8 Craft Breweries You Need to Check Out in Virginia
Virginia is home to some of the most unique breweries around. Whether located in a bustling downtown, a horse farm, an 18th-century property granted by King George II of England or a historic elementary school, these breweries offer inviting atmospheres and brews you are sure to love. Ahead, learn about eight Virginia craft breweries you need to visit.
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Lost Barrel Brewing
Lost Barrel Brewing offers idyllic and award-winning brews, which have earned recognition from the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild and Untappd Beer Awards. Located on a 70-acre horse farm, Lost Barrel Brewing has been serving Middleburg since 2020. The brewery itself was a labor of love, incorporating reclaimed wood sourced from the property, resulting in a modern farmhouse look. The brewery invites visitors to enjoy craft brews and shareable plates as well as live music on Fridays and weekends. Children and dogs are welcome to come along for the experience.
Cave Hill Farms Brewery
Of all Virginia’s craft breweries, this one has one of the most unique backstories. Granted to the Hopkins family in 1759 by King George II of England, the property has spanned over six generations and has evolved over time from a row crop and livestock operation to a brewery that pays tribute to its past. The property is still a working farm that grows its own barley and hops, and supplies water from the family well for its brews. In the refurbished milking parlor, the brewery now serves a range of lagers, stouts, Belgian ales and IPAs.
Big Lick Brewing Co.
Located in the heart of downtown Roanoke, Big Lick Brewing Co. is the city’s first nano-brewery, crafting over 120 beers. The brewery has received a Best of Roanoke award multiple years in a row, and it earned the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year award in 2023. Featuring trivia nights, bingo, live music and a group meet for the cycling group Roanoke Riders, this Virginia brewery has become a gathering space for the downtown community. Customers and their pups can enjoy the sights and sounds of downtown while enjoying some of the best brews around.
Moon Hollow Brewing Co.
As part of the Old School at Prices Fork in Blacksburg, this uniquely named Virginia brewery is part of a revitalization project that has brought several new businesses to the old Prices Fork Elementary School. Named for a plot of land behind the property, Moon Hollow Brewing Co. is situated alongside Millstone Kitchen, Feather Bone Provisions & Assembly, and the Prices Fork Apartments, creating a unique hub on this historic property. This woman-owned brewery prides itself on providing an inclusive environment where the community can gather for seasonal brews and chats with friends.
Factory Street Brewing Co.
The historic Liggett & Myers tobacco building in South Boston was restored in 2019 and opened to the public as a craft brewery in 2021. The Virginia brewery maintains original features like 1920s brick walls, exposed beams and tobacco logs, and tobacco leaves decorating the bar top. Featuring an outdoor beer garden, the brewery pays tribute to its past with several uniquely named craft beers, including Boyd’s Ferry Oatmeal Stout and 1781 English Brown Ale. The brewery also made history as Halifax County’s first microbrewery.
Starr Hill Brewery
With multiple locations across Virginia, Starr Hill Brewery has made a name for itself as a brewery and distributor of craft beer. With its original location in the old Starr Hill Music Hall in Charlottesville, the brewery stuck to its musical roots by selling brews at the first Bonnaroo and FloydFest music festivals.
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
With two taprooms in the Richmond area, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery takes its name from a sheep station in Australia where childhood friends and founders Eric McKay and Patrick Murtaugh reunited as adults. The brewery was one of the first two craft breweries in Richmond when it opened in 2011, and it has sourced 300,000 pounds of Virginia-based ingredients over the years, from hops and barley to berries, pumpkins and honey. The Virginia brewery focuses on renewable practices, like solar and wind energy, and was the Virginia Green Brewery of the Year in 2015.
Dragon Run Brewing
What started as a home brewing operation expanded in 2018 with its first location in Shacklefords. Named for the Dragon Run watershed, the brewery also pays homage to Virginia’s waterways through its On the River IPA series, including the Mattapo-NEIPA IPA, Piankatank Hazy IPA and Pamunkey Hazy IPA. With a limited menu on Fridays and Saturdays, visitors can enjoy Dutch Country pretzel braids, stone-oven pizza and pretzel dogs alongside award-winning brews with Virginia roots.
This article is sponsored by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.