Tag Archives: The Banks

Cincinnati’s Roebling Bridge: The Inspiration for NY’s Brooklyn Bridge

Strolling towards Smale Park from The Banks, I was happy to learn that the Roebling Suspension Bridge would be reopening.  Having been closed for 14 months for renovations, the opening date had been pushed back several times.  Luckily, pedestrians could cross, but this was going to change the traffic pattern for downtown, just in time for Opening day.

The Roebling Suspension Bridge (originally named the Covington and Cincinnati Bridge) is a Cincinnati Landmark and one of five bridges that cross the Ohio River. Each bridge is unique in its own right, but this 1,057-foot span was once the longest suspension bridge in the world.

As Cincinnati continued to grow as a port city, the addition of ferries and riverboats connected the north and south shores of the river.  At one point there were five ferries that crossed the Ohio.  Bridges were becoming inexpensive to build which resulted in the number of ferries to disappear.  Anderson Ferry is the only ferry that continues to operate on the West Side of Cincinnati.  While living in Delhi, I used the Anderson Ferry to reach northern Kentucky.  With winding roads traveling the hill, within minutes I could reach the airport.

The Roebling Suspension Bridge was the first of the five bridges to cross the Ohio River from Ohio into Kentucky, but not without its controversy.  In a time where steamboats transported goods from one place to the next, the captains and their crew were concerned that the bridge would interfere with their livelihood, especially during the seasonal floods.

From politics to economic challenges, the bridge finally opened in 1866 with the help of John A. Roebling, the engineer who created the bridge and Amos Shinkle.  Roebling would later base his design of Cincinnati’s suspension bridge when building the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

A few years later, a series of cables were added to the bridge to ensure its stability which led to the crossing of streetcars, buses and cars.  Today, commuters span the bridge crossing the Ohio to reach their workplace whether by car, but or by foot. Towboat pilots who “run the bridges”, find the cluster of bridges a bit of a challenge not to make contact with the concrete posts.

The Roebling Suspension Bridge is the oldest bridge that crosses the Ohio River and is the most photographed.  The bridge was designated  a national historic and national civil engineering landmark.

It is amazing to think of the Ohio River’s importance to transportation of goods and people.  While barges, tugboats and steamboats continue to roam its water highway, the bridges that cross this river are well traveled by cars, trains and people connecting each other from one place to the next.

Have you had the opportunity to cross the Roebling Suspension Bridge?  Were you walking?  Where were you going?    I would love to hear your story if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below.  Many thanks for reading about my love for the Roebling Bridge and wishing you many Happy Travels.

What to See and What to Do:

Roebling Suspension Bridge
Downtown Cincinnati, OH

Where to Stay:

AC Hotel by Marriott Cincinnati at the Banks
135 Joe Nuxhall Way
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Telephone:  513 744 9900

Where to Eat:

Moerlein Lager House, Microbrewery and Restaurant
115 Joe Nuxhall Way
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Telephone:  513 421 2337

I ordered the Chef’s Charcuterie and the Fried Pickles as I enjoyed a flight of beers.

What to Read:

  • The Ohio Bridge:  Cincinnati’s Roebling Suspension Bridge, 1846 – 1939, by Henry R. Stevens
  • Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
  • Babbitt, by Sinclair Lewis
  • Back Street, by Fannie Hurst
  • The Frontiersmen, by Allan W. Eckert
  • Beloved, by Toni Morrison
  • Cincinnati, by Lee Davis Willoughby
  • Queen City Jazz, by Kathleen Ann Goonan
  • The Cincinnati Red Stalkings, by Troy Soos
  •  The Jazz Bird, by Craig Holden
  • Dead Witch Walking, by Kim Harrison
  • No Police Like Holmes, by Dan Andriacco

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Historical Christian Moerlein Brewery Reopens at The Banks in Cincinnati

After spending a beautiful day along the Banks of Cincinnati, I was ready for an outside table at  Moerlein Lager House.  With views along the Ohio River and northern Kentucky, I had the perfect Cincinnati Reds pre-game seat to enjoy a hearty lunch and a couple of beers.  The place was flooded in red with Reds game attendees.

Prior to Prohibition, Cincinnati was one of the leading beer producers throughout the United States with nearly one-hundred breweries opening before the 1920s.  One of these brewers was German immigrant, Christian Moerlein.

Moerlein arrived in the United States in 1841 and settled in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati popular with German and German-American immigrants.  He began brewing beer in his blacksmith shop before opening the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company on Elm Street in 1853.  He produced over 1000 barrels of beer in his first year of production.

Moerlein created brews that were not only popular in Cincinnati, but throughout the country.  The brewery became the largest in Ohio, the fifth largest in the country and began shipping internationally to Europe and South America.  By 1890, Cincinnati was called the “Beer Capital of the World.”

