There is so much to do in Virginia Beach including visiting local breweries. There are so many local breweries that put out fantastic craft beers but this blog will focus on four- Wasserhund, Reaver Beach Brewing Co., Young Veteran's Brewing Co., and New Realm Brewing Co.
Wasserhund
Wasserhund was started by Virginia Beach locals, Aaron and Chrstine Holley. They decided they wanted to bring German culture to the United States after a trip to Germany in 2012 where they got to experience Oktoberfest. The Holleys took time to perfect their German beer recipes and adhered to the 500 year old German Purity Law, which states that only hops, barley, water, and yeast is allowed in beer. Wasserhund, which means water dog in German opened in 2015.
Aside from the fantastic beers, Wasserhund is also known for their pizzas which are named after dogs. The signature pizza is Wasserhund, which contains sauerkraut and bratwurst.
Make sure to follow them on social media to find out what concoctions they're coming up with. They will frequently have a small batch "Puppy Litter", which has included a kombeercha (kombucha & beer), butter biscuit table beer, and golden oreo lager.
Reaver Beach Brewing Co.
Reaver Beach was founded in 2010 by Justin and Kristin MacDonald. Reaver means "plundering forager" which makes sense when you look at Reaver Beach's logo. Reaver Beach specializes in sour beers. In keeping with the theme, all their beers have oceanic names. Year-round selections include Hammerhead, Hoptopus, The Reaver (their flagship beer), and Riptide. Seasonal beers include Diablo Rojo, Wendigo, Oceanus Aurum, Sandshark Summer, Beachfest, Jolly Roger, and Polaris.
Young Veteran's Brewing Co.
Virginia Beach is home to two military bases so it only makes sense that a brewery pays homage to that. Young Veteran's Brewing Co. was founded in 2012 by Thomas Wilder and Neil McCanon, who are Army Veterans that both served in Iraq. The brewery's decor is dedicated to military history. They have seven year-round brews as well as seasonal beers. Pineapple Grenade Hefeweizen is a favorite and contains tropical notes such as banana. Other beers include Jet Noise, Night Vision, Commander in Peach, and Shore Leave.
New Realm Brewing Co.
New Realm Brewing Co. opened just a few weeks ago and took over the spot once occupied by Green Flash Brewery. The company itself is fairly new. New Realm Brewing starting in 2016 in Atlanta, GA.
You can get a full pour, half pour, or taster portion. Taps are located inside and outside of the brewery, which makes it convenient so that you won't have to spend too much time in line. The brewery's spacious lawn has many games such as cornhole. Also outside, you can listen to local bands as you sip your beer. New Realm plans on building a restaurant in the near future but in the meantime, food trucks are on site every night. On the night I went, Pittsburgh's Best and A Bite of Maine were there. Bringing outside food is allowed as well but that will stop once the restaurant is built. New Realm is still brand new but it looks to be a success.
