A Visit to Knox Joseph Distillery at OTR StillHouse4 min read

Knox Joseph Distillery at the OTR StillHouse isn’t just a new bar… It’s way more. It is a woman-owned distillery, a concert venue, a place to grab food, a place to sip and soak up the sun in a badass space. 

The Space~

If you enter through the front it’s like a “speakeasy” because it’s a small bar/retail shop on Central Pkwy.  and then you walk in and look out the windows a see the huge outdoor area with picnic tables and an additional big indoor area that houses a kick-butt pot still that is a showstopper (more on that later), a huge concert stage, a beautiful bar, and so much character. When you see the before pics of this place I would have totally thought she was crazy too… but when she saw it she had a vision and when she discovered that this old Ice Factory had mineral water under the ground she thought it was meant to be. 

Woman owned~

Michele Hobbs had a vision that people questioned back in 2014 but she worked her rear-end off to prove them wrong and I would say she did it! She did a ton of heavy lifting, truck driving, moving, and hauling all while building a killer team of talent. A group like Larry – the whiskey legend to Dr.Tom – the Ph.D. flavor scientist, to local top brewer Chris and so many more have helped Michele create her dream. When talking with Michele you can’t help getting excited about the Stillhouse because she was involved in every detail and was so intentional with every detail. When she told me she cared about the rubber flooring behind the bar because the bartenders stand for hours a day, I knew she was special. She built showers for employees and they have their own lockers (I love that she thinks of her employees like this).  She gets all geeked out about the clean air system she had pumped everywhere..it shows this is a place she built for everyone to enjoy. 

So many things that make this place special~

There are many things that make OTR Stillhouse a place you have to visit. It’s more than the wide variety of expertly distilled spirits and cocktails and housemade brews & wines. When you walk into the big space the first thing you’ll notice is the beautiful huge bar which used to be at Brazenhead Irish Pub that was taken apart and reassembled. The “Bishops Quarter” is the cool sitting area where all the furniture came from the Archbishops’ place. Ok now my favorite is “AuerFiona” see it ?? Fiona… yes, the copper pot still looks like a hippo named after Cincy’s favorite hippo. They both are the stars of the show and everyone wants a picture with them ;) Take a close look at the stunning floor which is all repurposed from the original joists, so they date back to 1899. Everything has a story… take a look at the cool bottles that are to be displayed sideways and look like books on a shelf. They even have the original map of the building in the back. The chandeliers have been in Cincy for over 120 years. They last hung in Mike & Carol Trotta’s custom-tailoring. 

Food~

There is also food that is provided from Josh Campbell formally from Django now SQR (skewer) serving up Japanese-style street food…a perfect menu to compliment all the cocktails. They also have a great Saturday & Sunday Brunch! 

I can’t wait to catch a concert soon. Check out the calendar of events to start planning. 

More things to know:

*The name Knox Joseph Distillery is a nod to Michele’s children 

*They  already won a few medals in the U.S. Open Whiskey Championship before they even sold a bottle 

*Located at 2017 Branch St. (a ton of parking in a lot and you enter through the back gates) it’s also a short walk off the streetcar 

*Michele is also the proud long time owner of Pet Wants and a long time OTR resident

*Knox Joseph Retail bottle and gift shop hours ~1820 Central Pkwy (front)

Sunday 11:00 AM–7:00 PM

Monday – Closed

Tuesday – Closed

Wednesday 12:00 PM–6:00 PM

Thursday 12:00 PM–6:00 PM

Friday 12:00 PM–6:00 AM

Saturday 11:00 AM–7:00 PM

*Knox Joseph Distillery at the OTR StillHouse Hours ~

Sunday 11:00 AM–9:00 PM

Monday- Closed

Tuesday – Closed

Wednesday 3:00 PM–10:00 PM

Thursday 3:00 PM–10:00 PM

Friday 3:00 PM–11:00 PM

Saturday 11:00 AM–11:00 PM

*No pets

*If you spot Michele talk to her, ask her questions, see her passion and enjoy 

* Great spot to pre or post party for FCC games