Big Ash Brewing
5230 Beechmont Ave, Anderson
Big Ash Brewing started as a homebrewing co-op, where 25 friends joined Dave Emery to help build a system in his basement. Fast forward eight years later, and the group decided to take over a former Mexican restaurant in a dying shopping center and transform it into their very own brewpub.
Big Ash opened in 2019 with a completely new space, including a unique-to-Cincinnati pour your own beer draft system as well as a pizza-focused menu. The taproom features a large patio, the tap wall complete with Big Ash and guest offerings, and a large room featuring community tables.
Big Ash has become a common beer competition winner. They won two medals at the US Open in 2023 after also winning two in 2021. They also have World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival medals.
Must-try beer: Porter’s Porter (Baltic porter) – Big Ash seems to excel at dark beers, and this Baltic porter won a silver medal at World Beer Cup in 2022 in the International Dark Lager category. It also won a gold medal at the 2020 US Open Beer Championship.
Other great beers: Life’s Too Schwartz, Backbeat Coffee Blonde
Major Awards
Great American Beer Festival
- Symphony (Vienna-Style Lager) – Gold Medal – 2022
World Beer Cup
- Porter’s Porter (International Dark Lager) – Silver – 2020
US Open Beer Championship
- Symphony (Vienna-Style Lager) – Gold Medal – 2023
- Fat Chants (Belgian Quadrupel) – Silver Medal – 2023
- Vanilla Cream Ale (Honey Beer) – Gold Medal – 2021
- Fat Chants (Belgian Quadrupel) – Bronze Medal – 2021
- Porter’s Porter (Baltic Porter) – Gold Medal – 2020
Cincinnati.com
- Backbeat Coffee Blonde Ale – Cincinnati’s Favorite Beer – 2020