It was blisteringly cold in Dayton, Ohio, in late January, but my Bangarang!
My hometown of Dayton has become quite the hot spot formicrobreweries and nanobrewerieslike Eudora.
In just six years, the industry had more than doubled.
Neil Chabut, owner and head brewer of Eudora Brewing Company in Dayton, Ohio, makes a batch of beer at his business. Photo courtesy of Eudora Brewing Company
My home state of Ohio has been at the front of that industry growth.
Today, another 10 states have joined the list.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
But brewers in micro- and nanobreweries dont just flex their creativity when concocting new recipes.
He has trademarked a few of his more popular beers, like Bangarang!
And how he has named all of the beers?
The names come from a variety of inspirations, Chabut said.
Robin Williams fans will recognize Bangarang!
from the movie Hook, one of Chabuts favorites.
He used another movie a James Bond flick he watched with his grandfatherto name his oatmeal stout Thunderball.
Worm Burner, Eudoras recent Scottish ale, is named after thegolf term.
Even though Im a crappy golfer, he added.
Chabut also had the same challenge every new small business owner encounters:naming the company.
In this class, I had learned about the major water crisis much of the world is facing.
And Eudora is Greek for good gift.
And voila the brewery had its name.
A portion of every sale is donated toCharity Water.
Chabut also told me that his donation buckets have been successful.
The brewery currently aims to raise $10,000 to fund a project entirely on its own.
He also runs the day-to-day operations.
Every day is different, every week is different, he told me.
Some weeks I work 50 hours, and sometimes I work 30.
Depends on what Im scheduled to brew and what challenges I run into.
Many have been around since the beginning.
Most of Chabuts employees actually work as bartenders, chatting with the regulars and finding them the perfect beer.
Customer brewing is actually something that makes Eudora unique in the Dayton area.
Customers are involved in every part of the process, from grinding to adding hops.
Better yet, follow in Chabuts footsteps and begin brewing at home.
Ive met so many awesome people over my beers; its like Cheers.
I have plenty of Norms who each have their own seats.
Its really cool to see this community of people who love good beer.
So where does the brewery industry go from here?
Timothy Moore is a writer, editor and long-time beer drinker.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
