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Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

Kevin Gray

Local Author Pens Dayton Beer History Book

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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

Going Vegan, Going Out

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When my girlfriend and I committed to going vegan in 2014, we were concerned about where to eat out in the Dayton area. Turns out, Dayton is very vegan friendly (and more vegan friendly than a lot of other Midwestern towns). Most restaurants have some vegan option, be it a black bean burger, portabella sandwich, or hummus, but over the last 3-4 years, we’ve found a list of places in the Miami Valley that are very vegan friendly, either with a dedicated vegan menu or by making a few easy substitutions to menu items. Below are our frequent haunts, but this list is by no means exhaustive.

 

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Vegan Almond Joy Muffins

Start your day off right with a plant-based breakfast. There are a variety of places for vegans to brunch in the Miami Valley.

Although you might not suspect it from their name, Butter Café (1106 Brown St; Dayton, OH 45409) features an array of breakfast staples, including the best vegan pancakes in Dayton. And their lunch menu stars one of the Midwest’s tastiest vegan Reuben sandwiches.  As of March 30th, 2018, the Café also offers a late night walk-up window on Fridays and Saturdays.

 

Christopher’s oven roasted root vegetables and blistered tomatoes over pesto linguine. Garnished with fresh Italian parsley and pecans.

Christopher’s Restaurant and Catering (2318 E. Dorothy Ln.; Kettering OH 45420) has been a cornerstone of the Dayton area’s vegetarian and vegan set for years. While many establishments offer a tofu scramble, our favorite is the one at Christopher’s. And also Christopher’s has a full lunch and dinner menu and every Wednesday from 5-9pm, Chef Don prepares a new vegan special.

 

For an active weekend, start with brunch at Yellow Spring’s Sunrise Café (259 Xenia Ave; Yellow Springs, OH 45387). They feature a number of vegan breakfast plates, but make sure you try their homemade breakfast patties—they are unlike any other local vegan sausages. After eating, spend the day exploring Glen Helen or ducking in and out of the shops in town. If you find yourself still in the area at dinnertime, head back to Sunrise for their vegan dinner entrees as well as their craft cocktails.

 

Grub With A Pint

Lucky’s roasted red pepper linguini with fresh spinach, tomato and white onion. Topped with fresh basil.

Speaking of drinks, our favorite vegan-friendly establishment is Lucky’s Taproom & Eatery (520 E 5th St; Dayton, OH 45402).

Lucky’s does pub grub at its best and offers a large selection of both vegan and non-vegan dishes, as well as one of the best craft beer lists in town. They have a dedicated vegetarian grill and deep fryer, make their own seitan, garbanzo bean burgers, and quinoa patties, and grow much of their own organic produce. In late 2017, Lucky’s added faux chicken to their menu, updated their bread selections so that all breads are vegan, and made other menu updates to enhance their vegan selections. While the seitan cobra burger is an old favorite, I now gravitate towards the vegan chicken and waffles, while my girlfriend  craves the vegan friend chicken sandwich smothered in buffalo sauce and vegan cheddar. Not up for a full meal? Try the seitan nuggets or the vegan chili cheese fries. They also have reliable vegan selections for weekend brunch and feature Meatless Mondays specials every week.

Hairless Hare Brewery, located near the Dayton airport in Vandalia, is a great spot for pint before or after a trip out of town. About a year ago, they rolled out a vegan pizza line, making it a great spot for vegans and non-vegans alike.

Spent Grain Grill, located within Warped Wing Brewing Company’s taproom (26 Wyandot Street; Dayton, OH 45402), also features vegan-friendly pub food. Their loose grain sandwiches, made with spent brewing grains, are an innovative meat-free alternative to loose meat sandwiches. Or try one of their tacos. And don’t forget the tots.

 

 Last summer brought Melt Bar and Grilled to the Fairfield Commons mall. This Cleveland-based regional chain offers vegan (and non-vegan) grilled cheese sandwiches and makes many of their own vegan proteins, such as their seitan, tofu bacon, and vegan meatloaf. Their regular menu flags a lot of vegan options, but ask for the vegan menu,which extends the vegan selections and provides a lot of items you might not think can be made vegan. Don’t pass up the vegan Buffalo wings with vegan ranch.

The delicious vegan cheeseless “marinara” pizza with added veggies including lemon vinaigrette dressed arugula (ask that the dressing is kept dairy free) from Old Scratch Pizza, located at 812 S Patterson Blvd, in Dayton can hit the spot if you’re craving a pizza.

 

Trolley Stop in the Oregon District, (530 E 5th St; Dayton Ohio 45402) They have a great vegan red beans and rice and some really nice seitan, especially in their tacos.

 

Vietnamese Noodle Salad with grilled tofu.

Dressed Up Vegan

Looking for something fancier than pub food? Check out Meadowlark Restaurant (Lamplighter Square Shopping Center, 5531 Far Hills Ave; Dayton, OH 45429). Although their dishes skew omnivore, their revolving menu always includes one high-end vegan entree, and the knowledge staff is adept and helpful at navigating possible substitutions to ensure a high level of choice in dining. Stay for dessert—Meadowlark makes their own vegan peanut brittle and vegan ice cream that is amazing.

 

Wheat Penny Oven & Bar in the Oregon District (515 Wayne Avenue; Dayton, Ohio 45410) is the sister restaurant to Meadowlark and specializes in high-end pizzas, as well as plated entrees. Start your meal with the eggplant fries (just skip the yogurt sauce). All of their unique pizzas can be made with vegan cheese (including vegan cashew ricotta). Not feeling pizza? Try the cauliflower t-bone, which is poached, then grilled like a steak.

Polenta & Roasted Mushroom Ragout | caramelized fennel | roasted oyster mushroom | roasted tomato | creamy vegan polenta at Corner Kitchen

Corner Kitchen (613 E 5th St; Dayton, OH 45403), also in the Oregon District, is another vegan fine-dining staple. Like Meadowlark, they cater to all dining preferences, but they do a fantastic job of labeling dishes that can be made vegan and/or gluten free. A variety of small plate options pepper the menu, but for dinner, we like the polenta & roasted mushroom ragout.

