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Fifth Street Brewpub

The Super Bowl – One Long Session for Beers!

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Super Bowl 49 logo

Super Bowl XLIX is here. Is your beer fridge ready for it?

The Super Bowl XLIX festivities begin at noon on Sunday, February 1. Pundits are going to spend the entire day analyzing the players, discussing past Super Bowls, and making deflated ball puns. The game itself starts at 6 PM, and will end around 11 PM after all the awards have been given out and more analysis of the game. That is a long drinking day for anyone. You have to pace yourself through a day filled with salty snacks, good friends, and lots and lots of fine, locally crafted beer. Fortunately, British brewers thought of this decades ago, and developed something called a session beer.

During World War I, production of material for the war effort was important. Parliament created a law that allowed for two drinking sessions a day; one at lunch and one at dinner time. Since drinking was much more limited, any typically could only be done at a bar, people would have a few more at lunch then they normally would. They did not want to go back work around dangerous equipment inebriated, so British brewers started to brew beers that were lower in ABV. They typically capped at 5%, but many went as low as 3%. Pilsners, bitters, and pale ales were the styles that were used, offering the most flavor while delivering a love tap of alcohol.

The United States does not have the same fondness for low ABV beers. The legacy of the “little beer” began just before Prohibition as a desperate attempt by then president Woodrow Wilson to stop the inevitable. He proposed that beers of no more than 2.75% ABV be brewed, minimizing the harsh effects of the terrible affliction of alcohol on a delicate public. Clearly, that did not work, and the country dried up for thirteen years. The first beer that came out after the Volstead Act was repealed but before the 21st Amendment went into effect? 3.2% beers. Our legacy with them is much more contentious, thus when the craft beer movement rolled forward, the LAST thing brewers wanted to do was create beers in the Budweiser range of ABV. The ABV War began, trying to create bigger beers, beers full of flavor and alcohol. The winning brewery at this point in time is Brewmeister’s Armageddon out of Scotland, ringing in at an overwhelming 65% ABV. Most beers like this are brewed once for effect, then retired.

A dark day in U.S. history, but a good time for session beers.

Session beers just came back into vogue in the last ten years as a reaction to all of the high ABV beers flowing through the country. Founder’s All Day IPA may be the beer that brought this type of beer to the general attention of the public. This great Michigan brewery sells this in a fifteen-pack, acknowledging that you can sip on this all day and still be able to function at your desk on Monday. It was mentioned more than a few times as a great session beer by the people I spoke with. The 4.7% ABV is perfect for a long session of drinking, and the hops ensures that it is not boring to drink. Fat Head’s Sunshine Daydream out of Cleveland is another highly recommended session beer, creeping up to 4.9% ABV and still delivering with refreshing flavor.

Looking for a local, low alcohol growler fill for the big game? Here is a list of what was found on tap (or in a can) around the Miami Valley. Not all of these fall into the session beer category, but they all hover around the 5% ABV range.

  • Lock 27 – Pugilist’s 4.7% ABV seems light for a beer with a fighting name. Session beers are not all light and hoppy. Here is an irish stout whose punch is in the flavor, not the spirits. Order some of their Smoked Wings while you are there. You will not be disappointed.
  • Yellow Springs Brewing – If you are going to go to one brewery for all your low ABV beer needs, this is the place to go. They have the biggest selection of tap beers that fall into this category. Their Kerfluffle, an English Mild beer, is the lowest on the list at 3.1% ABV. They also have Daily’s Comet Saison (3.8% ABV), Handsome American Brown Ale (5.5% ABV), Ryatt’s Eviction English Pale Ale (5.0% ABV) and Zoetic Citra American Pale Ale (5.2% ABV). A little something for everyone!
  • Dayton Beer Company
    Shelves of growlers

    This should be enough for Sunday, right?

    – Patterson Pale Ale, at 5.5% ABV, is higher on the list for a session beer, but a delicious option. While you are there, get a growler of their award winning Java Man Cometh (7.0% ABV) to help celebrate if your team wins, or cry into if they lose.

  • Warped Wing Brewing Company – They have some heavy hitters in their line up (Baltic Argonaut at 11.5% ABV would make a short session), but they offer their own Self Starter Session IPA at 5.2% ABV. Ermal’s Belgian Cream Ale at 5.4% ABV and their delightfully unique Wedding Beer at 4.5% ABV are options for Super Bowl growler fills.
  • Fifth Street Brewing – For my money, kolsch is my favorite style of lighter beer. FSB’s 1600 Kolsch (5.0% ABV) and Deluge Pale Ale (5.4% ABV) are both excellent beers to add to the game day menu.
  • Star City Brewing – If you already have plans and will have to miss their Super Bowl Potluck Extravaganza, you can enjoy their kolschy Blonde Ale at 3.8% ABV or Weizen Star Hefeweizen at 4.8% ABV at home with a much different pot luck.
  • Lucky Star Brewery – While you are in Miamisburg, you can stop by this brewery as well and pick up their Ojos Locos Mexican Lager at 3.9% ABV or their Redemption Red at 5.3% ABV. Their Wicked Step Mutha Double Stout weighs in at 9.9% ABV, but would be a delicious late game addition to cap off the party.
  • Toxic Brew Company – Relax. There is always some Practice Yoga (5.6% ABV) to enjoy during an all-day football binge. Sign up for the Shuffle Board League while you are there so your sports enjoyment can last after football is over. Abby’s Cure at 9.6% ABV came highly recommended for Sunday, but as a tasty treat with your all day sippers.
  • Eudora Brewing Company – Another award winning craft brewery in Dayton, their Sundowner Blonde Ale weighs in at 5.0% ABV. Supporting them means you are also supporting charity:water, providing clean water to those with no access to it.
  • Hairless Hare Brewery – Hello friends up north! The American Ale here sits at a sessionable 4.9% ABV. And is there anything more American than watching the Super Bowl?
Patriots vs. Seahawks

Just discussing some dinner plans after the game.

