In the heart of St. Bernard, Ohio, where the ghosts of Cincinnati’s German brewing heritage still linger, Jon and Betsy Newberry crafted a tale that’s as hoppy as it is haunting. Beer lovers far and wide know Wiedemann’s Fine Beer as the phoenix of brews, rising from a 150-year-old legacy to pour crisp lagers and bold ales in a place where spirits of another kind once rested: a former funeral home.
Picture this: it’s 2012, and Jon, a former journalist with a nose for a good story and a thirst for great beer, catches wind that the Wiedemann trademark—once Kentucky’s largest brewery, shuttered in 1983—is up for grabs. Founded in 1870 by George Wiedemann in Newport, Kentucky, the brand was a titan of Cincinnati’s German beer culture, its Bohemian Special Brew a staple at family gatherings. Jon, with Betsy by his side, snatches the rights, determined to revive this icon. “It’s not just beer,” Jon says, “it’s Cincinnati’s soul in a glass.” But where to brew it? Newport plans fizzle, and fate points them to St. Bernard, to a 1921 masonry relic at 4811 Vine Street—the Imwalle Memorial Funeral Home.
The idea of turning a funeral parlor into a brewery raises eyebrows. Some craft beer purists scoff, calling it a gimmick. But Jon sees poetry in the transformation. “From a place of endings to a place of beginnings,” he muses. The village of St. Bernard, eager to breathe life into its historic downtown, sells the Newberrys the property for $700,000. By 2017, they break ground, keeping the building’s vintage charm—ornate moldings, high ceilings—while adding a 3,500-square-foot brewhouse and a kitchen. The old embalming room? Now it’s home to a canning line. The parlor? A cozy taproom glowing with neon Wiedemann signs, serving up to 125 thirsty souls.
Head brewer Steve Shaw, a wizard from Cellar Dweller, crafts recipes that honor the past while winking at the present. The flagship Bohemian Special Brew, a crisp Pilsner with noble Czech hops, flows like liquid history (ABV 4.6%, IBU 11). But Steve doesn’t stop there. He conjures a Wake Me Up Hazelnut Coffee Milk Stout (ABV 8%) that’s like breakfast in a pint, and a Blood Orange Blonde Ale (ABV 3.6%) that zings with citrusy refreshment. The taproom’s 42 taps pour everything from a tart pomegranate fruit ale to a silky chocolate-coconut stout, each sip a nod to Wiedemann’s refusal to be boxed in by style guidelines.
The vibe? Pure neighborhood tavern, unpretentious and warm, like your rich friend’s basement in high school, complete with pool tables and Reds games on eight big screens. The 12,000-square-foot complex boasts a tree-lined beer garden by a Miami-Erie Canal wall, a sundeck for 70, and live music on weekends—blues, rock, or a local crooner. Beer lovers like Tonya, a Cincinnati native, call it “the most charming brewery in the Midwest.” She sips a Summertime Lime Mexican Lager (ABV 5%) and raves about the goetta tater tots, though she admits the pretzel’s a bit doughy. “It’s not just the beer,” she says. “It’s the stories this place holds.”
The funeral home’s past isn’t ignored—it’s celebrated with a sly grin. Seasonal brews like “Embalmer’s Ale” lean into the history, and the upstairs event space, once a viewing room, now hosts weddings and corporate gigs. By 2020, Wiedemann’s 150th anniversary, the taproom’s a local institution, its Bohemian Special voted Cincinnati’s Favorite Beer in 2021 and 2022. Jon reflects, “We’re not just brewing beer; we’re brewing community.”
Wiedemann’s Fine Beer, Brewery & Pub
Address: 4811 Vine St
Cincinnati, OH 45217
Phone: (513) 482-6970
Website: wiedemannsfinebeer.com