Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron -- considered the 17th best brewery in the world by Ratebeer.com -- will be featured at 10 a.m. Monday on New Day Cleveland, an hourlong television show on Cleveland's Fox 8. David Moss toured the brewery and interviewed brewer and owner Fred Karm for the segment. "We're extremely happy to be featured on that day, which is a legal holiday," Karm said in an email. "An ideal morning to take down the last of the holiday decorations and watch us on Channel 8."

Neil House Brewery in Columbus is upgrading its brewing equipment and plans to expand its distribution area. The small production brewery – which also serves as a homebrew shop -- has been operating with three SABCO Brew-Magic systems since it started making beer and its signature cranberry cider. But it’s now upgrading to a 3 ½-barrel brew system and adding new bottling equipment. “Thus far, the beers and the cider have been doing well,” co-owner and brewer Patrick Kelleher said. “We’ve been seeing increased demand and we’ve got some new beers. It’s time for us to come out with a bigger system.” Neil House can be found in the Columbus area and Athens now. But thanks to the new brewing and bottling equipment, there are plans to expand into the Cleveland market and to release his beer in 12-ounce six-packs, as opposed to the 22-ounce bombers now available. Kelleher also said he plans to open a tasting room.

Cincinnati-area brewers got together this week at Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. to create a special collaborative beer called Cincinnati Brewmasters' American Barleywine. Mt. Carmel provided me with some photos of the experience (see below) and an update about the beer itself. Mt. Carmel, Christian Moerlein, Listermann, Rivertown, Rock Bottom and Red Ear were involved in making the beer. The brewers came together to help promote Cincinnati Beer Week, which takes place Feb. 2-9. The collaboration beer is expected to be available in mid-January.

"It's only been fermenting for two days and we are all as eager as the next guy for the first taste, but I can tell you what to expect in terms of the style and the characteristics we were looking to bring out," Mt. Carmel brewer Vergil Roesel said. "This collaboration brew is the biggest beer that Mt. Carmel has ever made. That's how barleywines are -- they're huge beers, chock full of malt body. This will be one of those offerings you can cellar -- if you're enjoying it at Cincinnati Beer Week with us you'll pick up on the fresh hop flavor throughout the beer. Cellaring will allow the hops to mellow bringing out a richer, more elegant mouth feel and finish. If this beer were brewed centuries ago, there would be armadas of ships spanning the oceans to seek it out. We'll be able to prove this claim at first taste, which will happen with all the Cincinnati brewers involved at Mt. Carmel Brewing in a few weeks."

Black Box Brewing Co., a small production brewery in Westlake, has created a new line of limited-edition beers under the brand Cleveland's Own. Black Box earned some nice publicity this winter over the first of the Cleveland's Own beers, a Christmas ale that featured a leg lamp on the label. (For anyone not familar with the significance of the leg lamp. It was made famous in the holiday classic A Christmas Story.) Black Box owner and brewer Jerome Welliver says the beer was a major hit. It was sold exclusively at Ross Deli in Lakewood. He plans to make it again for Christmas in July events and for next Christmas season because of the response. And there will be much more available next time, he said. The next beer in the series will be a Cleveland's Own IPA released this spring, Welliver said. He's also planning a summer shandy for the summer and a pumpkin beer in the fall. The brewery is adding new, larger fermenters to keep up with demand, Welliver said. Black Box -- which is difficult to find outside of Cuyahoga County -- makes not only its own beers, but also has revived some brands and recipes from the former Crooked River and Western Reserve breweries.

The website Drink Up Columbus has a story about the new Zauber Brewing Co., which is slated to open this coming year in the state capital. Brewer Geoff Towne tells the site that he loved attending the brewing program at the University of California at Davis. “It was an eye-opening experience on so many levels," he said. "I went to UC Davis thinking I wanted to work with one of the big breweries, and I walked away thinking, ‘No way.’ I actually got an offer from Anheuser-Busch that I turned down. I really dug the craft beer scene in California, and felt I wouldn't enjoy working for the big guys as much.” To read the full story, click here.

