By Jeff Maisey
Maker’s Craft Brewery took home the 2025 Golden Tap Award by accumulating the most points in our annual region-wide competition. This marked the 10th anniversary of VEER’s Golden Tap Awards.
Gold medals earned three points, silver received two points, and one point for bronze.
The current 2025 calendar year was akin to Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.” It has been the best of times for some breweries, and yet it was the worst of times for other beer makers; a trend impacting the entire nationwide industry struggling to regain the pre-pandemic euphoria of craft beer expansion as tastes for various other beverages rise in popularity with younger drinkers and health conscious consumers.
That said, local breweries have enjoyed remarkable success in 2025 at the state, national, and international levels.
In late spring, Norfolk-based Benchtop Brewing Company won a silver medal with Pilsners Are Lagers at the World Beer Cup competition.
This summer, Hampton’s The St. George Brewing Company won Best of Show and scored the overall Virginia Beer Cup with its Knight’s Respite Hefeweizen in Richmond, while Caiseal Beer & Spirits Company was named Brewery of the Year by The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. Numerous others from Hampton Roads also won medals in the statewide competition.
At the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Chesapeake’s Big Ugly Brewing won a bronze in the Strong Porter category with Made Me Say Underwear, and Afterglow Brewing won Best Whole Package Artwork for its All Rye, All Rye, All Rye IPA.
On the bright side of business, Wasserhund Brewing Company opened its third location — in Norfolk. Coastal Fermentory opened a second location in Newport News, and acquired Rip Rap Brewing in order to save a beloved Norfolk brand from going under.
On the sad side, Smartmouth Brewing Company announced it is closing its original Norfolk location by the end of December. Richmond-based Strangeways Brewing is closing its Williamsburg satellite venture. And to everyone’s shock, days after celebrating its 10th anniversary, The Bold Mariner Brewing Company posted it will close its doors in the coming months.
Spirits were high, however, during the Golden Tap Awards presentation featuring 40 of the region’s breweries. It was a packed house hosted by last year’s champion, Big Ugly, with infectious camaraderie amongst the 757 region brewers, a poignant speech from Kerrie Stacks on Bold Mariner’s closing, members of Chesapeake city council and economic development department joining in the presentation and celebration, and good vibes all around.
Following are the complete results. Note the first five categories did not count towards the overall Golden Tap tabulation.
BEST BEER NAME
GOLD: Stud Light, Studly Brewing Co
SILVER: Stout of Bounds, Afterglow Brewing
BRONZE: 2 To Mango, Harbor Trail Brewing Co
CAN ART DESIGN
GOLD: Benchtop Brewing Co, Festbier
SILVER: Afterglow Brewing, All Rye, All Rye, All Rye
BRONZE: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co, Langley Lager
BREWERY EVENT
GOLD: Hampton Roads Honey Fest at St George Brewing
SILVER: Steel Pulse Concert at New Realm Brewing
BRONZE: Pilsner Invitational 2025 at Billsburg Brewing
TASTING ROOM & GROUNDS
GOLD: New Realm Brewing Co
SILVER: Big Ugly Brewing
BRONZE: Tradition Brewing Co
BEER FESTIVAL (Non-brewery)
GOLD: 757 Battle of the Beers
SILVER: Williamsburg Craft Beer Festival
BRONZE: Common Grounds Collab Beer Fest
ALTERNATIVE GRAINS or SUGARS
GOLD: 1700 Brewing, Zero Puckers Given
SILVER: St George, Honey Lager
BRONZE: Nansemond Brewing Station, D.E.M. Localz Honey Helles Lager
AMBER ALES
GOLD: Billsburg Brewery, Planet 4 Red Ale
SILVER: Young Veterans Brewing Co, Rico’s Red Ale
BRONZE: MoMac Brewing Company, Ginger Dreams Red Ale
AMBER LAGERS
GOLD: Makers Craft Brewery, Fest Bier
SILVER: Studly Brewing Co, Postseason Marzen
BRONZE: St George, Oktoberfest
AMERICAN LAGERS
GOLD: Makers Craft Brewery, South of the Border
SILVER: New Realm Brewing Company, Blackberry Smoke American Lager
BRONZE: The Virginia Beer Company, Cold Drinking Beer
BELGIAN ALES
GOLD: Makers Craft Brewery, When in Bruge
SILVER: Vibrant Shore Brewing Co, Saison Lautrec French Farmhouse Ale
BRONZE: Gloucester Brewing Company, ‘Tis the Saison
BRITISH BITTERS
GOLD: Nansemond Brewing Station, Fiddlin’ Pig Bitter
SILVER: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Red Ale
