The story of beer in Dayton and the Miami Valley is as old as the region's first settlers, who brought their brewing methods with them from Europe. From humble origins, the Schwind brothers founded a Dayton brewing dynasty.
Adam Schantz arrived penniless and amassed a fortune as one of the city's early brewers. Martha Vorce, one of the region's several unheralded woman brewers, was running the Springfield Brewery a decade before Eliza "Mother" Stewart gained fame there as a temperance leader. Although Prohibition swiftly destroyed this flourishing industry, today's local craft brewers promise to keep good beer and good times flowing for many years to come. Join local author Tim Gaffney as he explores the Valley's brewing heritage.
Timothy R. Gaffney is a writer and author who was born in Dayton in 1951 and has lived in the Miami Valley most of his life. After earning a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus in 1974, he worked for the Piqua Daily Call, the Kettering-Oakwood Times and the Dayton Daily News. He is the author of sixteen books. He is director of communications for the National Aviation Heritage Area and a volunteer trustee for the United States Air and Trade Show Inc., producer of the Dayton Air Show. His interests include flying, photography, bicycling and hiking. He dabbled in homebrewing until he got tired of washing bottles. He lives in Miamisburg, Ohio, with his wife, Jean. They have four grown children, two grandchildren and two dogs.