22 New Cincinnati Bars You Should Be Drinking at This Summer

Yonder

621 Main St., Second Floor, Covington
Inspired by owners Chris and Tess Burns' love of Kentucky State Parks, this bar concept by the folks behind Covington's Commonwealth Bistro features a chic treehouse-esque rooftop bar with a small rotating menu and craft cocktails. The bar menu features a variety of both alcoholic and spirit-free cocktails, like the High Lonesome, a cold brew coffee-based drink with sarsaparilla-hickory syrup, almond milk and mint. Co-owner Tess is a non-drinker and wanted a mocktail list “that was just as long as the cocktail list.” The breezy, plant-filled bar holds approximately 30 guests and features cozy, communal bench seating, hanging rattan chairs and five seats along the bar.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

The View at Shires' Garden

309 Vine St., Downtown
The View at Shires’ Garden is located on the 10th floor of the City Club Apartments. The 6,000-square-foot rooftop spot features an indoor dining room, an outdoor patio, two full bars, outdoor small and group dining and cocktail tables with impeccable views. The decor mixes modern furnishings with the style of the original Shires’ Gardens from the 19th century — a historic Queen City amusement resort of sorts in this same spot at Vine and Third streets
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Wodka Bar

1200 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Sarah Dworak of Babushka Pierogies opened Wodka Bar on Main Street, attached to her popular pierogi lunch and late-night walk-up window. Dedicated to the patron spirit of Eastern Europe, the bar carries an ambitious selection of vodkas, stocking upward of 60 types including many Russian, Polish and Ukrainian brands that are lesser known in the United States, plus house-infused options with Russian Caravan black tea, caraway seeds, pine needles, rosemary, berries and citrus zest. European wines and a single draft beer — O.K. Beer, a Premium Lager from Brzesko, Poland’s Okocim Brewery — round out the drinks. You can chase your shots with bites of caviar, pickled fish and vegetables, smoked meats, cheese and butter on dense, dark rye bread.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Comfort Station

793 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills
Located in a former 105-year-old rest area (basically a public bathroom), Comfort Station has transformed a dilapidated space into an airy nightlife destination full of hip cocktails and outdoor lounge areas. Guests can choose their own adventure when entering, opting to go through either the Women's or Men's door. Head through the bright blue ladies entrance to access the main-floor space, replete with original skylights, plush blue-velvet seating and bathrooms with two-way mirrors to watch the goings-on behind the bar (you can see out; they can't see in). From the main bar, you can access the back patio, which has multiple seating nooks, including an elevated perch with cushions. Opening later this year, the entrance through the Men's door will lead guests to an eight-seater basement cocktail lounge for “nighttime revelry and good-natured mischief."
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Ripple Wine Bar

4 W. Pike St., Covington
Inspired by the title of a Grateful Dead song, Ripple Wine Bar is one of those sweet little spots that hits all the right notes: good wine, lots of it, paired with good food. The bar offers 40 varietals by the glass or half glass, bottle or half bottle and also does a $10 half-bottle happy hour for gun-shy consumers or folks dining solo. The menu’s overall vibe is laid-back, a true “California kitchen,” with wine-friendly food that’s seasonally inspired. Bread is from Covington’s Pepe Cucina, cheddar comes from Walnut Hills’ Urban Stead and look for Newport’s Grateful Grahams in dessert options.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Fausto

4 E. Sixth St., Downtown
This café inside the Contemporary Arts Center from brothers Tony and Austin Ferrari plays off of the artful surroundings to craft a menu of thoughtfully designed and seasonal cuisine. Dishes range from chia seed pudding and baked eggs to smoked white fish tartine and handmade linguini with clams. In addition to a craft coffee menu based off of a specialty Deeper Roots Coffee blend, the cocktail list features modern mixes like the Refreshing as Yoko (pamplemouse, Aperol, grapefruit bitters, sparkling wine and rosemary) and wines that run the gamut from red to white to sparkling with a special Ferrari Bros. rosé.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Social OTR

1819 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Social OTR features an ambitious New American menu and two spaces: a front dining room and a cozy back bar with an entrance from the alley. The menu includes about eight “Snacks,” 10 to 11 “Small Plates” and just two “Large Plates,” with a drink list that’s almost longer than the food offerings. Whether you prefer tequila, rye, gin or any other spirit, the house cocktails have you covered. The nonprofit restaurant also aims to fill a multitude of societal and business needs in the community through its workforce development program.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Pins Mechanical Co.

1124 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
Pins Mechanical Company features multiple levels of gaming with duckpin bowling, vintage pinball machines, ping pong, foosball and a rooftop patio with bocce ball and fire pits. The bowling lanes are first come, first served, so it is recommended that guests come early to get their name in the queue, grab a drink and enjoy one of their other games while they wait. Pins boasts three bars (two inside and one on the patio) with 36 craft beers on tap, plus signature and seasonally rotating cocktails.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Karrikin Spirits Co.

