Wright-Patterson Air Force Base lies northeast of Dayton. It’s played a major role in the city’s development, even influencing Dayton’s impressive and robust craft brewing industry. “Dayton has always been a beer place. People knew about beer and respected it,” says Brett Smith, co-founder of Branch & Bone Artisan Ales, a brewery in Dayton. “Because of the big air force base, there were a lot of world travelers here, so they were accustomed to drinking beer in Europe and other places.”