BRONZE: Benchtop Brewing Co, Coach Beard
BROWN ALE
GOLD: Gloucester Brewing Company, Low Ground
SILVER: St George, Nut Brown Ale
BRONZE: Alewerks, Tavern Brown Ale
CREAMS & BLONDES
GOLD: Big Ugly Brewing, Sunbeam Blonde Ale
SILVER: COVA Brewing Company, East Beach Blonde
BRONZE: Bull Island Brewing Company, Bennett’s Creek Blonde
DARK EUROPEAN LAGERS
GOLD: Sojourn Fermentory, Midnight
SILVER: Elation Brewing, Schwaz
BRONZE: 1700 Brewing, SchWARz Brr
DOUBLE IPA
GOLD: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Treat Me Wrong IIPA
SILVER: Big Ugly Brewing, Maybe Today Satan DIPA
BRONZE: Afterglow Brewing, Brain Science
EUROPEAN SOUR
GOLD: COVA Brewing Company, Aloha State of Mind Passionfruit and Hibiscus Gose
SILVER: Wasserhund Brewing Co, Unleash Boysenberry Gose
BRONZE: Tradition Brewing Company, Blood Orange Gose
FRUIT
GOLD: Garage Brewery, Boss Lady 9 w/Italian Plum, Pomegranate and Boysenberry
SILVER: Makers Craft Brewery, Brewers Tears
BRONZE: MoMac Brewing Company, We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat Cherry Key Lime Sour
GERMAN & AMERICAN WHEAT
GOLD: St George, Knight’s Respite Hefeweizen
SILVER: Sojourn Fermentory, Luftschloss
BRONZE: The Thin Brew Line Brewing Co, White Line Hefeweizen
HAZY IPA
GOLD: Billsburg Brewery, Tourist Trap
SILVER: Afterglow Brewing, Sprocket Surgery
BRONZE: The Bold Mariner Brewing Co, CPO IPA
INTERNATIONAL LAGER
GOLD: Big Ugly Brewing, Peake Lager
SILVER: Vibrant Shore Brewing Co, The Rising Bun Japanese Style Rice Lager
BRONZE: Billsburg Brewery, Classic Lager
IPA
GOLD: Big Ugly Brewing, Rockers IPA
SILVER: Sojourn Fermentory, Dwell West
BRONZE: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Snap Guns IPA
IRISH & SCOTTISH ALES
GOLD: Nansemond Brewing Station, Myrtle’s Diary Irish Red Ale
SILVER: Nost Brewing Project, Feast of Goibniu
BRONZE: Elation Brewing, Riverpoint Red
KÖLSCH/LEICHTBIER
GOLD: St George, Morning Dew Leichtbier
SILVER: Afterglow Brewing, Kölsch Ricky
BRONZE: Sojourn Fermentory, Delicate
MIXED FERMENTATION
GOLD: Coastal Fermentory, Semper Fermentis
SILVER: Oozlefinch Beers & Blending, Thrum
BRONZE: 1700 Brewing, Squared Away Brett Saison
MONASTIC ALE
GOLD: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Namur the Merrier Belgian-style Quad
SILVER: MoMac Brewing Company, Barrel Point Belgian Dubbel
BRONZE: Reaver Beach Brewing Co, Polaris
PALE ALES
GOLD: Alewerks, Chesapeake Pale Ale
SILVER: The Virginia Beer Company, Sizzle Reel Extra Pale Ale
BRONZE: St George, Golden Ale
PALE EUROPEAN BITTER/PILSNER
GOLD: Benchtop Brewing Co, Pilsners Are Lagers
SILVER: Smartmouth Brewing Co, Safety Dance
BRONZE: Gloucester Brewing Company, Providence Pilsner
PALE EUROPEAN LAGERS
GOLD: Nost Brewing Project, Berglft
SILVER: Benchtop Brewing Co, Stamgast Czech Pale
BRONZE: Sojourn Fermentory, Ten
PORTERS
GOLD: Big Ugly Brewing, 22 Porter
SILVER: St George, Porter
BRONZE: Smartmouth Brewing Co, As You Wish
SMOKE
GOLD: Tradition Brewing Company, Rasselbock Rauchbier
SILVER: St George, Slumbering Dragon Scotch Ale
BRONZE: Benchtop Brewing Co, Drench
SPECIALTY IPA
GOLD: Benchtop Brewing Co, New Zealand Proven Theory
SILVER: Afterglow Brewing, All Rye, All Rye, All Rye
BRONZE: Harbor Trail Brewing Co, Night Shift Black IPA
STOUTS
GOLD: Makers Craft Brewery, Sweet Stout
SILVER: Big Ugly Brewing, Ape Hanger
BRONZE: Gloucester Brewing Company, Shucking Good Oyster Stout
STRONG ALE
GOLD: Reaver Beach Brewing Co, Way Past Never
SILVER: Coastal Fermentory, Bureaucratic Punishment
BRONZE: COVA Brewing Company, Winter Warmer
STRONG EUROPEAN LAGERS
GOLD: MoMac Brewing Company, High Water Helles Bock
SILVER: COVA Brewing Company, Febtoberfest Imperial Festbier
BRONZE: Billsburg Brewery, James City Export Dortmunder Lager
VEGETABLE/SPICE
GOLD: Garage Brewery, No Carrot All
SILVER: COVA Brewing Company, Apple Pie Gose
BRONZE: Makers Craft Brewery, Patch Slapped Pumpkin Spice Beer
WOOD
GOLD: Coastal Fermentory, Sic Semper Tyrannis
SILVER: Alewerks, Cafe Royale
BRONZE: Benchtop Brewing Co, Old Wooden Ship
EXPERIMENTAL BEERS
GOLD: Garage Brewery, Razzlova Collab w/Pink Boots Society
SILVER: Nansemond Brewing Station, Mystic Maiden Heather Ale
BRONZE: COVA Brewing Company, Cha-Mango Chile Mango Lime Gose
SELTZER
GOLD: COVA Brewing Company, Lavender Lemonade Hard Seltzer
SILVER: Makers Craft Brewery, Plain Seltzer
BRONZE: Post Secondary Brewing, Bad Business Plan Hard Lemonade
