News and Stories

Fifty West, High Grain, MadTree, Braxton and Three Points Bringing Local Brew to the Zoo

CINCINNATI (August 19, 2019) – Excitement is brewing at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for Hops, the Zoo’s new craft beer garden. Local breweries from Fifty West, High Grain, MadTree, Braxton and Three Points partner to bring local brews to the Zoo.

In addition to the great selection of local craft beers, Heidelberg Distributing will offer a national rotating tap with Goose Island (Chicago, IL), Breckenridge (Breckenridge, CO), Elysian (Seattle, Washington) and Golden Road (Los Angeles, CA).  There are also plenty of new food offerings as well including artisanal flat bread pizzas, oven-roasted meatballs and marinara, caprese salad, oven-fired chicken wings, roasted cauliflower and shareable pub pretzels and beer cheese.  Grab and go menu items will be available for visitors who would rather snack as they stroll around the Zoo.

“Sustainability is important to us,” said Jordan Miller, General Manager, Service Systems Associates.  “Our main restaurant, The Base Camp Café, has been named the Greenest Restaurant in America, and we’re going for a 4-star rating from the Green Restaurant Association for Hops. Food operation will be disposable free, with real silverware and plates instead of single-use plastics.  We’ll grow our own herbs, and source produce, cheeses and meats locally.”

“Cincinnati is a beer town, and we’re thrilled to expand our partnerships to offer visitors some selections that are brewed locally,” said Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard.  “We’re glad that some of those partners could be here today to help us celebrate the final phase of Hops’ construction.  We’re on track open in less than two months!”

Hops is one of several projects included in the Zoo’s More Home to Roam campaign.  Next Spring 2020, Zoo guests will be able to relax in the beer garden’s multi-tiered deck and have an incredible view of Roo Valley, which features a kangaroo walk-about, a new little penguin habitat and Klimb, an adventure ropes course.

Hops will be open in time for Zoo Brew on October 10, so guests will be able to check out the deck, which seats 130 and can be booked after-hours corporate events as well.