Not enough options? Belmont Party Supply has many, many selections for session drinking. Cincinnati favorites like Madtree offers Lift at 4.7% ABV and Rhinegeist releases Cougar at 4.8% ABV for you to consider. Rivertown’s Little Sipa IPA at a nice and light 4.5% ABV is another Cincinnati option on the table. The new kid in Ohio, Boulevard Brewing Company, has their Pop Up Session IPA that sits at a respectable 4.3% ABV and 80 Acre Hoppy Wheat at 5.5% ABV. Fans of New Belgium Brewing can get their hands on Slow Ride Session IPA sitting at 4.5% ABV. You can also pick up He’Brew’s Dry Hopped Session Pale Ale (5.5% ABV) or Heavy Seas’ Cross Bones Session IPA (4.5% ABV) there. If you want a little more heavy in your seas, their Loose Cannon IPA is an amazing choice with a little more punch (7.25% ABV).

The Super Bowl has become more than just the championship game for the NFL; it is a cultural event that brings people together with friends for good food and good company. Whether you are cheering for the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks, or just a halfway decent Super Bowl ad, session beers are one way to sip on great beer all day and still be ready to shout, cheer, cry, and celebrate when the game begins. Now, time to start researching the wings and nachos. Cheers!

Fifth Street Brewpub Drink Up Dayton Challenge

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10892008_616248208503444_6563774031219974521_nDayton’s only coop brewpub is going local for the entire month of January and they are challenging Dayton’s beer lovers to do the same.  All month long they will of course be featuring their own beers, but their additional taps will be pouring beers from The Dayton  Beer Company, Eudora Brewing Co., The Hairless Hare Brewery, Lock 27 Brewing, Lucky Star Brewery, Nowhere in Particular, Star City Brewing, Toxic Brew Company, Yellow Springs Brewery and Warped Wing Brewing Company.

 

Are You up for the Challenge?DrinkupT

Drink 15 Dayton beers, that’s 5 from Fifth Street Brewpub (FSB) and 1 from each of the 10 local breweries on tap  in the month of January  at the Brewpub and receive a Drink Up Dayton t-shirt. You’ll have until Feb 6th to present your completed stamped card in and then shirts will be ready for pick-up by March 1st.

And during the month of January look for FSB to release some bran new beers of their own:

Jan 1st- Scottish Reign & Cup O’Jo’s Stout

Jan 17th- Saphire 1PA Double IPA

For more details and to find out what beers will be featured check FSB’s facebook page or ask your beertender or server while you’re at the Brewpub.  FSB is located at 1600 E. Fifth Street in St. Anne’s Hill.  For more information please visit  FifthStreetBrewpub.coop  and click on the Events & News page.

 

Jackie O’s Tap Takeover Wed at Fifth Street Brewpub

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JackieOs_Tap_Takeover-300x388A fire on Nov 16th  on Union Street in Athens damaged a host of businesses, including the Union Bar & Grill and Jackie O’s Public House. Other businesses damaged or destroyed include the women’s clothing store Kismet, a real-estate office, Campus Sundry, Smoke Zone Smoke Shop, all on Union between Court and Congress streets.

Most of the affected businesses were in buildings built around 1900, according to the Athens County auditor’s website. Three of the burned buildings included student apartments.

Heather Thornton, human resources director for Jackie O’s, said the staff was planning to open the Brew House as soon as possible, though restoration emergency cleaners ServPro had been clearing the area for smoke damage a day before.  Roughly 20 servers had to be laid off with the closure of the Public House, she said.

Luckily, Jackie O’s production brewery is several block away in downtown Athens. So, Mystic Mama IPA, Firefly Amber Ale and Chomolungma will still be flowing to customers throughout the state.

Fifth Street Brewpub is hosting a Jackie O’s Tap Takeover starting at 4pm on Wed, Dec 17th . Join them for a night of outpouring support! The FSB community is coming together on December 17th to help the Athens community recover, and we’re going to do it one beer and raffle at a time. $1 of every Jackie O’s sold will be donated to the Athens Union Street Fire Employees Relief Fund in addition to all raffle proceeds. *A Grand Raffle will offer several collections of highly sought-after craft beers generously donated by the Dayton Community *A Supporting Raffle will offer various craft beer related items. *Tickets available at FSB. Need not be present to win. Cash donations to the Relief Fund may also be made at FSB.

