When beer is in your blood, you know it. And a lot of Daytonians have those roots, because Dayton was a major beer manufacturing hub in the 1800s. The first brewer on record is George Newcom, owner of Newcom’s Tavern. He brewed his first batch in 1809 or 1810. Over the century, German Catholic immigrants turned Dayton into a bastion of beer brewing that provided hundreds (perhaps thousands) of jobs for Dayton’s economy – and provided happiness to many, many, MANY more in the form of beer, the world’s oldest beverage (right behind water.)
Sandy Collins is a Dayton Daily News Dining Diva with beer in her blood.
SANDY:
In searching my family history, I discovered many ancestors who came from Europe and mainly Germany and were brewers. See the story at the end of this review.
The Dining Divas were thrilled to step foot through the doors of Warped Wing Brewery on Wyandot in Downtown Dayton, where beer entrepreneurship has returned.
Warped Wing has taken over the former industrial space at 26 Wyandot. Back in the 30s, the building was Buckeye Brass & Iron Foundry.
It’s a full-scale production brewery and the suds are distributed to restaurants, grocery stores and bars in the Dayton area. Because it is a brewery and not a bar, they don’t serve food. Instead, they’ve partnered with area restaurants which will gladly take your order and deliver right to your table at Warped Wing. They have a rotating menu from restaurants in the Oregon District and around the area.
What we had:
Warped Wing’s website says they brew 15 beers, usually 4 or so are available at any one time.
We tried the sampler which is crazy-affordable, just $5.
The four glass flight consisting of:
Ermal’s Belgian Style Cream Ale: Light in color, goes down easy.
Warped Wing Flyin’ Rye IPA: A sharp rye taste. Connie likes this one. “I like it because it reminds me of a Reuben sandwich.”
10 Ton Oatmeal Stout: Sandy’s favorite. Black like motor oil, filling, flavorful.
Self-Starter Session IPA: Hoppy, light in color.
On your mark, get set, go!:
We decided to test two of the restaurants and see how the process of ordering and having food delivered worked. We synchronized our Bat-watches and called at exactly the same time (7 p.m.)
Sandy ordered from Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory, located at 1101 Wayne Av., 224-4477. For $20.45, she ordered a large size Incredible Factory Special, which is generously topped with pepperoni, sausage, fresh ground beef, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, ripe olives, mild banana peppers and mozzarella and provolone cheeses. The Pizza Factory also does subs from $3.99, an assortment of sandwiches and hoagies under $9 and salads from $3.75 to $7.95.
Connie order from The Deli, located at 32 Webster Street, 224-3663. She had the Black N Blue Burger, which comes with bleu cheese and Cajun spice for $6.89. It comes with chips, but for $1.99 Connie upgraded to tater tots because she likes to say “tater tots” out loud whenever she can.
Regarding the chargrilled cheeseburger: Connie: “This burger is great. Try it.”
Sandy complies. “Good.”
Connie: “I like this more than you.”
Sandy: “Wow. Is our friendship over?”
The Deli offers an assortment of sandwiches under $8 as well as salads ranging from $2.99 to $7.29.
Connie: “These tater tots are hot and delicious! The sandwich was warm and cheesy and Cajuny.” Connie also likes to say “Cajuny.” Sandy reminds her it’s not a real word.
The Warped Wing atmosphere is awesome. Industrial yet welcoming, lots of natural light, as the front faces the west. An enormous garage door had to be installed to get the large brewing equipment in the building. This huge glass door on wheels allows Warped Wing to open it wide (like Lucas Oil Stadium) when weather is wonderful, and the fresh air and view of the city makes the experience memorable.
From the last time I went, there were even more tables, allowing even more beer lovers a place to enjoy Warped Wing’s crafted beers.
The info: Warped Wing Brewing Company, 26 Wyandot St., Dayton; 937-222-7001; warpedwing.com
Tasting room hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 5 – 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. – 12 a.m.; Sunday, 1 – 6 p.m.
Topping off: Sandy Collins and Connie Post are two of the Dayton Daily News' Dining Divas. They've dedicated entire evenings eating, and drinking, and laughing to bring you cool places where you can do the same. Here's more about Sandy and Dayton's brewing history:
My Great-Great Grandfather, John B. Wager opened the Lager Beer Brewery in Dayton about 1854 at Hickory & Brown Streets (which no longer intersect. I looked!) He sold it to his partners five years later. Wager then established Hydraulic Brewery in an old saw-mill at the corner of First & Beckel in 1865. He worked it for another five years, then a flood ruined his business and he was forced to board up the place. Knowing my family’s history with beer makes drinking it even more enjoyable.
GGG John is buried at Calvary Cemetery, along with many of the other brew makers who made Dayton what it was. Names like Schantz, Schwind, Horstmann, and many more. We’re excited about the new brewery now under construction at Carillon Park, where the history of Dayton brewing will be preserved, and liquid wheat lovers will gather for years to come.
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