Cincinnati-area brewers are getting together today at Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. to collaborate on a special beer: Cincinnati Brewmasters' American Barleywine. The beer is slated to be released in six-packs in mid-January, according to Fox 19. The first-ever Cincinnati Beer Week -- a weeklong celebration of beer -- is set for Feb. 2-9. "This is an incredible opportunity to show the strength of this city's brewing heritage," Mike Dewey of Mt. Carmel told the television station. "We've long been overdue for Cincinnati to host its own beer week and this town's brewers want to do all we can to make it a success." In addition to Mt. Carmel, the participating breweries are: Rivertown, Christian Moerlein, Listermann, Rock Bottom and Red Ear. To read the Fox 19 report, click here.

As anyone familiar with this blog knows, I'm not one for beer reviews. I usually let others pass their Internet judgment on whether a particular beer is great or a dud. But breaking with that tradition, Cleveland Plain Dealer beer writer Marc Bona and I recently sat down together to sample Samuel Adams Infinium, the champagne-like beer created by Boston Beer Co. and German brewer Weihenstephan. Our joint review appeared today both in the Plain Dealer and Akron Beacon Journal. I'm not a fan. Marc enjoyed it more. To read the article, click here.

Rust Belt Brewing Co. in Youngstown is in the process of transitioning from 22-ounce bottles to 12-ounce six-packs. The brewery -- which has some of the moodiest and foreboding artwork around on its beer labels -- released its Rusted River Irish Red Ale and Coke Oven Stout in 12-ounce bottles about a month ago. "We're seeing our sales double," co-owner Ken Blair said. Blast Furnace Blond Ale and Old Man Hopper's IPA may be in six-packs by March, he said. Blair added that Rust Belt is trying to move into the Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo markets. Right now, the beer can be found mainly in the Youngstown area and western Pennsylvania.

In other Rust Belt-related news, there's a 31-second Rust Belt beer commercial available on YouTube that was uploaded on Christmas Eve. Blair said the video was produced by some Youngstown State University students as a class project. The video, while endorsed by the brewery, isn't an official commercial for Rust Belt, he said. You can check it out below.

The Washington Post has a feature story highlighting the ever-growing trend of craft brewers putting their beer in cans. The article contains this interesting tidbit about Samuel Adams, which as a brewery in Cincinnati: "Even Boston Beer, maker of Samuel Adams, is working with several manufacturers to develop cans for its products, according to its president, Jim Koch, who used to be firmly in the anti-can camp. `There will come a day,' he says, `when I will feel comfortable putting Sam Adams in a can.' " The can trend itself isn't that new, considering I wrote about it more than two years ago for the Akron Beacon Journal. Sadly, no Ohio craft breweries are yet canning, as plans by a couple of them never came to fruition. Anheuser-Busch InBev in Columbus and MillerCoors in Trenton obviously do. To read the full Washington Post story, click here.

Mike Dewey is the co-owner and brewer at Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. outside of Cincinnati. Dewey, who once worked in the construction industry, and his wife Kathleen started the brewery in the basement of their white farmhouse in a residential neighborhood. Eventually, Mt. Carmel became so successful that they built a brewhouse onto the back of the house to meet increased demand.

Question: Why did you become a brewer?

The Washington Post reports that Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants got the better deal when the chain was merged with CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries Inc. about a year ago. The company also operates the Rock Bottom brewpubs and other breweries. CraftWorks has loosened the reins for brewers at Gordon Biersch sites while tightening them a bit at Rock Bottom brewpubs, the newspaper reports. The company has three sites in Ohio: Gordon Biersch in Columbus, Rock Bottom in Cincinnati and the Cleveland ChopHouse in Cleveland. To read the full story, click here.

The Wooden Shoe Brewing Co. in Minster is selling a limited-edition, hand-numbered print featuring eight of the brewery's beer labels. In all, the oak-framed, glass-protected print has three Bock, three Lager, 3 Canoe, two Stallostown Wheat, one Black Ale, one Tippecanoe Red, one Oktoberfest and one New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Ale label. There are only 200 of the prints. The dimensions are 28-by-21 inches. The cost is $65. For more details, call 419-733-9794 or go online to the brewery's Facebook page.