Though Mudlick Tap House is fairly meat-forward, they also offer a great vegan option worth seeking out. Leave the cheese and aioli off the White Bean Tabbouleh Burger, or opt for a full entrée with the Sweet Potato and Kale Curried hash.

 

For the International Palate

Many international foods can be made easily vegan, especially Indian, Pho, and Middle Eastern. Similarly, most Mexican restaurants have vegetarian sections on their menu and can be made vegan by leaving off the cheese and sour cream. We like the taco salad and veggie huarache at Taqueria Mixteca (1609 E 3rd St; Dayton, OH 45403) or the veggie fajitas at any of the area El Rancho Grande restaurants (multiple locations).

Nanya Cafe combo plate

Dayton’s only Ethiopian eatery, Nanya Café in Dayton at 5214 N. Main Street, is a great option for delicious fresh vegan dining. The owner herself is vegan, and happy to help you explore the menu.  The Ethiopian coffee she serves up is also a don’t miss.

Thai food can also easily be made vegan, since most Thai restaurants include tofu as a protein choice. Thai 9 (11 Brown St; Dayton, OH 45402) offers the broadest vegan selection, since they never use fish sauce and have mock chicken and mock duck in addition to tofu. Thai 9’s atmosphere makes it an easy upscale dinner or lunch choice, even with non-vegan friends.

Singapore Noodles at Siam Pad Thai

For take-out Thai, we usually stick to Siam Pad Thai (3027 Wilmington Pike; Kettering, OH 45429). They do use fish sauce and egg, but will happily leave them off and the dishes don’t suffer as a result.

Arepas & Co now has several locations around town and offers a variety of vegan options. The vegan empanadas a great late-night treats, but don’t skimp on the platters with the fried plantains.

Food Trucks and Quick Food 

Several area food-trucks carry notable vegan options. Try Harvest Mobile Cuisine’s falafel fusion, which is a blend of burger and middle-eastern (but skip the tzatziki sauce). Drunken Waffle makes a throwback to childhood—vegan corn dogs, and Zombie Dogz carries vegan hotdogs in both their food truck and their storefront (1200 Brown St #150; Dayton, OH 45409). Although Pa’s Pork is an unlikely name for a truck with a great vegan option, they regularly offer BBQ tofu worth seeking out.

 

In addition to being a great place to pick up ingredients for cooking at home, 2nd Street Market (600 E 2nd St, Dayton, OH 45402) hosts several restaurants with vegan options, including The Chef Case and Azra’s Mediterranean Cuisine.  

 

Bibibop bowl

Vegans already know that Chipotle is a quick vegan staple, but a couple of other local fast casual restaurants also feature vegan-friendly grab-and-go cuisine. Fusian’s (multiple locations) roasted tofu replaces raw fish in their sushi rolls, and their company ethos is very vegan-compatible. The newly opened Bibibop Asian Grill (1200 Brown St; Dayton, OH 45409) also offers hearty fare with lots of fresh veggies in their take on a traditional Korean staple. Or try the very similar Kupbop at 3011 Woodman Drive in the Kettering Town Center.

 

 

Because Vegans Need Dessert, Too

Plant-based baked goods used to be trickier to find. Not anymore. We’ve already mentioned Lucky’s extensive vegan menu and it should be no surprise that they frequently carry vegan dessert. Butter Café also sells vegan cupcakes and cookies (we get them to-go and eat them at home later, since we’re always full from breakfast).  Whole Foods is a vegan shoppers dream, and we always opt for their vegan donuts and vegan ginger snaps as a snack while we shop.

Vegan Hazelnut Mocha Torte & a Vanilla Bean Gibraltar at Ghostlight Coffee.o and eat them at home later, since we’re always full from breakfast).

Need to caffeinate? Treat yourself to a cookie or muffin along with your vegan latte at Ghostlight Coffee (1201 Wayne Ave; Dayton, OH 45410). They have their own production kitchen and make a variety of baked goods, including vegan pies for the holidays (those are special order, so watch their Facebook page for details.)

And finally, treat your sweet tooth with a cupcake from Purely Sweet Bakery (3375 Dayton-Xenia Rd; Beavercreek, Ohio 45432). Once occupying a booth in 2nd Street Market, they’ve now moved into their own space in Beavercreek. You can special order cupcakes (including lemon cheesecake, buckeye, and more) and they do great cakes, including wedding cakes.  You can also  find them at Dorothy Lane Markets around town.

Other Resources

Dayton has a diverse and broad vegan community, so two other resources that we’ve found helpful are the VeganDayton Facebook and Meetup group (www.meetup.com/vegandayton) and Happy Cow. The Facebook group provides vegan tips, support, and events in a non-judgmental format. We’ve found it to be a fantastic source of news, including restaurant specials and food events. Happy Cow’s website offers a more comprehensive list of vegan and vegan-friendly places in not only the Miami Valley, but also across the country. Combined with a vegan filter on Yelp, we’ve used it to find fantastic vegan grub everywhere we’ve traveled.

 

Updated in March 2018.

Toxic Taps Local Artist Shon Walters To Create Bar Installation

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Functional Beauty

Toxic Brew Company, in the heart of the Oregon District, has a reputation for supporting local artists—from the murals that flank its outer walls to the revolving exhibits that line its taproom. This Wednesday, November 22nd, Toxic is hosting a pre-Thanksgiving event to unveil its latest permanent piece, a functional yet skillfully crafted tap box that will serve up the brewery’s beers.

 

The new bar sculpture is the creation of local woodworker Shon Walters. Patrons of Toxic will recognize Walters’ work—he created the extensive wooden tap sculpture out of which the bar’s craft cocktails currently pour. Dubbed Vonquola, the existing piece is smooth and exotic looking—almost humanoid, almost molecular. Walters explains that the bar sculpture is “the drunken mother alien who offers her teats of nourishment. She is an ancient female from another world who used to be a nurturing mother to fallen soldiers of the galactic war.”

