Full Circle Brewgarden
Englewood, Ohio —Dawn Kirchner is all about discovery. The cofounder of Full Circle Brewgarden, a brewery that opened in the northern Dayton suburb of Englewood in 2023, has a background in environmental science and spent many years in charge of education at Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, a children’s science museum in Dayton. She’s brought her love of the natural world—and her love of introducing that world to new eyes—to Full Circle.
There are no TVs at Full Circle. The family-friendly taproom is instead oriented around conversation, with warm wood surfaces and as many reclaimed materials as possible. Stains and wood sealers for finishing the furniture were collected from half-empty containers in people’s garages, and the table in the children’s area was one her husband, Franz, played on as a child.
Outside the taproom’s back door, however, is where the brewery’s concept really comes alive.
The namesake “brewgarden” spreads out behind the brewery in a series of paths and patches that showcase around 350 plant species, most of which are native. “Our concept is to draw people outside to appreciate nature,” Kirchner says. “It was a big reason why we moved where we did. We wanted to take this area of land that had nothing to having a lot of life.”
The garden spotlights pollinator-friendly cultivars and drought-tolerant plants. Full Circle hosts gardening, photography, and art workshops in the garden, as well as outdoor yoga and kids’ education events.
The taproom has 12 rotating taps of beer produced by head brewer Nate Pahl and four house-made kombuchas brewed by Kirchner. She also makes some nonalcoholic shrubs, which are popular with kids and adults alike. Many of these seasonally include ingredients from the garden, such as thyme or black raspberry.
“We have built in a lot of seasonal interest,” Kirchner says. “Even if you’re out in winter, there’s something to see. It’s an immersive experience.”
Full Circle Brewgarden
324 Union Blvd., Englewood, OH
@fcbrewgarden
A professional writer and Certified Cicerone, much of his writing is about books and film (he is a National Book Critics Circle member), he writes a lot about beer too! David is a regular contributor to Craftbeer.com, PorchDrinking, Indiana on Tap, and Dayton City Paper’s beer section.
