About the Brand
About
Rhinegeist is a craft brewery in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine. We opened in 2013 inside a 125,000-square-foot building that spent the pre-Prohibition era as the packaging hall for Christian Moerlein, one of the city's biggest old-world breweries. The name means "Spirit of the Rhine." Rhine for the neighborhood, Geist as a ghostly nod to the German brewers who came before us.
We make beer, cider, and a growing list of other drinks. Truth, our flagship IPA, is the best-selling IPA in Ohio. Around it runs a rotating slate of seasonals, barrel-aged and experimental beers, hard ciders under the Cidergeist name, and a non-alcoholic line called Ghost. We've released more than 200 different beers since opening and now rank as one of the 20 largest craft breweries in the country.
Cincinnati is home, and it shows. Our taproom pulls thousands on a good weekend for the beer, the rooftop views over the skyline, the cornhole, and a calendar that runs from drag brunch to line dancing to live wrestling. We give back through programs like Charitable Suds, which sends donations to local nonprofits every week, and Valor, a veterans beer brewed each year by the veterans on our staff.
Founding Story
Rhinegeist started with two friends and a phone call. Bryant Goulding and Bob Bonder met in San Francisco in the mid-2000s, when the city was deep in a craft beer boom. Bob moved to Cincinnati in 2007 and saw a place with serious brewing history and almost no local craft beer to show for it. In 2011 he called Bryant with a pitch: come build a brewery here.
They found their brewer in Jim Matt, a pharmaceutical chemist who homebrewed on the side. Two of his recipes grew into Truth and Uncle. They leased a long-empty building in Over-the-Rhine that had once packaged beer for Christian Moerlein, brought on local investors, and spent the first half of 2013 turning a dusty warehouse into a working brewery.
Rhinegeist opened its doors on June 29, 2013 with four beers, and served around 2,500 people that first day. Truth went into cans in early 2014 and was in Kroger stores by that summer. We've grown a lot since, but the idea hasn't changed: make great beer, and bring brewing life back to a neighborhood that was built on it.
(Facts here check out against your masterbrand deck and public record: founders Bob Bonder and Bryant Goulding met in San Francisco, Bob moved to Cincinnati in 2007 and called Bryant in 2011, they brought on homebrewer Jim Matt, leased the former Christian Moerlein packaging hall, and opened June 29, 2013, serving about 2,500 customers that day.)
At a Glance
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Historic Bottling Plant Turned Taproom
Housed in an 1890s building that was once the packaging hall for Christian Moerlein, one of Cincinnati's biggest pre-Prohibition breweries. 125,000 sq ft in Over-the-Rhine.
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Top-20 US Craft Brewery
One of the 20 largest craft breweries in the country by volume, independent and Cincinnati-owned since 2013.
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GABF Medalist
Repeat Great American Beer Festival medalist, including a 2025 silver for Ring of Kerry and a 2025 bronze for the non-alcoholic Ghost Pils.
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Award-Winning NA Line
Ghost, a non-alcoholic beer line led by the medal-winning Ghost Pils, built for the growing NA category.
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200+ Beers, One Flagship
More than 200 beers released since opening. Truth, the flagship IPA, is the best-selling IPA in Ohio.
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Community Giving
Roughly $100K a year to local nonprofits through the weekly Charitable Suds program and the annual Valor veterans beer.
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Artist Collab Merch Drops
An ongoing program of limited-edition merch and collaborations with local artists, in the taproom and online. Built for gift guides and "what's new" roundups.
Services
Tap a row for details.
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Customizable private spaces in our Over-the-Rhine taproom and rooftop for weddings, corporate gatherings, and private parties, set inside a 125,000 sq ft historic brewery.
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Public guided tours of the production brewery, ticketed and including a pint. A look at how the beer gets made, in a pre-Prohibition building.
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A 25+ tap taproom and a rooftop bar with skyline views, games, and a full events calendar from drag brunch to line dancing to markets.
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Made-to-order pizza inside the Rhinegeist Taproom, with delivery options. Opening Summer 2026. Retro vibe.
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Rhinegeist apparel, drinkware, and skull-logo goods, sold at the in-taproom store and online. The lineup rotates with limited-time drops, fresh releases, and local-artist collaborations.
Signature Products
Tap a product to view details and request a sample.
Team & Experts
Tap a name to read the full bio.
