3 VA, DC Breweries Are Among 30 Best In U.S., Beer Pros Say

VIRGINIA — Two breweries in Virginia and one in DC are among the 30 best breweries in the country, according to a new survey of beer writers and others who know a good beer when they drink it and the value having a craft brewery brings to a community.

VinePair, an online media company covering wine, spirits and beer culture, asked 30 beer pros — writers, educators, historians, community leaders, authors and a cartoonist — to name the best breweries in the country.

The panel’s choices, released Tuesday, range from long-time favorites to hot new arrivals, and from high-volume producers and neighborhood taprooms, VinePair said.

The area breweries honored are in the District of Columbia and Virginia. Here's what the judging panel wrote about them:

Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria, VA: "With the usual caveat that it is hard to choose just one, my vote is for this Alexandria, Va., brewery, which is also a vote for ‘beer-flavored beer.’ I’m not alone in this assessment; Port City medaled at October’s Great American Beer Festival for their Porter (gold) and Rauch Marzen (bronze). It’s always worth seeking out beers that don’t just deliver what drinkers are looking for, but exceed those expectations. Port City does this year in and year out through their flagships, high-gravity anniversary offerings released every winter, rotating lager series, and brewery-only one-offs.” — Written by Jacob Berg, editor and co-owner at DCBeer.com, Washington, D.C.

Selvedge Brewing in Charlottesville, VA: "Selvedge is one of those rare beasts that is faithful to classic styles while also making interesting modern brews. … I’m an unrepentant fan of Central European-style lagers, and Selvedge hits the mark every time. Whether it’s Tabolcloth, a Franconian-style vollbier, Coat Czech, an unfiltered 12° Czech style pale lager, or Pro-seam Please, a 14° Czech style dark lager, Josh Skinner brews beer that stands up to the very best. My personal favorite, though, is Loden — with 100 percent Vienna malt and Saaz hops — as well as process, with a double-decoction mash and extensive lagering.” — Written by Alistair Reece, author of “Virginia Cider: A Scrumptious History,” Gordonsville, Va.

Other Half Brewing D.C. in Washington, D.C.: “Other Half D.C. is … a place to swap secrets, like which brewers left D.C. and why, and which brewers are joining metro beer makers. The Ivy City neighborhood’s taproom is currently pouring a pilsner, Crickets, brewed with German pilsner and Vienna malts, and hopped with the New Zealand hop variety Wai-iti. In addition to the pale lager, dark lager, and taps on taps of fresh ale, there’s a Baltic porter called Ahto, brewed in collaboration with Estonia’s Põhjala Brewery.” — Written by Michael Stein, writer and president of beverage research firm Lost Lagers, Washington, D.C.

“These picks echo some of the big changes that are currently ripping through the beer world,” VinePair’s Evan Rail wrote, explaining the beer world moves in cycles and trends, much like booms in seen in hard seltzer, glitter beer and brut IPA. “Some of what used to be celebrated no longer holds the same cachet, while once famous names might not have the same status they did a few years ago.”

Currently, there are 9,736 small and independent breweries in operation nationwide, according to the Brewers Association’s 2024 Year In Beer report. About 400 closed this year as the craft beer industry hits “a plateau at best,” Rail wrote, adding, “The days of comparing craft brewers to rock stars and constant double-digit craft brewery growth are clearly behind us.”

The craft beer industry is tightening, Bart Watson, vice president of strategy and membership for the Brewers Association, said in the group’s Dec. 10 report.

“Craft has been going through a painful period of rationalization as demand growth has slowed and retailers and distributors look to simplify their offerings or add options for flavor and variety outside of the craft category,” he said, adding:

“That said, breweries have reacted to these changes by focusing on distribution, continuing to innovate in their taprooms and brewpubs, creating groups and partnerships, and offering a wider range of beverages in their portfolios.”

It’s not “all gloom and doom,” Rail wrote, adding the list shows “there are inspired — and inspiring — beer makers all around the country, in all sizes, serving their communities with one great beer after another.”