Beers on Tap will be:IMG_3973-480x360

Jackie O’s Bourbon Barrel Brick Kiln Barleywine
Jackie O’s Dark Apparition
Jackie O’s Really Nelson IPA
Jackie O’s Barking Pumpkin
Jackie O’s Mystic Mama IPA

Beer To Go From Fifth Street Brewpub

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10553348_581791191949146_77431318628932955_nOn Wed, Oct 21st the Fifth Street Brewpub will add growlers to their menu.  These 64 ounce refillable bottles allow you to take home your favorite brews from the brewpub.  Cure-All Cream Ale, Icebreaker IPA, 85 Shilling Scottish Ale, and Jo Jo’s Midnight Stout will be available to go.  Pick up your own growler for just $5 and then you can fill it with your favorite beer to enjoy at home.  According to FSB fills will run about $17-$18 and members will receive a dollar off each fill.

According to the Beer Advocate, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, fresh beer was carried from the local pub to one’s home by means of a small-galvanized pail. Rumor has it that when the beer sloshed around the pail, it created a rumbling sound as the CO2 escaped through the lid, thus the term “growler” was coined.
Before World War II, city kids used to bring covered buckets of draft beer from a local bar or brewery to workers at lunchtime or to their parents at dinnertime, a practice called “rushing the growler.”

For more information on Growlers, check out this article by Jeff Heater, GM of the soon to be open  The Barrel House:

Growlers, maybe you’ve heard of ‘em?

And if you want to know where you can fill a growler in town, check out our list of over 30 places around town that will happily pour you some beer to go! Just note that you must always refrigerate growlers. Doing so will give them a shelf-life of 7-10 days, or around 2-3 days once opened – if you’re lucky.

9th Area Brewery to Debut Their Own Beer Wed

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10373990_1511800579032292_2549858275527971319_nBrewmaster Darren Link,  of the Fifth Street Brewpub,  has been working hard in the brewhouse in St. Anne’ Hill  to bring freshly us brewed beer and finally on Wed, July 16th you’ll be able to sample the first of many beers to come from the 2500+ member owned co-op. On tap this week will be: 

5thstree brews

      • You’ll be able to sample a flight of 3 4oz pours for $6.

Management shares that growlers will not be offered right away, “but will  be offered to member-owners and patrons in the next upcoming months as we expand production of our FSB craft beers.”

Doors normally open at 4pm during the week, but for this special event we’ll see you there at 3pm!

And don’t worry if you can’t make it Wed, MostMetro.com is currently working on adding Fifth Street Brewpub to our Brew Tours!  And later this month the 10th area brewery should  also be serving, as Dayton History’s Carillon Brewing Co. is scheduled to open in August.

Carillon Brewing Co.

 

 

 

You’re Invited To Fifth Street Brewpub’s 2nd Birthday Bash

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71cb2c44-dbe2-4da5-b278-42d388c608daFifth Street Brewpub (FSB), the only co-operatively owned brewpub in Dayton, and the fastest growing one in the nation, announced today they will be celebrating their 2nd birthday on Sunday, June 22 from noon to 11 pm with a huge birthday bash. The event is open to the public and there will be something for everyone, so all are invited to join in the fun.

 

Board of Directors Member and Communication Director, Laura Hensley, said event attendees can expect a “fun-filled day, complete with live music by FSB favorite local artists Nick Mitchell from 1 – 3 pm and Jonathon Hamilton from 7 – 9 pm. Plus, specialty food! Our very own Executive Chef Liam Hennessy will be preparing exclusive menu items to celebrate the occasion, so you won’t want to miss out on these signature treats. And, back to help us celebrate our birthday with specially-created FSB-themed food truck items just for this occasion are two FSB fan favorite food trucks: Harvest Mobile Cuisine and Bella Sorella” said Hensley. Bella Sorrella will be at the event from 12 – 5 pm and Harvest Mobile Cuisine is scheduled to be at the Birthday Bash from 5 – 9 pm.

 

Then there’s the beer. General Manager Dave Tickel has quite the line-up for patrons, including: Heavy Seas Cask Ale, Heavy Seas Double Oak, Double Citra Cask Beer, and a wide selection of locally brewed craft beer.

 

High Spirits Cupcakes also will be back at Fifth Street Brewpub for the party, offering two flavors each of their mini cupcakes, both infused with FSB brewmaster Darren Link’s beer.   Get two mini cupcakes for $3

 

The Birthday Bash also officially welcomes back Sunday operating hours at the brewpub. The brewpub will now be open every FSB_BrewpubSunday.

 

Patrons will be able to enjoy everything the brewpub has to offer including twelve great craft beers on tap, a wide selection of red and white wine, and mixed drinks plus signature dishes created by Executive Chef Liam Hennesy.

 

While Fifth Street Brewpub is co-operatively owned, and has more than 2,500 member-owners, it is open to the public, too. Interested non-members can still join the brewpub at the one-time fee of $125 and own a share of the co-op. For more details visit www.brewpubgifts.com.

 

Fifth Street Brewpub’s hours of operation are: Monday through Thursday 4 pm to 11 pm, Friday 11 am to midnight, Saturday 11 am to midnight, and Sunday with the kitchen service ending one hour before closing. For more information, call (937) 443-0919.

10 ?’s with Fifth Street Brewpub’s Chef Liam Hennessy

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Jan 23, 2013 11-27-28 AMFifth Street Brewpub’s Chef Liam Hennessy’s first experience in the restaurant business was working at a Mom and Pop sandwich shop. He started off as a dishwasher but soon moved to busing tables, serving, and eventually helping in the kitchen. Fifth Street Brewpub General Manager Dave Tickel first met Liam while working at TomKatz’s in Springboro. They both moved into other positions, but after 5 years of losing touch, Dave called Liam and offered him the position of head chef.  Liam left his job at the Dayton Country Club and is now working hard to create a unique menu at this new co-op brewpub. The chef also has worked at L’Auberge and Thirsty Dog Brewpub.

