Urban Artifact

Urban Artifact, fruit brewery in Northside, Cincinnati

Urban Artifact is a craft brewery based in the Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Its approach revolves around fruit as the star element: according to its own presentation, every beer is built so that fruit is the subject rather than a secondary ingredient, a standard it has maintained since opening.

Fruit Tarts and the fruit-per-gallon scale

The lineup is organized around Fruit Tarts, beers in which fruit defines the profile. The company explains its method using a scale of adjectives that indicates the amount of fruit per gallon:

• Fruit Tart: less than 1 pound per gallon.
• American: 1 to 2 pounds per gallon.
• Midwest: more than 2 pounds per gallon.

The two-pounds-per-gallon reference is equivalent, according to the company, to three ounces of fruit in a twelve-ounce can. The firm states it has brewed beer with hundreds of fruit varieties from different parts of the world, and notes that understanding the flavor, texture, aroma, and profile of each one is what sets it apart.

Four product lines

Production is divided into four families:

• Fruit Tarts: fruit as the central subject of the beer.
• Dino Series: real fruit with traditional styles.
• Capy Snacks: sweet, fruit-focused brews.
• Seedless: non-alcoholic Fruit Tarts.

How to read a release

The brewery classifies its beers by how long they stay on the market. Core beers are available year-round and always in the cooler. Seasonal beers function as a slot rather than a specific beer: five or six brews pass through it each year. Windfall beers stick around for a few months and then disappear for good.

The Quarterly Club

The company's subscription club sends four boxes a year, with five beers and twenty cans or more per shipment, designed to keep the subscriber's fridge and cellar stocked. The company states that the club makes four shipments a year.

Taproom, fresh Fruit Tart, and events

The Northside taproom serves fresh Fruit Tart every Wednesday, made with real fruit and two kegs per batch, with availability that the company itself describes as brief. The space also hosts events and houses The Reliquary, and the company also sells clothing and merchandise alongside its beers.

Online sales and distribution

The online store allows orders with delivery or pickup at the taproom. Shipping is available to Ohio, Kentucky, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington DC, according to the information on the website itself. The company also maintains a distribution section and a store locator.

Cited recognition

The website reproduces a quote from Forbes Magazine according to which the Ohio brewery may have the best fruit beers in the country, in words cited by the company itself.

Location and contact

1660 Blue Rock St, Cincinnati, Ohio 45223 · Phone: (513) 542-4222