In this month’s Brewery Spotlight, we talked to Brothers Craft Brewing, the only brewery on the Beerwerks Trail situated in an old Coca-Cola bottling factory. Learn about this year’s ambitious production cycle, how to keep your dog hydrated in the taproom, and the forward-looking way the brewery gets its power.
Looking for a way to end your month on a high note? Check out the Run, Sweat, and Beers event with VA Momentum on the 4th Friday of every month from March through September.
Do you offer tours?
We hope to get things in place to get them going again soon.
We offered Saturday tours before the pandemic and we’re working on bringing them back. We were fortunate to get a canning machine last fall, so between getting the space laid out to allow for tours again and getting current production orders caught up as to not need the space on Saturdays, we have been holding off this weekly offering.
What’s new or what’s coming up?
Our production team has been cranking out new beer, and this year’s production schedule is our most ambitious yet!
- We released our spring seasonal, Hibiscus Blonde Ale, in February.
- Daylight Savings weekend saw the annual release of Daylight Cravings, Drunken Mornings, and two variants of each beer (for 6 total).
- Just for fun, we released a Tart Cherry Cheesecake Imperial Milk Stout to go along with three new Horizon Society beers (our craft beer appreciation club) that include Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake Imperial Milk Stout, Mass Appeel Bananas Foster Ale, and Carmel Coffee Brown Ale.
- We also released a new flagship Hazy IPA called Skyline Falls.
- Then just last week, we released Truckload-a Hops, which is a variety 12-pack with three new spins on our flagship IPA Hoptimization that includes Hazy Hop, Tropi-Hop, and Spruced Up Hop. Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to have all 4 of those beers pouring at one time, but we do have a rotating line to allow people to try them in addition to the 12 packs which have 3 cans of each of the 4 beers available at the taproom and they will be hitting retail stores soon.
- Finally, we released the first beer in a brand new Imperial IPA line for 2022. Cheat Code is a DIPA on pineapple and will be followed by 3 other DIPAs through the year on draft and 4 packs of 16 oz cans.
- And keep your eyes out for Proud & True’s bro, J Maddy, a 5.0% ABV Dukes Seltzer that will be releasing soon!
What are your go-to brews and what makes them unique?
Any brewery’s go-to is typically in its flagship beers that are continuously crafted, honed, brewed, and available all year round. For us, Hoptimization VA IPA, Great Outdoors VA Ale, Proud & True Dukes Lager, Lil’ Hellion Helles Lager, Cerveza Hermanos Mexican Lager, and our brand new Hazy IPA Skyline Falls fit that category. Right now, Skyline is my definite go-to of those beers.
What is something unique/quirky about the brewery that most people don’t know?
Most people already know that we operate out of an old Coca-Cola bottling factory. Most don’t know that we use electricity from wind power.
Do you distribute locally or have any local collaborations?
We distribute in every major market in Virginia and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We also participate in multiple national bottle clubs each year. And we have even shipped beer to Asia! We are also always down for collaborating with other breweries and were honored to help brew one of Restless Moon’s anniversary beers.
Do you allow dogs?
Absolutely! Well-behaved dogs are welcome both in our outdoor area and in the taproom. We keep a couple of water bowls behind the bar so our furry 4-legged friends can stay as hydrated as their owners.
Are you kid-friendly?
As a family-owned, family-run business we are both family and kid-friendly. In fact, we have events during the year like Christmas in July and Harry Potter’s Birthday Bash that are very child-centered for both kids and kids at heart alike.
And do you offer food onsite?
We do not have a kitchen or a resident food truck. We book food trucks for large events along with having partnerships with businesses like Mr. J’s and Lola’s that allow us to buy and resell their delicious food. Moreover, we always encourage patrons to bring in food from local restaurants or have GiddyUP couriers deliver.
What events do you offer?
We have something, if not multiple things, going on each month at the taproom. From live music to fundraisers to beer releases to major events, we like to keep things interesting and lively while providing a little something for everyone!
