Cville could also be recognized for its wine, however the beer scene is hopping too! Listed below are the 12 finest breweries in Charlottesville and all the main points to go to and style.
Chances are high, even in case you’ve by no means been to Charlottesville, Virginia, you’ve most likely had a beer from right here.
Tucked away within the Blue Ridge Mountains in Central Virginia, Charlottesville is roughly an hour from Richmond and two hours from DC, making it a complicated metropolitan space with cozy small city vibes. It’s additionally dwelling to College of Virginia, presidential historical past, native retailers, wineries, distilleries, farm-to-table eating places and an abundance of breweries.
On account of each its location and all it has to discover, Charlottesville has turn out to be an ideal spot for folks eager to plan a fast weekend getaway – particularly if they’re on the lookout for a vacation spot with loads of choices for domestically sourced meals and nice craft beer.
As Charlottesville is all about profiting from seasonality, any beer lover visiting will discover the choices change relying on the time of yr. From Summer time Ales and Goses throughout the sizzling summer time months, to Porters, Stouts and heavy IPAs within the colder months, you’re sure to search out one thing to fit your tastes. The opposite wonderful thing about breweries in Charlottesville is you may go for these exterior of town with stunning views and surroundings (like Blue Mountain Brewery and Brewing Tree) or you may go together with the strolling a part of the Ale Path in downtown Charlottesville (which embody spots like Starr Hill Brewery and South Road Brewery). There are additionally a number of beer festivals all year long (right here’s a recap of 1 when we had an excessive amount of enjoyable!).
Let’s take a tour of my favourite spots for the perfect craft beers in Charlottesville!
12 Finest Breweries in Charlottesville
Starr Hill (Downtown Location)
The second oldest craft brewery in Virginia, Starr Hill Brewery was created with a concentrate on two key objects: craft beer and reside music. Whereas its first location was in Starr Hill in Charlottesville, they’ve expanded over time to incorporate their downtown location within the Dairy Market and 5 different spots in Crozet, Richmond, Roanoke, Lynchburg and Tyson’s Nook.
When visiting Starr Hill you may anticipate to come across nice reside music along with quite a lot of beer choices. With their basic line up together with craft brews like Ramble On (a juicy IPA) and Northern Lights (IPA) and seasonal greats like Festie (Oktoberfest Lager) and Solar Burn (Summer time Ale), it’s no shock they’ve gained awards on the Nice American Beer Pageant, the World Beer Cup and the Nice British Beer Pageant.
For those who’re visiting the Starr Hill Downtown location, you’ll have the choice for indoor and outside seating (with the outside seating being canine pleasant) and also you’ll even have entry to nice native distributors within the Dairy Market meals corridor. It’s additionally a part of the city Ale Path and strolling distance of the Downtown Mall.
Rockfish Brewing
This nano brewery simply expanded with its second location on the Downtown Mall. This new spot is only a stone’s throw from its first dwelling, which is hooked up to fifth Season Gardening, which affords hydroponics, contemporary hops and homebrew provides. With their appreciation for dwelling brewing, it’s not shocking the vibe is small city brewers offering their associates with good beer, making it a implausible informal spot.
Their California Widespread is a standout however that is additionally a great place to be just a little daring and check out a few of their riskier endeavors once you see them on the draft checklist, corresponding to their Pickle Beer or their many seasonal Goses.
Whilst you can order quite a lot of snacks at this location, a perk to going downtown means you may order meals ready by The Bebedero, a preferred Charlottesville restaurant proper subsequent door.
Random Row
This mission-driven brewery is all about bringing a way of neighborhood to Charlottesville over good beer in an off-the-cuff taproom setting. Positioned on Preston Avenue and strolling distance of the Downtown Mall, this brewery is canine pleasant (exterior) and often has one thing happening, whether or not it’s themed trivia, charity bingo, a run membership and even yoga.
Considered one of my favourite issues about Random Row must be their pizza. Billy Pie Pizza, a Richmond-based group, brings stone-fired Neapolitan pizza to the brewery and it’s the right combo with their beer. The most effective half? It’s half-off on Tuesdays! The pizzas pair so effectively with their beers like their award-winning Mosaic Pale Ale.
South Road Brewery
Working as a brewpub since 1999, South Road Brewery joins Starr Hill in being one of many extra tenured breweries within the space. You possibly can anticipate to expertise good meals and stable beer at this spot proper off of the Downtown Mall.
South Road is a good place to share a number of appetizers with associates, like their jumbo pretzel or their wings (boneless, conventional or cauliflower). Pair them with certainly one of their flagship beers like Devil’s Pony (an Amber Ale) or Anastasia’s Chocolate Fantasy, which is a heavier stout good for the winter months – particularly in case you luck out with a seat close to the fireside!
Champion Brewery
Champion Brewing Firm is one other certainly one of Charlottesville’s staples and, equally to Random Row, they at all times have one thing happening. With the unique Run Membership and a gentle stream of reside music, it is a enjoyable brewery simply off of the Downtown Mall.
Recognized for his or her core beers like Bathe Beer (a Pilsner good for precisely what it claims to be if bathe beers are your factor) and True Love (a Mexican-style Lager that may convert any Corona lover), Champion Brewery at all times delivers a very good, low-key vibe.
Not too long ago, Champion merged with Cause Beer, one other stable brewery to take a look at, although I’m retaining it off of the primary checklist because it’s a part of the Champion Hospitality Group now. Champion Hospitality Group, along with its nice breweries, can be accountable for among the finest Charlottesville eating places: Brasserie Saison, Siren and Passiflora – all inside strolling distance of Champion Brewery.
Three Notch’d Brewery
Three Notch’d Brewery is a brewpub bringing just a little little bit of historical past along with your pints. Named for Three Notch’d Street, made well-known by Jack Jouett’s midnight trip to Charlottesville in June of 1781, their purpose is to align what they produce with the historical past of Virginia.
