Christian Moerlein Brewing Company announces plans to expand brewing operations to Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine Brewery District. The Christian Moerlein brand is one of the early pioneers of today's craft beer movement. Steeped in the classic American brewing traditions and brought back by the former Hudepohl Brewing Company in 1981 as a high-end better beer, the Moerlein brand is currently sold in the greater Cincinnati market and select accounts throughout Ohio. The Christian Moerlein brand is also the first American beer to certifiably pass the German purity law known as the Reinheitsgebot. "We have been working a very long time and have put a lot of heart and soul into the brewing renaissance of Christian Moerlein as a unique handcrafted beer and brewery," said Greg Hardman CEO of Christian Moerlein Brewing Company.

Since 2004, the company has been building a base of sales on Christian Moerlein in the greater Cincinnati market along with introducing and working on recipes of unique handcrafted beers, which will be produced at the new brewery. It was also announced last September that it plans to open a world-class gastropub microbrewery known as the Moerlein Lager House celebrating Cincinnati's brewing heritage while focusing on beer and food pairings in an upscale yet casual setting. The Moerlein Lager House will be located in the new Cincinnati Riverfront Park between the Cincinnati Reds, Great American Ballpark and the Cincinnati Bengals, Paul Brown Stadium on Cincinnati's Riverfront, scheduled to open in the summer of 2011.
 

   
The site of the new brewing operation will be the former Husman Potato Chip plant located at 1621 Moore Street in Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine Brewery District. It was also the former malt and lager house of the Kaufman Brewing Company from 1869 through 1919 (until the start of prohibition) and has some of the largest and most historic stone lager cellars found in the United States. "We want to brew the most unique and best beer that we can; this brewing facility will enable us to do just that," added Hardman. The company has entered into a lease agreement with an option to buy the 125,000 square foot facility which will enable the company to expand their business for many years to come. Additionally, the buildings sound infrastructure, and historical significance were main considerations in choosing the Over-the-Rhine location. "So many small brewers run into expansion problems due to space limitations, we wanted to make sure we had plenty of space to grow our business," continued Hardman. Initial plans call for renovations and general clean up of the facility so the company can relocate its corporate offices and install initial brewing capacity focused on its high-end beers beginning in 2011.

The history of Christian Moerlein dates back 157 years to when the brew master Christian Moerlein, an immigrant from Truppach Bavaria, Germany brewed his first beer in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine Brewery District in 1853. Christian Moerlein ceased operations at the start of prohibition and did not resume operations after prohibition ended in 1933. In 1981, the Christian Moerlein brand was brought back to the Cincinnati market by the Hudepohl Brewing Company as one of the first commercially sold American craft beers and the first American beer to certifiably pass the German Purity Law of 1516. In 1999, local ownership of the brand was lost when out-of-town owners purchased the brand assets of the Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Company and later moved production to Maryland in 2001 from the former Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewery owned by the Boston Beer Company. Beer industry veteran and greater Cincinnati resident Greg Hardman purchased Christian Moerlein in 2004 bringing back the local ownership along with an additional commitment to bring back the local brewing heritage. Brewing operations are scheduled to begin in the new Cincinnati location beginning in 2011.

Due to persistent consumer demand, Christian Moerlein Brewing Company has obtained all of the brand assets of the former Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Company. These brands include Little Kings Cream Ale, Bruin Pale Ale, Hudepohl and Burger Classic to name a few. The company operates these brands through its Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing division and is currently expanding distribution nationally on its Little Kings brand having signed on over 100 new wholesalers since the first of the year. "The growth of Little Kings and its unique 7oz. green bottle and original cream ale style coupled with great name recognition and consumer demand has enabled us to grow our distribution base significantly. Our intention would be to grow the Christian Moerlein craft brand through our existing distributors as we expand in the future," added Hardman.

Christian Moerlein Brewing Company is the brewer of handcrafted Moerlein Lagers & Ales including Moerlein OTR Ale, Moerlein Lager House, Moerlein Barbarossa Double Dark Lager, Moerlein Northern Liberties IPA, Moerlein Fifth & Vine Oktoberfest Marzen, Moerlein Christkindl Winter Warmer Ale, Moerlein Friend of the Irishman Stout and Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock. More information on Moerlein Lagers & Ales can be obtained at www.christianmoerlein.com.

Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Co. is the brewer of Hudy Delight, Hudy 14-K, Burger Classic and Little Kings Cream Ale and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. More information on Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Company beers can be obtained at each brands website at www.hudydelight.com, www.hudy14-K.com, www.burgerbeer.com and www.littlekingsbeer.com.