Experience Chef Liam’s menu at Fifth Street Brewpub located at 1600 East Fifth St, about 4 blocks east of the Oregon District. The pub is open  Monday – Thursday 4 pm – 11 pm and Fridays & Saturdays from 11 am – midnight.

 1.     What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Quite simply, animals. I love working with beef.

2.     What ingredient do you dread?

Nothing really, I’m not scared of anything. If I don’t know how to use an ingredient, I’ll look it up.

 3.     What’s your favorite dish to make?

Anything that makes people smile. Coming from the Dayton Country Club, I’ve had to adapt to a different style at the Fifth Street Brewpub. A lot of menu items here are broken-down fine dining, the Cuban sandwich for example.  It’s not on the menu, but we feature it from time to time. There is actually an email list that goes out to certain die-hard fans of that sandwich telling them when it will be served next.

1045027_482166238578309_578346194966066472_n

Enchurrito, rice, chicken, corn, peppers and cheese rolled in a flour tortilla, topped with a green chile sauce, and a cumin sour cream.

4.     What’s your favorite pig out food?

I grew up with peanut butter crackers, the ones that come in the pack of 6. Those with a glass of milk at the end of the day are great.

5.     What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?

My wife and I just had kids, so it is hard to find time to go out. But when we do, we like to eat local. Bonefish is one of our favorites.

6.     What’s your best advice for home chefs?

Stop watching the food network; it glorifies food and creates very high expectations. Just keep it simple, try not to combine too many flavors.

 7.     If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?

I would invite my grandparents and great-grandparents. They never had the chance to see this side of me.

8.     Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

Chris from TomKatz’s; we have remained great friends over the years. And the Sycamore Creek Country Club. That’s where my skills and ideas were refined.

9.     What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?

Watch my kids! Or sometimes go golfing if I get the chance.

10.  Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story.

Lucky Break: Working at the country club was my biggest break. I was a sous-chef at the time, and the GM recognized that I was doing most of the work. He saw my ability and potential, and offered me the position of head chef.

Disaster: This also happened while I was working at the country club. We were hosting a wedding for 150 people, but there was a storm the night before and all of the power went out. So we didn’t have any light, gas, electricity, so obviously we had a huge problem. We contacted the bride and explained the situation, and she wanted to continue with the wedding as planned. We had to adapt by using outside grills to make a meal for 150 guests. It turned out to be a success; the guests were understanding and loved the improvised menu.

 

This Chef 10?’s article was put together by UD students in Professor Rebecca P. Blust’s  UD Engineering Project Management class.  Our four member team , Gracelyn Key, Sushmitha Rayinadi, Emily Strobach and Daniel Williams spent the semester learning how to meet with a client (DMM) define the project, put a plan together and execute it.  This is the fourth of 9 Chef interviews they presented to us as their class project.  To read the first two interviews please see below:

10 ?’s with Chef Trish Miles of C’est Cheese

10 ?’s with Chef Narendar Thakkar of Namaste India

10 ?’s with Chef Lisa Perdomo of Arepas & Co

Fifth Street Brewpub Officially Opening its Brewpub Saturday, August 3:

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fsbrewpub Fifth Street Brewpub (FSB), the fastest growing co-operatively owned brewpub in the nation, announced today that they would open their brewpub and courtyard to both the general public and member-owners during their grand opening on Saturday, August 3 from 11 am to midnight. The event will begin with a ribbon cutting at 11 am to officially open for business.

 

Fifth Street Brewpub will initially feature twelve craft beers on tap, rotating out varieties to include Southern Tier 2x Stout, Dark Horse Sapient Triple, and Boulder Mojo IPA, and will also serve a selection of wine and liquor. Alcohol service will be available in the courtyard as well.

 

Local musicians Dave and Pam Baugham, Dustin Vincent, and Jonathon Hamilton will perform at various times throughout the day. Street food will be offered by several vendors including Pa’s Pork from Noon – 5 pm, McNasty’s from 4 – 8 pm, and Cheeky Mobile Meat Pies from 5 – 10 pm. The grand opening also will include a number of festivities throughout the day including random prize give-ways and a raffle of a large basket containing a variety of craft beers, FSB-branded pint glasses, coasters, t-shirts, and hats. Tickets can be purchased during the grand opening, and the winner does not need to be present to win.

 

The new brewpub isn’t yet offering its own signature craft beers from their seven-barrel fsbrewpubcourtyardbrewing system that will be housed in the brew house. Fifth Street Brewpub co-founder and president Brian Young stated that construction of the brew house is ongoing, and once brewing begins he expects to replace at least half of the taps with FSB’s own signature brews.  “We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It is very exciting to be talking about what beers and styles we are starting with, and what we can accomplish with our new equipment, both with regard to brewing and the kitchen.”

 

When Fifth Street Brewpub set out on this journey a little over a year ago, they had hoped to attract 300 members initially, but in just over a month they were well over 850 members. Setting an ambitious goal for themselves, they reached 2,000 member-owners on the day they celebrated their 1st birthday as a co-op, June 22,2013, making them the fastest growing co-op in the nation. Membership director Maureen Barry said, “It was very exciting to welcome our 2,000th member-owner at our first birthday party.  Reaching that milestone together as a community, at our brewpub, was truly a special occasion.”

