Visit Northeast Ohio’s National Park-Inspired Brewery

Green Valley Brewing Co. co-founder and brewer John McGroarty wanted to open his brewery in the village of Peninsula, the heart of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. But the logistical realities surrounding the amount of water a brewery requires led McGroarty, his wife, Emily, and fellow co-owners and lifelong friends Nick and Beth Speck to look for an alternative location, ending up in nearby Hudson.

Don’t let the brewery’s location along state Route 303 fool you though. It’s less than 5 miles from both Peninsula’s Lock 29 and The Ledges — favorite locations within Ohio’s only national park. 

“Me and my wife live right on the edge of the national park and, growing up around here, we spent a ton of time there,” McGroarty says.  “Hudson checked all the boxes, being right on the edge of the park like that.”

A seasoned brewer, McGroarty previously made beer at Akron’s Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., Canton Brewing Co., Cuyahoga Falls’ HiHO Brewing Co. and Cleveland’s Butcher and the Brewer. He and the other members of the ownership team opened Green Valley Brewing Co. in 2023. 

The taproom offers a minimalist feel with blonde wood, lots of natural light, and a large outdoor area that dramatically increases the number of customers the brewery can accommodate during warm months. 

Green Valley serves three core beers: its Loose Caboose Belgian wheat, Ever Evolving West Coast IPA and Happy Daze hazy IPA, but you’ll find other choices too, ranging from traditional European lagers to contemporary, Americanized ones to dark beers.

“I’ve always been passionate about classic styles but at the same time … you still want to make beer that sells,” McGroarty says. “It’s trying to have that full painter’s palette of different options.” 

Wood-fired pizzas are the core of the menu, the result of a very small kitchen space that led McGroarty and his partners to install an outdoor oven that operates year-round. (Sandwiches, salads and appetizers are also available.) It solved Green Valley’s space problem and fit the relaxed atmosphere. 

“We’re super laid back and super relaxed,” McGroarty says. “What’s simpler than, ‘Let’s go sit on the patio, eat some pizza and drink some beer?’”

53 Milford Dr., Hudson 44236, 234/602-2006, greenvalley.beer  

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