Urban Artifact
If you are into fruited beers and especially sours, look no further than Urban Artifact. Urban Artifact has gained national (possibly world wide) recognition as a leader in fruit tart beers. Unfortunately for me…I am not one who really enjoys these styles of beers. But here, I am because visiting breweries and writing reviews is what I enjoy. I tell you this to preface my review with my lack of enthusiasm about drinking tarts, sours or Gose beers, but I am always open to new experiences. Urban Artifact is located in a beautiful old church which makes a great space for this brewery. They are also located in the wonderfully quirky Cincinnati neighborhood of Northside. (I am a longtime fan of the Northside community just for the record) Artifact does not serve food, so eat ahead or bring some snacks. You can also buy some chips up at the bar.
The tasting room is located in an area below the main building where church services once took place. Now that area serves as a rental for weddings, parties or whatever. The tasting room is nice and there is also ample seating outside. In good weather it is a perfect place to sit and enjoy a beverage. There is also a concert area connected to the tasting room. Live music performances from classical piano and jazz to alternative and metal happen here regularly.
So with much trepidation we sat at the bar and began our tasting journey. My first sampling was the Teak Tropical American fruit tart (ABV 7.2%). Only lightly tart with a slight effervescence, it was enjoyable if not really very tropical tasting. Second was the Cranberry Orange American fruit tart (ABV 7.2%). A dense reddish color with a very light cranberry-orange flavor and only mildly tart. I was surprised that I actually enjoyed this one as I am not really a fan of cranberries. Next up was the Bushel spiced apple fruit tart (ABV 4.5%). Nice aromas of spiced apple make you think of those hot apple toddies on a cold winter night, however this is a lovely cold version of it. Pumpkin Pie American fruit tart came next (ABV 7.4%). Light pumpkin flavor balanced with a very light tartness. Not a big fan of pumpkin in my beer but it wasn’t bad. The last one I sampled was the Pickle, made with cucumber, dill and sea salt (ABV 4.3%). My initial reaction when I saw this on tap was eeeew. I could not imagine how this would be worth trying. Then after tasting the others, I looked at it with new eyes and thought about how much I enjoyed pickle juice ices when I was very young. This was mildly pickle-ish and really only vaguely reminded me of my childhood. Still, it was far better than I had initially thought.
All-in-all the experience was far better than I had thought it would be (as far as the taste of the brews). Artifact is a fun and lively place to go and enjoy some very quality made beverages. Although my taste buds still prefer a good IPA or IPA milkshake over tarts or sours any day, this was a nice experience. Artifact will probably never become a “go to” for me but I would gladly come back here if friends suggested it. Their beverages are high quality and their environment is inviting and fun.
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