The Columbus, Ohio brewing community is mourning the loss of John Scott Francis, a visionary widely regarded as the “Godfather of Microbrewing” for the area. Francis, 72, passed on July 26, 2025, surrounded by loved ones.
Francis’s influence on Ohio beer cannot be overstated. In 1974, he and his brother Kenny purchased The Winemaker’s Shop in Clintonville, a homebrew supply store that became an incubator for generations of brewers. From that modest storefront, Francis began shaping what would become one of the most vibrant brewing cultures in the region.
By 1988, Francis was tapped by Edwards Companies to design and launch Columbus Brewing Company — the city’s first post-prohibition microbrewery. Soon after, his talents expanded to Barley’s Brewing Company downtown, Barley’s Smokehouse, New Albany Country Club, Medallion Country Club, Atwood Lodge, and Hide Away Hills, where the brewhouse was later renamed in his honor. In 2014, he returned to the brewhouse with his son Alex at Temperance Row Brewing in Westerville, introducing signature recipes like his Scottish Ale and Watermelon Wheat to new audiences.
Francis’s fingerprints are woven throughout Ohio craft beer not just in the breweries he helped establish, but in the people he taught, mentored, and inspired. From novice homebrewers at The Winemaker’s Shop to professional brewers leading modern taprooms, countless careers trace back to his influence. As Barley’s Brewing Company noted in a tribute on Facebook, “Scott wasn’t just a brewer. He was a pioneer, a teacher, an artist, and a visionary… His impact rippled through the community like a perfectly carbonated pour.”
Curtis Schieber, author of Columbus Beer: Recent Brewing & Deep Roots, dedicated his book to Francis, crediting him as central to the birth of the city’s modern beer scene. That recognition, however, was never one Francis sought for himself. Known for his humility and generosity, he freely shared knowledge, believing that a rising tide of great beer would lift the entire community.
A public celebration of Scott’s life will be held in Fall 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be directed to Kobacker House, whose compassionate care provided Francis peace in his final chapter.
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