When Yuengling moved into the Ohio market in October, the beer was expected to be an instant hit. And it has been. "Initial sales of Yuengling exceeded the level of sales of any other beer introduction in Ohio in decades," House of LaRose President and CEO Jim LaRose told the Columbus Dispatch newspaper. House of LaRose distributes Yuengling in the Cleveland and Akron areas. Meanwhile, Jim Matesich, president and CEO of Matesich Distributing Co. in Newark, said: "Yuengling is stealing market share from other beer brands out there, from both mainstream and craft beers." To read the entire story, click here.

Steve Kirby has a simple reason for launching his new beer review website. “I tried some other beer review sites, but couldn’t find any I completely liked,” he said. “I thought I could do better.” Earlier this month, the 25-year-old Reynoldsburg man launched Beer RAM, a free site. “My goal for Beer RAM is to help others navigate the craft beer market and encourage them to try new beers,” he said. “I would love to see beer enthusiasts from all over the country benefiting in some way from the site.” He said his website is easier to use than some others. “These other sites typically only allow users to rate beers and then force them to be very descriptive with their reviews,” Kirby said. “Beer RAM lets the user describe beers in as much or as little detail as they would like. After all, they are essentially writing a reminder to themselves about their opinion of that beer. Beer RAM also allows users to keep a list of beers they want to try and beers they are currently holding on to.” Participants also can become “drinking buddies” and suggest beers to each other to try. The site also can be tied into popular social media sites to share with their friends. And in case you’re wondering where the name Beer RAM came from, Kirby has a background in computer science. RAM – or random access memory -- is a type of computer memory and Kirby just merged beer with RAM. To check out the website, click here.

Granite City Food & Brewery, which has a restaurant in suburban Toledo, has announced that it has finalized the purchase of the Cadillac Ranch All American Bar & Grill restaurant in Miami. Granite City, based in Minnesota, had previously bought the Cadillac Ranch restaurant at the Mall of America. To read the full story, click here.

Ohio craft brewers are hoping a new state law signed Wednesday will help boost beer tourism and bring breweries more in line with wineries. The law allows production breweries to open tasting rooms and sell their beer by the glass without buying a second, costly permit. That requirement — a $3,906 annual commitment — had deterred many small production breweries from opening their facilities to the public. With many new breweries ready to start making beer in Ohio within the next year, the change is being hailed a boon to the industry. "It's a great day for Ohio microbreweries and the Ohio craft brewing industry because it allows microbreweries to showcase their products in a relaxed setting and put us on par with the wineries," said Chris Verich, owner and manager of brewing operations at Ohio Brewing Co. in Akron. To read the full story in today's Akron Beacon Journal, click here.

White Castle -- the Columbus-based fast-food chain known for greasy little hamburgers -- is experimenting with beer and wine sales at its Lafeyette, Ind., store, the Columbus Dispatch reported. The sales there will determine whether the chain expands beer and wine to other stores, the company told the newspaper. White Castle isn't the first fast-food chain to sell alcohol. Burger King and Sonic have both done it. "It's been a very challenging time in the restaurant industry in recent years, and folks are trying all kinds of ways of driving traffic into their restaurants and increasing sales," industry analyst Bonnie Riggs told the newspaper. To read the full story -- which doesn't identify the brands being sold, other than mentioning "domestic beers" go for $3 -- click here.

UPDATED: Drink Up Columbus, an online resource for all kinds of drinking in the state capital, will host a debut party for Four String Brewing Co., a new production brewery opening in Columbus. The event is from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Woodlands Tavern and features free beer. Reservations are required. For more details, click here. Dan Cochran, a homebrewer since 1994 and a bassist with the band Big Back 40, is launching the production brewery in the Grandview Heights area and plans to distribute draft beer to bars and restaurants in the Columbus market. Drink Up Columbus also has posted a "Question and Answer" feature with Cochran. To read it, click here.

Zauber Brewing Co., a new brewery launching next year in Columbus, participated in a "Question & Answer" feature with Columbus Underground. "Our goal at Zauber Brewing is to produce unique beer," brewer Geoff Towne says. "This will not only be some of the best and most extrinsic brews you've ever tasted but it'll be made right here in Columbus." To read the full Q&A, click here.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, visited Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland on Monday, calling it one of the great small business success stories in the region. "Some day," he said during the visit, "I predict we'll see Great Lakes being exported." He also chatted about the payroll tax cut. To read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, click here.

