Great Lakes Brewing Co., which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, announced plans this week to expand distribution and make capital improvements at its Cleveland brewery.

Great Lakes -- Ohio's oldest craft brewery -- will expand into the Gettysburg and Harrisburg, Pa., areas during the second quarter of this year; into the West Virginia panhandle, Indiana, St. Cloud, Minn., and Northeast and North Central Pennsylvania in the third quarter; and throughout North Carolina in the first quarter of next year. The brewery now serves 13 states and Washington, D.C.

Eli Smart wants to be part of the ongoing craft beer boom in Ohio. The homebrewer and former restaurant manager plans to open the Trailhead Brewery in Akron’s Merriman Valley this summer.

"I just want to make some beer and have some fun," Smart said. "I just love making beer, you know."

Ohio Congressman and Speaker of the House John Boehner received the Beer Institute's 2013 Jeff Becker Beer Industry Service Award for his commitment to the beer industry and American beer drinkers, the trade and lobbying group announced today (May 15) in Washington, D.C.

Brenda Becker, the widow of longtime Beer Institute President Jeff Becker, presented the award during a reception at the Capitol Visitor Center. Boehner was honored as part of the group's annual Brewers’ Day gathering.

The Clark County American Red Cross will hold a Hog Roast & Beer Toast Beer Tasting fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday (May 18) at the Windy Knoll Golf Club in Springfield.

The event will feature Yellow Springs Brewery's Porter and Wyatt's Eviction ESB, along with Goose Island 312, Goose Island Summertime, Widmer Hopside Down, Kona Longboard Lager, Red Hook Long Hammer IPA, Redhook Wit, Harpoon IPA, Leinenkugel Canoe Paddler, Redd’s Apple Ale, Rivertown Blueberry Lager, Samuel Adams Summer Ale and Third Shift Amber Lager.