Service & Suds: Ohio Vets Find Community in Brewing

Mike Aurand doesn’t have time to brew much anymore. That job mostly falls to his partner Aaron Weidner at The UrbanWoody Brewery in Fostoria. But that doesn’t stop Aurand, who shows up after long days serving in the Army Reserve’s Active Guard and Reserve program to clean fermenters, keg beer and stay involved in daily operations. It’s a grueling but familiar schedule. 

“I’m still full-time military, so it’s 24/7,” Aurand says. His schedule mirrors a lifestyle he’s followed since enlisting in 1986. He served for 12 years, took a short break, then returned to active duty. He’ll officially retire in 2027. Until then, he’s dedicated to balancing his roles, something that resonates with other veteran brewery employees across Ohio.

Chris Harris, owner/brewer for Black Frog Brewery in Toledo, served in the Army for a decade before working at the Social Security Administration for 17 years. 

“It started out as a hobby, something to do after I got off work,” Harris says. “But it turned into something more.” Black Frog’s second location is now open in Cleveland’s MidTown Collaboration Center. “Patience, a can-do spirit, never giving up: those are all values from the military that translate perfectly,” Harris shares.

In Massillon, Michael Malinowski, owner of Paradigm Shift Brewery, credits his military service for exposing him to world-class beer. Stationed in Germany during his Army stint in the 1980s, he fell in love with European beer culture and later began recreating the lagers he admired. 

Dale Mabry, co-founder of Dalton Union Winery & Brewery in Marysville, took a winding path from the Marine Corps to fermentation. A tech career paid the bills, but winemaking at home with his wife Tonya became a shared passion, and they opened the winery in 2015. When larger groups began visiting, the couple realized some visitors were just spectating; they needed to offer beer as well. The brewery addition came in 2018.

All of these vets say their time in uniform fundamentally shaped how they operate. The structure, discipline and adaptability required in the military naturally extend into the world of brewing, where sanitation, precision and troubleshooting on the fly are daily necessities.

“Brewery business is very process oriented,” Mabry says. “That’s a big carryover from the Marine Corps. You couldn’t just say ‘I’ve never done that before’ as an excuse. You figured it out. That same problem-solving applies here.”

The UrbanWoody Brewery and The HoneyBee Winery is located in Fostoria (photo courtesy of The Urban Woody Brewery).

Aurand, who owns The UrbanWoody Brewery and The HoneyBee Winery with his wife Tiffani, echoes that sentiment, citing structure, leadership and accountability as guiding values at the brewery. “We don’t cut corners, we don’t make excuses and we don’t forget where we came from,” he says. “At our core, we’re about loyalty to our craft, our crew and our community.” 

That loyalty shows up in unique ways. Paradigm Shift brews a beer for Veterans Day using Veterans Blend hops. “A group of vet-owned breweries go up to Yakima, Washington, to blend hops together every year,” Malinowski explains. “I named the beer after my old unit … General Custer’s old unit. The beer is called Garryowen, the unit’s motto.” 

Dalton Union Winery & Brewery celebrates the Marine Corps’ birthday every Nov. 10 with a ceremony and free meal for Marines and family. The event has become a lifeline for local vets seeking connection.

“We’ve had Marines come who were kind of floundering,” Mabry says. “Some told us that just being around other Marines again saved their life. It’s probably the most meaningful thing we do every year.” Dalton Union also brews a beer called Three Deuce Five in honor of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, a Marine Corps unit that took heavy losses in Iraq. Sales benefit Eyes of Freedom, an organization supporting veterans struggling with mental health.

Dalton Union Winery & Brewery crafts a beer called Three Deuce Five in honor of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines. Sales benefit Eyes of Freedom, an organization supporting veterans struggling with mental health. (photo by Tonya Mabry)

Despite the camaraderie and community they find in beer, all four veterans noted a surprising lack of formal support for veteran-owned businesses. There are few tax incentives, loan programs or well-organized Ohio-based networks to help veterans with the transition from military service to small business ownership. Still, none reported major challenges entering the industry. Instead, they’ve found a welcoming brewing community — one where Harris says “everyone is friendly and willing to help.”

The Future Is Brewing: Are you a veteran or member of another minority community looking to get into the brewing industry? In an effort to expand access to those underrepresented in the brewing production field, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association awards two diversity scholarships each year, applicable to any industry-recognized brewing education program. ohiocraftbeer.org/scholarshipform

Ohio On Tap is for Ohio beer lovers and is produced in partnership with the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. View a digital version of Ohio On Tap 2025.