You can file this blog entry in the "Blatant self-promotion" category so feel free to skip it. Gerard Walen, who runs the entertaining website "Road Trips for Beer," has a review of my book Ohio Breweries. Walen writes: "We highly recommend Ohio Breweries to anyone planning a Road Trip for Beer to Ohio." I've already sent off an email offering to buy him a beer the next time he visits the Akron/Cleveland area. To read the review or to check out his website, click here.

Emily Uldrich is an assistant brewer at the Portsmouth Brewing Co., a small brewpub located along the Ohio River in Portsmouth in southern Ohio. Portsmouth Brewing recently started bottling its beer in six-packs and has launched a new website. The bottles are available in the Portsmouth area and is moving north toward Columbus. Uldrich is one of the few female brewers in the state.

Question: Why did you become a brewer?

The Ohio legislature approved a bill late Wednesday that includes a provision to allow breweries to open tasting rooms without buying a second costly liquor permit. Gov. John Kasich is expected to sign the bill into law next week, his spokesman Rob Nichols said. The law would pave the way for production breweries such as Ohio Brewing Co. in Akron and Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. in suburban Cincinnati to open tasting rooms. It also could be a boost for beer tourism in the state – just like wineries are a major attraction now. “Why can’t we see the same thing with the microbreweries?” asked state Rep. Casey Kozlowski, a Republican from Ashtabula County who co-sponsored the bill, which primarily focused on micro-distilleries. Ohio's small craft brewers have long complained about a policy that requires them to purchase a $3,906 brewing permit and then another $3,906 permit if they wanted to open a tasting room. The bill also would allow businesses that have a D-8 liquor permit to sell growlers, Kozlowski said. I’ll have a full story in the Akron Beacon Journal when the governor signs the bill.

The Buckeye Brewing Co. in Cleveland -- which also operates the Beer Engine brewpub in Lakewood -- is coming out with a limited-edition, intense beer that owner Garin Wright says might be the best the brewery has ever made. Nighty Night is a Belgian-style dark strong ale made with candy sugar. Repitched with yeast from Buckeye's Christmas Girl, it clocks in at 12 percent alcohol. "You drink it and you're going to go to bed real quick," Wright said. "It's probably going to be one of the best beers we've come out with." The beer should be available right around Christmas. It will be in 22-ounce bottles at area grocery and beer stores, and also on draft at the Beer Engine and other select accounts.

Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon in North Olmsted is getting a nearly $500,000 loan from Cuyahoga County to open its production brewery in Middleburg Heights, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. The brewpub has been looking to expand into bottling and growing its distribution. The newspaper reported that Fat Head's had an offer from Allegheny County to open its production brewery in Pennsylvania. (The original Fat Head's, which isn't a brewery, is located in Pittsburgh.) But the Cuyahoga deal was better. "They definitely put a sweeter deal on the table," brewer and co-owner Matt Cole told the Plain Dealer. "And we felt it was important to keep two breweries pretty close together." Fat Head's plans to continue brewing on its brewpub system. To read the full story, click here.

Fox News has a story about the best holiday beers. Great Lakes Christmas Ale made the short list, along with Corsendonk Christmas Ale, Anchor Christmas Ale, 21st Century Brewing Fireside Chat and Shiner Holiday Cheer. "Great Lakes Brewing's offering for the Christmas season is a great winter warmer, bringing rich ginger, cinnamon, honey and clove to the table," Fox says. To read the full story, click here.

Hoppin' Frog Frosted Frog Christmas Ale reigns supreme at Christmas time. For the second consecutive year, Frosted Frog from Akron's Hoppin' Frog Brewery won the blind Christmas beer tasting at Vintage Estate Wine & Beer in Boardman. It also won the first-ever tasting last year. "They are the king of blind Christmas tastings so far," said Phill Reda, the Vintage Estate owner.

The event, held last weekend, featured about 70 people tasting 13 Christmas beers without knowing which brands they were sampling. Participants were given 4-ounce samples of each. They rated the beers on a scale of 1 to 5 for aroma, flavor, appearance, palate and overall impression. The highest score won. It's not scientific, of course. People just picked their favorite.

