BY SUSAN VELA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT MITCHELL -- The Oldenberg Brewing Co. Museum is more than a decade old. Like wine, the age of the collection of beer coasters, posters, bottles and trays seems to make it better for visitors.
They keep coming, said Emma Obertate, Oldenberg's vice president of operations.
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IF YOU GO
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Tours of the museum run between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. They begin on the hour. Ticket prices are $3; $4, for those who want to sample Oldenberg beer.
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The museum houses the world's largest collection of beer memorabilia. It attracts up to 30 visitors a day during the work week and up to 75 a day on the weekend.
Those visitors from around the nation often return, eager to share the museum's collection and samples of the brewery's ales and lagers with their friends.
"It's a lot of fun," said Ms. Obertate. "There's a lot of rich history. It's not your basic "This is how you brew your beer' tour. It's interesting enough that you want to pass along the information and have (others) experience it."
Bob Neidigh of Port Clinton, Ohio, and Mark Kaminski of Southgate, Mich., agree. They visited the museum Wednesday morning.
"It's interesting how they turn water, grass and flowers into a mind-altering substance," said Mr. Kaminski at the tour's conclusion. Tour guide Tom Heidrich had led the two friends on the hour-long tour, which details beer history in this nation.
On the tour, for example, Mr. Kaminski and Mr. Neidigh learned that the U.S. national anthem, the "Star Spangled Banner," is reminiscent of an old English drinking song.
They also learned there were 132 breweries in the nation in 1810, 4,131 in 1873, and 756 in 1934, the year after the repeal of Prohibition. A poster detailing these statistics also gave evidence to the rise of microbreweries. In 1996, the nation had 40 breweries and at least 700 microbreweries and brew pubs.
The museum has existed since 1987, when the Oldenberg Brewing Co. opened at 400 Buttermilk Pike. Its collection was gathered by Herbert and Helen Haydock of Wisconsin. They continue to travel the world collecting brewing memorabilia.
The collection comprises about 50,000 items, but not all of it is on display.
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