FOOD & DRINK

FOOD

& DRINK

Somerset’s garden space

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY SOMERSET

Over-the-Rhine Oasis

Slated to open this summer, Somerset will feature a lush outdoor garden, greenhouse bar, doubledecker food bus by Mazunte and unique decor from around the globe

BY HAILEY BOLLINGER

Something extraordinary is growing roots in Over-the-Rhine, but if you’re not looking for it, you just might miss it.

Tucked away at 139 E. McMicken Ave., a sprawling new drinking and dining destination soon will open its doors, offering an immersive escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Somerset, aiming for a late July opening, will feature two bar spaces — a main one in the plant-filled and glassroofed conservatory and another in the cozy lounge space. The grounds also will be home to a double-decker London tour bus that has been converted into a kitchen (with a rooftop seating area); and, the pièce de résistance, Somerset’s awe-inspiring garden space, loaded with tropical plants, unique seating nooks and imported art pieces from co-founder and creative lead James Fisher’s collection, as well as collections from his friends and family.

Fisher, the visionary behind Somerset, was inspired by a destination — also called Somerset — that his family would visit on childhood vacations while living in England.

“It’s a weird place with Druids, huge solstice celebrations, Glastonbury Festival (our Burning Man) and all kinds of general monkey business,” Fisher tells CityBeat via email. “We usually went on long trips to Africa or the Middle East, but when we had less time and needed to get away somewhere a little closer to home, it was always Somerset.”

“We want our Somerset to be that for our guests; a place that’s just on your doorstep, where you can go to recharge and feel like you are somewhere far away, even if just for a little while,” he continues.

To create something so extravagant is no small task and requires a dedicated team. Along with Fisher — a lifelong collector and traveler and also the co-founder of locally spawned travel app Roadtrippers — the ownership is split between Tatiana Parent (also a co-founder of Roadtrippers), Lauren Moore, Charlie Rittgers and Tony Alexander.

Fisher collaborated with Jeremy Moore and Sara Hutslar, the former management team behind Over-theRhine’s now-defunct Neons. Moore, who is a partner behind Liberty’s Bar & Bottle and The Pony, is Somerset’s chief operating officer, and Hutslar is the bar’s general manager.

Grafton Wiley, a familiar face around the area for his former head of security roles around town, will also join the management group, Fisher tells CityBeat.

Somerset itself will be split among four main spaces: the courtyard, a greenhouse bar, a lounge and the garden area.

Guests will enter the courtyard through utterly massive and ornate gates that are more than 170 years old and were imported from India.

“They were used to defend a small town in Uttar Pradesh against light raids and have all this interesting Islamic geometry on the front from when Persian architecture was prized in India during the Mughal Empire, so they are a real fusion of cultures — which is a common thread for us,” Fisher says.

The courtyard will house Somerset’s double-decker food bus, which will be helmed by the team behind Mazunte Tacos. Fisher says Mazunte will bring the special Mexican flair they’re known for, along with a globe-trotting menu of street eats.

“I’m really excited about what they have put together for us; it’s tasty as hell and there’s some really interesting and innovative stuff going to be happening,” Fisher says.

The first floor of the bus will serve food, and the upper deck will offer al fresco seating, which groups will be able to book privately. The courtyard will have seating as well.

Adjacent to the courtyard is Somerset’s vibrant greenhouse, stocked with cascading plants, lanterns, birdcages, a large circular bar and an additional floating bar in the back. Fisher says the bar program will focus on global spirits, infusions and cocktails, offering all the classics, but “each with a unique Somerset twist,” and using herbs and garnishes grown right on the bar rooftop. The conservatory room will feature eight sandalwood doors which will remain open in the summer to promote an airy breeze.

Fisher says they’ve put consideration into the menu’s pricing so that all members of the community can enjoy the bar.

“One other point that is important to us is that we can become a neighborhood gathering spot for people from all walks of life to mix and have fun,” he says. “To support this and help ensure that everyone can enjoy the space, we are going to have drink options at all price points.”

Somerset’s bright and airy greenhouse will be contrasted by a separate, cozy lounge space, featuring sofas, rugs, a book-swap library and an open fireplace.

But if you’ve spent any time on the forthcoming bar’s Instagram page (and if you haven’t, you should), you know the magic happens in the garden oasis — a separate area from the courtyard.

“The idea is to have all sorts of interesting areas of different sizes for all kinds of groups and vibes. We have two huge gazebos, a round area around a tree seat we pulled from an old manor in England, a Nepalese Mandap (wedding altar), which also acts as a platform for our outdoor cinema projector, and lots more,” Fisher says.

