Joe Schutzman is a Newport firefighter who loves Northern Kentucky’s culture, sense of place – and beer. Find Joe’s previous columns and more on NKY dining here.
There is a new place to grab a beer in Northern Kentucky, and they call themselves Ludlow Vinyl & Tap.
Now, when I heard that someone was opening a bar that both served local beer and sold vinyl records, I wanted to be the first in line. These are two of my absolute favorite things in the world, and like wine and cheese, Simon and Garfunkel, they are fantastic on their own but far more magical together.
To further add to my excitement, this place is even within walking distance of my house! It’s a leisurely 20-minute stroll there, and depending on how many beers are sipped and records bought to carry back, a slightly more arduous 30-35 minute walk and/or stumble home.
Vinyl & Tap held their grand opening this past Saturday. My friend Madeline and I popped down to Elm Street in the heart of Ludlow to check it out, and we were not disappointed.
It’s an exciting time for Ludlow, and the growth of small businesses in the city is extremely exciting to see, and the community engagement is palpable. There are so many cool small businesses to write about in this fabulous river city, and hopefully I get the opportunity to expand on some of them in future articles. It’s an extremely walkable city as well, one of my favorite aspects of it, in fact, and on a nice warm day, walking down the streets, you notice it’s a vibrant community where everyone wants to be out and about.
Walking through the front door of Ludlow Vinyl & Tap, you’re greeted by the bar and a small sitting area, Parisian bistro style. It’s small and lively, and the decor suggests almost a speakeasy-type vibe. Through a doorway behind the barroom is a small salon area, perfect for a more intimate conversation amongst a small group of friends or amorous rendez-vous.
Further down the hallway is the record room and beyond that a large parlor area with a dozen or so tables for folks to enjoy their beers and hang out.
I found their record selection, while modest, well curated, with some really exciting finds. I went home with two pressings from Cincinnati’s own King Records. The group is called “The Boys From Indiana,” and I bought a record from 1975 and one from 1976 from their bluegrass side of the label.
Thanks to a show I caught earlier this summer by local Tri-State Piano legend Ricky Nye, who was also accompanied by my favorite local country and bluegrass honky-tonkers Joe’s Truck Stop, I have recently learned about Cincinnati’s King Records and the unbelievable impact this historic label had on blues, soul, country and bluegrass. I’ve become increasingly obsessed with learning more and listening more, and I was elated to find what I found at Vinyl & Tap.
And speaking of records, Vinyl & Tap are committed to supporting local musicians. They already have posters hanging on their wall advertising local songwriters they will be hosting for intimate live shows. They also have a section in their barroom for local artists to bring their own records to sell. There is so much local music in our area, and I love to see a small business dedicated to promoting small, local artists.
I’d also like to take a moment to say how exciting it is to feel like you’re getting in on the ground floor of a new joint. Northern Kentucky has lots of historically great places to get a beer. We are fortunate to be a community steeped in hidden gems and outright institutions.
These places are often revered for their storied traditions and generations of owners, workers, and patrons who came before. For example, when you’re sitting down to a beer at Herb & Thelma’s and see the black-and-white photos on the wall, you’re enjoying your beer amidst a tradition that has been going strong since 1939. You look at the photos and yearn for a connection, a through-line, back to those photos and can’t help but think to yourself, “man, if these walls could talk.”
Well, those walls hold decades of stories only through community support. Traditions don’t happen unless they are started and then continued. While it is exciting to see legacies carried on, I also find the idea of new legacies beginning to be just as exciting. So get down to Ludlow Vinyl & Tap soon for a beer and peruse the records and catch a local musician. This is your chance to say, “I remember when that place opened.” Supporting them is your chance to one day be the old black-and-white photo on the wall.