717 Jonlen Drive, Fairfax
In December, former Metropole chef Jared Bennett and former Maribelle’s eat + drink chef/owner Mike Florea teamed up with MadTree Brewing co-founder Jeff Hunt to open Karrikin Spirits Co., a distillery and restaurant located in an industrial park in Fairfax, near the Frisch’s Mainliner. On-premises, they distill several spirits, including vodka, gin and apricot brandy. But they also bring an eclectic, hand-crafted energy to their mocktail menu. Karrikin provides four different alcohol-free options including the Blood Orange Shrub, with blood orange and rosemary, and the more experimental Karrikin N/A Mule, consisting of ginger, lemongrass and Szechuan peppercorn. Besides their mocktails, you can also sample one of their housemade craft sodas with flavors like key lime and cola.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Fairfield Market

700 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue
This cafe and bar offers a streamlined selection of pastries, picnic salads, sandwiches and charcuterie complemented by morning coffee and evening libations — house cocktails and a rotating wine and beer selection. With original terrazzo and vintage décor mixed with contemporary furniture, the vibe is Palm Desert meets Midcentury Modern. Food service focuses on seasonal and locally sourced items with dinner and brunch programs forthcoming.
Photo: Liz Davis

Mom ‘n ‘em

3128 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington
Helmed by brothers Tony and Austin Ferrari in a converted 19th-century home in Camp Washington, Mom ‘n ‘em coffee shop and wine bar sparkles with Italian vibrancy and straightforwardness. There’s a diverse offering of wines selected by certified sommelier Austin, and the idea, he says, is to be meaningful but playful. Food includes tinned fish, cheeses, cured meats, pastries from North South Baking in Covington and sandwiches. To whom it may concern: They have a full liquor license with cocktails like a classic negroni and Manhattan, and a smart selection of beer in their cooler.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Branch and Night Drop

1535 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills
Folks from Northside’s Littlefield Restaurant Group rehabbed the historic 1920s-era Central Trust Bank building in East Walnut Hills, opening the aptly named restaurant Branch and its adjacent downstairs speakeasy Night Drop in December. Cocktails take their sobriquets from financial terms, like the Reverse Mortgage, Preferred Risk and Accelerated Depreciation, the latter of which contains bourbon, orange bitters and Dr. Pepper syrup, which is extracted from a box of fountain soda, sans carbonation. Other clever creations include habañero-infused Green Chartreuse, peanut-infused mezcal and spiced gin. Make sure to snap a selfie in the owl-wallpapered bathroom.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom

1727 Logan St., Over-the-Rhine
Located across from the Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery at the Urban Sites’ Film Center Project adjacent to Findlay Market, the taproom, which features indoor and outdoor space, spans nearly 9,000 feet, offering an array of unique beers brewed both on-site and at the Cincinnati brewery. These include fan favorites like the Cincinnati-inspired lager 513, Boston Lager and Summer Ale, and options made specifically for the taproom.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Hoppin Vines

8150 Montgomery Road, Kenwood
Located in the former TGI Fridays in Kenwood, Hoppin’ Vines combines duckpin bowling, pizza and alcohol. The bar offers 40 rotating beer taps with a focus on craft brews — local, regional and national — plus more than 30 wine flights. The bar is also home to an outpost of Delicio Coal Fired Pizza.
Photo: Facebook.com/HoppinVines

Cobblestone OTR

1132 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Cobblestone is a no-frills establishment that feels like hanging out in a friend’s living room — if that living room had 15 different bourbons (Weller and Bulleit among them); two cocktails on draft, including a mightily potent Old Fashioned and Fernet-Branca; and a rotating draft beer list (Bud Light is constant). A built-in long leather seat at the back, nestled next to the restrooms, allows for shoe-shines on certain nights.
Photo: Paige Deglow

Rich’s Proper Food & Drink

701 Madison Ave., Covington
Rich’s Proper Food & Drink operates out of the more than 100-year-old building formerly occupied by Rich’s Gruen Watches, a high-end jewelry store. Owner/operator of the eatery, Bill Whitlow, spent considerable time and effort restoring the building, helping to expose its history. The bar’s menu includes wine, beer and cocktails (the Proper Mule is jumbo-sized and hypothetically shareable), with a special emphasis on bourbon. The kitchen provides Southern fare with Creole and Kentucky influences, including raw oysters.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Locoba by Platform

1201 Main St., Over-the-Rhine
The Cleveland-based Platform Beer Co.’s bar and coffee concept on Main Street serves brews, beans and bites. As the first Platform location not styled as a brewery, Locoba (which stands for "local coffee barrels”) serves Brown Bear pastries and café-style foods, Platform brews on tap and in cans and cocktails. It also features a full-service coffee and espresso bar with Ohio-roasted beans.
Photo: Izzy Viox

HighGrain Brewing Co.

6860 Plainfield Road, Silverton
Located in the former Silverton Memorial Municipal Building, HighGrain Brewing features “old-world styles with a modern twist,” like their Switch oatmeal stout with chocolate, coffee and nuts, and the Monarch IPA, with Citra and Idaho Gem hops. The food menu from their in-house chef includes options for vegetarians, meat-eaters and kids. With a focus on sustainability, the brewery is also 100-percent powered by wind, and their Norwegian Table Ale is carbon neutral.
Photo via Facebook.com/HighGrainBrewing

Holiday Spirits

1538 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Helmed by Dan Wright and his wife Lana (Senate, Abigail Street and Pontiac Bourbon & BBQ), this space at the corner of Liberty and Race streets is meant to evoke the vibe of a dive bar and offers a menu of Middle Eastern street food. The bar features 15 beers on tap and about 10 different cocktails ranging from a tequila old fashioned and a Hurricane to a Cinnabon-inspired drink and their take on a Harvey Wallbanger.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Sugar Whiskey Sis

633 Madison Ave., Covington
Sugar Whiskey Sis is a self-proclaimed "moonshine room" from the minds behind nearby Agave & Rye, famous for their alternative protein tacos (with options like kangaroo meat). The bar offers more than 50 different types of moonshine, craft cocktails, local beers and plenty of Southern-style chicken and pimento cheese dishes, plus hand-dipped shakes and an espresso bar.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger