There has never been a better time to be a beer lover in Virginia. Craft beer in Virginia has exploded in recent years, growing from a handful of breweries to over 100 and counting. I’m lucky that there is an ever-expanding roster of local Virginia Beach breweries that are putting out some really great beer. On your next vacation be sure to check out some of the best craft beer in Virginia beach.
Commonwealth Brewing Company
A few blocks from the bay, a smartly renovated fire station is home to Commonwealth Brewing in the Chesapeake Beach area. A 28-tap tasting room pours Commonwealth’s extensive list of Belgian inspired brews along with IPAs, stouts and a ever-changing list of seasonal beers. An outdoor beer garden with games and a rotating roster of local food trucks makes Commonwealth a neighborhood favorite.
Commonwealth Brewing Company is located at 2444 Pleasure House Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Vibrant Shores Brewing Company
As the newest addition to the Virginia Beach craft beer scene Vibrant Shore Brewing Company brings a passion for good beer to the VIBE Creative Arts District. Grab a pint of the Future (a juicy IPA) or the Spectral Signature Milk Stout and enjoy the view from Vibrant Shore’s rooftop beer garden.
Vibrant Shore Brewing Company is located at 505 18th St, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Back Bay Brewing Company
The packs of beach cruisers parked out front signal that you’ve found the right place. The compact tasting room, equal parts active brewery and beach shack, is filled with surf-loving locals and in-the-know tourists. The False Cape Ale is a quintessential amber ale with a smooth finish and slightly bitter caramel notes while the Steel Pier Bohemian Lager is perfect after a day at the beach.
Back Bay Brewing Company is located at 614 Norfolk Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Back Bay Brewing Co Farmhouse
The Farmhouse, Back Bay Brewing’s second location offers up their great beer in a relaxed rural setting. In addition to their fantatic lineup of beers including the Apricot Tripel and Barrel Aged Bonfire Stout the Farmhouse also specializes in fruit ciders ( I highly recommend the Blackberry Brut Cider). Tours are offered on the weekends where you can explore the historic farmhouse, 1.5 acre farm and 15 barrel high gravity brewing system.
Back Bay Farmhouse is located at 1805 Kempsville Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
Reaver Beach Brewing Company
Formerly Beach Brewing Company, Reaver Brewing Company has steadily gained a loyal following since opening their doors in 2010. Their flagship beer is their Hoptopus I.P.A.; hoppy, citrusy and totally addictive. In addition owners Justin and Kristin MacDonald get creative with their seasonal offerings. Case in point- the Ruse de Gurre, a violet-hued spontaneously fermented wild ale aged in oak barrels with black currants.
Reaver Beach Brewing is located at 1505 Taylor Farm Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23453
Young Veterans Brewing Company
Virginia Beach is a military town that appreciates a good beer so the success of Young Veteran’s Brewing Company is no surprise. The compact tasting room features a bar, a few tables and a leather couch for chillin’ with military and beer memorabilia hanging on the walls. The owners, Thomas Wilder and Neil McCannon, are both Iraq War vets and die-hard beer lovers .Military themed offerings include their Semper FI.P.A., with citrus overnotes and just the right amount of bitter hoppiness, as well as the Night Vision Stout with smooth notes of dark chocolate and espresso. They also have The Bunker, a restaurant and live music venue 2 blocks from the beach.
Young Veteran’s Brewing Company is located at 2505 Horse Pasture Road #104 Virginia Beach, VA 23453. The Bunker Brewpub is located at 211 21st St Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Wasserhund Brewing Company
Good things are in store at this small brewery in the Hilltop area of Virginia Beach. Featuring German-style beer ( thumbs up for their Citrus Wheat and Dunkel) as well house-made artisan pizza and beer sausages, Wasserhund offers a taste of Duetschland with a beachy twist.
Wasserhund Brewing Company is located at 1805 Laskin Road Suite 102 Virginia Beach, VA 23454
New Realm Brewing Company
With a 2 acre dog friendly beer garden and over 20 beers on tap the Virginia Beach outpost of Atlanta based brewery New Realm Brewing Company became a fast favorite of locals and visitors alike. Their flagship IPA Hazy Like a Fox is a citrusy easy to drink sipper or you could go for one of their complex Wooded Reserve barrel aged Belgian Quadrupels aged for 9 months in rum or bourbon barrels.
New Realm Brewing Company is located at 1209 Craft Lane Virginia Beach, VA 23454
Pleasure House Brewing
Pleasure House Brewing is like having a friend that invites you to come chill at their place, except this particular friend makes really good beer. Go for the Glo Belgian Blond or the Rudee Inlet DIPA, stay for the foosball and good times.
Pleasure House Brewing is located at 2032 Pleasure House Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Home Republic
Steps from famous statue of King Neptune, Home Republic hits the spot after an afternoon on the boardwalk. This veteran owned restaurant and brewery has a line up of seasonal beers but their King Kolsch is a perennial favorite.