Unfortunately, with the passing of Moerlein in 1897 and Prohibition shortly thereafter, the brewery closed in 1920.

The Christian Moerlein brand was reintroduced to the public when Christian Moerlein Select Lager was produced by Hudepohl Brewing Company in 1981 and was considered on the “leading edge of the craft beer revolution.”  It was the first beer to pass the strict Reinheigsgebot Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 which requires a beer to contain only four ingredients:  malted barley, hops, water and yeast.

By 2004, local Cincinnatian, Greg Hardman purchased the Christian Moerlein and Hudepohl brands to re-introduce some of the best known brews of Cincinnati.  Six years later, Hardman bought the Husman Potato Chip factory in Over-the-Rhine just a few blocks from Moerlein’s original site.  The first beer produced was the 1861 porter which was introduced on New Year’s Eve 2010 in celebration of Arnold’s Bar and Grill’s 150th anniversary.

I was excited to see an amazing list of Cincinnati retro beers to include Hudy 14-K, Hudy Delight, Hudepohl, Little Kings and Burger on the Lager House menu.  I ordered the Purity Pilsner from their amazing selection , a wonderful light beer.

Moerlein Lager House opened in February 2012 along Cincinnati’s newest neighborhood, The Banks, located along the banks of the Ohio River.  This prime location is also adjacent to Great American Ball Park, home of Cincinnati Reds baseball along the riverfront.

Measuring 150,000 square feet and standing two stories, Moerlein offers plenty of seating with 500 seats inside and 600 outside throughout its multiple beer gardens.  A large beer garden connects to Schmidlapp lawn, an outdoor event space along the riverfront park.

With an extensive menu, Hardman wanted to include foods based on the 19th century German cuisine of Over the Rhine such as soft pretzels, German sausage platter and Reuben sandwich.

I couldn’t resist ordering the Cuban sandwich, chips and Hudy Delight.  With over 80 selections, I have time to try another beer before the Cincinnati Reds game.

Have you visited Moerlein Lager House in Cincinnati?  What beers did you order?  I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Thank you for reading about my visit to Moerlein and wishing you many Happy Travels!

What to See and What to Do:

Moerlein Lager House
115 Joe Nuxhall Way
Cincinnati, OH  45202
Telephone:  513 421 2337
Website:

Where to Eat:

Moerlein Lager House
115 Joe Nuxhall Way
Cincinnati, OH  45202
Telephone:  513 521 2337
Website:  https://www.moerleinlagerhouse.com/

Where to Stay:

AC Hotel by Marriott Cincinnati at The Banks
135 Joe Nuxhall Way
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Telephone:  513 521 2337

What to Eat: 

  • Skyline Chili:  My go-to meal at Skyline is the 4-way chili with onion served with oyster crackers and hot sauce.  I always pick up two York peppermint patties after cashing out.  Cincinnati chili is a beef based sauce served over spaghetti noodles and cheese.  Additional toppings include onions and beans.
  • LaRosa’s Pizza:  A local chain pizzeria, this Sicilian style pie is made with a sweet crust and sauce.  My favorite menu item is the Caprese pesto Flatbread Pizza.
  • Graeter’s Ice Cream:  It’s the French Pot process that makes Graeter’s Ice Cream so decadent and rich.  Towards the end of the process, they pour chocolate into the mix creating large chunks of yummy goodness.
  • Montgomery Inn BBQ:  Visiting the original Montgomery Inn BBQ at the boathouse is a culinary and scenic experience.  Their ribs are served with a sweet and tangy sauce that has since made them the “Ribs King” and a favorite among locals.  Load up on their amazing BBQ flavored Saratoga chips,
  • Glier’s Goetta:  While it looks like a slab of corn beef hash, this breakfast staple is made of sausage and oats, cooked until crispy.  Most breakfast restaurants carry it as a side, especially the local cafes and diners.
  • BonBonerie:  One of the most decadent pastry shops in Cincinnati, their rich confections are absolutely amazing.

Where to Drink:

AC Hotel Rooftop Bar
135 Joe Nuxhall Way
Cincinnati, OH  45202
Telephone:  513 744 9900

What to Read:

  • Eligible:  A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice, by Curtis Sittenfeld
  • Running, by J.T. Cooper
  • Dead Witch Walking, by Kim Harrison
  • Beloved, by Toni Morrison
  • Double Dutch, by Sharon M. Draper
  • Romiette and Julio, by Sharon M. Draper

Photo Guide to Cincinnati:

  • City Hall – Inside and Out
  • Smale Riverfront Park
  • Union Terminal
  • Roebling Suspension Bridge
  • Washington Park
  • Krohn Conservatory
  • American Sign Museum