Narrow Path Brewing Company
Narrow Path Brewing Company’s theme, ‘Beer for your journey,’ fits perfectly, given its location along the Little Miami Scenic Trail in Loveland, Ohio’s historic downtown. The brewery is a popular stop for cyclists, joggers, canoers, and winter visitors arriving by car. It has done a great job transforming a small space into a functional microbrewery with a welcoming taproom. In a warm, community-oriented setting, wooden beer barrels decorate the backdoor entrance wall, adding charm, while mini chalkboards with rustic frames line the wood-paneled wall behind the bar, each featuring a hand-drawn illustration of the flavor name. Years of craft beer award ribbons, earned for their well-balanced beers, hang on a rod above them. The bar, built around fermentation tanks with high stools for extra seating, further enhances the atmosphere. The large, cylindrical stainless steel tanks reflect and catch different colors of light.
Ordering a flight of four craft beer samples from the current taproom draft list involved writing down the choices on a card that the bartender placed in the middle of the tray—an innovative way to keep traffic flowing behind the counter. I chose three modern craft lagers and an IPA: Tmavy Pivo 14° – Czech Dark Lager, Polotmavy 12° – Czech Amber Lager, Path Blue Ribbon, and Tire Patch, India Pale Ale. The three lagers have unique flavor profiles but share core qualities. All lagers, from dark to light, are brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast and undergo two fermentation stages. Lagering, which is German for storage, is the second fermentation at near-freezing temperatures. This process allows for more yeast conditioning time, resulting in clear, crisp beer.
Narrow Path’s Tmavy Pivo 14°, meaning ‘Dark Beer’ in Czech, is chestnut brown with a foamy tan head. Highly drinkable and fuller-bodied than lighter lagers, it offers a rich, malty flavor with hints of coffee and cola. Quality ingredients shine through in the layered complexity of this craft brew. It is a traditional beer style dating back to 1499 in Prague, where it is still brewed today with better ingredients than during communist rule. Polotmavy 12°, meaning ‘half-dark,’ is an amber Czech lager that is very drinkable, featuring a smooth, toasty profile with earthy hoppiness and a dry finish. Czech lagers are known for their subtle spice from Saaz hops. Path Blue Ribbon, the third lager in the flight, is golden, clear, and effervescent, with a clean aroma. Its balanced, light citrus flavor makes it crisp and refreshing. Tire Patch IPA, a garnet-colored beer, is delightfully complex, with the right amount of hop flavor and a dry finish. All four beers in the flight are balanced, delicious, and easy to drink.
Inside or outside, Narrow Path Brewing Company offers year-round spaces to gather with friends. Visitors can gather around an open fire pit in the beer garden while sampling artisan brews like Double Barrel Black Bear, which has notes of brown sugar and semi-sweet dark chocolate, or Teddy Bear imperial stout, with hints of graham crackers, maple, vanilla, and cinnamon. They can also enjoy shelter in a warm, igloo-shaped, clear dome, available to reserve online, that accommodates up to 8 guests. The brewery offers cans, bottles, crowlers, and growlers of draft beer refills. Alongside the J’s Fish Taco food truck parked near the beer garden, serving Narrow Path’s guests, there are excellent restaurants nearby. Tanos, Ramsey’s Trailside, Paxton’s Grill, and Bishop’s Quarter are all within walking distance— the farthest, the Works Pizza Co., is just a three-minute walk.
