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Ten years ago Chuck Haines, a lover of fine beer, set out on a mission: to open a craft brewery in Williamsburg. That might not seem so farfetched in today’s market of kitschy craft beer. But at the time, opening a startup brewery in an industrial park wasn’t an obvious winner of an idea.
That was 2006. Today, Alewerks Brewing Company (formerly known as Williamsburg Alewerks) has taken over several buildings within Ewell Industrial Park off Mooretown Road in York County. Once a newcomer in the fledgling industry for Virginia, Alwerks is now an elder statesman of craft breweries in the commonwealth in both tenure and quality.
When Marker Nine co-founder Rudy Heinatz first encountered Alewerks beer back in the day, he was struck by the brand’s bold flavors and attention to quality. With names like Chesapeake Pale Ale, Red Marker Ale, an homage to channel markers, and the Drake Tail, with a Deadrise emblazoned on the label, he was sold. We at Marker Nine love a coastal theme!
So when Alewerks extended an offer to Marker Nine to tour the brewery and find out what’s coming up as it approaches its tenth anniversary, we jumped at the chance.
The Alewerks team was extremely knowledgeable about their craft, offering insight and anecdotes into the evolution of the brewery. We learned about the inevitable growing pains the business has faced. And the challenges of competing in an ever growing market of craft beer. It was definitely a few hours well spent. Plus we got to drink beer.
Starting out
Alewerks began with an idea and a few barrels stashed in a warehouse. Compared to the multi-millions put toward craft breweries today, Operations Director Michael Claar described the initial investment at Alewerks as “meager.” People weren’t thinking of breweries as destinations like they do today.
Williamsburg Alewerks officially incorporated in January of 2006. (The name changed to Alewerks Brewing Company in 2012.) The first Alewerks beer fell from a tap that August. The no frills beer began with a handful of brews, including White Ale, Chesapeake Ale and Tavern Ale. Over time production has grown to about 5,000 barrels a year, with over 30 beers produced annually for the last few years.
As one of the early craft breweries to open in Virginia, Alewerks wasn’t focused on ambiance or branding. They were focused on making beer, with Claar describing the business back then as a “production brewery.”
“Everything was all about brewing and packaging and shipping the beer out all over the state,” he said.
And that’s okay. That level headed, manufacturing approach has allowed the brand to grow slowly, but steadily over the last decade.
But the success of standing the test of time doesn’t mean the folks at Alewerks have taken their longevity for granted. Brewmaster Geoff Logan has remained steadfast in his quest for excellent beer. (He’s been known to toss an entire batch of beer if it didn’t live up to his standards).
Now the focus is to take those high standards and market them. The goal is to make sure beer lovers everywhere know about the excellent product coming from the Williamsburg brewery.
“It’s not enough to just brew the best beer,” Claar said. “You have to make people aware. You have to let them know about it because there are so many different options out there.”
Evolution
As the brand has grown, so has Alewerks presence in Ewell Industrial Park. The business added a small tap room and retail space by 2010 and then took over an adjacent space to create a full sized bar and small kitchen last year. And it’s expanded to two other warehouses, adding a dedicated cold room and a space for barrel-aged beers. They also just added a new 60 barrel fermenter and a 60 barrel bright tank.
Claar said the brewery launched an expansion project last year with a goal of growing production to 10,000 barrels a year by the end of the year. At the end of February, Alewerks’ production had already reached more than 7,000 barrels a year.
Growing capacity isn’t the only focus for the maturing business. As it approaches its 10th anniversary later this year, the Alewerks crew is looking to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded market.
“We’re just trying to stay aware of what’s going on, to stay relevant in the market,” Claar said, adding “if for no other reason than we really believe in what we’re doing.”
And that means smarter branding, building anticipation for specialty batch beers like Bitter Valentine, a double IPA, and Café Royale, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial coffee stout. It also means releasing the anniversary beer, Jubilee X, along with three new beers including the Droste Effect, an imperial chocolate stout, a fourth seasonal IPA and a yet-to-be-determined recipe, which will debut in the fall.
“Most Virginia breweries are years away from celebrating a decade in business,” Claar said. “That’s huge.”
What’s more is the staff at Alewerks is buoyed by the increase in competition. They root for new startup breweries in the area, while staying focused on their own success.
“I think competition breeds excellence, so I love the growing popularity in craft beer and the way it’s developing in this state,” Claar said. “There is some really great beer that’s being produced.”
We couldn’t agree more. And we’re so thrilled to see a local brewery still going strong after 10 years.
Article by Marker Nine friend and professional writer with Consociate Media Amanda Kerr.