 

Non-members can still join the brewpub at the one-time fee of $125 and own a share of the co-op. For more details visit www.brewpubgifts.com.

 

Fifth Street Brewpub’s hours are Monday through Thursday 4 pm to 10 pm, Friday 11 am to midnight, and Saturday 11 am to midnight. The brewpub will be open on Sunday from Noon to 10 pm starting mid-August. For more information, call (937) 443-0919.

 

For a complete schedule of events during the grand opening, visit Fifth Street Brewpub on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FifthStreetBrewpub.

 

 

 

About Fifth Street Brewpub

Fifth Street Co-op formed in June 2012 by community members who began the initiative of opening the Fifth Street Brewpub in the St. Anne’s Hill Historic District near downtown Dayton. Brewpub membership grants access to exclusive, member-owner only events, patronage refunds, as well as rotating food and merchandise discounts. The first 2,000 brewpub member-owners will also receive discounts on food and beer. Fifth Street Brewpub is a not-for-profit entity, and supports the efforts of local charities throughout the community. For more information visit www.FifthStreet.Coop and www.brewpubgifts.com.

 

 

 

 

Fifth Street Brewpub’s Birthday Bash on June 22 to Celebrate One Year as a Co-Op

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196816_215924091869193_814905752_nFifth Street Brewpub (FSB), the first co-operatively owned brewpub in Ohio and the second to open in the nation, announced today that they will be celebrating their first birthday on Saturday, June 22 from noon to 12PM. The event will be open to both member-owners and the general public.

 

Fifth Street Brewpub’s birthday bash will include a variety of craft beers on tap, a raffle fundraiser, live music by local musicians, food provided by Dayton’s own food trucks, cupcakes made with beer and so much more.

 

Money raised via the raffle will go toward the purchase of the brewpub’s custom seven-barrel brewing system. “Tickets will be sold for $1 each or 6 for $5” said Membership Director Maureen Barry. “We are also asking attendees to bring in a new baby item if possible that will be donated to Catholic Social Service’s Teen-Parent Link Program. The first 100 people to donate a new item will receive a baby cupcake provided by High Spirits Cupcakes, a local business owned by our members-owners Roxanne and Mark Gabbard.” Attendees can bring in any of the following items: baby wipes, baby shampoo, baby lotion, and diapers (size 4 or larger).

 

FSB’s birthday bash will be a great celebration where anyone can eat, drink, socialize, catch a game on any of the HD TVs and listen to live music provided by local artists Ally Lewber and Dustin Vincent. FSB-branded apparel will also be available for purchase. The Brewpub will be open to the public and members Thursday, Friday, and Sunday as well, but the big party is Saturday… our birthday!  For a detailed schedule of events, visit Fifth Street Brewpub’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FifthStreetBrewpub. “This may be the last chance for non-members to join the brewpub at the one-time fee of $100 and own a share of the co-op before the price goes up to $125 and still take advantage of the membership gift set: one Fifth Street Brewpub-branded pint glass and four coasters” Barry stated. For more details visit www.brewpubgifts.com.

 

The grand opening of the brewpub is set for July 13th, but may be open a couple weeks prior to that for training and fine tuning. Co-founder and president Brian Young stated, “We are very excited to open in July and hopefully be brewing our own beer by late July.  It’s been a long time coming!  In the end, Fifth Street Brewpub is a community built by community.  Our motto is ‘building a community… one beer at a time.’  It’s an exciting time in Dayton!”

Volunteers for Dayton! Opportunities: September 11-18

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Welcome to our new column for urban volunteer opportunities! I’ll be posting all kinds of ways to get involved in city neighborhoods – from hand-on service to crowdfunding to fun community-building events – so if you have items for submission e-mail me or add them to our Facebook group!

Spotlight on: Garden Station

Have you driven on Wayne Avenue downtown and wondered what that raucous splash of color was by the railroad tracks? Or maybe you’re a regular at the many frequent events occurring at this two-acre community art park, such as the weekly Sunday Market or ‘Free Music First Friday.’ Launched in 2008 as an initiative of the Dayton Circus Creative Collective, Garden Station is now a stand-alone organization led by Lisa Helm with a small crew of volunteers. It is an “urban hub where the Dayton community can come together to enjoy art, campfires, festivals, movies, concerts and community gardens.” They always need help on Saturday work days throughout the growing season, and this week, they are holding Wine and Weeding Wednesday to get spruced up for Urban Nights. The garden’s current fiscal sponsorship agreement expires on September 14 and its estimated monthly costs are $300, so they’d love if you made a tax-deductible donation before Friday! Or if you don’t fancy yourself a philanthropist, you can still give by eating at Blind Bob’s on the first Monday of the month and mentioning Garden Station Night. For more information, follow their page or e-mail Lisa.

Some of the 170 K12 & East End volunteers installing the mosaic

Get Involved!

