The State of NoVA Beer, Breweries and Brewpubs

Posted by Melissa Lyden / Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

Port City Growler / Photo by Jonathan Timmes

Thanks to our commenter, Eric: Here’s an update on Crooked Run Brewing.

In the ever-growing beer scene that is Northern Virginia, it’s hard to keep up with breweries planned from Alexandria to Purcellville. Here’s a start-of-the-year rundown of what we can look forward to drinking in 2013.  

And in development: Scott Young of Mad Horse Brewpub said there is talk of a “beer destination” weekend, with shuttles transporting drinkers from brewery to brewery. Watch out wine country.

Adroit Theory Brewing Company @AdroitTheory
Owner Mark Osborne signed papers for a Purcellville location slated to open June, although you can follow the action on its much-updated Facebook page. ATBC will operate much like a beer club, synonymous to the wine clubs offered by many local vineyards. Beer club members will have access to pre-release brews, invitations to member-only parties and more. The beers are rather esoteric in style and labeling and will be available for tasting, onsite consumption and for purchase to take home. (SAT word of the day: adroit.)

Barnhouse Brewery @BrnhouseBrewery
This is a shout out for the little guy. Roger and his wife Christine Knoell operate Barnhouse Brewery out of their residential property in Lucketts; Yep, you’ll be drinking in their backyard. Check the website for confirmation of open hours, which are typically Saturday afternoons. Pickups can also be arranged by directly contacting the Knoells. Roger says the next expansion project consists of an indoor seating area for customers. Roger is currently the only brewer and his wife takes care of the administrative side. Barnhouse has released about a dozen different brews so far. Roger says one of the things he enjoys about small production is the ability to try brewing a lot of different things. 

Bluemont Brewery
Details in development: Bob and Loree Rupy, owners of Bluemont Vineyards, will be opening a brewery on the same Purcellville property as the winery this spring.  We contacted Janell Zurschmeide, a Bluemont representative, who said to “check back in the summer” for details. The brewery is “in the very beginning phases and can’t really answer those questions for now.”

Capitol City Brewing Company @CapCityBrewers
Cap City started 2013 in limbo as it said adios to director of beer operations Mike McCarthy and his next in command Travis Tedrow. CCBC announced last week its new brewmaster: Kristi Matthews Griner, formerly the brewer at Vintage 50. Griner will serve as beer director of both the Shirlington and downtown D.C. locations. She starts mid-February.

MacDowell Brew Kitchen @BrewKitchen
MacDowell Brew Kitchen celebrated its one year anniversary on Black Friday 2012. After facing difficulty with brewing licensure, MBK finally received approval and released its inaugural beer, License to Brew, on its one year anniversary. MBK continues to collaborate with Mud Hound Brewing Company for its house beers and is working on upping its production to meet demands. “We’re brewing weekly and are trying to increase refrigeration space to increase the number of fermenters we can fill,” says Mud Hound Brewer Dan Stiles.

Mad Horse Brewpub 
Charles Karrick (of Mud Hound Brewing Company) and Scott Young met at Lovettsville’s Oktoberfest celebration in 2011. Exactly a year later, at that same beer festival, they debuted Mad Horse Brewpub. Located in Lovettsville, Young has dedicated time to work with other brewers to collaborate on a creation of a brewery corridor within Loudoun County.

Mud Hound Brewing Company @MudHoundBrewing
The Leesburg-based brewing trio is making suds all around LoCo. Dan Stiles and Greg Skotzko dedicate a day a week to MacDowell Brew Kitchen’s house beers and Charles Karrick is the brewmaster at Mad Horse Brewpub in Purcellville. The three are also working closely with Adroit Theory, helping him craft eccentric beers. Eventually Mud Hound hopes to open its own brewery.

Port City Brewing Company @PortCityBrew
Port City received a great accolade in November: Optimal Wit was rated No. 14 by Wine Enthusiast for Best Beer. November also marked PCBC’s bottling of its one millionth beer. (It’s still out there, so go on, check yo’ fridge!)  The brewery, which is approaching its second anniversary, will hold a special tasting on February 2 to release the limited edition Smoked Imperial Porter TWO.

Portner Brewhouse
Old Town Alexandria may have a new brew on the block. Sisters Catherine and Margaret Portner are working to repair the broken dreams of their great-grandfather caused by Prohibition…if only we could all be such great great-grandkids. The Portners are looking to resurrect recipes from the pre-Prohibition Robert Portner Brewing Company and give beer entrepreneurs a chance to play in the big leagues by opening Portner Brewhouse through crowdfunding efforts.

Vintage Restaurant Group @Vintage50Brew
Closures, relocation and new names brought VRG a lot of changes in 2012. Vintage 51 in South Riding closed in the early fall. The restaurant relocated to Ashburn and was renamed The V Virginia Restaurant and Eatery and Brewhouse. Owner Anthony Cavallo says this space will convert from restaurant to microbrewery, like its Vintage 50 sister location in Leesburg. Vintage 50 will be bidding farewell to brewer Krist Matthews Griner (see Capitol City Brewing Company, above), who recently celebrated her one year anniversary with VRG. During her tenure she created 15 new beer recipes.  A new brewer for Vintage 50 has not yet been named.

MORE BEER: Check out the February issue of Northern Virginia Magazine to find out about the growing gypsies brewer culture.

Tags: Adroit Theory Brewing Company, Anthony Cavallo, Barnhouse Brewery, beer, Bluemont Brewery, Bluemont Vineyards, Capitol City Brewing, Catherine Portner, Dan Stiles, Gut Check, License to Brew, MacDowell Brew Kitchen, Mad Fox Brewing, Mad Horse Brewpub, Margaret Portner, Melissa J. Lyden, Mud Hound Brewing Company, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, NoVA Beer, Optimal Wit, Port City Brewing, Robert Portner Brewing Company, Scott Young, Smoked Imperial Porter TWO, The V Virginia Restaurant and Eatery and Brewhouse, Vintage 50, Vintage 51, Wine Enthusiast