Virginia Beach craft beer is wildly popular. After all, this specialty drink even has its own festival known as the Virginia Beach Craft Beer Festival.
You don’t have to be a complete beer snob to taste the difference between a regular beer and a craft beer. You may ask, “What makes craft beer different than others you’ll find bottled at any supermarket like Corona, Budweiser, or Guinness?”
The difference is in the quality and depth of flavors.
In regular beer, you just taste beer. There are definitely differences in the taste of regular beer, but there is a striking difference between just beer and craft beer.
Craft beers often have a chocolatey, oak, floral, citrus, smokey, or caramel notes. Their variety of flavors makes craft beers above the rest.
Craft beer makers put the emphasis on quality of ingredients and complexity of taste. Those two factors make craft beer as we know it.
Virginia Beach Craft Beer Companies:
Back Bay Brewing Company
Address: 614 Norfolk Avenue in Virginia Beach
Website: Back Bay Brewing Company
Hours:
Tuesday- Thursday: 3pm – 10pm
Friday & Saturday: 12pm – 12am
Sunday: 12pm – 6pm
The Back Bay Brewing Company is a brewery that is deeply rooted in Virginia Beach. This craft beer company was brought to life by five friends who are Virginia Beach natives. These five friends have transformed their dream of creating beers into a reality.
Back Bay Brewing Co. has a variety of craft beers with beachy names like:
- Atlantic Ave IPA
- Beach Cruiser Pale Ale
- False Cape Ale
- Frisco Woods Porter
- Steel Pier Lager
- and more.
Back Bay Brewing Company has plenty of reasons to visit every day.
Tuesdays feature a new brew on tap. Their #TapItTuesday will introduce a New Real Ale Cask that is brewed by their head brewmaster, Travis Powell.
Wednesdays here are for live entertainment. You’ll hear local bands in their downstairs Tasting Room. Live entertainment on the first Wednesday of the month is from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Wednesday of the month will be Trivia Night with the same location and time.
Thursdays are Bingo and Vinyl Nights.
Fridays are another beer release night. Also on this day, you will also be able to grab a beer with the head brewer, Travis Powell. He’ll be able to tell you what it’s like to craft amazing beers in Virginia Beach.
Saturdays from 10am- 11am will feature a Pilates, Barre, or other fitness class hosted by Realflexi. The cost to participate in a fitness class is $15 per session and includes a free beer after your workout! Saturday night at Back Bay Brewing is Ladies Night. The Ladies Night specials are ½ off drinks from 6pm – 8pm.
Sundays are dedicated to honoring those who work in the Food Service Industry, military, police force, or as a firefighter or EMT with beer specials.
We didn’t forget to tell you what’s happening at Back Bay Brewing Company on Mondays. Mondays are closed for business as they are busy preparing some of the best craft beers you will ever taste!
Pleasure House Brewery
Address: 3025 Shore Drive in Virginia Beach
Website: Pleasure House Brewery
Hours:
Sunday: 12pm – 10pm
Monday – Thursday : 3pm – 10pm
Friday: 3pm – 11pm
Saturday: 12pm – 11pm
Pleasure House Brewery is always experimenting with new ingredients and new flavors for their craft beer. At this Virginia Beach craft beer haven, you’ll find that they have five constant beers that are always on tap. There are also three experimental beers flowing that they change out frequently. You are sure to find a beer that you love when you have as many choices as Pleasure House Brewery gives you.
Some beers that you will choose from are:
- Glo – Blonde Ale
- Rudee Inlet DIPA
- Lynnhaven Coffee & Ale Stout
- and more.
Young Veterans Brewing Company
Address: 2505 Horse Pasture Road in Virginia Beach
Website: Young Veterans Brewing Company
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Thursday: 1500-2000
Friday: 1500-2300
Saturday: 1200-2300
Sunday: 1500-2000
This Virginia Beach brewery was created by two Army veterans who have a love and passion for creating extraordinary ales. Together, they have developed recipes for drinks that are of the highest quality. People have taken a large liking to their ales. They have unique names that are fitting for their military tied brand.
The drinks that you will taste at Young Veterans Brewing Company are:
- SEMPER FI PA (Citrus Hopped IPA)
- NIGHT VISION (American Stout)
- JET NOISE (DOUBLE IPA)
- PINEAPPLE GRENADE (Hefeweizen)
- EVEN KEEL (Pale Ale)
- and more.
Young Veterans Brewing Company has one main tasting room known as the Taproom. This tasting area is painted army green with some camouflage accents. It’s perfect for the theme of this unique VA Beach brewery.
Commonwealth Brewing Company
Address: 2444 Pleasure House Road in Virginia Beach
Website: Commonwealth Brewing Company
Hours:
Monday- Thursday 3pm -10pm
Friday: 3pm -12am
Saturday: 12pm – 12am
Sunday: 12pm – 9pm
Commonwealth Brewing Company is composed of two dedicated brewers who love creating craft beers. Together, they have about 29 beers that they are either distributing to other local restaurants or serving in their own tasting room. They have four styles of beer and each are unique in tastes.
When visiting this brewery in Virginia Beach, you’ll have many options to sit down and enjoy your drinks.
You can either sit at their Main Tasting Room. This one of a kind Main Tasting Room is actually a reclaimed firefighter station. Its industrial look gives it an urban yet modern feel. The Main Tasting Room has picnic like tables to sit at and choose from 28 beers they have on tap.
If you would rather reserve a private seating area for a large party, you can request their Corduroy Room. This room seats up to 50 people. The Corduroy Room includes wooden tables, chairs, a large leather sofa, huge screened TV, a great sound system, and a shuffleboard table.
The Barrel Room at Commonwealth Brewing Company is great to reserve for a more formal gathering.
For a super casual setting, the Outdoor Biergarten is where to go! Enjoy beer in adirondack chairs around picnic tables with bistro lights above.
The four styles of Commonwealth Brewing Company are Wild and Sour, Seasonal, Hop (Forward), and Belgique. You’ll find Pilsners, Saisons, many types of IPAs, Stouts, and many more.
It’s easy to find Commonwealth Brewing Company’s beers around Virginia Beach. They serve many local businesses craft beers for people to enjoy at their favorite restaurants or at home. The VA Beach restaurants that serve Commonwealth’s beers are Commune, Esoteric, HK on the Bay, and more. You can even find them at Whole Foods!