Beer drinkers love Great Lakes Christmas Ale. But that adoration apparently doesn't extend to all bar and restaurant owners in the Cleveland area. Scene Magazine has a story about how many bar and restaurant owners feel strong-armed by the beer distributor to carry other Great Lakes beers in order to get enough Christmas Ale for their customers. One owner told the weekly newspaper that he stopped stocking Great Lakes beer. "The way I get around it is to not stock it," he told the paper. "No headaches." To read the full story, click here.

The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls in Hocking County has set two dates for a Wine & Beer Fest next year. Rockmill Brewery brewer Matthew Barbee and wine expert Steve Gifford will participate in the events from 2 to 5 p.m. July 21 and  Sept. 29 in the inn's Gathering Place. Participants will be able to sample any of five varieties of beers and wines, and taste artisanal cheeses and fruits, gravlax and tapenade with crostini and flatbreads. The cost is $20 per person and reservations are not needed.

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?

Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. has returned to its roots by once again offering half-gallon growler sales. The move has delighted customers who remember when the Cincinnati-area brewery first opened about six years ago and sold in growlers only and not bottles. Mt. Carmel officially started offering its Snapshot Series, basically one-off and higher alcohol beers, in growlers at the brewery just two weeks ago. If a particular Snapshot beer runs out because of demand, the brewery will then offer whatever seasonal is available at that time, such as Winter Ale during the winter. "We've got people knocking down our door," assistant brewer Patrick Ian Clark said. Some customers have even brought in original Mt. Carmel growlers that were used years ago. "The growler has opened up the door to some fond memories of Mt. Carmel," Clark said.

Indigo Imp Brewery, a production brewery in Cleveland, will release a new small batch beer made with rice in mid-January. It's called Dragon Black Beer. "Inspired by our location in Cleveland's Asia Town, we decided to brew a beer for the Lunar New Year (aka Chinese New Year) which is in late January this year and is the year of the dragon," brewer Matt Chappel said in an email. "Dragon is a black beer brewed with rice. This is a traditional Oriental brewing ingredient that lightens the mouthfeel of a beer and dries the finish. Dragon is loosely based on a German alt bier using Noble hops for flavor and aroma. Of course, we have added our own touch by using a special black malt and rice." It will be available in four-packs.

Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. in Akron and Giant Eagle on Howe Road in Cuyahoga Falls are partnering to put on a beer pairing dinner from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. The Giant Eagle chef and brewer Tim Rastetter got together to pair the food and beer, brewery co-owner John Najeway said. The dinner will feature Old Leghumper, Hoppus Maximus, Twisted Kilt, Labrador Lager and 12 Dogs of Christmas, he said. The cost is $20 per person or $30 per couple. Tickets are available at the Giant Eagle beer department.

Cellar Rats Brewery in Madison has started bottling its Black Rat Imperial Stout. The beer is available in four-packs at the brewery only starting today (Wednesday). "I am toying with the idea of a small release into the market for the winter," brewery Director of Sales and Marketing Joel Sandrey said in an email. Cellar Rats describes the milk stout as a "monster beer" at 9.2 percent alcohol. Cellar Rats just started bottling earlier this year. The Black Rat joins Rat Tail Ale, Field Rat Wheat and Piper's IPA in bottles. Like Black Rat, Field Rat and Piper's IPA are available only at the brewery. "We have Rat Tail Ale across the market in both retail and restaurants and are thrilled with the response we are hearing to our beer," Sandrey said.

The Acme Fresh Market on Bailey Road in Cuyahoga Falls is going high-alcohol. At least for Friday. The grocer will feature all high-alcohol beers on its draft system during a special beer tasting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The event will include a rare beer for Northeast Ohio: Mt. Carmel Brewing Co.'s Squirrel Bite Imperial Brown Ale, which is 9 percent alcohol. The beer — available only on draft — is part of the Cincinnati-area brewer's Snapshot Series and isn't distributed in this area. "Nowhere else is going to have that," said Jon Albrecht, beer buyer for the grocery chain. "It's fun to bring that to our customers." The other beers are Avery Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale, Green Flash Imperial IPA, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Scaldis Noel and Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas. Acme also plans to open one of the limited-edition bottles of the barrel-aged 12 Dogs to taste. People will be permitted to taste any four of the beers. The cost is 50 cents per sample (75 cents for the Scaldis Noel).

