John Najeway has his dream job — running a microbrewery.

Najeway, 38, an Akron native, operates Thirsty Dog Brewing, a well-respected craft brewer on Grant Street.

He also recently was elected president of the newly formed Ohio Craft Brewers Association, a group dedicated to building awareness of Ohio-made beer and increasing the number of craft brewers in the state.

The association has 18 members and a strong Northeast Ohio influence.

In addition to Najeway, the officers are Vice President
Chris Verich from Ohio Brewing in Akron, Treasurer Fred Karm from Hoppin' Frog in Akron and Secretary Luke Purcell from Great Lakes in Cleveland.

Q: Craft beer continues to be the fastest-growing segment of the beer industry. Why is that?

A: You have more educated consumers with educated palates that combine fine craft beers with a larger selection of foods. More options today in craft beer both locally and nationally. And more retailers are offering the customer a large selection of craft beers so you do not have to go to three or four stores to find your favorites. You also have many high-end food establishments now pairing beers with entrees and doing beer tastings for their patrons. And you have a craft beer industry that has fine-tuned itself to make superior products.

Q: On a 1 to 10 scale, rate Ohio's craft beer offerings compared to other states.

A: Ohio, with over 30 craft breweries, and I may be a little biased on this, would be a 10. We have over 100 brands of beer made in Ohio by brewers who are passionate about their craft and continuously improve the products, styles and diversity of what is put on our shelves and tables to enjoy. As a state, we continuously have breweries that are recognized nationally and internationally with top awards.

Q: Is it my imagination or are there more breweries and brewpubs opening now in Ohio? In Akron alone, we've seen Thirsty Dog, Hoppin' Frog and soon Ohio Brewing. What's behind this spate of openings?

A: Ohio has had many opening in the last few years since the climate has been right for expansion. More consumers are into the organic lifestyle, which also promotes buying locally produced items and small breweries are benefiting from all of this.

Q: Thirsty Dog has had an interesting history from starting out as a brewpub, having its beer made on contract out of state and now opening your own brewery in Akron. How are things going at the new facility?

A: Thirsty Dog's new location on Grant Street is going great. This month we will bring on three new fermenters that are about 2,000 gallons each, allowing us to increase capacity and expand our offerings. We just released our Raspberry Ale in bottles last month and in May released our seasonal Maibark, which is available in draft only at Winking Lizards in Peninsula and Fairlawn, and the North End in Hudson.

Q: You're a fan of brewing history, so how special is it that your brewery is located in the former Burkhardt Brewing facility?

A: As a brewing history buff, the favorite thing about our brewery is that my partners and I were able to bring life back to an old brewery and add another story to its colorful history as well as Akron's. We had a vision . . . to bring a whole new generation through to see what a great place Akron has been for brewing in the past and taste what we now have to offer.

Q: You've been a big supporter of Akron and sponsor the annual Blues & Brews festival at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Anything special planned this year?

A: This year is the fourth annual Blues & Brews [on Aug. 9] and we have expanded our Brewers Circle event to allow 300 guests for the special two-hour segment that includes rare, hard-to-find beers, a mead tasting and special jazz musicians. There will also be a couple of small batch beers from Ohio breweries available and many more representatives from visiting breweries. Tickets went on sale online May 1 at http://www.stanhywet.org.

Q: If you had to recommend one beer — and not one of yours — for people to try, what would it be? And why?

A: As you are asking the new president of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, I would encourage all your readers to try an Ohio beer or mixed six-pack of Ohio beers. My favorite Ohio beer is hard to come by. It is the 22-ounce Bourbon barrel-aged Great Lakes Blackout Stout.

Q: OK, now recommend one of yours.

A: My favorite Thirsty Dog Beer is always the Siberian Night, a Russian Imperial stout that pours like motor oil. You need just one as the taste will linger with you.