Ohio Brewery News

Friday Six Pack with Doug Lane, Devil Wind Brewing

Every Friday, we ask an Ohio craft brewery owner or employee to answer six questions about their path to the brewing industry, what sets their brewery apart and their thoughts on craft beer in Ohio.

Today we’ll chat with Doug Lane, head brewer at Devil Wind Brewing in Xenia. Devil Wind is celebrating their fourth anniversary this Saturday, April 2 with their first ever barrel aged bottle release.

 

What made you decide to get into the craft brewing industry?

I loved how much variety there was in the world of craft beer, and I also loved going to all the different taprooms around Ohio that were popping up at the time. I got into the brewing industry because I wanted to create an environment and product that would help others have as enjoyable and positive of an experience as possible.

 

Which of your beers do your customers enjoy the most and why?

Our customers love all of our lagers, but they’re absolutely crazy for our Munich dunkel, Dankel. What started out as a seasonal beer is now in the most demand. It’s a light bodied lager, with a strong malt backbone, a slight richness and a very clean finish. Who doesn’t like a good dunkel??

 

What should a craft beer fan expect when visiting your brewery for the first time?

A welcoming environment full of friendly people, as well as 11 of our beers on tap, local cider & wine, and the second largest bourbon selection in the Dayton area. And more often than not, there will also be live music from either our house band, or one of the many great acts we get throughout the year.

 

You’re one of a few breweries along the Little Miami bike trail: do you regularly get cyclists stopping in for a beer?

We mainly get cyclists during the warmer months, but there are some diehard riders out there who will ride their bike to the brewery even on some of the coldest nights! We can always count on an influx of cyclists when we first open our doors on the weekends.

 

Besides your own, what Ohio craft breweries impress you the most and why?

There are way too many to mention just based on high-quality beer alone. We’re incredibly fortunate to have so much amazing beer in our state! When it comes to overall experiences though, I love Mother Stewart’s for all the great live music they have (not to mention their beautiful space), Fifty West for all of the outdoor activities they offer on site, and Land-Grant for their keg curling, which may be the greatest idea ever.

 

Where do you think craft beer is headed? What do you think craft beer will look like five years from now?

If I knew that, I would already be brewing the next great thing! Craft beer is ever-evolving, which is one of the many reasons why I love it so much. With so many new breweries opening, we have countless new minds entering the industry that have all sorts of creative ideas that help move us forward. Along with new ideas is new, albeit friendly, competition, which is making breweries focus more on their taprooms/local communities, which I personally love. I think we’re going to see a lot more emphasis on small, neighborhood breweries, which I believe will add a lot more character to the beer industry, and make it even more approachable for those who are still hesitant to try something other than macro beers.