Molly Wellmann to bid adieu to Over-the-Rhine cocktail bar Japp's

Molly Wellmann, Cincinnati's most famous mixologist, announced that she is selling her iconic Over-the-Rhine cocktail bar Japp's Since 1879  to Four Entertainment Group (4EG) effective July 11.

Wellman helped bring national media attention to the Cincinnati bar and restaurant scene, regularly appearing in publications such as the New York Times and Esquire, which named Japp's one of the best bars in America in 2016. In 2019, the Bar and Night Club Association named Wellmann the best bar owner in America.

"I knew my time was done as a bar owner," Wellman told The Enquirer. I went to the eclipse of where I could l go. I won best bar owner in the country so I'm not sure where I could have gone from there."

Wellmann said the sale was contingent on 4EG keeping her staff as well as the musical acts that appear each week on board. "The Bands that you love will still be playing! The same great cocktails will be served! But The time has come for me where I'm ready for a change, a new chapter," she wrote on a Facebook post Thursday night.

She also said the challenges caused by the pandemic played a part in her decision to sell. "After two years of stress and a lot of anxiety, I decided this was the time," she told the Enquirer.

Wellmann leased the Japp's space at 1184 Main Street in 2010. It was originally known as a wig and hair store opened by John G. Japp, a German immigrant, in 1879. While another bar named Japp's opened in the same space in the early 1990s, under Wellmann, it became known for its drinks menu, which featured historic cocktails from Cincinnati and beyond.

In a joint statement from Wellmann and 4-EG Bob Deck, 4EG's managing partners wrote, "Molly is a longtime friend of mine and an icon in the Greater Cincinnati bar and restaurant industry. We're ecstatic she has entrusted us to keep the Japp's brand alive through high-quality cocktails and historical storytelling. In addition to keeping the beloved Japp's name, we plan to retain the existing staff members and honor previously scheduled events, bands and DJs, to ensure a seamless transition."

Other 4EG properties include Pillar bar, Downtown, Keystone, Rosedale and the Lackman, among many others.

When asked if she would host a farewell party, Wellmann told the Enquirer, "I didn't want to do that. Because I'll just cry.

"I'm not leaving Cincinnati," she continued. "I'll still be here."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Molly Wellmann to sell her iconic cocktail bar, Japp's