 

Walters works often blend the fantastic with finely honed craftsmanship. He is a master woodworker with an eye for eclectic materials and an ability to coax seemingly impossible shapes from wood. The artist, who started woodworking in 1992 and turned it into his profession eight years later with the opening of his business, Eccentric Wood, has designed several pieces around town. In just the last year, he has constructed the bar back for Meadowlark, the donor’s plaque for the Neon Movies, and a massive sculpture in Lebanon’s library consisting of more than a dozen intricate yet larger-than-life undulating flowers (a piece that Walters describes as “the flowers’ ultimate devouring of the sun.”)

Walters’ second bar installation at Toxic represents further growth for the bar and a deepening partnership between the artist and the brewer. When it opened four years ago, Toxic Brew Company started with ten taps, installed by owner Shane Juhl. Six months later, Juhl added ten more. After obtaining the extra license to serve guest beers, wine, and liquor, Juhl explains that he was at capacity again: “Twenty taps just weren’t enough and our small walk-in cooler was over capacity.” Juhl turned to the local art community to help him expand his bar.

 

“It just makes sense to support local artists,” Juhl explains. “Their art brings a freshness and character to the walls and space and even better when they are functional. The art is a conversion piece.”

 

It was through Juhl’s existing relationship with local artists that he found Walters. Tiffany Clark and etch, cofounders of the street art project The Mural Machine and regular exhibitors at Toxic, were renting studio space from Walters. They were taken by his delicate forms and the unique fluidity of his wooden pieces, so when they learned that Juhl wanted to update his bar, they introduced him to the sculptor.

 

Juhl was drawn in, too. Shortly after touring Walters’ showroom, Juhl commissioned the Walters to create the tap housing for his craft cocktails. Several months later, Vonquola was christened and put into use, bringing an artistic touch to an area of the bar that is often more functional than creative. “I thought my tap enclosure was respectable until Shon’s gorgeous tap goddess was placed next to my humble wood boxes,” Juhl jokes.

The reception to Vonquola has been overwhelmingly positive, so when it came time for Juhl to update the bar again, Walters was his first pick. The pair have been quietly working for months to prepare the newest addition to Juhl’s bar. Kept secret until now, Walters and Juhl describe the new piece as “Vonquola’s life partner.”

 

Ready now to be hung and to join with its mate, the sculpture’s unveiling takes place at 3:30
on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. The brewery is hosting a party for the unveiling: Toxic’s doors will open at 3, with door prizes for those who arrive before the reveal, special tappings every 30 minutes until 5 pm, and $2 off Toxic pints during the same timeframe.

 

For more information about Walters’ work, see his website  http://www.shonwalters.com. To learn more about Toxic Brew Company, as well as to get directions to the unveiling, visit http://toxicbrewcompany.com. The brewery is located at 431 E 5th St, Dayton, OH 45402.

 

Dayton’s Rare Beer Fest Finds a New Home

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Big Beer and Barley Wines moves to the Greek Orthodox Church

This weekend’s upcoming Big Beer and Barley Wines festival, the Miami Valley’s only beer tasting that focuses exclusively on hard-to-find beers, has a new home.

 

In the past several years, the Miami Fairgrounds Roundhouse has housed the event. With the sale of the fairgrounds and an uncertain future about the Roundhouse, Dayton’s most exclusive rare beer festival has relocated to the Greek Orthodox Church Memorial Center (500 Belmonte Park N, Dayton, OH 45405).

 

Along with the new venue, there is a renewed interest in serving the most interesting and hardest to find beers, including pub exclusives and beers brewed specifically for the event. “Since we had to move the festival to a smaller venue this year, that means that we need less beer,” explains Gus Stathes, co-organizer in charge of beer for of the event and General Manager of the Centerville tap house, Ollie’s Place. “The end result is a more tightly curated list of fantastic beer with less ‘filler’ than in previous years. “

 

The beer list, which can be found here is heavy on rarity. “We’ve been working closely with local and regional breweries to secure limited releases that you don’t see on the shelf every day,” notes Stathes. Look for beers like Three Floyds Crack the Skye, Jackie O’s BA Cellar Cuvee, and 50 West’s 10&2 Barleywine (which just won gold at GABF). You can also expect beers from Hoof Hearted, Streetside, and many other local, regional, and national favorites.

Expect this year to bring the heat and to be different from earlier events: “In previous years, the festival had a ‘the bigger the better’ mentality, focusing on alcohol content. This year, and moving forward for years to come, the spotlight is going to be shifted to quality and rarity over heavy-hitting alcohol,” says Stathes. “There’s a world of incredibly complex beer under the 8% ABV threshold,” he adds. “Why limit ourselves from sharing those beers just because they don’t fit under the “Big Beer” umbrella?”

 

Big Beers and Barley Wines traces its roots to 2009, when Mike and Donna Schwartz, owners of Ollie’s Place Craft Beer and Whiskey, Belmont Party Supply, and Brewtensils, first teamed up with Resident Home Association (RHA). Established in 1966, RHA, an Ohio non-profit, provides homes, daily living support and services to individuals with developmental disabilities. The money raised supports individuals with developmental disabilities served by RHA.

 

Peter Roll, RHA’s Executive Director, explains how this event helps the community he serves, “We are extremely thankful for the patrons and sponsors of Big Beers. It is through their generosity that we are able to enhance the services we provide to our residents with developmental disabilities. This year and into 2018, we have some ambitious plans to renovate homes and expand our day program space to better serve our clients.”

 

Big Beers and Barley Wines is a primary fundraiser for RHA. “One hundred percent of the proceeds of Big Beers stays with the Resident Home Association and allows us to invest in services that helps improve the quality of life for those we serve,” explains Roll.

 

Big Beers is also a Who’s Who of the Dayton craft beer scene where volunteers from the area’s craft beer-friendly establishments work tables, serve beer, and mingle with the crowd along with brewers and representatives from highly acclaimed breweries. Guests can order food from one of several restaurants at the event and listen to a live band while sampling their beers. Also offered are door prizes and a variety of raffles to take home souvenirs from the event and support Resident Home Association.

