Beer me! Local brews in the spotlight at several September events

Dayton has a long, rich history of brewing beer that had almost disappeared prior to the relatively recent craft beer resurgence.

In 2011 there were no craft breweries operating in the Miami Valley. In a mere 10 years it’s become a very different brewing landscape. Just as the Miami Valley has a booming commercial brewing scene now, it also did at the beginning of the 19th century.

On Sept. 19 at 2 p.m., former Dayton Daily News reporter Tim Gaffney will be speaking at the Oakwood High School Auditorium on the forgotten stories of brewers who helped put the Miami Valley on the map for beer. It’s part of the Wright Library’s Far Hills Speaker Series.

Credit: Submitted

Credit: Submitted

His talk, Dayton Beer: A History of Brewing in the Miami Valley, will cover stories of once well-known names like the Schwind brothers, Adam Schantz and Martha Vorce and will look at the impact Prohibition had on them and other local breweries across the region.

It’s a must for people who love history and also love beer.

To get in the mood to do a deep dive into the stories of beers of the past, there are two terrific craft beer events that are scheduled the day before.

On Sept. 18 from 5-9 p.m., Yellow Cab Tavern in the Oregon District will be hosting the sixth annual Beer! A Celebration of Dayton’s Craft Brewing in partnership with The Dayton Brewery Alliance.

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Credit: Tom Gilliam

“Heralded by Paste Magazine as an ‘underrated beer vacation,’ the secret is out and the Miami Valley’s breweries are winning awards nationally and internationally — Beer! is your chance to try a ton of them all at one great event,” according to the release.

This year, 17 Dayton-area breweries will participate, offering a signature beer. Entry is free, but the pours will cost you. Purchasing a $20 ticket in advance gets you eight 6-ounce pours. The day of event, each 6-ounce a la carte pour is $3.

Lumpia Queen, Smokin Barrels and Purely Sweet Bakery will be serving up food in addition to Yellow Cab’s resident food truck, The Pizza Bandit, with Subterranean providing the music. Presale tasting tickets can be purchased at www.yellowcabtavern.com.

Confirmed breweries to date include: Alematic Artisan Ales, Blackbird Meadery (cider), Branch & Bone Artisan Ales, Carillon Brewing Co, Crooked Handle Brewing Co, Dayton Beer Company, Devil Wind Brewing, Eudora Brewing Co., Fifth Street Brewpub, Hairless Hare Brewery, Lock 27 Brewing, Loose Ends Brewing Company, Lucky Star Brewery & Cantina, Southern Ohio Brewing, Star City Brewing Company, Toxic Brew Company, Warped Wing Brewing Company and Yellow Springs Brewery.

On the same day, Sept. 18, in Beavercreek, the third annual Miami Valley Restaurant Association’s Beer Fest will take place at The Greene’s Town Square from 5-10 p.m.

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Tickets are $20 per person in advance for a dozen beer samples and a 5-ounce mug, or $25 for a ticket the day of. Timestamp will be playing live music and participating food trucks include El Meson, JA Sweetums, The Big Stick and Rolling Indulgence.

With more than 40 participating breweries there’s something for everyone. Featured breweries include 21st Amendment, Alaskan Brewery, Breckenridge, Deschutes, Dogfish Head, Goose Island, Lost Coast, Mother Stewart’s, Platform, Rhinegeist, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Smithworks, Stella Artois, Taft’s and Yuengling.

If Sept. 18 doesn’t work for your schedule, there’s a tasty five-course dinner with local craft beer pairings scheduled to take place Sept. 26 at Loose Ends Brewing. It will feature brewers from Crooked Handle, Branch & Bone, Warped Wing and of course, Loose Ends.

The dinner will benefit the United Way Greater Dayton’s Tornado Relief fund. Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com.

In the last decade, the history of beer that’s been written has been fascinating and impressive. I’m excited to hear from Gaffney on all of the stories that came before it. If you can’t make the talk, his book is available for purchase at various online retailers.

Dayton Eats looks at the regional food stories and restaurant news that make mouths water. Share info about your menu updates, special dinners and events, new chefs, interesting new dishes and culinary adventures. Do you know of new exciting format changes, specials, happy hours, restaurant updates or any other tasty news you think is worth a closer look at? E-mail Alexis Larsen at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com with the information and we will work to include it in future coverage.

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