Ian was born in Eerie, Penn. but came to Au Glaize County as a four-year-old. After graduating from New Knoxville High School in 1999, he was interested in psychology.
“I graduated in 1999 from Wright State,” Ian said. “But I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my degree.”
Ian’s first job out of college was at Eastway Behavioral Health Care in Dayton where he was hired as a case manager. He stayed in that position for six years before moving into a quality improvement position.
“I now work in the IT department at UD (University of Dayton),” Ian said.
While building his career, Ian also enjoyed a hobby he picked up one year at Christmas when his father, Kevin Bock, got a Mr. Beer home brewing kit as a gift. He liked it so much that the following Christmas, he got Mr. Beer kits for the entire family.
“I started upgrading everything and making adjustments,” Ian said.
Before long, Ian was entering his brews in competitions and winning awards. Friends and family members began urging him to open his own brewery.
“I met Jen in a bar in the Oregon District about 20 years ago,” Ian said. “We quickly became craft beer buddies.”
Born in Dayton, Jen lived in Northridge, Huber Heights and finally Vandalia, where she graduated from Vandalia-Butler High School in 2003. She attended the Montgomery County Career Technology Center (CTC) and studied criminal justice.
“At the time my goal was to be in the FBI,” Jen said. “But a recruiter said I was too small and that discouraged me.”
Jen took a constitutional law class and loved it. She graduated from Wright State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She has worked as an attorney since 2013 and specializes in landlord/tenant law.
Jen was 21 when she met Ian. The pair remained friends but dated others. Jen was briefly married to someone else but after her divorce, she and Ian started dating.
The couple got married on Sept. 19, 2013. Daughter Aria joined the family on Sept. 14, 2014. And while continuing to build their careers and raise their daughter, the couple’s interest in craft beer grew.
“We loved hanging out at Dayton Beer Company,” Ian said. “It was always a fun fantasy for us to start a brewery.”
After Aria was born, the couple focused on stability for their young family. Driving by and seeing an available commercial space was exciting but Ian said it was always a “someday thing.”
“What pushed us over the edge was when a friend sent us a listing for Sojourners Distillery in Washington Township,” Ian said.
Armed with a vision of what they wanted, the couple hit the ground running, taking over the license and location and working on branding their own products. The couple kept the Sojourner’s Distillery name initially until the inventory was sold. They transitioned to Bock Family Brewing in 2021.
Today the couple has weathered the storms of the global pandemic and economic downturn and struggled with the location of their brewery, which is hidden from view in an office park.
Jen and Ian have marketed their products at local festivals and restaurants. They invested in the business themselves to avoid taking out any loans and family members have also invested.
“We can now seat 130 and have a full bar and tap room,” Jen said. “We also have arcade games, pool and darts and two side rooms people can use for gatherings.”
They recently added a German street food kitchen. With a nod to their individuals heritages of German, Irish, Scottish and Scandinavian, the couple added décor and murals.
“We both still have our day jobs,” Jen said. “I have flexibility to be at the brewery when I need to be. Ian has flexibility in his hybrid schedule as well.”
They also have a small staff and a manager who helps handle things when Ian and Jen can’t be there.
For the future, the couple hopes to add a larger outdoor space and a beer garden.
“You aren’t going to find us by accident,” Ian said. “Having the improved outdoor space when the weather is nice is a huge selling point.”
With six years remaining on their lease, Jen said they will decide how to proceed once the lease is up.
“It was always the dream to do this,” Ian said. “Whether or not we stay here forever, the spirit of it will always be there. When you share your beer with someone and you get good feedback, that’s what makes it worth it. It’s great to be involved in the local brewing community.”
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