On the night of May 27, a powerful line of storms ripped across Indiana and Ohio. Numerous tornadoes caused considerable damage. The Miami Valley region of southwest Ohio, centered around the city of Dayton, was hit especially hard. Multiple tornadoes left parts of the city and surrounding communities in shambles. Lives were disrupted and families were displaced.

In the wake of the storms, countless area businesses and individuals came together to help those affected by the disaster. Dayton’s breweries were no exception.

In July, the Dayton Strong Beer Bash was held on the beautiful grounds of Carillon Historical Park and Carillon Brewing Company. The festival saw over 30 Ohio breweries pouring beer, with all of the proceeds going to help the recovery efforts.

Kyle Spears of Carillon Brewing expected a modest turnout.

“It all came together pretty quickly, and we were hoping for maybe a thousand people,” says Spears. “By the end of the day, we got closer to three thousand.”

The result? Over $56,000 raised in four hours, nearly triple what organizers had hoped.

Dayton’s breweries didn’t stop with a one-day festival though. The Dayton Brewery Alliance organized a project reminiscent of Sierra Nevada’s Resilience IPA fundraiser from 2018, brewing a collaboration beer called #daytonstrong IPA to continue aiding the community’s recovery efforts. Breweries across Dayton are participating.

“Our motivation was a long-horizon relief effort,” says Nick Bowman, co-founder of Warped Wing Brewing Company in the heart of the city. “When tragedy strikes, the community rallies in the immediate aftermath, but then people move on with their lives. This is our way to keep the relief effort and awareness going.”

According to Brett Smith at Branch & Bone Brewing Company, a basic recipe was formulated with two-row malt, a bit of wheat, and a blend of Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo hops. Each participating brewery then brewed the beer with their own house processes and yeast. Each brewery will release their own version of #daytonstrong IPA on draft in their taprooms beginning Saturday, August 17, with a canned version brewed and packaged at Warped Wing hitting the market on Monday, August 19.

To underscore the beer’s purpose, the cans will feature a very simple, understated design that won’t draw attention to the breweries involved.

“This is all about the people in need,” says Bowman. “Our neighbors, many of whom have lost everything.”

The words on the can are a powerful testament to the hope and resilience that define the city:

Through darkness comes light.
Through fear comes compassion.
Through tragedy comes triumph.

#daytonstrong IPA

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