Bottoms up to a city that boasts more than 23 brewhouses and dozens of beer bars serving-up unique craft ales and lagers of all kinds. An appreciation for the small-batch, handcrafted way of doing things also means Cleveland has a wealth of locally distilled spirits, craft cocktail lounges and regional wineries.
Cheers to Beers
Cleveland Brewery Passport. Visitors can sip their way through the thriving craft beer scene with the popular
Cleveland Brewery Passport. The 2023 edition includes the largest number of breweries yet for the program, with 42 locations within a 25-mile radius of Downtown Cleveland. Prizes are awarded at two levels of check-ins.
Award-Winning Brews. Multiple Cleveland breweries have been recognized in recent competitions. At the
2023 World Beer Cup,
Fat Heads Brewery won gold for AlpenGlow, Bone Head and Head Hunter and bronze for Hop Stalker. At the
2023 Great American Beer Festival, Fat Heads also won gold for AlpenGlow and bronze for Bone Head. In the
2023 U.S. Open Beer Championship,
Boss Dog Brewing Co. won gold in Fruit IPA for Regal Beagle, and
Masthead Brewing Co. won bronze in New England/Juicy IPA for Hazy Headlines.
Great Lakes Brewing Company. Ohio’s first craft brewery,
Great Lakes Brewing Company has been creating award-winning lagers and ales for 35 years. Known for beloved brews like Christmas Ale and Dortmunder Gold, the brewery is also a trendsetter in sustainability efforts. The brewery utilizes solar power, efficient water usage, repurposes waste and supports local farms, including creation of the
Pint Size Farm in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Ohio City Neighborhood Brewery Hub. Just across the river from Downtown, the Ohio City neighborhood is the heart of Cleveland’s craft beer scene. Following the lead of Great Lakes Brewing Company, more than five breweries now call the neighborhood home. Visitors can tour the custom-built
Market Garden Production Brewery and taste the signature brews at
Market Garden Brewery and
Nano Brew. Travelers can also experience literary vibes at
Bookhouse Brewing, grab some New Haven style pizza at
Saucy Brew Works and finish with traditional Eastern European brews at
Hansa Brewery.
Pulpo Beer Co. At
Pulpo Beer Co., the first Latin-owned brewery in Ohio, tropical interiors, artistic octopus renderings and a beach-hut-turned-bar transport visitors to Latin America. The brewery and brewpup in Willoughby and a new taproom in Westlake are both a short drive from Downtown Cleveland.
Wines of The Land
Chateau Hough. Branda Frazier carries on the legacy of her late husband and founder Mansfield, who transformed vacant lots in the Hough neighborhood into a vineyard with nearly 300 vines.
The Winery of Chateau Hough produces seven wines made from cold-hearty grapes grown on-site while also supporting job creation and community development through urban farming.
CLE Urban Winery. CLE Urban Winery produces and sells a variety of handcrafted wines with names and branding that pay homage to the city. Located in Cleveland Heights, the winery and tasting bar invite guests to explore the winemaking process while enjoying signature blends.
Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa. A Tuscan-inspired winery resort in Canton,
Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa provides the complete winery experience with tastings, winery tours, a six-acre vineyard, three on-site restaurants and villa suites. The resort also features a distillery, coffeehouse and craft cocktail lounge, as well as a luxury boutique hotel and spa.
Geneva Wineries. Family-owned
Ferrante Winery in Geneva produces award-winning ice wine made from frozen grapes grown along Lake Erie. Nearby
M Cellars Winery offers vintage and estate wines crafted using responsible farming techniques.
Debonne Vineyards is the state’s largest estate winery with more than 175 acres of vines, and the first to open a microbrewery,
Double Wing Brewing Co.
Ohio Wine Trails. A short drive from Cleveland, visitors can embark on wine-focused excursions through multiple regions. The
Vines & Wines Trail covers the Grand River valley near Geneva in Northeast Ohio. The
Canal Country Wine Trail follows the path of the historic Ohio & Erie Canal and Cuyahoga River Valley south of Cleveland. West of the city, the
Shores & Islands Trail features wineries that utilize the cooling winds from Lake Erie and variety of soil types found in the region.
Cocktails & Mocktails
Western Reserve Distillery. Western Reserve Distillery opened in Lakewood in August 2018 as the first organic distillery in the state. The family-run distillery sources grains from organic farms located within 150 miles to produce premium vodka, gin, rum, rye and bourbon. The tasting room features a craft cocktail program, distillery tours and a barrel aging program with create-your-own and select-your-own experiences for whiskey and rum lovers.
Cleveland Whiskey. During whiskey tastings of
Cleveland Whiskey, travelers can sample varieties and learn how the distillery is pushing the boundaries of traditional whiskey through its use of transformative woods and innovative technology to create revolutionary new flavors.
Patron Saint Café. All-day café
Patron Saint opened in June 2023 features coffee and aperitivo drinks served alongside a menu of Italian-inspired small plates. The daily Apertitivo Hour starts at 4 p.m. and features special bar snacks and slushies.
Clandestina. Clandestina opened in July 2023 and offers more than 130 bottles, including 64 tequilas, 45 mezcals, four exotic Mexican spirits and 21 liquors and cordials from South and Central America. A dozen beers on tap and a menu of small plates completes the experience.
Cloak & Dagger. The literary-themed
Cloak & Dagger cocktail lounge opened in October 2020 in the Tremont neighborhood. It features a spectrum of craft-yet-approachable cocktails and a menu of plant-based dishes to enjoy in the enchanting space.
LBM. Started by restaurant and bar veterans, the staff of
LBM pour passion into their craft. Using only fresh seasonal ingredients and a well-curated selection of liquor and beer, carefully crafted drinks and food are served every day but Sunday.
Verbena. Verbena Shoppe, Café & Dry Bar is the city’s first brick and mortar non-alcoholic café, retailer and bar. Verbena provides a new, sober experience for visitors, showcasing mocktails, evening events and food, including lunch fare, cheeseboards, tin fish plates and desserts.
Speakeasy-style Lounges. Guests can sip at a speakeasy-style space like Downtown’s
Society Lounge, in the subterranean
Vault or at
Velvet Tango Room in the Tremont neighborhood, where handcrafted cocktails are served-up in an old-fashioned style that reflects drinks from the 1920s.
Beverage Experiences
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Visitors can take a two-hour ride through the
Cuyahoga Valley National Park on the
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s “Ales on Rails” beer-tasting excursion or “Grape Escape” wine-tasting excursion that are offered throughout the year.
Brewery Tour. Visitors can experience the ultimate pub-crawl with
City Brew Tours Cleveland, which brings beer lovers to multiple locations for tastings. Guests will learn about the history of craft brewing in Cleveland, get a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing process and try plenty of samples.
Brewboat CLE. During the warmer months, visitors can experience the sights and sounds of Cleveland while paddling along the Cuyahoga River with a cold beer in hand on
BrewBoat CLE.
Tiki Barge. Experience the “most tropical experience Cleveland has to offer” on the
Cleveland Tiki Barge. The two-hour cruises are BYOB and come with a captain, a first mate, Bluetooth speakers, ice and coolers. The largest barge fits up to 49 guests and routes run along the Cuyahoga River and the Inner Harbor of Lake Erie.