Home Republic is located at 328 Laskin Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Smartmouth Brewing Company Pilot House
Located 3 blocks from the beach Smartmouth Brewing Company is a local favorite. Their Alter Ego Saison is one of my favorite all-around beers, this dry and slighty fruity Belgian Saison pairs well with everything from seafood to pizza. Be sure to take one of their brewery tours for a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing process and check out their calendar for a line-up food trucks and fun events.
Smartmouth Brewery is located at 313 32nd Street, Va Beach, VA 23451
Other Coastal Virginia Breweries to check out
O’Connor Brewing Company – 211 W. 24th St. Norfolk, VA 23517
Big Ugly Brewing– 1296 Battle field Blvd South Suite 104 Chesapeake, VA 23322
Coelacanth Brewing– 760 W. 22 Street Norfolk, VA 23517
Bold Mariner Brewing Company– 1901 E Ocean View Ave, Norfolk, VA 23503
Rip Rap Brewing Co. –115 E. 25th Street Norfolk, VA 23517
Bench Top Brewing– 1129 Boissevain Ave Norfolk, Va 23507
Related Posts
3 Meals: Where to Eat in Virginia Beach
An Afternoon at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Whale Watching in Virginia Beach
Arts and Eats: A Weekend Guide to Richmond, VA
Read about more Virginia beer trails here.
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Allison (funfamily.vacations) says
I had no idea there were so many micro breweries in Virginia! I’m a fan of hoppy pale ale’s myself. What a fun brewery “trail” you have. Thanks for sharing. Found you on #WeekendWanderlust.
Brianna says
You’re in luck, all of the features breweries put out some great IPAs. Thanks for stopping by!
Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor says
I love good craft beer – especially IPAs. It looks like you found some great places for a pint 🙂
Brianna says
A pint ……. or a growler 🙂
Gemma Two Scots Abroad says
I was actually just at a brewery on the Sunshine Coast in Canada yesterday. Great looking place and lovely beers of five varieties. I tried the ‘taster’ glasses like above, super way to find one you like. We’ll be writing about it soon. Tasty post!
Brianna says
Seriously, how can you not love a beer flight? Can’t wait to see your post!
Els says
Craft beers seem to be the new hype in Europe too. No complaints from my side, I love them! A good beer is definitely as tasty as a good wine! And the ones you show us are close by a beach? Now that is what I call a bonus!! 🙂
Brianna says
Beach and beer sounds like a great holiday in my book!
Murissa says
I love beer tastings. We’ve recently just had a couple craft breweries open up around my area which provides a nice change with all the wineries around.
Brianna says
Beer and wine in the beautiful Okanagan Valley? Sounds like I need to make my way north.
Mags says
I love trying new craft beers and visiting breweries. I’ve not been to Virginia Beach, but I tried out a few in Richmond and Virginia does seem to have an amazing beer scene!
Brianna says
There are definitely some amazing beers all around Virginia, its a great state for a beer lover like me!
TravelGretl says
Love the brown, dark, sweet beers in particular 🙂 Saw some on the pictures 😀
Brianna says
I had some amazing porters and stouts while researching this post 🙂
Hitch-Hikers Handbook says
I have never done a brewery tour but it sounds fun! And I would only do it in a craft beer one. Thanks for the post, Brianna!
Brianna says
The best part of any brewery tour is sampling the finished goods 🙂
Amanda says
I too love trying new beers. It’s great that there’s a craft beer movement taking over what seems to be the whole US. I can’t stomach many more watery lite beers.
Brianna says
I definitely like a beer that has some body and taste.
Sarah Ebner says
What a fantastic array of beers – such choices! We are going here, hopefully, later in the year, so will sample them! Shame the kids can’t do the same 🙂
Brianna says
You’ll be spoiled for choice with the beer around here.
Tim says
I went to a craft beer tasting recently and as it seems is the theme this year the one I loved the most was the chocolate infused one 🙂
Brianna says
Tim, that sounds divine!
noel says
I’ve never tried any of those, they look fantastic and the bottles are pretty cool too!
Brianna says
Just like with wine I love a creative beer bottle.
anna says
I love that craft beers are gaining popularity! Normally, in tastings, you also get to meet the brewers which is pretty cool! I always have a great time in these kinds of events.
Brianna says
The brewers at all of these breweries are very accessible and love to chat about their craft.
antonette - we12travel says
And I thought Holland was the home of beers … my husband is a real fan of craft beers so if we ever make it over to your part of the world, we’ll definitely keep this in mind!
Brianna says
Drinking awesome beer is one of my favorite parts of visiting Europe.
Sue Reddel says
Over 100 craft beers in Virginia? Who knew! I’m loving the craft beer movement I’m especially fond of the brewers like Wasserhund who use the true German-style beer making technique. Simple and tasty. Hope to get to Virginia to try a few of these brews.
Brianna says
Virginia is definitely for beer lovers.
Andi says
I’ve really never met a beer I didn’t like. In the past I just drank what was cheap and didn’t explore, but after living in France and drinking really good Belgium beer, it really changed my approach and my taste for it, so I love exploring new spots and trying out the local beer. Even more so than wine!