Unsurprisingly, Three Notch’d produces beers becoming their historic background with flagships like Ghost of the forty third IPA and their 40 Mile IPA. In terms of their different beers, although, they’ve a bit extra of a contemporary aptitude with hits like Biggie S’mores Imperial Stout and their many Goses. They’ve additionally began promoting non-alcoholic beers!
As that is additionally a craft kitchen, yow will discover numerous meals choices at this spot. From snacks like nachos and pretzel bites to burgers, sandwiches and entrees like Steak Frites, you gained’t depart hungry. Additionally they supply Saturday and Sunday brunch and their patio is dog-friendly yr spherical.
Decipher
This 100% veteran-owned and operated craft brewery began off with its founders brewing on a kitchen range. From humble beginnings, they’re now making award-winning beer, like their Artemis Wheatwine, a bronze winner on the 2022 World Beer Cup and silver winner on the 2022 Virginia Craft Brewers Cup.
Whereas they don’t supply meals, Decipher means that you can convey your personal and even have some delivered. They often have meals vans onsite and you’ll test their schedule on Fb.
With loads of indoor and outside seating, they’re one of many few breweries the place canine are allowed inside as effectively (as a result of reality no meals is ready onsite). It’s an ideal spot to convey your pup!
Selvedge
If you’re on the lookout for a spot with nice meals however need to add the brewery piece in, Selvedge Brewing on the Wool Manufacturing facility is your house.
Positioned in a restored wool manufacturing facility within the Woolen Mills neighborhood, Selvedge Brewing affords elevated bar meals with domestically sourced elements. Their smash burger is among the finest on the town and the aspect of mac and cheese is scrumptious. They’ve a very good draft checklist with flagships like Britches Get Stitches (a West Coast IPA) and Denim (an American Model Lager). When you have non-beer drinkers in your group, additionally they supply wine, cocktails and mocktails and you’ve got the choice of grabbing an ideal bottle of wine at The Workshop, a boutique wine and occasional bar on the Wool Manufacturing facility.
They’ve loads of seating each inside and outside. Whereas exterior is first come, first served, I might advocate making reservations for inside, particularly on Wednesday nights once they supply weekly trivia.
Blue Mountain Brewery
One of many extra recognizable names in Charlottesville beers, Blue Mountain can be dwelling to among the most stunning views. Nestled proper within the Blue Ridge Mountains in Nelson County, this was the primary rural brewery to open within the space again in 2007.
Along with producing classics like A Hopwork Orange (an orange-infused IPA) and the Full Nelson (a Virginia Pale Ale), additionally they have seasonal greats like Drink a Peach! (a peach Gose) and their Barrel Home Collection.
Blue Mountain Brewery additionally has an intensive menu and among the finest outside seating within the space so it’s a spot the place you may simply spend a stunning afternoon with a bunch of associates. Additionally they have an inn obtainable to hire if you’re trying to go to different spots in Nelson, just like the a number of wineries close by.
Brewing Tree Beer Firm
A riverside brewery, Brewing Tree Beer Firm has an expansive outside area with frequent reside music, outside video games to play, meals obtainable from their scratch kitchen and a stable beer checklist.
The meals and beer is nice, which is to be anticipated given its founders are Mark and Gina Thompson. Mark Thompson based Starr Hill and is a revered title in craft beer, whereas his spouse Gina is a licensed sommelier and has been a chef and caterer.
Their beer checklist is at all times rotating however some examples embody Irish Purple Ale and their Simply Peachy Golden Ale.
Meriwether Springs Winery & Brewery
Charlottesville’s first mixture vineyard & brewery, this location is near downtown whereas nonetheless managing to be located on 40 acres of land. The unique property of explorer Meriwether Lewis, that is one other brewery bringing the historical past of the world to the forefront.
As that is family-owned and operated, you’ll positively get the sensation it’s a family-friendly spot. Additionally they supply a variety of music occasions and the schedule will be discovered on their website. It is a nice one to convey kids to as a result of there may be loads of area to run!
Their beer checklist consists of classics so that you gained’t be encountering something wild right here, however you may anticipate high quality variations of the requirements like Lagers and IPAs.
Professional Re Nata
If you’re on the lookout for a brewery with the texture of a music competition, you’ll love Professional Re Nata.
Positioned in Crozet, VA (only a quick distance from Charlottesville), Professional Re Nata Brewpub & Music Corridor has turn out to be a multi-plex, with a number of taprooms, a major stage, an out of doors transport container bar and even an occasion area. It’s additionally nice for teenagers – there’s even a playground space.
Whereas they’ve a ton of seasonal choices, you gained’t go mistaken with certainly one of their flagships like Sound Verify (an American Lager) and Tapped Out (a Pilsner).
You’ll discover native music weekly and, whereas listening to the expertise, you may sip on their beer and even cider or wine. Additionally they have meals vans onsite each day, like Hops Kitchen and Za Spot, so no outside meals is allowed.
That is one other brewery the place leashed canine are allowed inside and outside, so it is a nice pet-friendly choice.
My Favorites
If I needed to choose a favourite among the many finest breweries in Charlottesville, it must be Three Notch’d and Champion. Each have glorious beer that appear to agree with my beer preferences. The Hydraulion Purple at Three Notch’d and Bathe Beer at Champion are two of my favorites! If it’s in season, the Firefly Nights Summertime Ale with Honeysuckle at Three Notch’d is among the finest non-traditional beers I’ve EVER had!!
All in all, if you’re coming to Charlottesville to expertise craft brews you gained’t depart disillusioned. From small and scrappy to massive and established, there’s something for everybody regardless of your style.
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