 

The relaxed atmosphere of years’ past is certain to carry over to the new location, in part because of the passion that drives it. “This beer festival means so much to me; to us who plan it,” explains Pam Skelly, RHA’s lead organizer for the event. “It’s fun and more importantly, it’s the Dayton craft beer community coming together to support individuals with developmental disabilities. I’m so proud of the people who continue to support this festival year after year. Proceeds help us to increase the quality of life for the people we serve. It’s the little extras in life: a night out for dinner and a show, tickets to see a concert by a favorite singer, presents at Christmas for those with little to no expendable income, a new coat. . . . these are just a few of the little things Big Beers supports.”

 

Pam Skelly

Although VIP tickets are sold out, there are still general admission tickets available and can be purchased at www.bigbeersdayton.com. General admission tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door (if available). General admission starts at 5 pm. Those holding VIP tickets can get an early taste of the beer list, starting at 4 pm.

 

Sponsorships, donations, in-kind support or items for raffles are still being accepted and are greatly appreciated. Reach out directly to Pam Skelly at pskelly@rhadayton.com to enquire how you can help the RHA meet their goals.

Vegan Grill: b.d.’s Mongolian Grill

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Dining out as a vegan can require some advanced planning. While we love to hit local joints, sometimes it’s nice to have the comfort and ease of chain establishments. That said, there’s only so much Chipotle and Mellow Mushroom a vegan can eat, and because we travel extensively, I’m always excited to find new regional and national options. When b.d.’s Mongolian Grill reached out to MostMetro to see if anyone on the team would be interested in trying their new targeted vegan options, I almost kicked myself for not thinking of them before.

 

Though their name sounds geared more to carnivores than herbivores, they’ve always been very “specific diet” friendly. For those not familiar with b.d.’s, the concept is simple: customers build their own stir-fry, selecting from multiple buffet tables of ingredients that include a variety of meats, veggies, and sauces.

 

Not into meat? Not a problem because you can skip the meat section of the buffet altogether. The sauces at the bar are all labeled as vegetarian (not yet vegan, but I’m told it’s coming). Although most of the food is cooked in front of diners on a large, flat grill at the back of the restaurant, there is a separate grill where you can request to have your food cooked if cross-contamination is a concern. (I believe the same holds true for other allergens, such as shellfish and egg, but best to check with the wait staff to confirm).

 

While the focus had been on vegetarians previously, the chain is now making a concerted effort to explicitly attract vegans, too. As such, the restaurant had contacted MostMetro and set up a time for my girlfriend and me, both vegans of three years, to visit and experience their new plant-based options.

 

Our experience was excellent. Both our server, Crystal, and the manager, Casey, were knowledgeable about vegan dietary needs and extremely friendly. To aide our experience, Crystal handed us an annotated version of their sauce menu that indicated all of the vegan sauces and two recipe cards for entrees that were explicitly vegan.

 

My girlfriend tried the first entrée—a sweet and sour tofu dish. She piled red peppers, green peppers, onions and pineapple on top of their prepared tofu. She augmented the recipe slightly, adding mushrooms and some hot sauce to the recommended Sweet and Sour Sauce.

I opted for the Southwest Fajita bowl, with traditional ingredients like corn, black beans, onions, peppers, and cilantro. I threw in some tofu for some extra protein and some fresh (and very hot) jalapenos for an added kick before topping it off with the recommended Fajita sauce and loads of fresh garlic.

 

I opted for the Southwest Fajita bowl, with traditional ingredients like corn, black beans, onions, peppers, and cilantro. I threw in some tofu for some extra protein and some fresh (and very hot) jalapenos for an added kick before topping it off with the recommended Fajita sauce and loads of fresh garlic.

 

Both dishes were well-balanced, flavorful, and satisfying. We ate them over a bed of brown rice and an accompanying salad from the restaurant’s salad bar. Although the meals and salads were filling in and of themselves, we also had steamed edamame and selections from their drinks menu: a specialty cocktail for her and a Warped Wing beer for me.

While dining as a vegan can require advanced planning, dinners out with kids who are not vegan, as both sets of ours are not, adds to the complexity of meal scheduling. We loved that b.d.’s offered options that were tailored to our diets but we could very easily see coming back with the kids and other family members who weren’t vegan. Because of the “build your own” nature of b.d.’s and their overall awareness of dietary concerns, this is an easy place to get a meal for diners across the entire spectrum. B.d.’s commitment to adding vegan labeling and making it easier to ensure vegan access is another smart, progressive step forward for the already flexible restaurant chain.

 

Visit b.d.’s Mongolian Grill at The Greene, located at  4488 Glengarry Drive in Beavercreek

Hours:

Mon – Thu: 11:00am – 10:00pm
Fri – Sat: 11:00am – 11:00pm
Sun: 11:00am – 10:00pm

Ten questions with Branch & Bone Artisan Ales

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When Branch & Bone Artisan Ales opens in historic South Park (905 Wayne Avenue) in the first quarter of next year, it will add to the long list of existing breweries in the Miami Valley and will become the sixth brewery within walking distance of downtown, securing the Gem City’s reputation as a beer tourism destination. Kept mostly under wraps until now, the brewery, started by Brett Smith, John Joyce, and Kevin Kriegel, is already underway with renovations and has started assembling their brewing equipment. In this Dayton MostMetro exclusive, we ask the ten questions readers want answered.

 

What is behind the name?

Music and other expressive arts have a large influence on us. The name draws inspiration from the Simon Joyner song “Nostalgia Blues” on his album Grass, Branch & Bone. A lot of what we aim to do ties into music and art as brewing beer is our form of expression.

The crux of what we are can be found within the name. Branch & Bone Artisan Ales represents the connection of earth and human through fermentation. The art of brewing relies on the products of the earth. Yeast combines these ingredients to create beer. Our labor simply guides the yeast to do its thing. By selecting the right ingredients: malt, hops, water, and yeast, our influence on the finished product can be seen. In addition to those basic elements of beer, people can expect to see a lot of other earthly components in our beers including fruit, teas, coffee, foraged plants from our local forests, and wild yeast and bacteria from our area.

 

One aspect where we differ from most breweries is that our brew system is extremely manual. So, to bring it all together, we see Branch & Bone as a symbiosis of the ingredients of earth turned into a fermented beverage aided by our hard work.

 

Who designed your logo? How did you settle on the concept for it?