“All of it is embedded into a junglelike environment of exotic planting (or as exotic as Ohio winters will allow), and set on sandstone that we bought straight from the quarry on a trip to Rajasthan.”

In addition to being a neighborhood food and drink hub and gathering space, Somerset also hopes to host local chef pop-ups and yoga sessions in the garden.

“We also intend to offer the garden space for free on weekdays to any community-focused organizations who need space for events and meetups. We’ll have a booking form on our website (coming soon) for that,” Fisher says.

A grand opening date has not yet been announced, but follow Somerset’s Instagram page for updates.

Somerset’s garden space is filled with tropical plants and unique art pieces.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY SOMERSET

Somerset management team member Grafton Wiley takes a break in the restaurant’s garden space. PHOTO: PROVIDED BY SOMERSET Somerset, 139 E. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine, instagram.com/ somerset.otr.

WHAT’S THE HOPS West Side Brewing’s Braille Ale Raises Funds for the Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired

BY OLIVE COLLINS NIESZ

Reaching into the refrigerator to grab a drink is something that many of us take for granted, since we can simply read the label to know whether we’re choosing a beer versus a soda. The same goes for seeing the difference between our shampoo and conditioner bottles or between our toothpaste and acne cream tubes.

But without the mainstream presence of Braille on everyday items, these simple tasks increase in difficulty for those who are blind and visually impaired.

Luckily, there will be no mix-ups when West Side Brewing brings accessibility to beer with another year of its Braille Ale Raspberry Gose. The special brew is a collaboration with the Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired (CABVI).

Cans of Braille Ale are printed with raised Braille writing saying “CABVI,” “West Side Brewing” and “Braille Ale Raspberry Gose.” West Side Brewing will donate $1 to CABVI for every sixpack sold.

The team chose the style of Gose (a German beer brewed with wheat, barley and coriander) because of its light, sweet and drinkable qualities. The ABV (alcohol by volume) comes in at 4%, and the touch of raspberry leaves it flavorful and approachable.

This is the second year for the Braille Ale collaboration but the first year for a full-fledged celebration. The coronavirus pandemic thwarted plans for a kick-off party in 2020, though a drive-by release still took place that August.

West Side Brewing will celebrate its Braille Ale Raspberry Gose 6-9 p.m. Thursday, July 8, with a party that will feature blindfolded tastings of beers, a silent auction, live music by Dirty Mike and the 6 Speeds and the Big Dogg BBQ food truck, which will donate 20% of its sales back to CABVI. West Side Brewing will donate a portion of bar sales from the event to CABVI, as well. Natalie Jones of Q102 (WKRQ-FM) will be on hand to chat with station fans.

The partnership between West Side Brewing and CABVI began in late 2019, when West Side Brewing sales representative Ben Metz met Aaron Bley, CABVI’s vice president of community relations, at the organization’s annual ‘Dining in the Dark’ fundraising gala. Metz and Bley presented the idea of a Braille Ale collaboration to West Side Brewing CEO Joe Mumper, and the brewery’s team was “all in, right away,” says Bley.

CABVI’s stated mission is “empowering people who are blind or visually impaired with opportunities to seek independence.” Located on Gilbert Avenue near Eden Park, CABVI offers services like assistive technology (like screen readers and magnifiers), information services such as its Radio Reading Service, and employment opportunities in its ‘Industries Program.’

The organization provides programs, services, support groups and more to about 4,500 clients a year, Bley says.

As a private nonprofit organization, CABVI receives limited government funding aside from an occasional grant opportunity, so it greatly relies on donations and fundraising events to continue the work that it does for Cincinnati’s blind and visually impaired community.

West Side Brewing is in the process of trademarking “Braille Ale” with the intention of using the brand to help train other breweries on including Braille on products. The brewery worked with a company in the Netherlands to learn the Braille printing process — something that is both technically difficult and expensive.

In the future, Metz says the brewery would love to include Braille on all cans and implement a full Braille menu in the taproom.

“(Braille) should be on Budweiser labels, it should be on Miller labels, it should be an industry standard,” says Metz. He hopes that if the presence of Braille becomes more common in the beer industry, the cost of production of Braille on cans will go down, making it easier for smaller breweries to provide.

Beer drinkers can purchase six-packs of Braille Ale in the West Side Brewing taproom and at retailers around Cincinnati, including Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield,

West Side Brewing is celebrating the second annual release of its Braille Ale.

PHOTO: OLIVE COLLINS NIESZ

West Side Brewing’s Braille Ale Raspberry Gose

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY WEST SIDE BREWING

with more locations to be announced.

West Side Brewing, 3044 Harrison Ave., Westwood, westsidebrewing.com.