For every flavored-coffee aficionado eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, there’s a hop-happy libationist looking forward to the latest crop of fall beers. If you’re in the latter category, autumn in Virginia Beach is an undisputed craft beer paradise — with a thriving drafthouse culture pouring pint after pint of fresh fall flavors. Here are a few of our faves.
The Princess
Smartmouth Pilot House
The Brew: This seasonal sweetheart, brewed annually for Oktoberfest, is named for Princess Elizabeth and the Norfolk river that honors her. Deep copper in color, it carries notes of caramel, toffee and toasted malts — perfect flavors for sipping throughout the fall season. ABV: 5.5%.
The Brewery: In a reimagined post office three blocks off the Oceanfront, Smartmouth Pilot House is home to a small-batch brewery, tasting room and restaurant offering a smart selection of beer, wine, cider and wood-fired sourdough pizza — plus live music, jazz brunch and more.
Jack The Dripper Raspberry Gose
Vibrant Shore Brewing Company
The Brew: This German-style kettle sour is handcrafted using half Pilsner malt, half malted wheat, and sprinkled with a dash of Atlantic sea salt. It’s moderately sour, light on the hops, and inspired by the splattered canvases of Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock. 4.7% ABV.
The Brewery: In the heart of the ViBe Creative District, this eclectic, upbeat taproom offers a combination of beer-friendly snacks and freshly prepared food via a rotating array of quality food trucks. The taproom provides a venue for art events and exhibitions, including local musicians.
Obscurial Gose Sour
Commonwealth Brewing Company
The Brew: This fruit-forward, smoothie-style gose beer features blackberry, sweet cherry and cacao nibs. Known for its deep red color and jammy flavor profile, Obscurial offers a complex and seductive blend of gose salinity and tartness, dark fruit flavors and the subtle bitterness of cacao.
The Brewery: Set in a renovated firehouse, this Chesapeake Bay favorite also offers ample, dog-friendly outside seating with pub games and a constantly shifting selection of food trucks — plus wood-fired Neopolitan pizza and a variety of other elevated pub classics made to order.
Shark Tears Sour
Pleasure House Brewing
The Brew: Pleasure House’s first kettle-soured beer, this beachy gose earned its refreshing salinity with 20 gallons of reduced Atlantic seawater brought in by a regular customer — and its complex fruitiness with chopped rhubarb steeped in the wort as it soured. ABV: 4.8%
The Brewery: If your bestie was a brewmaster, this Chesapeake Bay hangout is what their home would feel like: cozy and welcoming, with Crockpot Mondays and even a D&D night. Every beer is small batch and goes quickly, so if you like something — order another round while you can.
Apple Crumb Amber Ale
Three Notch’d Brewing Co.
The Brew: Imagined by Three Notch’d brewer Mary Morgan at their Harrisonburg Valley Collab House, this medium-bodied amber ale is brewed with Silver Creek Orchard apples, cinnamon and vanilla — creating the festive, autumnal flavor of an apple crumb dessert. ABV: 5.5%.
The Brewery: This lively Town Center hotspot serves locally sourced, beer-infused southern dishes alongside a variety of on-tap brews — all curated to complement seasonal flavors. Get into the groove with live-music Fridays or pack up your furry friends for Sunday Pups on the Patio.
Ghost Ship Pale Ale
Reaver Beach Brewing Co.
The Brew: Ghost Ship is a delightfully drinkable American pale ale made with bright Citra hops. True to the swashbuckling spirit of its creator, this ale plunders more flavor than you’d expect from a pale ale — with huge notes of mango and orange that go down easy any time of year. 4.5% ABV.
The Brewery: As the oldest craft brewery in town, this Inland mainstay. is both casual and intimate, with relaxed neighborhood bar vibes, a live music lineup on Fridays and Yoga on Tap select Sundays. Be sure to get at least one sour in your flight — served in a mini longboard.
Oatorious S.T.O.U.T.
New Realm Brewing Company
The Brew: If a fresh-baked oatmeal cookie were beer, it would be this dark, smooth stout — pitch-black in your pint glass with a creamy head and notes of caramel, baker’s chocolate and coffee. Oatorious is decadently full-bodied with the perfect balance of bitter and sweet. 4.4% ABV.
The Brewery: Ideal for large parties and special events, this Inland staple has a sprawling outdoor beer garden, an onsite restaurant with the best burgers in the state and a live-music venue that doubles as a drive-in for movie-night sing-alongs and other shenanigans.
Wasserhund Oktoberfest Lager
Wasserhund Brewing Company
The Brew: Take your tastebuds to the Rhineland with this light, smooth and wonderfully malty beer inspired by the classic brews served at Germany’s Oktoberfest. After searching far and wide for a stateside beer that measured up, Wasserhund’s brewmaster made his own. ABV: 6.3%
The Brewery: With a name that means “water dog” in German, this Inland brewery represents a shared love of the beach, dogs and Old Country culture. Bring your pooch along — you’ll need somebody to help you finish the Jumbo Beer Pretzel, served with cheese or German mustard.
Dark Witch Pumpkin Ale
Back Bay Brew House: Farm House
The Brew: Now in its 11th year of sorcery, Back Bay’s annual Witch of Pungo Pumpkin Ale has created enough beery buzz to get a sister. Enter Dark Witch Pumpkin Ale — still made with pumpkins grown onsite, she’s even more complex after aging in rye barrels. ABV: 7.8%.
The Brewery: Set in a revived 1912 farmhouse, Back Bay Brew House: Farmhouse is fast becoming an inland institution. Its tranquil countryside setting and organic onsite farmstand, Kate’s Next Door Market, make it a one-stop shop for flavorful provisions and handcrafted libations.
Monkey’s Fist Hefeweizen
Bold Mariner Brewing Company
The Brew: This unique twist on traditional Hefeweizen was named for the weighty nautical knot used by mariners to bring two ships together. Light-bodied and infused with notes of banana, clove and coconut, this unique seasonal offering is definitely worth the quick drive to nearby Norfolk.
The Brewery: Bold Mariner Brewing Company is the brainchild of retired Navy SEAL Michael Stacks, with the goal of fostering community and supporting other veterans. Swing by the two-story beach house for Central Texas-style BBQ and award-winning craft beers.
About Our Writer
As a Californian living in Colorado, Staci Amend takes a “why not both” approach to the whole mountains vs. oceans debate. She covers travel, nature, beauty and fashion for a variety of publications and brands — and is happiest when surrounded by hand-painted tile, struggling to pronounce her next meal. A Huntington Beach native and enthusiastic longboarder, she tries to time her Virginia Beach visits with the East Coast Surfing Championships.
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Written by Staci Amend
As a Californian living in Colorado, writer Staci Amend takes a “why not both” approach to the whole mountains vs. oceans debate. She covers travel, nature, beauty and fashion for a variety of publications and brands — and is happiest when surrounded by hand-painted tile, struggling to pronounce her next meal. A Huntington Beach native and longboarder, she tries to time her Virginia Beach visits with the East Coast Surfing Championships.
