With nearly twenty breweries in the Greater Miami Valley, Dayton’s craft beer resurgence is no longer a surprise to most people. However, today’s breweries draw upon a long brewing tradition in the area, one with historical roots that many may find staggering.
Local author Timothy R. Gaffney’s new book, Dayton Beer: A History of Brewing in the Miami Valley, takes an in-depth look at how Dayton made beer and how beer made Dayton. By piecing together thousands of public records, Gaffney paints a coherent view of the Miami Valley’s brewing heritage as it existed leading up to Prohibition. And it’s worth noting that Gaffney timed the release of his book with the centennial anniversary of that failed experiment.
Just as the Miami Valley’s brewing trail extends beyond the borders of Dayton proper, so does Gaffney’s report. In covering not only Montgomery, but also five other surrounding counties—Auglaize, Clark, Darke, Miami, and Shelby—Gaffney depicts a broad picture of how interconnected the brewing community was and how integral is was to the daily life of Southwest Ohio citizens. He explores not only the breweries themselves, but also the individuals behind the beer.
Gaffney is touring the Miami Valley this fall, giving a talk about his book. Fittingly enough, the talks are nearly all held at breweries (except the Barrel House, which is a Dayton beer institution in its own right). His first talk was Wednesday, August 7th at Warped Wing, but if you missed that event, he has seven more appearances scheduled. See the schedule below, or find more details on Gaffney’s FaceBook events page: https://www.facebook.com/DaytonBeerBook/
Thursday Aug 15—5:30 pm
The Barrel House
417 E. Third St. Dayton
Friday Aug 23—5:30 pm
Star City Brewing
320 S. 2nd St. Miamisburg
Tuesday Sep 10—6 pm
Eudora Brewing Co.
3022 Wilmington Pike, Dayton
Wednesday Sep 18—6 pm
Lock 27 Brewing
329 E. First St. Dayton
Saturday, Oct 5—3 pm
Carillon Historical Park
1000 Carillon Blvd. Dayton
Saturday, Oct 12—1 pm
Moeller Brew Barn-Maria Stein
8016 Marion Dr. Maria Stein
Thursday Oct 17—6 pm
Mother Stewart’s Brewing
109 W. North St. Springfield
