New Breweries in Northern Virginia!!!

Absolutely!

What better way to wrap up the week-long celebrations of American Craft Beer Week 2014 than by supporting local brewers? And what better way to support local brewers than by announcing the recent or soon arrivals of the new local brewers?

I consider myself fortunate to live in the time that I live, in the place that I live. Northern Virginia is in the midst of a craft beer renaissance and the growth is amazing. I’ll choose 2010 as my arbitrary start date to demonstrate the explosion of craft beer in my local area – in 2010, there was very little crafty deliciousness being made in Northern Virginia. If I recall, Mad Fox was in Falls Church (or was getting ready to open), Vintage 50 was operational in Leesburg, Blue and Gray was open in Fredericksburg and Capitol City’s Shirlington Brewpub was either open or was opening.

Compare that with 2014, just four years later – we've added Port City in Alexandria, Lost Rhino and Beltway in Ashburn, Leesburg Beer Co, Ironwood Tavern and Crooked Run in Leesburg, Adroit Theory and Corcoran Brewing in Purcellville, Mad Horse Brewpub in Lovettsville, Bad Wolf and Heritage in Manassas, Old Bust Head in Warrenton, Forge in Lorton and Adventure Brewing in Stafford. Talk about growth!

Careful, man. There's a beverage involved here.

I would like to take this opportunity to give shout-outs to a couple of the really new breweries I just listed. The first newby I want to give a shout out to is the brand new Adventure Brewing Company in Stafford, Virginia, which just opened today!!! They will be offering their Super Power Pale Ale, Expedition IPA, Backpack Wheat and Stiletto Stout as their four staple beers, as well as three seasonals – Grapefruit Wheat, Winter Lager and Bacon Bock. Their hours are Thursday and Friday from 6-10, Saturday from 12-10 and Sunday from 12-6. Go give them your business… I’ll be doing that myself shortly.

The next brewery I will highlight in this quick trip around new Northern Virginia beers is Old Bust Head Brewing Company, which is located out by Jiffy Lube Live between Gainsville, Manassas, Bristow and Warrenton. OBH has been open for a few months now and is starting to make their presence known. I have encountered them in person at the Battle of the Brews in Manassas a few weeks ago and I have also been able to acquire their delicious beers in bottles at the Wegmans in Woodbridge. OBH is currently constructing their tap room and they hope to have it finished sometime this summer. They currently offer their Bust Head English Pale Ale, Wildcat IPA, Chukker Czech Pilsner and Chinquapin Chestnut Porter (which is truly excellent).  OBH would love to have you over for a tour and tasting in their brewhouse on Fridays from 4-7, Saturdays from 2-6 or Sundays from 1-4. They are another brewery I have yet to visit, but I've had a few of their beers now, and they are very good.

Another cool logo

But guess what… we’re still not done! As I type this, there are a few new breweries in various stages of planning and preparation that I have been made aware of. I tacked on that last caveat because it seems like every day that I hear of a new-new brewery coming to Northern Virginia, so there is a high likelihood that I will miss one.

DRADIS is showing four contacts

As of today, May 17, 2014, the following breweries in planning have crossed my radar: Fair Winds Brewing Company, which will be opening in Lorton, Virginia in 2014, Potomac Ale Works, which will be coming to Woodbridge, Virginia in the summer of 2015, New World Brewing Company and Caboose Brewing Company, which will both be coming to Vienna, Virginia sometime in the future and Old Ox Brewery, which is scheduled to open in the spring of 2014.

That’s quite a few new places to drink craft beer. And I am willing to assume that I have missed a few in development that simply aren't on my radar yet. All of this growth only cements Northern Virginia as a craft beer destination, which is good for all of us beer people – brewers, consumers, distributors and retailers alike. Forget about a phantom saturation point… an inundated community is a strong community, and a strong community is good for business.

So go check these newcomers out and cross their palms with silver in exchange for some craft-brewed deliciousness… and for actual reviews, in the event that I make it to all of these wonderful places in short order… continue reading this nonsensical blog, or follow me on Twitter @SousBrewer.

Here’s to Northern Virginia, craft beer, new local breweries and American Craft Beer Week!

And here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!