Get ready for the biggest craft beer fest of the summer in Virginia this weekend.
Get ready for the biggest craft beer fest of the summer in Virginia this weekend. The 4th Annual Virginia Craft Brewers Fest at Devil’s Backbone Brewery kicks off this Saturday, Aug. 22 with 61 breweries from across the state bringing their finest beers to the Roseland brewpub for you to sample.
Caryn Durham, Communications Director for the festival and the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, said the festival has grown each year because more breweries are clamoring to have their beers tasted by thousands and judged for prizes.
“The brewers love this event, it’s the only event that’s done for the brewers and to benefit the brewers,” Durham said. “All the money raised from this event goes to the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild.”
The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild is a coalition of independent, small commercial breweries who work to protect Virginia-based craft brewers against harmful legislation and promote Virginia beer.
A huge part of the festival is the Virginia Craft Brewers Cup, a competition held by the Virginia Brewers Guild which judges and awards the best craft beer made in Virginia based on 24 categories like light lager, pilsner, sour ale, fruit beer, categories for ciders and meads and of course the ultimate, brewers cup.
“They’re one of the only if not, the only state guild that does their own state beer competition,” Durham said. “One of the reasons that is all so valuable to having new breweries come on board is that we provide that to the breweries, the judges comment on their beers so it helps the newer breweries and the smaller breweries understand how to make their beers better.”
For the 4th Annual Virginia Craft Brewers Cup this year, 306 beers were entered for review and judged on Aug. 15. Winners will be announced at the festival.Check out the 2014 winner here.
The festival, which has been held at Devil’s Backbone in Nelson County each year, has grown every year since it started. In 2013, 31 breweries were involved, last year 52 breweries came to the festival and this year it’s over 60. Check out this year’s full list here.
According to the site, seven Richmond breweries will be represented at the festival including Strangeways, Isley, Hardywood, Triple Crossing, Ardent Craft Ales, The Answer Brewpub and Legend. Center of the Universe in Ashland, Licking Creek Craft Brewery in Goochland, Midnight Brewery in Rockville, and Extra Billy’s in Midlothian will be there as well.
Besides the number of breweries, Durham said attendance has also increased over last year. There were 2,200 attendees at last year’s festival and 1,340 general admission attendees. Durham said so far the festival has sold 1,360 general admission tickets and it’s still growing.
“We do draw predominately from Virginia, {but} we have guests from North Carolina, DC and Maryland and a little bit from West Virginia,” she said.
Durham said usually each brewer offers tastings for two beers at a time, so essentially attendees have the opportunity to sample over 120 beers at the least.
Besides craft beer, the Virginia Craft Brewers Fest will feature food vendors, live music, games and other activities.
“We do a survey every year and really try and listen to what the people want for the fest so we made a lot of additions this year so in addition to the breweries we try to make additions to make sure it’s a great day for everyone,” Durham said.
New this year, the festival is offering more entertainment options, Friday night camping, a Friday Night Fest Preview Party, more food trucks and select full pour beers for sale.
“We added interactive yard games so Richmond Cornhole is going to be there and bring cornhole sets, KanJam, toppling towers and that was a direct result of a survey we do after the fest” she said.
Camping overnight after the festival at Devil’s Backbone is an additional fee, but Durham said they already have about 300 people not including the brewers camping at the brewpub.
“Adding the Friday camping was a big deal,” she said.
For those that decide to camp Friday night, they’re in for a treat too.
“Saturday morning Devil’s Backbone is going to be doing a big buffet breakfast, that’s open from 9 to 11 am,” she said.
The festival winds down at 7 pm, but for those that want to keep the party going, Devil’s Backbone has planned for that as well.
“Saturday night we’re going to shift things back to Devil’s Backbone and we’re going to have Lamas at Brunch playing and then we’re going to have full pour beers for sale,” she said.
Samples are included in your tasting package of course, but the festival brought back full pour beers this year. About 20 breweries will be serving full pour beers all day. Check out the end of the article for the list of breweries that will be doing full pours all day and what they’re serving.
Attendees can even bring their own 16 ounce pint glasses to fill up with delicious brews, a new feature this year according to Durham.
“That way we don’t have a lot of waste from cups that tends to happen,” Durham said.
The gates will open at 1:00 p.m. for the 4th Annual Virginia Craft Brewers Fest this Saturday, August 22. Tickets range from $35-$65 and can be purchased in advance online or the day of the festival. Be on the lookout for post-coverage, photos and video from The Virginia Craft Brewers Fest. Cheers! Oh, and look below for the full pour list!!
Virginia Craft Brewers Fest Breweries Full Pours:
Blue Mountain Barrel House: Spooky, an imperial pumpkin ale
Blue Mountain Brewery: 13.FIVE Ofest, an Oktoberfest Lagerbier
Capital City Brewing Company: Red, Wheat, and Blue,Belgian
Champion Brewing: Shower Beer-Czech Styles Pils
Chaos Mountain Brewing: Smokey The Beer-Smoked Vanilla Porter
Devil’s Backbone: Antipodean IPA
Hardywood: Hardywood Pils
Lost Rhino Brewing: Rhino Chasers Pilsner
O’Connor Brewing: El Guapo Agave IPA
Old Bust Head Brewing: Quickfix, Citra Session IPA
Port City Brewing: Ways and Means, IPA
South Street Brewing: Bar Hopper IPA
Starr Hill: Reviver Red IPA
Strangeways: Only Brewed 4 Cuban Linx, a Virginia Wild Ale
Sunken City Brewing: Crooked Road Cream Ale
Three Notch’D Brewing: 40 Mile IPA
Triple Crossing: Falcon Smash IPA
Smartmouth Brewing: Lactobacillusaurus, a Berliner Weiss
Apocalypse Ale Works: Sixth Seal Imperial Stout
Wolf Hills Brewing: Bow Chicka Brown Ale, a Northern English Brown Ale
