In LEX 18's Spotlight on Cynthiana, we visited a business where the love of all things Cynthiana can be seen and felt, and most importantly, tasted. Maiden City Brewing Company was started by Cynthiana natives, and it's continuing to grow right at home.
"It's just a good idea to invest in your hometown, in a small town," says Austin Dacci, founder and co-owner of Maiden City Brewing Co.
When we met with him, we spent some time in the back of Maiden City Brewing, in a large room that houses their large tanks, a boiler, and all the other equipment that's part of their brewing operation. It wasn't all that long ago, though, when Dacci and some partners were getting started out of their homes.
"Maiden City got started in December if 2016. A couple of buddies and I were home brewers," he says, "We always kind of dreamed, what would it be like to open one up in our home town in Cynthiana?"
And they did, first opening their brewery in a small space downtown. There, they really honed in on the craft.
"Some of our most popular beers are our Bluegrass Blonde and our South Fork Cream Ale. It's made with all Kentucky ingredients. They come from South Fork Malt House, which is next door," says Dacci.
As Maiden City Brewing Co. was taking off, others were taking notice.
"We just felt like Maiden City had great potential," says Bill Gibson, co-owner.
Everybody seemed to really, really like the beer. Everything that they brewed they put a lot of attention into."
Gibson got involved a little more than 3 years ago, investing in the company, hoping to take it to the next level. Maident City opened their new location, in a big warehouse-type space in October 2023.
"When we came out here, we had the opportunity to take this basically anywhere, but we wanted to stay in Harrison County becuase we believe our roots are here," explains Gibson.
At the new location, they also are upgrading to a larger scale brewing system.
"Distribution is obviously our big, next step. We have the kegs waiting to be filled. We feel like that's gonna be the tip of the spear," says Gibson.
With everything they are already doing and planning to do, Dacci says the new space has become the environment he envisioned.
The taproom has 16 beers. Eight are flagship brews, and the other half rotate seasonally.
Chef and fellow Harrison County native Joe Joe Hinton runs their kitchen, which serves food four out of seven days a week. Their fish, salmon patties, pulled pork and chicken, chili, and soups are popular. He's always updating and rotating the menu.
Dacci says they have fun events like live music, games, dart leagues, and bingo nights. The brewery is a space that becomes a community, which is what he always wanted.
"It's a lot of sense of pride and accomplishment. It's been a lot of work, don't get me wrong -- a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of gridning. But, it's really kind of cool to see the community that we've developed," says Dacci.
And it's standing proof that hard work, the right people, and, as he says, "good timing" can make the perfect brew for success.
Maiden City Brewing Company is located at 272 Sea Biscuit Way in Cynthiana. They also have a taproom in Paris, located at 202 Commerce Drive.
