian, Helles Lager, and Stout.  The brewer said his favorite was Old Tom, a Brown Ale, and I would have to agree.  We liked it enough that we followed the sampler with a pint of Old Tom.  However, special recognition should go to Brother Clement.  I am not usually a fan of Belgian whites, always expecting the hateful coriander that you find in a Blue Moon, but this one was different.  The clementine oranges used in this beer provide a subtle orange flavor that results in a fresh taste that would be perfect on a summer day.  I wish there were more like this.  Old Abe is a high alcohol, 10%, beer that goes down quite smoothly.  I could easily see this one getting me in trouble as you certainly don't notice the alcohol content.

Sampler at Bad Tom Brewery.
I could easily have spent the whole afternoon at Bad Tom Brewery, but were were in need of something to eat, though we were quite appreciative that they made a fresh batch of popcorn just for us - kudos for that.


Literally just a block away from Bad Tom Brewery we found Terry's Turf Club.  We'd never heard of it, but what a great discovery.  This is the kind of place that guide books for places like Chicago and New York tell you to go and here it was, new to us, in an unexpected location.  The place is hard to describe, but the pictures above certainly convey the feel of the place, however, it is the classy guy in the zoot suit taking the names at the door that gives you the first indication that this is one awesome place.  

Terry's Turf Club fish sandwich.
What a perfect day:  time with relatives and meeting new people, watching strangers take on the most incredible challenge of completing a marathon, experiencing a brewery in the best way - by talking with the brewer, and discovering a hidden gem.