Our icon logo was designed by Joshua Minnich of Columbus, Ohio and our text-focused logo was designed by our good friend Greg Tobias here in Dayton. Artwork is integral to our brewery and it was important for us to work with local artists that we knew could create something that fit us. We went through various themes, many that we liked, but eventually landed on what you see. We feel that it captures what we want to portray our brand.

Your location asks visitors to extend the downtown entertainment district by connecting the Oregon with South Park. What was behind the decision to locate where you did?

We love the South Park Historic District. It’s a really interesting, eclectic neighborhood that we see a lot of potential in. We hope that the residents really enjoy having us as neighbors. In searching for a location, we wanted to be close to downtown. Developments in the area are driving people downtown and we want to be a part of that. The businesses along Wayne Avenue extending from the Oregon District seem to be driving traffic as you suggest. We looked at a few locations in that corridor, but the building we ended up in was just perfect for us. It has enough space for us to grow and gives us a lot of room to store oak barrels, which we intend to have many of.

There are a lot of breweries in Dayton now. What will be different about Branch & Bone? What will you offer that the area doesn’t already have?

People can expect a lot of what they love in other breweries at Branch & Bone, but we will have a focus on mixed fermentation saisons and wild ales, with a lot of beer aging in oak barrels. We will be making beers that we love to drink, so you can expect hoppy beers, saisons, wild ales, berliner/gose (often with fruit and other interesting ingredients) stouts/porters, barleywine (and other English style pub ales), beers infused with coffee, historical beers, lagers, and some very creative and off the wall beers that we dream up.

Walk me through your vision of the taproom—what can visitors expect to see?

Visitors will be greeted by a simple and clean space. They can expect a modern look with a rustic feel. Creating a customer experience, influenced by that of our favorite breweries, in the taproom beyond just beer will be a major focus. We want to create a very comfortable, fun taproom where people hang out with friends and family while feeling like our friends and family when enjoying our beers. Everyone can expect some fun events and we will always have good music playing!

Tell me about your beer styles. What do you envision your line-up to look like?

Our lineup will feature 8 beers on draft and will typically consist of a couple of hoppy beers, a porter or stout, a couple of berliner/gose style beers infused with interesting ingredients, a couple mixed fermentation beers, and we want to regularly feature a beer with coffee on tap.

As our oak aged mixed fermentation beers mature, people can expect to see more of those available on tap.

 

Do you intend to have several flagship styles? How about one-off variants?

We will have certain styles that are usually represented, but no real flagship beers. Some beers will make an appearance more often than others as ingredients/seasonality and popularity dictate, but variety and exploration drives our passion to create.

 

For the geeks out there, it’s time to get technical. Let’s talk specs—brewhouse size, fermentation tanks, expected annual output?

Our brewhouse is a 7-barrel brewhouse, very manual, created from modified dairy tanks. We will start with four 7-barrel fermenters and a 15-barrel fermenter. We will have a few tanks dedicated to infusing fruit into beer, and a decent amount of oak, including a foudre, to start. The barrel program will always be growing and will be a major focus for us.

Annual output will likely start out around 7-800 barrels and max out around 1500-2000 barrels/year.

 

What is your distribution plan? Will your beers be available outside of the taproom? Keg only or will you do bottle/can distribution?

To begin, our beer will only be available in our taproom but when we can, we will self-distribute kegs to establishments in the area known for their exceptional beer service. We look forward to having our beer involved in community events as much as production allows as well.

Bottles and cans will be available as limited release products through the taproom as production dictates. No timetable has been set for these releases.

 

How soon do you plan to sell to AB InBev?

When Limp Bizkit actually plays a show at the Sunoco across the street…

 

But on a more serious note, we are an independently owned and operated brewery. We aren’t beholden to anyone other than ourselves and that means there will never be an influence to sacrifice product and quality for profits. We are passionate about this industry and we believe ownership matters. “Craft beer” has experienced many changes as it has matured, even just over the past couple years. During that time, many acquisitions of small craft breweries by large conglomerates in the larger beer industry have occurred. This has caused a blurring of what we used to all know as craft beer. We take the same stand as many of the well-established independent breweries that inspire us. That stand is that brands owned by these mega corporations that employ shady business tactics serve to blur product distinction within the industry, limit access to raw ingredients, and stifle fair competition among market access for the small independent brewery. To sell your brand to a company actively acting against the interest of independent breweries while asking the consumer to continue their support for the brand under the illusion of that independence is disingenuous. We take pride in being an independently-owned brewery and will work to prove the value in that to our customers through creative exploration, commitment to quality and customer service, and active involvement in our local community.

 

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The Holy Grail of Beer Fests

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The end of July brings the annual Belgian Ale and Food Festival. Arguably the most underrated beer fest in the Miami Valley, this event brings a treasure trove of Belgian and Belgian-inspired beers to the majestic and historic Miami Valley Golf Club on July 29th from 4-7 pm.

 

The affair is intimate in scale but features a staggering 21 different beers, including Trappist ales from La Trappe and Spencer (the only U.S.-based Trappist brewery), Belgian mainstays like Rodenbach, Duvel, and Boon, and New World interpretations from Unibroue, Ommegang, and Dogfish Head. The Miami Valley shows off its Belgian-style chops, too, with beers from Fifth Street Brew Pub, Toxic Brew, Mother Stewart’s, Woodburn, and more.

 

The club’s Art Deco-style ballroom provides an ornate backdrop for the tasting, which maxes out at 200 people. The Belgian food menu, selected to pair with the beers, adds to the elegance of the room and the ales. The food is included with the ticket price and, like the beer menu, provides a sampling of the best of Belgium. Nibble on cheese and sausages, or go for something heftier like the Gratin of Brussel Sprouts, the Flemish Ragout of Rabbit, or the Belgian standard, Steamed Mussels. Satisfy your sweet tooth with Liege Waffles—pearl sugar waffle bars with fruits, flavored whipped cream, and syrup.

