Remembrance of Things Past
Last month, I took you to some of my old haunts--namely, the brewpubs of my adopted hometown of Ann Arbor. Now let me introduce you to a new acquaintance: the Maumee Bay Brewing Company and Restaurant in Toledo. On my way home from a weekend of beer and baseball in Cincinnati, I decided to drop in. The beer on offer was a pleasant surprise, but it was the generous side order of history that Maumee Bay special.
The brewpub is located on the second floor of the oldest surviving building in Toledo's downtown area. The triangular structure dates back to 1859, when it opened as the Oliver House Hotel. Designed by Isaiah Rogers, the "father of the modern hotel," it offered private rooms as well as such then-modern amenities as indoor plumbing, gas light, and steam heat. For four decades, the Oliver House catered the traveling upper crust. In 1900, it was converted into a rooming house; after that, it saw service as a factory, commercial and office space, and a coffee shop.
In the Nineties, Michigan natives James and Patricia Appold renovated the historic building, converting it into a complex that includes apartment lofts, meeting rooms, restaurants, and, of course, the brewpub. The Appolds made sure the Oliver House's gracious traditions would live on: its original lobby, with 30-foot-high ceilings and large windows, has been preserved; and one of the restaurants, Rockwell's, serves choice meats in surroundings that would make founder William Oliver and his well-heeled friends feel right at home. And another Oliver House tradition lives on, in a manner of speaking. According to legend, one of the residents is a ghost called The Captain, who's been known to appear in full uniform. He and his friends reportedly caused quite a stir while the building was being renovated.
The walk up to the brewpub is a trip back
in time. The staircase leading to the second floor is
surrounded by breweriana from the Buckeye Brewing
Company, the best-known of the 10 breweries that
operated in Toledo since 1837. The brick walls are
covered with displays of Buckeye Brewery paraphernalia,
everything from tap handles to signs that once hung in
bar windows.
Few non-beer geeks know that Buckeye Brewing played a significant role in American brewing history. Struggling to survive, the brewery sold its recipe for light beer to Chicago-based Peter Hand Brewing Company, which sold it under the name "Meister Bräu Lite." While Peter Hand knew how to brew light beer, it didn't know how to market it. Enter Miller Brewing Company, which bought the recipe and, more importantly, the "Lite" trademark. Miller coined the phrase, "everything you wanted in a beer, and less"; recruited retired athletes such as Bubba Smith and John Madden as endorsers; and put its marketing muscle behind new Miller Lite. And you all know the rest of that story.
The brewpub itself occupies what used to
be the hotel's ballroom. Near the entrance, surrounded
by glass, is a 500-gallon brewhouse manufactured in
Budapest. At the opposite end of the cheery,
high-ceilinged room is the copper-topped bar where the
beer is poured. On your way back there, expect to be
waylaid by what is literally a beer museum. The
collection, so large that only part of it can be
displayed at one time. once belonged to the Oldenberg
Brewery, best known for sponsoring Beer Camp. When
Oldenberg went out of business, Maumee Bay's owners
bought it and moved it here. Rows of glass cases display
beer steins, coasters, bottles, logo patches for
athletes' uniforms, even keepsakes from Toledo's sister
city in Spain. On the wall are shelves and shelves of
beer cans, some of which brought back memories of the
cheap swill I drank in college and the local lager I
found while traveling the country. Above the bar are
dozens of neon signs, all in working order, most of them
dating back to the Seventies. Even the restroom walls
are decorated with beer posters. And this year, as part
of Ohio's bicentennial celebration, a Brewery Hall of
Fame, commemorating Toledo's breweries and the men who
ran them, has been added.
But back to the beer for a moment.
Brewmaster Ric Herrold's year-round lineup includes
Buckeye, his modern rendition of the beer that became
Miller Lite; Glass City Pale Ale; Fallen Timbers Red
Ale, and a cask-conditioned India pale ale. There's also
a rotating stout selection, as well as several seasonal
brews (currently an Oktoberfest, an English mild, a
select lager, and a Kölsch). The pub also offers a full
menu featuring pub grub like "brewfalo wings" and
ale-steamed mussels; burgers and wood-fired pizzas; and
prime rib, baby back ribs; and other main dishes.
Maumee Bay Brewing Company and Restaurant is located at 27 Broadway, at the corner of Ottawa Street. a few blocks from downtown Toledo. It's not far from Fifth Third Field, the home of the Toledo Mud Hens, and a short drive from the Toledo Zoo, where the featured attractions are rare white lions. For more information, call 419.243.1302.