Smartmouth Brewing Company (Norfolk Va.)

    Norfolk now has to make room for two local breweries. Smartmouth brewing got off the ground in November of 2012. The principal owner, porter, left his career in law to get more serious with his hobby of home brewing. He is extremely modest about his experience making beer but has a good sense in what a brewery and tasting room should look like. The tasting room is contemporary simple and industrial. Smartmouth already has a line of merchandise including t-shirts, hats, magnets, and growlers. They even offer an aluminum insulated growler with flip top. The core beer line up includes a IPA, an amber, and a saison. These beers have found several on premise homes in Norfolk, as the big chalk board at the tasting room shows over 40 taps in the market. 

  

      The location of this new brewery is convenient to those leaving work in the city or heading out from the ODU campus. The parking was very limited and the seating situation the weekend before Christmas was sparse. There didn't appear to be room for music, outdoor seating or a food truck. It has been these things that have grown Hardywood into the place to be, on a mild winter or cool summer evening. I also would like to see more variety in what they brew. All of the beers they currently produce are known for the hop flavor. I just saw today where they are producing a porter for January. I'll get back down there sometime I'm sure.

Brrr Seasonal Ale (Widmer Bros. Brewing)

     Craft beer has become the most interesting part of the adult beverage business, and this snowball began in the late 70's and early 80's. Jimmy Carter passed a law allowing home brewing and the innovation that began in basements led to small breweries across the U.S. Breweries like Anchor Steam, Widmer Brothers, Redhook, and Sierra Nevada got into the game as pioneers. Each brewery was known for one type of beer that they really knocked out of the park. Sierra Nevada essentially invented the American style pale ale, Redhook killed it with the E.S.B., and Widmer began the American wheat beer. These breweries have carried on with what they do well for forty years but to stay relevant today they have brought new beers to market.

    All I have ever known from Widmer is the hefewiezen and the drifter pale ale. This year they have had a seasonal in the market, the brrr. Brrr is a 7.2% ABV warmer that starts with hop nose and spicy first impression but this beer finishes sweet and mellow. I appreciate they took a chance on a red ale. I would definitely say it is a step in the right direction but it's not what is going to get this brewery back on the map.
   Maybe the rotating series of IPA's will do it. IPA's have remained to top selling craft beer category, and with over 40 varieties of hops in existence the possibilities are endless. Widmer has also released a reserve series of big bottles that include some darker porters and stouts. It is important that they get a knock out drinkable beer that the masses can enjoy to draw people back to the widmer name. They have been beaten down on price, so you can pick up widmer for less than what most premium craft beers cost.
    So please check out the beers and changing landscape at Widmer Brothers, they have come all the way from Washington state. Check them out online or follow them on facebook at widmerbrothers.com

Quad (Legend Brewing Company)

     Since senate bill 604 has past it has become massively easier for brewers to get out of the basement and onto the shelves at your local store or on tap at your corner bar. We have gotten a new brewery at a rate of about one a month in the state of Virginia. There are now over ten breweries with in two hours of Richmond. Legend brewing began in the basement of a building in south side in 1994. Before there was a full scale restaurant and deck there was a small sampling bar. Legend has waived fair well to Richbrau and enjoyed being the only beer of Richmond for a short while. Legend has built a reputation around providing a huge portfolio of beers, 6 year round beers and around 20 rotating small release beers that are highly anticipated. They have remained very relevant in today's craft beer market.

     The Quad is a Belgian style very strong ale that is nearly 11% ABV. It has a very floral note which hides the boozy flavor you would normally get with a beer this high in alcohol. I would really suggest that you enjoy this beer out of a glass with a round shape like the one in the picture. This shape will help get the bouquet of the beer in your nose and the extra surface of the glass against your hand will slowly warm the beer to optimum temperature for tasting. This is a beer that is probably drank and a colder temperature than intended by the brewer desired for optimum flavor, much like brandy in a snifter.
     Also this time of year Legend is offering their chocolate porter which is the most anticipated seasonal offering crafted this time of year. I have had good success unloading cases of the rich porter but usually only get one opportunity to order it before it is all gone. If you live here in Richmond and will be traveling for the holiday, pick up some of these limited creations to share with family. I would even suggest buying a couple of Quads and putting them away to compare against next years batch.
    Legend has done a great job ingraining itself in the fiber of Richmond as a unique local for great experience and taste. They are working on spreading distribution to adjacent states which should sustain their growth for years to come. I always encourage that everyone get out to the brewery, surround yourself in this process that makes the beer so much more real. Check out what events and things upcoming at www.legendbrewing.com