For the last six years, the event has raised funds for the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor, a community group dedicated to the redevelopment of the neighborhoods along Salem Avenue. The groups’ efforts have helped stabilize the area, in part through the money raised by this event. Organizer Jule Rastikis explains that, “The whole corridor is maturing–it keeps evolving.” As a result, Rastikis’ group is able to be more targeted in their efforts, this time focusing on branding of the neighborhoods. “One of the things that the event helps is that the Peace Corridor is doing a Gateway sign. It’s going to be at the corner of Salem and Riverview.” (You can see a rendering of the sign, and get tickets to the event, at www.baffdayton.com.)

 

A portion of ticket sales also help kickstart the Gem City Market, a food co-op grocery store planned for Dayton’s west side. The Gem City Market seeks to end the food desert on that side of the river and will function much like other cooperatively owned stores. It will be open to the public, but members will receive discounts. Think REI or Fifth Street Brew Pub, but with apples and oranges, not backpacks and pints—although if Rastikis has his way, a brewery won’t be far behind. “The Northwest Dayton market is an untapped resource,” he explains “There are 22,000 people in the area, so we’re trying to let beer people know–distributors, brewers, that, look, it would be pretty smart to get involved here.”

 

You can get involved by purchasing tickets at www.baffdayton.com. Tickets are $50 each ($40 for designated drivers who are eating but not drinking) Attendees can also purchase raffle tickets to win the Holy Grail of Trappist Beer—a basket stuffed Trappist beers and glassware, including the coveted Westvleteren 12.

Top Shelf Veggies-Lucky’s Taproom and Eatery Grows Their Own

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long-shot-of-interiorDrew Trick is a man passionate about tomatoes–very passionate. He loves fresh tomatoes so much that he has installed a rooftop urban greenhouse to grow his own tomatoes and serve them year round at his bar and restaurant, Lucky’s Taproom and Eatery.

The greenhouse project started in 2014, after Trick had successfully experimented with small-scale rooftop gardening. After nearly two years of construction, crews completed the greenhouse late this summer. Now, Trick is poised to start serving the first of his homegrown tomatoes within the next few weeks.

Yet, tomatoes aren’t the only things growing in the Lucky’s greenhouse. Trick uses twelve Tower Garden® structures to grow 336 plants, including tomatoes, eggplant, Swiss chard, spicy mixed greens, romaine lettuce, and red and green cabbage. The towers allow for vertical growth and a minimal footprint. Larger, sprawling plants like tomatoes are planted at the tower’s base, while the remaining pods are filled with lettuces and other greens. The hydroponic towers grow produce in small soil-less pods of rockwool, a man-made growth medium comprised of basalt rock and chalk. The rockwool holds the plants in place while the roots grow into the base of the tower, suspended in air. A submerged pump and layers of slotted flooring in the tower deliver water and nutrients, which come from an organic worm emulsion fertilizer, to the roots at regular intervals.

from-outside

Like the setup it contains, the greenhouse structure itself is impressive. Trick worked with The Architectural Group (TAG), a Dayton-based firm, and Joe Ruzinsky, a local contractor known as the Old House Guy, to build out the roof in a way that blended seamlessly with the Oregon District’s historical standards but that also provided state-of-the-art technology to automate the greenhouse. The crew built up walls between the front and back offices, where empty roof space once stood, with windows recovered by Dayton Reclamation and Restoration, LLC. The new greenhouse roof was custom built by NEXUS Greenhouse Systems and fits snuggly across the top. Gazing up at the greenhouse from the parking lot, patrons can get a glimpse of the built-in weather station that serves as the control-panelsgreenhouse’s central nervous system.

The weather station tracks heat, humidity, and wind speed, and, with a built in radar system, can preemptively control the greenhouse to adjust for changing weather conditions. Too hot or too cold? The system adjusts the top vents to let air in or out, and kicks fans or the heater on. Too much direct sun or threat of frost? A shade extends the length of the greenhouse to cover the plants underneath. Storm approaching? The system battens down the hatches to protect the crops.

 

“It is the Cadillac,” Trick jokes when explaining about the roof. “Everything can be programmed, how much heat, how much humidity, how much wind the structure can take.” This automated system frees Trick from worrying too much about making the adjustments the plants need—Trick estimates that he only spends a couple of hours, three to four times a week in the greenhouse.

tower-garden-in-action

By Trick’s own admission, the greenhouse is a pet project for him. “I never thought I’d do this,” he notes. “But it actually gives me a lot of satisfaction to watch stuff grow.”

 

And grow it does. The greenhouse set-up allows for a staggering amount of produce in very little space. Trick’s earlier attempts at rooftop gardening used half of the towers and, at its peak, supplied about 100 lbs. of fresh tomatoes weekly. In his greenhouse set-up, Trick has doubled the number of towers and, because of the greenhouse climate control, can grow tomatoes year round. However, the greenhouse is unlikely to replace the need for additional produce supply. That was never the point. Trick hopes to supplement the purchased greens and veggies with those he grows, targeting the greenhouse crops for areas where their impact will be noticed the most. With a smile, he tells a story of the plants on the rooftop before the greenhouse was built: “One of the servers told my customer, ‘I’m sorry, we’re out of tomatoes, but let me go to the roof and grab one for you.’ They were like, what are they talking about? You see customers walk tomatoes-ready-to-fruitout, they’d look up, and the server would [hold up a tomato and] say, “Here you go.”

 

Lucky’s has already started rotating in the mixed greens and the lettuce into their specials and will be using the tomatoes to top sandwiches soon. The restaurant currently uses 150 to 200 lbs. of tomatoes a week, so when Trick’s plants start producing, he’s planning to rotate them in in stages. “The stages will be sandwiches, the pico, then you’re getting into the sauces,” Trick explains. “And then hopefully we’ll still have enough of our tomatoes to go in the sauce to actually get that flavor out of it.”

 

And that’s really the point of the whole endeavor—not to grow tomatoes more cheaply or even to recoup the costs of the greensgreenhouse, but rather, to provide the best sandwiches and other menu items that he can. “I’m not going to tax on [the greenhouse]. It’s just trying to provide a better product,” Trick explains. “I want fresh tomatoes. For the customers, I want fresh tomatoes and I want good greens. You get three months of year where we get good tomatoes and everything else is just a red colored fruit with not much flavor. If my goal is to have fresh tomatoes throughout the year, we’ll have the best-dressed sandwiches. It makes a world of difference.”

