Virginia Craft Beer Month

Craft brewers contribute more than just pints to Virginia. They add jobs, tourism dollars, and a sense of place. This August, Governor Glenn Youngkin formally declared it Virginia Craft Beer Month, a nod to the state’s 300-plus independent breweries and their role in shaping local culture. Staunton makes a fitting base for a celebration. It’s home to breweries, dozens of restaurants that pour craft beer, and it sits right in the middle of the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail, a 20-stop circuit of taprooms within an easy drive of one another.

Virginia’s brewing story began over 400 years ago in Jamestown, where colonists turned to beer not just for flavor, but for safety: low-alcohol fermentation killed the pathogens lurking in the water. Modern life no longer requires beer as a health measure, yet the taste for it has only deepened. In recent decades, small-batch brewing has surged, partly in response to the standardized output of major beer companies. Today, Virginia’s craft brewers control every detail, from hop selection to fermentation time, and many adjust recipes with the seasons, local harvests, and customer feedback. Their taprooms are more than places to drink. They’re community spaces where the experience is as much about people as it is about the beer.

Local Craft Beer

Staunton-area microbreweries specialize in beers made with high-quality, often local ingredients, lovingly crafted by one dedicated brewer. Independent breweries support the local economy and bring the community together for beer, music, and community. In 2024, Staunton was named one of USA Today’s Top Ten Small Town Beer Scenes, which recognized towns for “festivals, great breweries, brewpubs, and beer bars to enjoy — all accompanied by small-town hospitality.” 

Redbeard Brewing Company

Redbeard Brewing Company makes beer on modern equipment, but handcrafts it from start to finish using traditional techniques. Redbeard guarantees variety with 10-14 taps. Take a seat in the renovated tap room or outside in the beer garden which welcomes kids and dogs. Hungry? You can buy charcuterie snack packs from a vending machine, order in from your favorite restaurant, or bring snacks from home. Redbeard hosts lively events most nights of the week. Join the fun with karaoke, music bingo, game nights, good books and bad movies, comedy, and more. Live music fills the taproom on Friday and Saturday nights, and bigger names perform in the Groovin’ in the Garden on select Saturdays through October. 

Queen City Brewing

Virginia passed the tasting room bill in 2012, and Queen City Brewing opened the next year, becoming Staunton’s first brewery since Prohibition. This down-to-earth space serves more than 30 beers, which you can order by the pint, mini pint, or flight paddle of eight. Take a seat in the industrial tap room, or relax outside on the patio. There’s no onsite kitchen, Queen City often hosts food trucks and welcomes carry-out. Stop in for regular live music and open mic nights every Wednesday. And if you’re looking to quench your thirst when it’s not beer o’clock, Cat Nap Coffee Roasting just opened a café in the Queen City space. Stop in for freshly roasted coffee drinks and pastries.

PRO RE NATA+  

PRO RE NATA expanded its Crozet-area operation with a new Staunton location last year, PRO RE NATA+. PRO RE NATA+ brews a line of flagship beers as well as a rotation of seasonal flavors. The tap room serves beer, cider, wine, and cocktails. The brewery also has an in-house kitchen serving salads, sharables, customizable pizzas, burgers and sandwiches, fish and chips, and ice cream. A kids’ menu will satisfy the cravings of the younger set. Look for live music and fun events like line dancing and paint and sips.

Stable Craft Brewing

Stable Craft Brewing serves delicious craft beer and cider that’s been made using sustainable farming practices. On-site dining options emphasize farm-to-table fare in appetizers, dinners, and hand-helds. Along with the beer, food, and views of rolling farmland and mountains, visitors will enjoy the brewery experience. Its location on a working horse and hops farm adds interest and room to spread out, both indoors and outside. The large exterior space has extensive decking, a patio, picnic tables on the grass, and a stage. With families in mind, the brewery provides lawn games, fire pits for roasting smores, and plenty of activities designed for audiences of all ages. Best of all, you can book onsite accommodations and stay the entire weekend on the farm! Check the events schedule for live music on Fridays and Saturdays, trivia, crafts, and seasonal celebrations. They’re celebrating Craft Beer Month with thematic food pairings, a “Competition Flight” lineup, which includes their submissions to the statewide beer cup, and $10 growler fills on weekends.

Seven Arrows Brewing

Seven Arrows Brewing is a welcoming and lager-forward brewery serving several always-available core brews as well as rotational and specially tailored seasonal beers. The beer will draw you in, but you’ll also love the relaxed atmosphere and the onsite Nobos Kitchen. The lunch, dinner, and late-night menu emphasizes locally sourced ingredients. Sit in the large tap room or head outside where seating ranges from open and shaded tables on the deck to seats around a fire pit and picnic tables in the graveled beer garden. There’s live music on Saturday nights and open mic, trivia, and comedy nights each month.

The Alpine Goat Brewery

The Alpine Goat Brewery in Weyers Cave focuses on European-style beers and regional favorites like IPA and stout. While the beer is the star of the show, you’ll also enjoy the community feel and beautiful mountain views from the beer hall-like taproom and outside patio. Visitors can enjoy outdoor games, fire pits, brewery tours, and small-batch beer releases. The brewery is kid and dog-friendly, and promises plenty of room to “romp in the grass.” The taproom serves light snacks, and rotating food trucks  that will be onsite during evening and weekend hours. Come out during the week for trivia and music bingo as well as live music on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. Saturday morning yoga workshops, and chances to meet the goats and make memories.

Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery

Raphine’s Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery is an easy and beautiful drive from Staunton. You’ll love the view and the atmosphere as well as the wine and carefully crafted small-batch beers! The space has indoor and outdoor seating, and snacks like cheese and crackers. You can also pack a picnic. The venue hosts food trucks and the Uncorked live music series on Sunday afternoons. Restock your wine rack during the summer wine sale running from August 25 to September 1).

The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail

Let the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail guide you on a brewery adventure highlighting everything from crisp lagers to hoppy IPAs to rich stouts. The 20 breweries on the trail are less than an hour’s drive from one another, and there’s a lot of the Valley to enjoy in between. The trail’s breweries host fun activities like live music, trivia nights, and festivals. Most are dog and kid-friendly. Pick up your Beerwerks Passport and get it stamped at eight breweries along the trail to earn this year’s commemorative “Drink in the Shenandoah Valley” t-shirt.  

Considering a full day of beer tasting or visits to multiple Beerwerks Trail breweries? Create your custom itinerary with The Carriage, a 14-seat brewery tour bus dedicated to helping folks enjoy multiple stops (and tastings) in a fun, safe way. Along with safety and convenience, The Carriage offers comfy seating, party lights, and karaoke!

Staunton Restaurants Serving Virginia Craft Beer

Of course, you don’t need to go directly to the brewery to get craft beer. Many Staunton restaurants also serve it.

• Accordia
• Baja Bean Co.
• BLU Point Seafood Co.
• The By&By
• Byers Street Bistro
• Chicano Boy Taco
• Chop House Tavern
• Depot Grill
• Gloria’s Pupuseria
• The Green Room
• Jake’s Convenience Store
• The Junction
• Marino’s Lunch
• Mill Street Grill
• Pizza Luca
• Queen City Bistro
• Seed to Tail
• The Shack
• Shenandoah Pizza & Tap House
• Second Draft Bistro
• Yelping Dog
• Zynodoa

This August weather is probably making you thirsty! Now’s the time to quench both your thirst and your curiosity about Staunton’s craft beer scene.