HOLLAND – At Black Frog Brewery, what began as a hobby for Toledo entrepreneur Christopher Harris has evolved into a community cornerstone, one built on the values of hard work, structure and camaraderie that he carried over from his years of service in the U.S. Army.
Beginning in 1989, Harris served in the U.S. Army for ten years as a mechanic, a time during which he took part in the first Persian Gulf War.
“Where I grew up, in the inner city [Toledo], everybody was getting into trouble, and it was just kind of a dead end, and I just knew that there was something better,” he said. “And so, I knew the army would provide that structure, stability. It probably turned out to be one of the best choices in my life. I want to say it just made me a way better person than when I was a kid.”
Harris described his time in the military as something both challenging and rewarding.
“I was really proud to serve during the Persian Gulf War,” he said. “Even though, during the time that it happened, you’re scared and you don’t know what’s going on, but when it’s all said and done, you served your country, and what better honor could there be than to serve your country during a war time?”
After leaving the military in 1999, Harris used his GI Bill to attend college before working at the Social Security Administration, where he remained until retirement. What began as a simple hobby after work became something more.
“I was really just looking for a hobby to do,” Harris said. “Initially I tried to make wine. I was really bad at making wine, so I was like, ‘Oh, let me try and make beer.’ And I found I had a knack to making beer, and then that hobby just really grew into a passion.”
That passion and love for beer making evolved into Black Frog Brewery. Harris first operated out of his garage in 2014, before opening a retail location in 2016.
“When we first started out of our garage, the state hadn’t seen anything like that. There wasn’t anybody that had started a brewery out of their garage in the state of Ohio,” he said. “And so, once everything was done, the state approved me to run the brewery out of my garage, and I did that for two years.”
Today, Black Frog Brewery operates in both Holland and Cleveland. The brewery offers a range of American and European style beers.
“We pretty much serve almost every style of beer there is,” Harris said. “I have a philosophy in beer making: If I really don’t enjoy drinking a style of beer, I don’t make that style of beer.”
The Holland location has become a place for the community to gather. “This place has really turned out to be the Cheers of Holland,” Harris said. “A lot of people that didn’t know anybody, or that didn’t know people in Holland, became friends because of this location.”
In addition to running the brewery, Harris serves as a board member of the National Black Brewers Association. In 2023, the cities of Toledo and Cleveland, along with Lucas and Cuyahoga counties, recognized Oct. 10 as National Black Brewers Day. “That made me pretty proud,” Harris said.
Looking ahead, Harris hopes to expand distribution and eventually pass the business on to his family. “I have two children, and so I’m really just trying to build this up, to be able to leave that behind for them,” he said. “If we can start distributing throughout the state, it would just be fantastic.”
Black Frog Brewery stands as a testament to Harris’ passion for brewing and the core values he carried from his years in the military.
Photos by Gaven Hafner
