Craft Brews Made for Your Favorite Virginia Teams
Watching the big game is always best with a cold beer. So, it makes sense that craft breweries in Virginia and beyond have started collaborating with college and pro teams to create branded beers that fans can sip while enjoying the action. From easy drinking pales to crisp lagers, here’s a look at a handful of the best team beers made in the Commonwealth.
Starr Hill Brewery
Wahoo Pale Ale
Starr Hill has been the Charlottesville area’s mainstay craft brewery for more than two decades, so in a perfect fit they partnered with the University of Virginia to create this easy-sipping pale ale that’s just right for cheering on the Cavaliers. Wahoo Pale Ale features plenty of fruit-forward hops that are balanced by a nice malty backbone, and at 5.1% ABV, you can sip a few with your ham biscuits at the tailgate. For UVA fans not into hops, Starr Hill also teamed up with the school to make the light and refreshing Sabre Premium Lager. starhill.com
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Fightin’ Hokies Lager
If you root for the Hokies, there’s a beer for you, too. For Tech fans, Hardywood takes inspiration from old-school European beers to make this Munich-style helles lager, which is brewed with noble hops and malts that are a tad on the sweet side, before being cold-conditioned for weeks to create a crisp finish. This one took home hardware in 2022, winning a silver medal at the Australian International Beer Awards. hardywood.com
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
Capit-Ale IPA
Hockey fans around Washington, D.C., can show their support for the home team by sipping this brightly tasty IPA made for the Capitals. Brewed with a combo of three different hops, this one is bursting with notes of melon and citrus, as well as a hint of spice in the malty backbone, making it a great companion for watching the action heat up on the ice. Based in Virginia, close to Charlottesville, Devils Backbone also makes Hoo Rah Ray, a juicy wheat IPA that is the only UVA collegiate-licensed IPA on the market. dbbrewingcompany.com
Three Notch’d Brewing Company
VA United Lager
Three Notch’d Brewing Company keeps expanding across Virginia with six locations throughout the Commonwealth, including spots in Richmond, Roanoke and Virginia Beach. The brewery crafted this beer for the latter city’s USL League 2 soccer team (Virginia Beach United), but the brewery also calls this easy-drinking beer a “celebration of community and inclusivity.” With a crisp lager character that’s given a boost the use of Columbus, Idaho 7, and Citra hops, it’s certainly a delicious beer that can bring people together. threenotchdbrewing.com
