By all accounts Richmond is an up and coming beer town, with about 30 breweries located within 25 miles of downtown.
Richmond has an eclectic group of breweries, ranging from cult favorites like Hardywood to old school places like Legend. West Coast brewing legends Stone also decided to make Richmond home to their East Coast operations when they opened up a location last year.
On a recent trip to Richmond I was able to hit up just 3 of Richmond’s wealth of breweries.
The Answer Brewpub
Let me just say that I loved this place. Originally founded as a Vietnamese restaurant called Mekong that became a craft beer fan’s dream, The Answer opened its own brewery in 2014 and paired their amazing Asian food with some top notch beer.
With 36 taps they are able to not only feature their own beer, but craft beer from breweries around the country. They specialize in fruity IPAs, stouts, and sour beers, making them a little bit of an outlier.
I tried a few different styles in a flight and everything was very good. I had the Mounds Tiramisu Stout, Kiljaro Lounge IPA, 3 Scoops Sour, and Petty Larceny triple dry hopped session IPA. All were tasty and I liked their eclectic mix of styles.
Stone Brewing Richmond
I also visited Stone’s Richmond location and this place did not disappoint. Stone produces very good, very hoppy beer with typically higher gravity. Their Richmond location has less of a “stone” feel and fewer gargoyles, but it’s still an industrial feel in a huge space.
I tried their Enjoy By 12.25.17 Unfiltered IPA and it was delicious. But their 2016 Russian Imperial Stout was one of the best beers I’ve had in a long time. What else would you expect from Stone?
Legend Brewing
Legend was a must-visit for me in part because they’ve been around since 1994 and their beer is some of the most accessible in Virginia. This place definitely reminds me of a European pub, and since they specialize in brown ales it definitely makes sense. What sets them apart is a huge patio with a great view of downtown Richmond.
I tried their Lebkuchen Brown Ale as well as the Imperial Brown Ale, a stronger take on their most popular Legend Brown. Both were exactly what I was in the mood for to pair with the pub fare. Definitely a place to hit up if you’re in the RVA area.