Chardon BrewWorks & Eatery is launching a women's book club at the Geauga County brewpub. The club, under the direction owner Donna Nedrow, will meet at 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month beginning Jan. 18. Women can attend all or individual meetings, which will include light appetizers and beer. In January, the group will discuss the book American Women and the Repeal of Prohibition (American Social Experience) by Kenneth Rose.

Maumee Bay Brewing Co. in Toledo will release Brewedwitch Barleywine on Thursday. "This 'witch' is late for Halloween but perfect for winter," Maumee Bay spokeswoman Shannon Mohr said in an email. The beer is 9.8 percent alcohol and 87 IBUs. "Aged for nearly four months, this sit-down sipper has flavors of dark fruit, figs, and caramel with somewhat sherry-like esters," she said. The beer will be available on draft only at the brewpub.

Angelo Signorino Jr. is the brewmaster at Barley's Brewing Co. and Barley's Smokehouse, both located in Columbus. Both have separate, distinctive brewhouses and produce many exclusive beers from each other -- meaning Signorino is pulling double duty as a brewer. He also is longest serving brewer at any Ohio brewery, having worked at Barley's for nearly 20 years. He took over as head brewer earlier this year from Scott Francis.

The Moerlein Lager House doesn't open until February, but the Cincinnati brewpub already is trying to peddle its beer. The brewpub is selling Moerlein Lager House Commemorative Beer Tokens -- redeemable for a draft beer once it opens. For $25, people receive five tokens and a Moerlein Lager House pouch. The tokens aren't a new idea for Christian Moerlein. In the 1800s, the Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. made tokens that could be redeemed for Moerlein beer in Cincinnati saloons. With that history in mind, Chief Executive Officer Greg Hardman commissioned the minting of a new token. The coins were made by Cincinnati's Osborne Coinage, the oldest private mint in America. To watch a video about the tokens, click here. To order tokens, click here.

Meanwhile, Findlay's at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati is holding a five-course beer pairing dinner from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 3). Chef Anthony Burd and Christian Moerlein brewmasters Mike Carver and Richard Dubé will present the dinner. Those in attendance also will be able to taste a limited-edition Belgian pale ale made specifically for the event. The cost is $75. For reservations or more details, call 513-354-4121.

Christmas in Belgium returns Saturday to the Buckeye Beer Engine in Lakewood. The event features a ton of Belgian Christmas beers on draft. "Christmas in Belgium is a huge event for Beer Engine," master brewer Eric Anderson said. "It runs all weekend and there's usually a great turnout." The following beers will be featured: Scaldis Noel, Wittkerke Winter White, St. Bernadus Christmas, Avec Les Bons Voeux, Corsendonk Christmas, Ommegang Gnomegang, De Ranke Père Noël, St. Feuillen Speciale, Mikkeller To Via From Christmas Porter, Mikkeller Red/White Christmas, Van Eecke Christmas LeRoy, Delerium Noel, Buckeye Christmas Girl 2010 and 2011, and Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas.

The Brewmaster's Feast, scheduled for Dec. 8, in the 102.5 Big Room in Columbus has been postponed, Barley's brewmaster Angelo Signorino Jr. said Friday afternoon. The event was to benefit CD101 for the Kids and feature a beer and food pairing. Columbus Brewing and Barley's were among those participating. Signorino said early participation was low and wouldn't have helped the charity. The event is being reworked, he said.

Valley Vineyards, a third-generation, family-owned estate winery, is expanding into craft beer. The winery, located in Morrow about 30 miles northeast of Cincinnati, plans to start brewing within the next couple of months and become Ohio's newest nanobrewery. The beer will be marketed under the name Cellar Dweller Brewery. Director of operations Kyle Schuchter said he noticed a correlation between wine drinkers and craft beer drinkers, and the potential to grow his family business. "We are in the people-pleasing business, and our goals have not been creating a winery or a brewery but a destination," he said.

Steve Shaw, who has been homebrewing for about 10 years and is part of the Schuchter family, will serve as the head brewer.  "We figured why not take something we've been doing as a hobby, and take it to the next level while allowing customers to enjoy," Shaw said. "Valley Vineyards has been an operating winery for over 40 years and adding a nanobrewery to the operation, we will have the opportunity to serve a wider range of customers."