A new national study says craft beer could be on the decline.
The New York Times reported that more craft breweries closed than opened in 2024, an occurrence that hasn’t happened since 2005. However, here in RVA, the brewery scene is bubbling with excitement. It’s home to 40+ locally owned breweries, and it was ranked the No. 5 best beer city in 2024 via a nationwide vote in USA Today’s 10best.
So we are tapping in with some of the top spots in the River City. We scanned Yelp, Google Reviews, Instagram, and Reddit to compile this list of craft breweries.
The Answer Brewpub
If you’re looking to pair your local beer with food, this is your answer. The beer menu is expansive, ranging from Japanese rice beers to homemade seltzers, and the Vietnamese food consistently gets rave reviews.
Final Gravity Brewing
While the IPAs and sours here are popular, Final Gravity prides itself on having quality pours on all 15+ taps in the brewery. That includes amber ales, seasonal styles, and porters.
Richbrau Brewing
Hazy IPAs, stouts, and sours all lead the way here, and each one is an homage to our local lore. For example, the Psychic Horse IPA is named after Lady Wonder, an alleged fortune-telling horse from 1924-1957.
Triple Crossing Beer
This is one of the top locally recommend breweries and it has multiple locations in RVA. It’s ranked highly on Yelp + numerous craft beer fans across the web vouch for their lagers and hazy IPAs.
Väsen Brewing Company
With a love for nature and the outdoors, Väsen is where you’ll find local hikers capping off their day with a well-earned beer. Plus, avid fans can burn off their beers by joining their running or climbing clubs.
The Veil Brewing Co.
Not only is Veil popular among locals, it’s a favorite for out-of-town beer drinkers as well. Fans near and far stop in for their lagers as well as other creations like imperial stouts.
Ready for another round of Richmond breweries? Send us any we may have missed and we’ll update this story with the top recommendations.