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Denver-born, New York-raised, and a Cornell grad, Bob took his Biometrics degree and worked as a strategy and marketing analytics consultant while living in New York City and San Francisco. In San Francisco, Bob met Bryant Goulding, and the pair identified Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine as a location with serious brewing history and almost no local craft beer to show for it. In 2011 he called Bryant with a pitch: come build a brewery here. Rhinegeist has since grown to be the 23rd largest craft brewery by volume in the U.S. Today, its 300 employees brew 100,000 barrels of beer annually, distributing throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and six other states.
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Born in California and raised in Connecticut, Bryant Goulding earned a master’s degree in economics from the University of Connecticut with a thesis on “The Economics and Evolution of the Craft Beer Industry.” Feeling unfulfilled with work as an analyst and heeding a passion for home brewing, Bryant pursued work in the craft beer industry. After stints at Anderson Valley Brewing Co. and Dogfish Head, Bryant opened Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood with co-founder Bob Bonder in 2013.
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An Ohio native and longtime Cincinnati resident, Adam Bankovich has over 15 years of experience in the brewing industry. After a four-and-a-half year stint with Cincinnati-based distributor Cavalier Distributing, Adam spent nine years at San Diego-based craft beer icon Stone Brewing, which culminated in the role of VP of Sales. Adam joined the Rhinegeist team as Chief Commercial Officer in October 2022, and was officially named CEO in October of 2023.
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Tracey Ireland joined the Rhinegeist team in 2015. Tracey leads brand, creative, content, digital, and eCommerce, partnering with sales, production, and executive leadership to drive portfolio strategy, new brand development, and go-to-market execution. Her background blends CPG and digital, with experience across both global brands and emerging businesses. She has worked in both large, cross-functional organizations and fast-paced startup settings. Under her leadership, Rhinegeist has become the #1 craft brewery in Ohio and a Top 20 U.S. craft brewery by volume.
Press Coverage
BREWBOUND
Jun 25, 2026
Rhinegeist and Kroger Partner on Super Lager at Premium Light Price Point
Rhinegeist's award-winning lager, Cheetah, returns as Super Lager this summer!
LOCAL 12
Dec 18, 2025
'Love seeing history preserved': OTR brewery finds mosaic hidden for 100 years
Local TV pickup of the mural discovery with CEO Adam Bankovich and a preservation expert. Useful because it shows the story carried on broadcast, not just print.
CINCINNATI CITYBEAT
Oct 9, 2025
Greater Cincinnati Breweries Win Big at Great American Beer Festival
Silver for Ring of Kerry (Munich Helles) and bronze for the non-alcoholic Ghost Pils at the 2025 GABF.
CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS
Apr 15, 2025
Rhinegeist Brewery is largest craft brewer in Ohio
Rhinegeist overtakes Great Lakes as Ohio's largest craft brewery by volume, ranking 16th nationally on Brewers Association data.
SPECTRUM NEWS 1
Nov 28, 2022
Coat drive part of Rhinegeist's 'commitment to community'
Winter coat drive for St. Vincent de Paul, plus Valor, the veterans beer brewed each year by Rhinegeist's veteran staff.
WCPO-TV
Sep 26, 2015
See which Cincy brewer won big in Denver
Silver for Sherry Ink, the only Cincinnati brewery to medal at GABF that year. First-medal milestone with a founder quote.
WVXU
Rhinegeist renovations lead to discovery of a 19th century mosaic tile mural
The story highlights Rhinegeist’s role as a steward of local history. In direct response to the find, Rhinegeist is featured for the release of "Tip of the Hat," a commemorative pre-Prohibition lager. The beer’s name and branding are inspired by a specific "Easter egg" in the mural—a single tile in a figure’s hat that was famously installed sideways by the original 19th-century craftsmen. This inclusion reinforces Rhinegeist’s commitment to preserving the Over-the-Rhine heritage while continuing the city’s brewing legacy.
Press Releases
Aug 11, 2026
Rhinegeist and Kroger Launch Super Lager, a Gold Award-Winning Cincinnati Lager Built for a Wider Shelf
Two Cincinnati-headquartered companies are bringing an already-proven lager recipe to Kroger stores across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast this August.
Locations
Taproom and Brewery
1910 Elm Street, Cincinnati
Main taproom.
Asset Library
Editorial-ready assets. All images cleared for press use with credit.
