Joseph Kearns took over as brewmaster at the Main Street Grille & Brewing Co. in Garrettsville earlier this year. The small brewpub has one of the most beautiful brewery settings in Ohio. The building, a former flour mill, sits along a creek and waterfall in Portage County.

Question: Why did you become a brewer?

Answer: While attending the University of Akron, I realized how much money I was spending on my future. So, I asked myself, if this is the land of opportunity and you can be anything you want to be, what is it that you want to do for the rest of your life. My answer was to be a brewer.

Q: What sets Main Street apart in the crowded beer industry?

A: The atmosphere. It's an old grain mill, built in 1804. The character of the building, complete with waterwheels and a beautiful waterfall, adds to the experience. Along with some fine craft brew and great food of course.

Q: Everyone assumes being a brewer is a great job - you get to work with beer. What would surprise people who did your job for a day?

A: It is! There's a little bit of manual labor involved, but the rewards are well worth it.

Q: What’s your favorite beer that you brew and why?

A: '35 Double Oatmeal Stout. It's the hardest one to brew; the most complex and labor intensive, but the end result is a great beer that I could drink every day. However, I try not to.

Q: Which beer – any beer in the world – do you wish that you created/invented/brewed and why?

A: That's a tough one. I'd have to say Guinness, because it's probably the beer that has had the most effect on people's perception of what beer can be. Guinness was my "gateway" beer, in that after trying it and realizing that I liked it, I wanted to go out and try all kinds of beer after that. There was no going back.