  • Guide our county’s future: Montgomery County is asking citizens to give input through a series of public forums. The topic for Tuesday, Sep. 11th is “Where Do We Stand vs. Other Communities?” Seen any great ideas in other areas that you’d like to bring back here? Chime in!
  • Show your art on downtown streets: Activated Spaces, the Downtown Dayton Plan’s joint project of Generation Dayton and updayton, is conducting a final call for submissions for art to fill downtown storefronts. Artists will appreciate that they’re printing the art on vinyl window clings this time, making installation much easier! Click here for more information and to apply by the September 14th deadline.
  • The November library levy (Issue 70) includes an “upgraded main library that will be a regional information, reading and cultural attraction for downtown Dayton.” Their online volunteer form asks for help with phonecalls, going door-to-door, endorsers, poll greeters, and public speakers.
  • Bike sharing for downtown was recently a hot topic of discussion in our group, and we learned that Bike Miami Valley is exploring the idea. Fill out their brief online survey to share your thoughts on a ‘smart bike’ system!
  • Which urban neighborhoods are on Facebook? Several years ago, DMM publisher Bill Pote and I led a training at City Hall to get more neighborhoods on social media. Let us know how far we’ve come by adding to my running list.
  • Urban Nights: Still a few more slots availablefor volunteers!

    Monica Wirick-Schultz doing some park planting with other volunteers last Friday

  • Clean up North Main Street: Volunteer help is needed for cleaning up litter and overgrown vegetation; supplies such as gloves, brooms and bags are provided. Saturday, Sep. 15, 8:30am-1pm, 2141 N. Main St. For more information, contact FROC Priority Board Coordinator Verletta Jackson at 333-3288 or e-mail her.
  • Demo Day at the Fifth Street Brewpub: Meet at the community-owned brewpub (1600 E Fifth) at 10 am, Saturday, Sep 15 to demo the interior of the brewhouse. Email them if you can make it so they can plan accordingly (e.g: buy enough beer)
  • Community-Police Action Planning: Learn about community-police relations, give feedback, and sign up for volunteer opportunities at the Dayton Community Police Council’s Community Day Party. Saturday, Sep. 15 11am-3pm, Convention Center.
  • Help make peace in Dayton neighborhoods: The Dayton Mediation Center is looking for volunteer mediators to attend upcoming trainings and commit to helping with conflict resolution. More details can be found here.

Success!

  • Adding color to Xenia Avenue: Over 170 volunteers participated in the year-and-a-half long mosaic mural project led by K12 Gallery for Young People in partnership with East End Community Services Corporation. The finished project can now be seen at 504 Xenia Ave. Like K12’s page to get involved in future projects! The new mosaics decorate the facade of the future location of the Corner Cupboard Charities thrift store, a volunteer-run organization that raises money for other local nonprofits. Check them out!

    One of the many streetscape transformations underway in the South Park neighborhood

  • DDR volunteers rocked it!: Over 200 volunteers came out to support the Downtown Dayton Revival Music Fest this past weekend and a good time was had by all.
  • Invest in the city through real estate! Theresa Gasper of Full Circle Development, LLC recently shared some amazing before-and-after pictures of the homes she and partners have transformed in the Historic South Park neighborhood, an area which saw a 23% value increase in the last reappraisal. There are plenty of great urban realtors who would love to get you started!
  • First Friday Park Planters: A dozen volunteers organized through our Facebook group planted about 40 shrubs and perennials at a little downtown park on Friday night before exploring First Friday together. This was made possible by a grant that volunteer Brian Ressler obtained from Keep Montgomery County Beautiful. Thanks everyone!

 

Volunteers for Dayton! Opportunities: September 4-11

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Greetings MostMetro-land!

Welcome to our new weekly round-up of urban Dayton volunteer opportunities!

Mural by David Kenworthy at Garden Station

As someone who’s been involved in a lot of community improvement projects at both grassroots & government levels, I’ve sensed a need to better coordinate all the amazing energy that people have for our center city these days. I’ll be pulling these from our Facebook group and items that you e-mail me. So if you’re looking for ways to get involved in Dayton’s revival, check back here every week. Be sure to report back what you’ve accomplished!

Get Your Hands Dirty – Help Wanted!

    • Install a mosaic mural:  East End Community Services and K12 Gallery need your help at 504 Xenia Avenue in the Twin Towers neighborhood. Tues. & Wed., Sep. 4-5; drop in any time from 8:30am until 2pm. Bring work gloves if you have them and dress to get messy! For more info call Amanda at 259-1898 or e-mail her.
    • “First Friday Park” Planting & Volunteer Social:  Downtown volunteer Brian Ressler took it upon himself to get a grant to beautify the highly-visible triangle between St. Clair & Patterson at Fifth. Now he needs some extra hands to help plant flowers! Gather for drinks, pizza, and First Friday after. Friday, Sep. 7, 6pm; more info & RSVP here.
    • Downtown Dayton Revival Music Fest: Talk about slacktivism! All you need to do to show your support for downtown is buy a ticket and show up to hear great music. Saturday & Sunday, Sep. 8-9.
Downtown Mural Volunteers

Downtown Mural Project volunteers cleaning. Photo: Carli Dixon

  • Volunteer at Urban Nights: Downtown’s favorite street party needs your help! Visit the Downtown Dayton Partnership and sign up to be a trolley or walking guide, serve beer, or survey guests at this Friday, Sep. 14th event.
  • The Dayton Skatepark Project: Join other skateboarding enthusiasts in their quest to start a downtown skatepark by following their page.
  • Dayton Unleashed is a grassroots group improving a fenced area at Deeds Point for use as a dog park. Learn more at their page and stay tuned for volunteer clean-up dates.
  • Donate Dayton items for the RNNC basket: Each year neighborhood activists represent Dayton at the Regional Neighborhood Network Conference and contribute a Dayton-themed basket (including gift certificates, mugs, T-shirts, etc.) to be raffled off. Contact Sandy Melke to contribute.

