Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
“It’s very exciting,” Moore said. “Serving on a board is a new experience for me and I look forward to contributing to the growth of the Ohio craft brewing scene.”
“With more than 400 breweries in the state, we’re very fortunate to have so many people willing to lend their expertise and insight for the good of the entire brewing industry,” said Mary MacDonald, executive director of the OCBA. “Our board is made up of representatives from Ohio’s largest and smallest breweries, those based in urban centers and those in small, rural communities, breweries with decades of experience and some that are relatively new. Those many perspectives help us to find a common purpose that benefits all of Ohio’s independently-owned breweries.”
Crooked Handle Brewing Co. joined the OCBA during the construction of their Springboro location, 760 N. Main Street, in the summer of 2015.
As Moore takes on a more active role in the association, Crooked Handle Brewing Co. is finishing the final touches on its second brewery in Piqua.
“We have grown organically, not trying to force anything we were unprepared to handle,” Moore said. “We have always planned to expand our brewpub into additional locations and were actively looking for a property that made sense for our company.”
Moore told Dayton.com they were approached by the city of Piqua regarding a vision of a brewery anchoring the redevelopment of the Lock 9 Park on the comer of Water and Main Street.
Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
He said the new brewery is going into a completely renovated 11,000 square foot space with a full view of the Great Miami River.
“We were able to apply what we have learned over the last six years to this new design-build,” Moore said. “We are tripling our production capacity with a fully visible brewhouse that allows for additional expansion.”
The brewery, expected to open this fall, will also have a larger kitchen and a private event space that customers will be able to reserve for special events, Moore said.
Moore is originally from Fairborn but spent much of his childhood growing up on a farm in Adams County. He said he made his way back to the Miami Valley in 2000 and now lives in Springboro with his wife, Kristy.
He explained that his brother-in-law in Fort Collins, Colorado was the first to introduce him to craft beer and home brewing. He said it wasn’t until a tour at New Belgium in Fort Collins that he became very interested in the industry.
“It was refreshing to hear the stories of such humble beginnings growing to one of the country’s largest employee-owned craft breweries,” Moore said. “Every brewery we visited gave us directions to their next favorite in town.”
Moore said an industry full of craft beer enthusiasts supporting each other was not the standard of business he was used to.
Credit: MARK FISHER/STAFF
Credit: MARK FISHER/STAFF
In 2008, he started homebrewing as a hobby and shared his beers with family and friends.
“Our little hobby quickly grew into a passion that took us on a wild ride to owning our first brewery and we never looked back,” Moore said.
He said his favorite part of his brewing journey is the “endless creativity of brewing new beers and providing a fun, inviting place for our team members to thrive and guests to enjoy.”
“Our goal is to help guide you to your favorite beverage and we want that experience to be memorable,” he added.
For those thinking about starting their own brewery, Moore said they should join the OCBA as a brewery in planning to learn more about the industry.
For more information on the OCBA, visit www.ohiocraftbeer.org.
For more information about Crooked Handle Brewing Co., visit www.crookedhandle.com or the brewpub’s Facebook page.
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