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This past weekend eight Virginia breweries medaled at the Great American Beer Festival, the country’s preeminent awards ceremony. Sweetwater Tavern (Centreville) won gold for Iron Horse Lager, as did Lost Rhino (Ashburn) for its Shooter McMunn’s, a classic Irish-style dry stout. Port City (Alexandria) won silver for Optimal Wit, a Belgian-style witbier, and Rocket Frog (Sterling) earned a bronze for Wallops Island, an American-style brown ale.
Here’s what else is going on in the NoVA beer scene.
Brewery Openings
Caboose Commons, the sister brewery, coffee shop and restaurant to Vienna’s Caboose Brewing Company, opens at 6 a.m. in Merrifield this Saturday.
Longtime Northern Virginia brewer Favio Garcia (Old Dominion Brewing Company, Lost Rhino) opened his newest venture, Dynasty Brewing Company, in Ashburn earlier this month. Get crowlers (fill-to-order cans, like a growler) to go and find two hazy pale ales, two lagers and a double IPA on tap.
Barley Naked Brewing Company will open in Stafford on Oct. 12.
Recently opened: House 6 Brewing Co. in Ashburn, Chubby Squirrel Brewing Company in the city of Fairfax and Bear Chase Brewing Company in Bluemont.
Brewery News
Cult-favorite turned mainstream hit, especially after this summer’s pop-up next to Nationals Park, Aslin Beer Co. announced last week it’s moving to Alexandria. After issues with the building in Herndon—there will still be a tasting room there eventually—Aslin decided to move its headquarters, with a brew house, production facility, tasting room, barrel program and private event space to 847 S. Pickett St. (P.S. Here are Oktoberfest party dates.)
Altered Suds Beer Co., a 10-tap brewery, will open in Warrenton next year. Expect hoppy beers and some experimentals, like an imperial stout with black tea and coco bits.
Brewery Anniversaries
This Saturday Ono Brewing Company celebrates its first anniversary with a luau. The Chantilly brewery (“ono” means tasty in Hawaiian), with a self-pour, pay-by-the-ounce tap wall pays tribute to its Hawaiian theme with music, hula dancing, lei making demonstrations and Kalua pork (Odd BBQ) and shaved ice (Kona Ice). Seasonal beers include Huli Pau, an Oktoberfest lager and Jack-O, a pumpkin ale. [tickets]
Contract-brewer Beltway Brewing Company marked five years in Sterling last weekend.
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*This post has been updated.