Crowdfunding

We know that money is often tight these days, but remember that there is power in numbers – even the smallest donations can add up for grassroots projects!

Future Fifth Street Co-op Brewpub

  • Build a park in St. Anne’s Hill: This historic neighborhood just east of downtown hopes to raise $1500 as a match to their City of Dayton mini-grant. Learn more and contribute on Razoo.
  • Own a brewpub: Speaking of St. Anne’s, their cooperatively-owned Fifth Street Brewpub is still seeking inaugural members, so for $100 you could be an owner too!
  • Cityfolk Post-Festival Appeal: The weather was truly unkind this year, shutting down the downtown festival twice and resulting in a 60% loss compared to other years. To keep the festival, the concert season, and the Culture Builds Community educational program going, Cityfolk hopes to raise $100,000 by the end of the year. Please give at the Cityfolk website.
  • Give a Dam!: Over $3.8 million has already been raised for the River Run project, but now it’s your turn to give a dam.
  • Success! Congrats to Sew Dayton and the Downtown Mural Project for meeting their recent crowdfunding goals (although I’m sure they’ll continue to take your money).

 

You can also join our group to participate in discussions on Dayton activism–this week’s hot topics include food trucks, bike share programs, and the Priority Board system–send me volunteer opportunities, or just check back here next Tuesday!

 

 

Brew it yourself!

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Belmont Party Supply

Belmont Party Supply was the original home of BrewTensils.

How are you enjoying Dayton Beer Week so far? The wide variety of beers, beer dinners, and other special events should be heaven for any beer lover in the area. Some people are not satisfied with just going out and enjoying. Some people need to create it on their own. For those people, there is BrewTensils. They have been open for just a few years, but have a much longer history than that. Darren Link, the manager at BrewTensils, took some valuable time out of his schedule to answer a few questions for us here at Dayton Most Metro. He spoke a little about the growing Dayton craft beer scene, how he started home brewing, and how you can join the ranks of home brewers in the area.

How did you get into home brewing? How long have you been doing it?

I got into it the same way almost everybody else does, a friend said “Let’s make some beer.” And I had the typical reaction “You can do that?” We made a few awful batches, I ‘borrowed’ some of his equipment to do my own beers. I got the bug and have been doing it for 4 years now.

What is your favorite style of beer to brew?

I kind of jump around with the styles I brew, so I don’t think I have a favorite style to brew. I enjoy brewing IPA’s; you will never have a fresher IPA than one you brew yourself. I also enjoy brewing English styles, Belgian Sours, and recently finished my second lager a Munich Dunkel.

What made it a good time in Dayton to open a home brewing store?

We have sold homebrewing supplies for the past 25+ years. The supplies used to be in the back of the beer store next door, Belmont Party Supply. A small shelf and items were constantly out of stock. Both BrewTensils & Belmont Party Supply are owned by Mike Schwartz. He noticed the demand increasing in the area and after the dry cleaner went out of business that used to occupy this space, established the current BrewTensils roughly 3 years ago. We’ve been consistently growing ever since.

Bulk Grain

Brew all the grains! Photo courtesy of Mike Lang

How have you seen tastes in beers change?

There’s almost an evolution in craft beer drinkers tastes. They have one craft beer or a couple beers that change their prospective. They get curious about what else is out there; they typically get into IPA’s and the hoppier styles. Then higher gravity (higher alcohol) and finally start appreciating the styles that are difficult to brew. As far a craft in general, it’s up 14% this year when beer sales in general have declined.

Do you see home brewers influencing national trends, or vice versa?

I think it’s a two way street. Brewers like to see how close they can get to brewing their favorite commercial beers. There are literally millions of clone recipes on the internet; New Belgium Fat Tire, Bell’s Two Hearted, and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald being very popular ones. On the other side of it, homebrewers have helped to save some less popular beer styles. I feel that traditional Belgian Lambics have been an example. Almost going extinct in Belgium in the 60’s & 70’s, the popularity amongst homebrewers, professional brewers & beer connoisseurs have helped to keep them alive.

IPAs look like they are all the rage right now. What do you think the next beer trend is going to be?

I think IPA’s will always be the rage. I think session beers are increasing in popularity. A session beer being defined as a beer you can drink large quantities of without getting sloshed and typically has an alcohol percentage between 4 & 5.6 or lower. People want to try several different beers in one sitting, maybe even venturing outside of their comfort zone. On the other side of that there’s ‘extreme’ beers which can clock in at 10, 12 even 18 or 20 percent, which you can have one of and be rocked.

When does your next round of classes start? What do you like most about teaching them?

I don’t have dates set for those yet but I’m looking at having a round of classes before the holidays, so October/ November time frame. Our largest attended class is right after the holidays in January. The past 2 years we’ve had 70 people attend Brewing 101.

I like seeing their excitement of getting started, getting hooked and then bringing their first or second beer in for me to taste to see what I think of it. Kind of living vicariously through my customers reminding me of how excited I was when I started.

Darren

Would you buy a home brewing kit from this man? Photo courtesy of Mike Lang

What is the:

                -best beer you have tasted brewed by one of your customers?

The one that’s in front of me. No seriously, I am always pleasantly surprised by the high quality of beers that my customers brew.

