Warped Wing Brewing Company

When Shannon Went: August 5, 2020

Where: 26 Wyandot Street, Dayton, OH 45402

Located at the heart of downtown Dayton, Warped Wing Brewing Company made its home in the former site of the Buckeye Brass & Iron Factory, circa 1938. Seriously, this building looks indestructible. Thick, concrete walls come together to brace an incredibly high ceiling and the foundry’s original 10-ton industrial crane lines the interior of the taproom, still sitting on the steel tracks it once used to hoist metal during it’s manufacturing days. Directly below this steel giant sits Warped Wing’s brewing tanks, taking up a good portion of the taproom floor. Despite the obvious industrial vibe, the brewery gives off a slight German beer hall vibe too – that’s probably just because of the long tables though. They even have a large glass garage door that opens up during the warmer months. It was closed when I visited but I imagine it’s pretty neat!

Shannon: Industrial yet welcoming. Sitting in the taproom I could instantly tell that Warped Wing really cares about Dayton and its history. One of their beers, Ermal’s Belgain-style Cream Ale is brewed in celebration for Ermal Fraze, the Dayton local who invented the first pop-top can in the early 1960s. One of their other beers, 10 Ton Oatmeal Stout, is dedicated to the Buckeye Brass & Iron Company and their enormous steel crane. Even Warped Wings name is a subtle nod towards Dayton’s connection with the Wright Brothers and the unique airplane wing they designed only a few miles down the road from the taproom. I’d love to go back to Warped Wing and try more of their beers. They had about 15 beers on draft but I only had enough time to try Ermal’s Cream Ale, which did not disappoint. Light, creamy, and oh so citrusy in all the right ways, this 5.4% beer really is a refreshing, classic cream ale.

Other Cool Stuff:

  • They have a special lager series and a barrel aged beer program!
  • House made sodas!
  • Brewery tours are offered every Saturday and Sunday afternoons
  • In-house kitchen
  • Merch available in the brewery and online

What Shannon Drank:

Shannon: Ermal’s Belgian Style Cream Ale (Cream Ale) 5.4% – 4 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Willimantic Brewing Company

When I Went: September 4th, 2020

Where: 967 Main Street, Willimantic, CT 06226

If you know Connecticut craft beer you know Willimantic Brewing Company, or Willibrew as everyone calls them. They started brewing their own beer in 1997 making them the oldest brewery in the state, which makes me feel old. Willibrew is a full service restaurant and pub that is located in a former post office that was built in 1909. The brewery has done its best to preserve the early 20th century architectural feel. Maybe the idea of drinking in an old post office sounds boring, but let me tell you this place looks nice both on the inside and outside. They kept a considerable amount of post office memorabilia, they have a giant mural depicting 1920’s Main Street, a 60′ mahogany bar, and frogs everywhere! Take a full 3D tour here! If you don’t know why the town of Willimantic is covered in frogs, just look up the Battle of the Frogs.

Chris: Do I need to keep putting my name here? Either way, I was excited to go to Willibrew both for the beer and the food. I had never been to any breweries in Windham county and now that I have gone here, I have been to 20% of them! I feel very accomplished for once. When it comes to their beer they only had 6 of their own beers on tap and three of them were IPAs, so of course I got their stout. You can imagine my excitement when they had an oyster stout on tap, Six Shooter Oyster Stout, and it was smooth and light. I also got their Overseas Mail Octoberfest, a Marzen, which got me ready for all the Octoberfest celebrations that have already been cancelled. Overall, I liked the atmosphere and my beer, but I wish they had more of a selection to pick from but a lot of breweries selections have been more limited during Covid.

Other Cool Stuff:

  • They have a full bar of assorted liquors
  • Full restaurant
  • Private dining room in the old Postmaster’s office

What I Drank:

Overseas Mail Octoberfest (Marzen) 6.4% – 3.5 out of 5

Six Shooter (Oyster Stout) 5.9% – 4.5 out of 5

Brewing Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?

Taft’s Ale House

When Shannon Went: August 14, 2020

Where: 1429 Race Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Taft’s Ale House – the original location!

Taft’s Ale House has been pouring cold, fresh pints of beer in their renovated, three-story 1850’s church since they opened in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood in 2015. Over the last five years, they have racked up quiet the reputation winning several different Ohio food and brewing awards. In 2017, they opened a production facility/ second taproom 10 minutes north of their downtown location. Their second location, the Brewpourium, features 12 to 16 different craft beers, plus some appetizers and New Haven style pizza (which makes my Connecticut heart very happy). In 2019, Taft’s expanded even more when they opened another Brewpourium in Ohio’s capital, Columbus. Word around the taproom is that their third location is decorated in a funky 90’s space theme! And if you haven’t already noticed their logo, yes, that is 27th US President Howard Taft relaxing in a bathtub, sipping on a beer brewed by a business named in his honor.

Shannon: Since moving to Ohio I’ve had the chance to visit two out of the three Taft locations – the original taproom and their Brewpourium – Cincinnati location. Admittedly, I visited the Brewpourium first and was not so impressed. It’s exactly what it sells itself as, a production facility with 10 or so taps and some tables and chairs thrown around. After hearing a lot of great things about this brewery, I left thinking their beer was good but they didn’t have the wow-factor everyone said to expect. Then I went to their original location, and I have to admit, I was wrong. Taft’s Ale House’s original taproom is simply breathtaking. I’ve never been to a brewery in a renovated church before but something about the atmosphere was just indescribable. The downtown location has more seating, more beers on tap, and more food options. While I was there I tried their smoky, malty, yet subtly sweet, Cherrywood Amber Ale. I would drink this beer over and over again, no questions asked.

Other Cool Stuff:

  • They have 3 locations – Taft’s Ale House, Taft’s Brewporium – Cincinnati, and Taft’s Brewporium – Columbus
  • Known in Cincy for their delicious, award winning tri-tip steak!
  • Tons of merch available online!
  • Lots of different events going on at all 3 taprooms
  • Food and cans-to-go available

What Shannon Drank:

Shannon: Cherrywood (Amber Red Ale) 6% – 4.5 out of 5

Shannon: Old Sport (Stout) 5.2% – 3.5 out of 5

Brewing Persuasion: 4 out of 5

Feeling persuaded yet?