Dayton Beer: A History of Brewing in the Miami Valley

The story of beer in Dayton and the Miami Valley is as old as the region’s first settlers, who brought their brewing methods with them from Europe. From humble origins, the Schwind brothers founded a Dayton brewing dynasty. Adam Schantz arrived penniless and amassed a fortune as one of the city’s early brewers. Martha Vorce, one of the region’s several unheralded woman brewers, was running the Springfield Brewery a decade before Eliza Mother Stewart gained fame there as a temperance leader. Although Prohibition swiftly destroyed this flourishing industry, today’s local craft brewers promise to keep good beer and good times flowing for many years to come. Join local author Tim Gaffney as he explores the Valley’s brewing heritage.