-the worst beer?  (or a beer that people seem to have the hardest time brewing)

There’s an ancient beer style that used a whole uncooked chicken thrown into the fermenter. He soaked the entire chicken in white wine to ‘sanitize’ it, put it in the secondary for about 2 weeks, and loosely filtered it. I thought I was going to get salmonella from drinking it but the white wine added more character than the chicken.

-a beer you thought sounded awful but ended up tasting really good?

It didn’t sound awful; I was more intrigued by the idea of using homegrown garden herbs and spices in a beer. I have a couple of those I’ve done with great success. Honey basil ale is a really popular summer seasonal. Several customers have brewed it also with rave reviews. Another one that came out well is Thai basil & lemongrass wheat. But not all experimentation beers have turned out well, I’m still trying to perfect a baklava inspired beer with honey, pistachios, and philo dough.

Dayton Beer Company just opened, and Toxic Brew Company, Fifth Street Brewpub, Vitruvian Brew, Yellow Springs Brewery and Dayton History are poised to open breweries in the near future. Plenty of restaurants already have a wide selection of craft beers in the area, like Boston’s, South Park Tavern, Chappy’s, and a few others. Do you think Dayton is close to a saturation point on breweries and craft beer?

Not even close, we’ve only just begun. I had a theory before the new resurgence of breweries. I think Dayton was the largest craft thirsty market in the US that didn’t have an operating brewery. Look at the numbers Fifth Street Brewpub got for their charter member drive. Their original goal was 300 they got 830, in one month. I feel that Dayton and surrounding areas could support a double digit number of breweries. Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ashville, North Carolina split the Beer City USA title this year. Those aren’t huge markets but beer tourism drives some of that. Don’t be surprised to see some beer tourism in Dayton a couple years from now.

What is your advice to someone that wants to start brewing? What is a good “beginning style” to start with?

My advice for new brewers is to do some reading first. Read Jon Palmer’s “How to Brew”. Either pick up a copy or read it online at howtobrew.com. He writes it in a way so you can avoid mistakes and have a successful beer they will enjoy and be proud of the first time they brew. Other than that, start small, pick up a Brewer’s Best Deluxe Equipment Kit and a small bottle of Star San sanitizer. Cleaning and sanitization are very important and are two separate actions. The Brewer’s Best English Brown Ale is by far the best selling first time brewer recipe kit, it comes out like a Newcastle. The nice thing about the recipe kits is they only require a 2 ½ gallon boil so it can be done on the stove

Belmont Party Supply, BrewTensils, and Stacker’s Subs and Grub are all located on Smithville Road, near Watervliet Avenue. You can call BrewTensils at (937) 252-4724, and become their fan on Facebook. Cheers!

 

Fifth Street Brewpub Taps its 250th Member in Only 10 Days!

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Fifth Street Brewpub’s membership drive is off to a blazing start. Ohio’s first cooperatively owned brewpub, which will open in the historic inner east district of downtown Dayton, signed its first member via its website  on June 26th and its 250th less than two weeks later. The community-minded, volunteer group that founded the brewpub has created a co-op business model that offers one share per person for $100 each. All owners, including the founders, own an equal share of the brewpub.

“Two hundred member-owners in 10 days with minimal promotion shows that beer lovers like the co-op concept and the idea of owning their own brewpub,” said Maureen Barry, Membership Director, Fifth Street Brewpub. “This is an idea that is sweeping the nation. Based on this pace of 20 new members per day, we have upgraded our goal to 500 members by July 31.”

All member-owners that join by July 31 are considered “Charter Members” and receive perks including 20-ounce pours for the price of a 16-ounce beer. In addition, their membership card will say Charter Member and they will have their names memorialized on the walls of the pub.

The 200th member of Fifth Street Brewpub is Erin Flanagan, an associate professor in the Department of English Language and Literatures at Wright State University. “I grew up in the 1980s watching the television show Cheers. Owning this neighborhood bar is like a dream come true,” said Flanagan, who recruited four other member-owners including her sister and brother-in-law who live in California. Flanagan and her sister, Kelly Hansen, also purchased a gift membership for their father, Ken Flanagan who lives in Winter, Wisconsin.

Gift memberships have been very popular and the Fifth Street Brewpub Board of Directors expects that to continue. Brian Young, Founding Board Member says, “Everyone has a friend or family member that loves beer. Buy a membership for them as a gift and since we are one of only four co-op brewpubs in the country, there’s a very good chance it will be the most unique gift they have ever received.”

The July charter membership drive includes two beer socials and marketing via Facebook, Twitter and the Fifth Street website. Buy personal or gift memberships at www.FifthStreet.coop. You may either download an application to mail with a check, or use PayPal to buy a membership online. You can also purchase a membership in person by attending a beer social July 14 from 3-5 pm or July 21 from 6-8 pm at 1600 East Fifth Street, Dayton.

To compliment the membership drive, Fifth Street Brewpub also has an investor’s initiative, with investment levels as low as $1000. Higher levels of $3000 and $5000 are available and bring other benefits, including naming your own beer at the $5000 plus level.

Fifth Street Co-op was formed in June by a group of community-minded beer lovers to open the Fifth Street Brewpub in the St. Anne’s Hill historic district of Dayton to beautify the neighborhood, provide jobs and create a friendly restaurant and pub. Become a member-owner now or learn more at www.FifthStreet.coop.