First ever Cincinnati Beer Week under way

NEWPORT, Ky. - Taps started flowing early Thursday marking the start of the first ever Cincinnati Beer Week .

Beer week is a non-profit grassroots effort promoting well-crafted beer and teaching home brewers how to make money off their hobby. Event organizer Jay Ashmore says he hopes beer week will recognize the momentum of artisanal craft brews in the Cincinnati market.

Ohio craft beer brewers are also getting a boost thanks to a new Ohio law allowing brewers to create their own tasting rooms without paying the $3,900 special permit fee.

"A lot of the great craft brewers of today are essentially home brewers who's passion has been elevated to a commercial level, explained Ashmore. "So these are the artisans with small budgets and sometimes modest means."

That new law takes effect on March 22.

Beer week runs through Feb. 9 and will host close to 90 events across the Tri-State during the week-long event.

For more information on Cincinnati Beer Week, click here .