Editors note:  Lucky’s recently shared this picture of greens, used this weekend that were all grown in the rooftop greenhouse.

 

 

 

 

Yellow Springs Brewery’s Cans Get a Redesign

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ysbrewerylogoOn Friday, November 11th, Yellow Springs Brewery will be holding a Metamorphosis Party to celebrate the official unveiling of their new can designed. The can design will be an extension of the new logo the brewery unveiled late last month.

 

Why the makeover? Co-owner Lisa Wolters explains that, “We were not unhappy with the old logo, but when we tried to apply it to our package, it didn’t lend itself to what we had in mind.” Namely, while the cans themselves looked great, the brewery name in the logo was hard to read, obviously a situation not conducive to retail sales.

 

The new logo retains the eagle from the original logo, but in the update, the eagle becomes the main focal point. “Eagles can mean a lot of things — freedom, strength, vision — but to Yellow Springs Brewery, the eagle suggests a certain spirit. A spirit that means you have the freedom, strength, and vision to reach higher, to not just accept the status quo, to embrace new perspectives and to dream,” explains Wolters. “It a was simplistic idea,” she elaborates, “the American entrepreneurial spirit. That’s who we are.”

 

416890_408501209165657_1083456839_nThe brewery’s new logo and can designs are a creation of Don Pendleton, a nationally recognized artist residing in Dayton. Pendleton has a connection with Yellow Spring Brewery’s salesperson Shawn Combs, who worked with Pendleton at Alien Workshop. Nate Cornett, the brewery’s other co-owner, and Wolters were fans of Pendleton’s work and were eager to have his help on redesigning the cans.

 

With its geometric shapes and muted colors, the new logo is reflective of Pendleton’s work. The burnt yellow and the purple were retained to tie into the existing Yellow Springs branding (which will be slowly phased out). The new cans will feature a single signature color per brand, so consumers will be able to differentiate beers like Zoetic from Captain Stardust. The logo itself will tie the brands together and retain consistency among labels.

 

The brewery’s taproom doubles as a gallery for local artists, and at The Metamorphosis Party, Pendleton’s art will be on display and for sale (for a sneak peak, check out his website. < http://www.elephont.com>). The party starts at 3 pm with a lineup of special Captain Stardust and Zoetic tappings (the Stardust variants include versions with coffee, biscotti, strawberry daiguiri, grapefruit, and one served on nitro. There will also be a habanero Zoetic variant). Stick around as they unveil additional limited releases throughout the night: Gindust (5 pm), Zoetic with mango (6 pm), Captain Stardust with sour cherry (7 pm) and Zoetic with grapefruit (8 pm).

ysbrewery

The party runs from 3-10 pm and will feature merchandise with the new logo, a photo booth, and food available to purchase from Harvest Food Truck. The brewery is located at 305 North Walnut Street, Suite B; Yellow Springs, OH 45387. For more information, contact Lisa Wolters at 937-767- 0222 or find them on the web at www.yellowspringsbrewery.com.

 

Big Beers gets even Bigger!

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A preview to the annual rare beer festival, this time with no ABV cap.

 

ka6-iv0gz7k7repojehdrsi2bwtwxezkg3wulkh1ado-1Dayton has a lot of great festivals, but there’s one that stands above the rest in terms of selection of rare beers. Big Beers and Barley Wines, which returns this Saturday, October 1, to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Roundhouse, is a festival for beer geeks, put on by beer geeks. Organizers work for months in advance with breweries and distributors to cherry pick the line-up of nearly 90 beers, carving out one-off beers, pub exclusives, and limited releases and combining them with vintages of old favorites, beers seeing their festival debut, and beers created exclusively for the event.

 

This year promises to be the biggest yet. While previous Big Beers have showcased giant barley wines and imperial stouts, those beers were capped at 12% alcohol by volume (ABV) by Ohio law. Not so in 2016—the cap was lifted on August 31st. Mike Schwartz, a founding member of the event team and owner of Ollie’s Place, Belmont Party Supply, and BrewTensils, drove the planning team to think big for this year’s line-up. “Big Beers and Barley Wines’ goal is to bring as many rare beers to the beer connoisseur as possible,” Schwartz explains. “This year with the alcohol cap removed, we have put the emphasis on Big Beers!”

 

Big Beers and Barley Wines will be the first regional festival to present these huge beers, and Gus h0syi8putqfdcqwo1ep5xa7l4lhs-wowwp8z2zdksdkStathes, the main beer buyer for the event (and beer guru at Ollie’s Place) has been like a kid in a candy shop, lining up beers that were not available in Ohio before. “We’ve always focused on securing the most exciting and special beers that we can get our hand on for this festival,” explains Stathes. “This year’s list is more exciting in that without an ABV cap, we have access to a much more broad spectrum of options.” Beers like Hebrew Jewbelation 17 and Deschutes Abyss 2015 are scheduled to see their Ohio festival debut, alongside local and regional giants like Hoppin’ Frog T.O.R.I.S. The Tyrant triple oatmeal imperial stout, Dayton Beer Company’s Midnight Dream Raspberry Imperial Stout and a Evil Twin’s Molotov Heavy, an enormously hoppy triple IPA.

 

But don’t let the focus on huge beers prevent you from trying those with a more “modest” ABV. Look for cellar projects from Green Flash like Oculus Savage and Nocturna Morta Boysenberry. Quaff Brothers killed it last year with their Orange Melvin and are promising more of the same in 2016. This year, they’ve teamed up with MadTree to create Gus Juice, a Gnarley Brown barrel-aged variant with honey, cocoa nibs and cinnamon named after one of the festival’s organizers. MadTree also has three rarities on the docket under their own name: a brown ale called Ford the Mill, a wild ale named Chamomile Levanto, and a 2015 BA Coffee Axis Mundi.

 

crckh7n9jcgcv0gmhhm-d8mgyfhkayx3xyo4v0pocmsWant to go even more local? Nearly all of the Miami Valley local brewers will be attending. Warped Wing BA Abominator was a hit last year and returns this year, this time infused with Maple. Toxic’s Barrel Aged Night Ender is also scheduled to make an appearance—a boozy variant on an already deceptively boozy imperial stout. Fig Leaf, which is opening in Middletown the first week in October, will debut their Ponderous Porter—try it at the festival days before you’ll be able to try it at the taproom. And when you’re ready for dessert, seek out Eudora’s Mother Fuggle on chocolate covered bananas—a dessert beer indeed.

