Cincinnati Parks 6 - Smale Riverfront Park

Saturday
This is the newest addition to the Cincinnati Park system - it had its official opening just yesterday evening. It is part of the Banks development, between Paul Brown (football) stadium and the Great American Ballpark, which will ultimately comprise residential options, street-level retail, restaurants, offices, and hotel rooms in addition to the park. It had been a hot day and we had spent it working in the yard - Roger was working on some bare patches in the grass and mulching, and I was cleaning the patio and patio furniture with the pressure washer. So by late afternoon we decided we deserved the evening off, so we cleaned ourselves up and headed downtown to explore the new park. There are several water features and fountains in the park, a labyrinth and a memorial to the little known Black Brigade. The Black Brigade was formed in 1862 to construct barricades to defend Cincinnati from Confederate attack. Initially, members of the Black Brigade were forced into service. Then, after a public outcry, 700 African-American men volunteered for the service and formed The Black Brigade-which, with many others, successfully built the critical fortifications in Northern Kentucky. You can see more pictures of the park here . We went for dinner to the Moerlein Lager House, also part of the Banks development. Christian Moerlein is a historic, craft beer company headquartered in the Cincinnati, Ohio neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine. It has an interesting history. It was founded in 1853 by Christian Moerlein, a Bavarian immigrant, who traveled to America in 1841 after becoming an apprentice brewer and blacksmith. He settled in the Over-the-Rhine district of Cincinnati, heavily populated by mostly Germans and German-Americans. Over the next decade Christian Moerlein became the most prominent brewer in the city of Cincinnati. At its peak, Christian Moerlein beer was being shipped to places as far as Europe and South America, and was the only Cincinnati beer exported internationally. Moerlein died in 1897, but the company continued until Prohibition began. The company never recovered from Prohibition, and sat idle until the brand was reintroduced in 1981 by the Hudepohl Brewing Company. The new Christian Moerlein Brewing Company was at the forefront of the craft beer movement. The Christian Moerlein Select Lager became the first American beer to certifiably pass the strict Reinheitsgebot, or Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. In 2004, the Christian Moerlein brand was purchased by Greater Cincinnati resident and beer baron Greg Hardman, who follows the same guidelines as its founder. The restaurant has a great location overlooking the Ohio river and the Roebling Suspension bridge, and has a lot of glass, making the most of the view, as well as outdoor seating.