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.