 

What makes the event even better than the fantastic beer line-up is the worthwhile cause it supports. “Not only is Big Beers & Barley Wines the premier craft beer tasting event in the region, 100% of the proceeds benefit the Resident Home Association of Greater Dayton, Inc.,” explains Peter Roll, RHA Executive Director. “Resident Home provides services to people with developmental disabilities where the primary source of funding is Medicaid dollars. Those dollars do not fully meet the needs of the people we serve. Events like Big Beers help us provide for those unmet needs. This helps us buy clothing, pay for uncovered dental services, purchase new eye glasses, pay for leisure activities and other things on our clients’ wish lists.”

resident-home-association

Established in 1966 by a group of parents with developmentally disabled children, RHA has expanded to now provide homes, daily living support and services to around 80 adult individuals in the community. Pam Skelly is the event organizer with RHA. She notes that, “Big Beers is near and dear to my heart as it is with so many other participants—Big Beers gives us the chance to enjoy and talk beer with fellow beer geeks.” Skelly also emphasizes how the event funds the RHA wish list: “The RHA wish list helps us to support the hobbies and individual interests of the people we serve. The people we serve derive so much joy from the little things in life—a country concert, a night out for pizza and a movie, jewelry-making parties and so much more; supporting these hobbies and interests is so very important. We could not do any of this without the support of the Dayton beer community.”

 

The Dayton-based non-profit employs a staff of full- and part-time resources and works with other organizations such as Sinclair Community College and Choices in Community Living to extend their reach into the community. The web of support that RHA provides their clients through their various programs and partnerships gives their clients the assistance to live and work with a high level of autonomy within the community. Roll adds, “When you support Big Beers, you are supporting a very worthy cause and we very much appreciate our patrons.”

 

beer-fest-logoAll proceeds from the event go to the RHA. This year, Big Beer and Barley Wines Beer Fest will be held inside the Roundhouse at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds on October 1, 2016 from 4 to 8pm.

Early ticket sales have surpassed previous years’ numbers, so the organizers are expecting a possible sellout and they are advising would-be attendees to get tickets as soon as possible. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door (if available). Tickets may be purchased at Ollie’s Place, Belmont Party Supply, BrewTensils, 5th Street Wine & Deli, The Barrel House, Bee Gee’s Market, Chappy’s Tap Room, Kings Table, Lucky’s Tap Room, South Park Tavern, Thai 9 and Trolley Stop or on the web at www.bigbeersdayton.com.

 

 

 

Belgium by the Pint and Plate: The Belgian Ale and Food Festival

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IMG_0610Belgium comes to Dayton on July 30th with the 5th annual Belgian Ale and Food Festival (BAFF). Arguably one of the most underrated beer fests in the Gem City, this high-end festival pairs some of the best Belgian and Belgian-style beers in the world with quintessentially Belgian dishes in the beautiful 1920s setting of the Miami Valley Golf Club. Explore the wooden walls of the grand ballroom while quaffing a St Louis Fond Tradicion Geuze paired with Roast Lemon & Rosemary Chicken. Or, if you want something heftier, how about a St. Bernardus Barrel Aged ABT 12 with a beefy, carmalized Carbonnades Flanandes? Go classic by pairing a saison with Moules Frites, Belgian steamed mussels and fries. And sample the best local interpretations of Belgian styles with beers from Toxic, Warped Wing, 5th Street Brewpub, Eudora, Yellow Springs Brewery, and Dayton Beer Company.

Founder Jule Rastikis and Treva Jenkins

The BAFF is the brainchild of Jule Rastikis and is a fund-raiser for Salem Avenue Peace Corridor, a neighborhood non-profit with the goal of revitalizing the Salem Avenue area. Rastikis, a local entrepreneur and the president of the Peace Corridor project, is passionate about reestablishing Salem Avenue and the adjacent neighborhoods as a thriving community. In the group’s mission statement, they draw upon the United Nation’s definition of peace, calling for “a vitalization effort to intentionally cultivate our Shared Destiny of safety, prosperity, a great quality of life, and a strong spirit of community.”

 

Rastikis is a bona fide beer geek who, five years ago, realized the craft beer renaissance was leaving Dayton’s west side largely behind, despite the region’s stabilization and its nascent revitalization efforts. Rastikis wanted to share the vision of his neighborhood and was motivated by “getting people to cross the bridge.” Channeling Kevin Costner in Field Of Dreams, Rastikis explains that, “If you do the right event, people will come.” He wanted to prove that he could draw attendees from more than just the immediate area, and has been overwhelmingly successful. Attendees from each of the last four events have come from 25 different ZIP codes.

 

PicsArt_1405260176148As for why Belgian beer? “Because that’s what I like,” quips Rastikis, adding that “no one else is doing it.” His love for all things Belgique began with a Beer Bon Voyage trip through the country, where he and his wife sampled beers from monasteries and centuries-old breweries. An evangelist for the beers, Rastikis has lined up a tasting list that includes the best of Belgian styles (including Piraat, one of his favorites) and foods that accentuate the beers. Attendees can also purchase raffle tickets for the Holy Grail of Belgian beers, a beer package that includes brews from nine Trappist breweries: Spencer, Gregorgius, Achel, Chimay, Rochefort, LaTrappe, Orval, Westmalle, and Westvleteren. (The raffle includes the highly sought after and hard to obtain Westie 12). The event also offers attendees the chance to experience Rastikis’ life-changing trip for themselves—the purchase of a ticket enters the ticketholder into a drawing for a Belgian beer cruise, with airfare for two from New York, this October.

 

The event takes place Saturday, July 30th from 4-7 pm at the Miami Valley Golf Club (3311 Salem Avenue Dayton, OH 45406). The event is limited to 200 people, so get tickets early or risk the event being sold out. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased online at www.daytonbaff.com. For more information about the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor, visit their website at www.peacecorridor.com.