Carillon
Brewing Co.

Carillon Brewing Co. gives visitors a taste of 1850s-era Dayton through the authentically prepared drink of the times. It is the nation’s only production brewery located in a museum and the only U.S. brewery that fully replicates the historic brewing process.

Gas copper lamps light the walkway outside Carillon Brewing Co., and beyond the large white oak doors — sash-sawn in period style with hand-forged hinges and handles — the scent of charcoal and wood smoke fills the air. Fourteen feet above the bustling crowd, costumed interpreters draw water from a handmade copper kettle to begin the mashing and lautering process.

Nearby, malt is milled by hand, oven-fresh spent grain bread is baked, a volunteer mends his trousers with needle and thread, a growler of ale is filled, and costumed servers deliver delicious barbecue.

American oak barrels line the lower floor of Carillon Brewing Co., each topped with a detailed educational panel exploring the history and science of brewing. Drawing from city directories, canal records, and farmers’ reports, Carillon Historical Park researched how local breweries shaped Dayton’s growth in the late 1800s.

Ours is a story of a developing Midwestern city in a growing nation. It is a tale that spans agriculture, industry, science, immigration, civilization, progress, culture, and more. And all of it is told through beer and food.