Aces of Trades: Seth Blewitt is part of what makes Old Capitol Brewing a popular local spot

CHILLICOTHE – He wants to give something back to Chillicothe.

“As a kid growing up, I was always asking questions and constantly learning about the world around me,” recalled Seth Blewitt. “From building model rockets to other engineering challenges, my father sparked an interest in science at an early age. When I was younger, I knew I wanted to do something in a scientific field that required careful observation and testing. Little did I know when I grew up, I’d be taste-testing ‘exbeeriments’ at a brewery!

Today, Blewitt is co-owner and brewer at Old Capitol Brewing.

“Old Capitol Brewing,” he said, “is a place for people to take a load off in a super inviting atmosphere, while enjoying a craft beer made onsite. My official title is brewer/owner, but with small business ownership comes a variety of titles and responsibilities that are shared amongst myself and the other owners.”

“To be clear,” Blewitt noted, “Old Capitol Brewing is owned and operated by several folks, including Michael Ball and Justin Park. Without the combined efforts of our group of folks, there wouldn’t be an Old Capitol Brewing.”

Blewitt, 39, grew up in Chillicothe, graduated from CHS in 2002, earned a bachelor's in science and master’s in education from OSU, and left in the middle of working on a PhD.

“After making it through most of the coursework,” he explained, “my wife and I became pregnant, and we decided to live in Japan to welcome our first born. After coming back to the States and needing to provide for this young family, I literally Google-searched ‘science education jobs,’ which led me to becoming a science test developer, which I still am today.”

Blewitt also lived in Dover, New Hampshire for several years, where he saw “the impact a small brewery could have within a community.”

“I first started brewing beer with my college roommate, Andy Pierson,” Blewitt said. “He and I looked at our personal budgets and realized we could actually make a decent quality beer that was cheaper than most of the craft beers available at that time. So initially the first interest was born from a budget conscious perspective, but what really drove it home was the fun of making it with our own hands.”

Old Capitol Brewing started in 2021.

“I remember,” assessed Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney, a friend and customer, “thinking how cool it was that someone who’s grown up in Chillicothe and traveled around the country and the world was excited to move back home and be part of his hometown’s revitalization. I admire Seth’s hard work and the energy he and his partners have put into making OCB such a nice addition to downtown.”

“Growing up, there is no way I could have predicted I’d be living back in my hometown,” Blewitt responded. “Spending time away from Chillicothe allowed me to see and take inspiration from other areas of the world, but also helped me realize how welcoming a community Chillicothe really is.”

“This brewery does fulfill the hobby checkbox,” he concluded, “but we wanted to give something back to Chillicothe, the town that raised us. My hope with putting energy back into the community is that it shows some of our talented youth they too can make a difference here.”

Today, Blewitt is co-owner and brewer at Old Capitol Brewing.

“Old Capitol Brewing,” he said, “is a place for people to take a load off in a super inviting atmosphere, while enjoying a craft beer made onsite. My official title is brewer/owner, but with small business ownership comes a variety of titles and responsibilities that are shared amongst myself and the other owners.”

“To be clear,” Blewitt noted, “Old Capitol Brewing is owned and operated by several folks. Without the combined efforts of our group of folks, there wouldn’t be an Old Capitol Brewing.”

Blewitt, 39, grew up in Chillicothe, graduated from CHS in 2002, earned a bachelor's in science and master’s in education from OSU, and left in the middle of working on a PhD.

“After making it through most of the coursework,” he explained, “my wife and I became pregnant, and we decided to live in Japan to welcome our first born. After coming back to the States and needing to provide for this young family, I literally Google-searched ‘science education jobs,’ which led me to becoming a science test developer, which I still am today.”

Blewitt also lived in Dover, New Hampshire for several years, where he saw “the impact a small brewery could have within a community.”

“I first started brewing beer with my college roommate, Andy Pierson,” Blewitt said. “He and I looked at our personal budgets and realized we could actually make a decent quality beer that was cheaper than most of the craft beers available at that time. So initially the first interest was born from a budget conscious perspective, but what really drove it home was the fun of making it with our own hands.”

Old Capitol Brewing started in 2021.

“I remember,” assessed Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney, a friend and customer, “thinking how cool it was that someone who’s grown up in Chillicothe and traveled around the country and the world was excited to move back home and be part of his hometown’s revitalization. I admire Seth’s hard work and the energy he and his partners have put into making OCB such a nice addition to downtown.”

“Growing up, there is no way I could have predicted I’d be living back in my hometown,” Blewitt responded. “Spending time away from Chillicothe allowed me to see and take inspiration from other areas of the world, but also helped me realize how welcoming a community Chillicothe really is.”

“This brewery does fulfill the hobby checkbox,” he concluded, “but we wanted to give something back to Chillicothe, the town that raised us. My hope with putting energy back into the community is that it shows some of our talented youth they too can make a difference here.”

Old Capitol Brewing is located at 79 N Paint St. in Chillicothe. For more information, log on www.oldcapitolbrewing.com.

About the Series

Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at gaznews@nncogannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: For Seth Blewitt, Old Capitol Brewing is a way to give back to his hometown