Brianna says
I think good craft brewers can really get creative with delicious result.
Anne Klien ( MeAnne) says
I would like to try go and visit brewery even though im not a big beer drinker. .. id just love to experience it
Brianna says
The best part of the tour is sampling and finding out what you like.
Kelly @ TastingPage says
I’m in Los Angeles, and they’re been getting really into craft beers here too. Smog City makes a great coffee porter that I want to drink at every meal!
Brianna says
One of my favorite beers is an espresso stout, who knew coffee and beer were such a good match?
Jackie | The Globetrotting Teacher says
What a great list of craft beers! For a novice like me, it’s helpful to have suggestions about where to head when visiting Virginia Beach! Thanks for the tips!
Brianna says
Thanks for the kind words Jackie, hopefully you visit VB sooner rather than later!
Jennifer @ Made all the Difference Travel Blog says
I love exploring craft beer in places. It all tastes so different.
Esther JuLee says
We’ll def have to check out the beers next time we’re in VA! 🙂 We have been wanting to go to every brewery in San Diego, since the beer scene is huge here, but so far we’re so behind!!
Lindsay Nieminen says
Craft Beer seems to be popping up everywhere these days! If you are even in Vancouver you should come check out the craft beer scene here! its great!
Brianna says
Vancouver has been on my list, I definitely need to head out west!
Nic from Roaming Renegades says
So many different beers out there to try these days! What a great way to spend a day or two…or more. Hick!! Too many I would love to try! :-p
Brianna says
A day, or two, or three……
YashY Murphy says
We’ve been meaning to visit here JUST for the craft beer! So many great breweries… saving your notes for our future trip!
Brianna says
You won’t be disappointed! Our craft beer scene has grown even more since I wrote this post. Let me know if you have any questions or need any suggestions for VB!
Elaine J. Masters says
All those samplers have made me so thirsty. I love that America is exploding with craft beers. It’s become a big part of the scene in San Diego too.
Bren says
I love craft beer and about to visit Virginia before the year end, is there a best choice? I may try a couple of those!
Brianna says
They’re all good but I definitely recommend the bar at Back Bay.
Duke Stewart says
This is awesome! I think I’d go for Reaver Beach first (big IPA fans here!) but Home Republic has that nice-looking glass and some greenery around it. Either way, we’ve gotta get to VA Beach soon! Thanks for sharing, Brianna!
Brianna says
so many good options here!
Travelling Dany says
Perfect places for hubby! He loves to taste craft beer when we’re traveling, and thus I’m going to save this for later use, if we can make it to Virginia Beach, thank you for sharing!
Laura Lynch says
I love seeing all these craft beer breweries opening up around the U.S. It’s a great trend that I hope continues for a long time. Looks like Virginia Beach has some really great options.
amit says
Another great and insightful beer and brewery post from you 😀 – You know every time I read your posts I add it to my list of places to visit when i eventually do my USA trip 😀
Paige Wunder says
I had no idea there was such a great craft beer scene in Virginia Beach! We live part of the time in Asheville, NC so this would be a quick trip for us and I love beer-cations! Thanks for the great advice!
Brianna says
let me know if you make it to VB, I’ll show you around!
Yeshira says
Visited Home Republic when I was in Virginia – thoroughly enjoyed myself, meaning I got way tipsy! Great write up and info 🙂
Wanderlust Wayfarer says
Virginia has certainly become somewhat famous for its craft breweries in recent years. You’ve done a wonderful job of showcasing the finest.
Cai Dominguez says
Wow! A wide variety of craft beer in Virginia. I would love to try and do a pub crawl here. I wonder which one is your favorite? By looking at it King Kolsch looks the best for me! Hopefully can try someday
Carla Durham says
I gave my cousin a gift certificate for a tour of a local brewery in northern Virginia, which he enjoyed. Since he’s been visiting Virginia Beach this summer, I will have to pass this post on to him. He loves good beer.
Kasia says
Hi Brianna,
currently in Poland where I live we have a lot of local breweries which startto grow really fast. It is so popular in here that a lot of restaurants or even hotels open their own breweries to attract more cusotmers. Id rather try something like that than a beer from a can in a store.
I’m not a huge fan of beer (I prefer cider 🙂 but I like to try something new. Maybe I should go for a tasting and share my experiene on my blog? 🙂
All the best,
Kasia
Jeff Eastman says
LOL. I found this post looking for places to play foosball in Virginia Beach. We’re planning a trip there and always looking for a place to hustle. Pleasure House Brewing is the place to be. Thanks.
Katherine says
I’d love to visit Back Bay Brewing Co Farmhouse and try their fruit ciders! I fell in love with the rural setting as soon as I saw the picture, it reminded me of home.
Andi says
I do love a good beer! Dying to get over to Virginia to start all the eating and drinking – it is SO close!
chase says
My sister lives in Virginia beach, and she is going to love this guide! Thanks for the review!