If you've driven through Toledo and wondered where the craft beer scene was hiding, Black Frog Brewery has been part of the answer since 2016. Christopher Harris started the whole thing in his garage two years earlier, got it licensed as a real brewery when the state had never seen one in a garage before, and opened the taproom in Holland as the first Black-owned brewery in Northwest Ohio. The Cleveland location followed in 2025, making Harris the first Black-owned brewer in that city too. The beer leans malt-forward, the names are playful, and the philosophy is simple: "Great Beer for Great People."
Black Frog Brewery. Photo: Untappd.
The Name: Black Frog, Frog Town, and the Great Black Swamp
Toledo has a nickname that most people outside the region have never heard. Before it became the Glass City, the land along the western edge of Lake Erie was known as the Great Black Swamp. The swamp earned its name from the rich black soil and dense, dark forest that once covered the region. Farmers moved in, the trees came down, and fields and manufacturing replaced the swamp. The Black Swamp disappeared, but Toledo picked up a new nickname: Frog Town.
Harris explains it plainly. "Where the name came from was Toledo being Frog Town and me being African American. I put the two together." When CraftBeer.com interviewed him in 2017, he had already earned some early local media attention for that combination even before he started selling beer. So when he walked into a local store to talk to the beer manager about carrying Black Frog, the manager looked up, recognized him from the coverage, and said, "I was wondering when you were going to come in and talk to me."
The Founder: Chris Harris and the Garage-to-Taproom Journey
Harris is a Toledo native, a veteran, a husband, and a father. He started with a Mr. Beer kit, got fascinated by the process, and moved through extract brewing into all-grain. He threw himself into studying beer styles and eventually shifted his research from what to brew to what it would take to open a brewery. He had read about people successfully operating breweries out of garages in New England and the Great Lakes, so he studied up and went to work on his own.
When the state licensing worker showed up to inspect the garage, he took one look and said, "I don't think this is going to happen. I gotta contact my manager. This is the first time I've seen a brewery in a garage." Harris made the modifications the state required, went through a few more rounds of conversations, and eventually got the green light. Black Frog Brewery was born.
He still had a day job at the Social Security Administration when the taproom opened. Harris has said that he brews about 10 percent of the time and that the other 90 percent is everything else that goes with owning a brewery: paperwork, taxes, and the business side. "If I could just brew all the time, that would be great," he told CraftBeer.com, "but it's about being a business owner. There's more to it than brewing beer. A lot of people think that's all it is." He brews religiously on Wednesdays and Sundays, and when the taproom opened in October 2016 with help from his wife Diane, an accountant, and a PR and media guru, the reception surprised him. "I can't believe the reception I've received from the public. When we opened, the taproom was just packed to busting. It was unbelievable. The amount of people who came out to support us really touched me."
One of his favorite parts of being at Black Frog is watching people's faces when they try his beer. "I love the reaction when people drink the beer and say, 'This is fantastic!'" So the next time a road trip takes you through the former swamp city at the crossroads of Interstates 75 and 80/90, stop in and say hi. He can't wait to have you.
The Beer: Malt-Forward, Creative Names, and a Rotating Lineup
Harris brews what he likes to drink. The Beer and Brewing Magazine podcast put it in the episode title: "Chris Harris of Black Frog Just Brews What He Likes to Drink." He favors maltier, slightly sweeter beers and classic American styles. The lineup reflects that.
Cream of the Frog is the cream ale, 4.9% ABV, easy-drinking and approachable. Flying Frog is the IPA at 6.7%. Ebony Prince, the milk stout, has developed a following. Froglicious is a honey brown porter. Amphibian is the pale ale. Granny's Sweet Potato Porter has become a signature; it shows up in reviews and on Untappd with consistent praise. One patron called it "outstanding, worthy of a few more." Another said they didn't meet Granny but that "she has a really great beer. Very light on the pallet and refreshing. Great Summer beer!" Nubian Queen is a coffee s'more stout that earns its share of check-ins. The names run playful: That's No Moon (black IPA), Crouching Frog Hidden Tadpole (hazy IPA), Bomber Run (double IPA), Holy Gose. There are seasonal releases, limited runs, and a roster that rotates so there's usually something new to try.
The Holland location runs a 2.5-barrel nano system. Harris fires it up twice a week. The Cleveland location, which opened in May 2025 at the MidTown Collaboration Center, has a seven-barrel system and serves as the main brewing facility. Both taprooms pour the full range, and the Cleveland spot has become the production hub for distribution. There are also stouts like Jawa Juice (caramel coffee) and Imperial Prince (imperial stout), plus seasonal offerings like Ebenezer (holiday ale) and Sweet Emotion (Mounds porter) for those who like something a little different.
Holland: The Original Taproom
The original Black Frog taproom sits at 831 South McCord Road in Holland, just outside Toledo. It's a small space that has become a community staple. Hours are Wednesday through Friday 4:30 to 10, Saturday 3 to 10. Closed Sunday through Tuesday. The place has a 4.7 rating on Restaurantji with 103 reviews, and 76 percent of those reviewers gave it five stars. The owner is described as the "nicest" and very accommodating. The brewery hosts events like anniversary celebrations with free food and raffles.
Granny's Sweet Potato Porter at the Holland taproom. Photo: Untappd user Jessica Cross.
