Moeller Brew Barn next on Dayton Beer tour

Undated photo of workers and wagons in front of the Star Brewery in Minster, Ohio.
Undated photo of workers and wagons in front of the Star Brewery in Minster. Courtesy Minster Historical Society.

© 2019 Timothy R. Gaffney

 Here's the press announcement of my upcoming event at the Moeller Brew Barn in Maria Stein:

New book reveals western Ohio's hidden brewing history

DAYTON, Ohio—Ohio author Timothy R. Gaffney will visit the Moeller Brew Barn in Maria Stein on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. to share secrets about western Ohio’s long-hidden history of beer brewing.

 Nick Moeller’s thriving craft brewery in rural Mercer County is one of several Gaffney spotlights in his new book Dayton Beer: A History of Brewing in the Miami Valley (The History Press, $21.99.) It places modern craft breweries like Moeller’s—including his newest one in Troy—in the context of more than two centuries of regional brewing history. It also explores how regional and global trends influenced local brewing, such as the building of the Miami and Erie Canal and German migration.

 Gaffney searched thousands of records in local libraries, historical societies and county offices across the region as well as ancestry databases to peel back the years and show how commercial brewing was among the first industries in early Ohio settlements.

 For example, Franz Lange’s Star Brewery in rural Minster grew into the powerhouse producer of Wooden Shoe beer, a once-famous brand that outlived Prohibition. Even the region’s smallest towns had their own breweries. Dayton Beer reveals colorful stories about brewers in New Bremen, Union City and even tiny New Madison.

 At Moeller Brew Barn, Gaffney will present the latest information from his ongoing research into Mercer County’s early brewers. One was Philip Schmitt, a German immigrant said to have built a brewery in the woods a few miles from Maria Stein in 1855.

 Gaffney will also sign books, and books will be available for sale.
Graphic image of a pint glass with list of events on the History and a Pint beer book tour.

 Moeller Brew Barn is one of the stops on Gaffney’s unique “History and a Pint”™ book tour of the region’s brewpubs and tap houses. His next appearance will be at Mother Stewart’s Brewing in Springfield on Thursday, Oct. 17.

 An internationally published writer, author and photographer, Gaffney is known mainly for his aviation and space writing. He made brewing the subject of his 16th book when he became intrigued by how craft brewers were often using local history and culture to brand their businesses and products.

 Gaffney blogs at dayton-beer.com. He tweets as @DaytonBeerBook and uses hashtag #daytonbeerbook.

 Who: Dayton Beer author Timothy R. Gaffney
What: Book talk and signing
Where: Moeller Brew Barn, 8016 Marion Drive, Maria Stein, Ohio
When: Saturday, October 12, 1-3 p.m

 About the author
Timothy R. Gaffney was born in Dayton in 1951 and has lived most of his life in the Miami Valley. After earning a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus in 1974, he worked for the Piqua Daily Call, the Kettering-Oakwood Times and the Dayton Daily News, where he took early retirement in January 2007. He held positions as assistant media relations director for Wright State University and director of communications for the National Aviation Heritage Area. He is a volunteer trustee for the United States Air and Trade Show Inc., the nonprofit producer of the Vectren Dayton Air Show. He lives in Miamisburg, Ohio, with his wife, Jean. They have four grown children, two grandchildren and two dogs. 

 About Dayton Beer
Title: Dayton Beer: A History of Brewing in the Miami Valley
Publisher: The History Press, Mt. Pleasant, SC
ISBN: 9781467138925
Retail price: $21.99
Format: 6x9, softcover, 192 pages
Released: July 22, 2019

Location: Dayton, OH, USA

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