MadTree Brewing
Cincinnati, OH
Several customers highly recommended MadTree at Listermann, so we decided to give it a try the following day, and I am happy we did. We arrived shortly after lunch to discover a full house, seriously the inside was packed, but after a few minutes, we were able to get a seat at the bar.Seating inside consists of tables and communal tables; however, if you are lucky, you can snag one of a handful of seats at the bar. If you do happen to get a seat at the bar, you will be in for a show because the bartenders here stay busy, its constant pours, and they are on the top of their game. The inside is more open-air with large fans circulating air, so I can imagine it getting hot on a super-hot summer day.
Prices were reasonable; however, samplers range in price based on their tier. 4oz samples start at $1.25 but can go up to $3.00. A tasting Flight is available and consists of 4 (4oz) Tasters. To-Go Beer is also available for growlers refill's, anywhere from 32oz up to 64oz. There was a wide variety of beer available during my visit; I counted about 14 beers and managed to sample almost everyone by sharing two flights with a friend. My favorite beer was the Dreamsicle, which was a Kolsch with orange and vanilla. The real surprise beer was the Born to be Mild, which was an English Mild with Earl Grey Tea; it was not what I expected and proved a unique twist on a light, refreshing beer.
In addition to the beer, they also make their non-alcoholic root beer and have some light bites provided by Catch-A-Fire Pizza. We opted for the Ire Boboli (four kinds of cheese stuffed into the dough and served with red sauce) and the Embers (wood-fired doughnuts tossed with cinnamon, sugar, and white icing). Both were delicious and paired well with our beers, and I doubt you could go wrong with ordering a pizza here either.Overall, MadTree was a great stop on my short but sweet visit to Cincinnati. I will be back next time I am in town.