The testimonials on the Black Frog website tell a consistent story. Jen wrote, "We are not locals, but sitting in that brewery it was like we were. Not only did they have stellar beer, but the brew staff and owner were incredibly friendly. We will be back!" Meghan said, "Talk about a delightful surprise. We were overnighting in Toledo and this brewery was suggested as a place for really good beers. They weren't wrong. Beers were crisp, clean, complex, and delicious. Thank you for sharing your craft with the rest of us!" Restaurantji's summary notes that reviewers praise the quality of the beers and describe them as "crisp, clean, complex, and delicious."
Cleveland: MidTown Collaboration Center and Black Brewers Day
In early 2025, Harris was joined by his daughter and son in bringing Black Frog to Northeast Ohio. The new taproom opened in May at 1966 East 66th Street, Suite 100, in the MidTown Collaboration Center in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood. It is Cleveland's first Black-owned brewery. Crain's Cleveland Business covered the opening in February 2025, with a photo of Harris at his new brewhouse by Jeremy Nobile. The Cleveland Foundation and News 5 Cleveland covered the May opening. Black Frog is now the first Black-owned brewery in Ohio with two locations and one of the few Black-owned craft breweries in the state.
The Cleveland space is part of a larger concept called The Sixty6, which shares the MidTown Collaboration Center with Pearl's Kitchen, a restaurant run by chef Tiwanna Scott-Williams, and a live music lounge. The venue combines craft beer, elevated fast-casual food, and live music in a space with garage doors, a large patio, and an open-format design. It's a collaborative, community-focused project managed by the Cleveland Foundation.
In October 2023, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb honored Harris's pioneering work by proclaiming October 10 as Black Brewers Day. The brewery's about page calls it "a moment that's both inspiring and a reminder of the need for greater diversity in brewing." The Cleveland location offers a taproom, beer to go, brewery tours, a restaurant, outdoor seating, private event space, live music, and a child-friendly environment. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday 3 to 10, Friday 3 to 11, Saturday 11 to 11, and Sunday 11 to 6.
What Patrons Say
Beyond the website testimonials from Jen and Meghan in the Holland section, short Restaurantji reviews include "Great beer and service. Friendly people" and "Great brews!!!! And a very friendly owner/brewmaster."
On Untappd, Black Frog holds a 3.77 rating with over 6,700 ratings across 94 beers. Granny's Sweet Potato Porter sits at 3.82 with nearly 200 ratings. Patrons check in from both Holland and Cleveland. One reviewer called Granny's "completely awesome."
Practical Stuff
The Holland location is at 831 South McCord Road, Holland, Ohio 43528. Phone (567) 318-4672. Hours are Wednesday through Friday 4:30 to 10, Saturday 3 to 10. The Cleveland location is at 1966 East 66th Street, Suite 100, Cleveland, Ohio 44103. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday 3 to 10, Friday 3 to 11, Saturday 11 to 11, and Sunday 11 to 6.
Both locations offer a taproom, beer to go, brewery tours, a restaurant, outdoor seating, private event space, and live music. The Cleveland spot is child-friendly. Check the website for the latest hours and events before you go. If you're in Toledo or Holland, the original taproom is the place to start. If you're in Cleveland, the MidTown Collaboration Center brings Black Frog to the East Side. Get a flight to sample the range. Granny's Sweet Potato Porter, Cream of the Frog, and Nubian Queen are good entry points. For something hoppier, Flying Frog and the various IPAs hold their own.
Bottom Line
Black Frog Brewery has grown from a garage project in 2014 to two taprooms across Ohio. Chris Harris built it on a simple idea: great beer for great people. He brews what he likes, favors malt-forward styles, and has given his beers names that stick. The Holland taproom has been a Northwest Ohio staple since 2016. The Cleveland location, which opened in 2025, made Harris the city's first Black-owned brewer and brought his daughter and son into the fold. Mayor Bibb's Black Brewers Day proclamation in 2023 recognized the kind of pioneering work that doesn't happen often enough in craft beer.
You'll find them at 831 South McCord Road in Holland and 1966 East 66th Street in Cleveland. If it's your first time, get a flight, try Granny's Sweet Potato Porter, and say hi to Chris if he's around. He's the one who started it all in his garage, and he still loves watching people try his beer for the first time.
Sources
"Lessons from Chris Harris, the Man Who Started Black Frog Brewery in His Garage." CraftBeer.com. https://www.craftbeer.com/featured-brewery/black-frog-brewing-toledo (Accessed March 2026).
About Us. Black Frog Brewery. https://www.blackfrogbrewery.com/working-about-us (Accessed March 2026).
Nobile, Jeremy. "Black-owned Black Frog Brewery to make history with Midtown location." Crain's Cleveland Business. February 27, 2025. https://www.crainscleveland.com/manufacturing/black-frog-brewery-opening-midtown-collaboration-center (Accessed March 2026).
"Cleveland's first Black-owned brewery opens in MidTown Collaboration Center." Cleveland Foundation. May 9, 2025. https://www.clevelandfoundation.org/stories-events/stories-news/2025/05/09/clevelands-first-black-owned-brewery-opens-in-midtown-collaboration-center (Accessed March 2026).
Black Frog Brewery. Restaurantji. https://www.restaurantji.com/oh/holland/black-frog-brewery-/ (Accessed March 2026).