(Breweries in the Coastal Virginia region gathered at Big Ugly Brewing for Veer Magazine’s 10th Annual Golden Tap Awards)

By Jeff Maisey

Maker’s Craft Brewery took home the 2025 Golden Tap Award by accumulating the most points in the annual Coastal Virginia region-wide competition. This marked the 10th anniversary of VEER Magazine’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 in the 757 region 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.

1 BEST BEER NAME

GOLD: Stud Light, Studly Brewing Co

SILVER: Stout of Bounds, Afterglow Brewing

BRONZE: 2 To Mango, Harbor Trail Brewing Co

2 CAN ART DESIGN

GOLD: Benchtop Brewing Co, Festbier

SILVER: Afterglow Brewing, All Rye, All Rye, All Rye

BRONZE: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co, Langley Lager

3 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

4 TASTING ROOM & GROUNDS

GOLD: New Realm Brewing Co

SILVER: Big Ugly Brewing

BRONZE: Tradition Brewing Co

5 BEER FESTIVAL (Non-brewery)

GOLD: 757 Battle of the Beers

SILVER: Williamsburg Craft Beer Festival

BRONZE: Common Grounds Collab Beer Fest

6 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

7 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

8 AMBER LAGERS

GOLD: Makers Craft Brewery, Fest Bier

SILVER: Studly Brewing Co, Postseason Marzen

BRONZE: St George, Oktoberfest

9 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

10 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

11 BRITISH BITTERS

GOLD: Nansemond Brewing Station, Fiddlin’ Pig Bitter

SILVER: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Red Ale

BRONZE: Benchtop Brewing Co, Coach Beard

12 BROWN ALE

GOLD: Gloucester Brewing Company, Low Ground

SILVER: St George, Nut Brown Ale

BRONZE: Alewerks, Tavern Brown Ale

13 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

14 DARK EUROPEAN LAGERS

GOLD: Sojourn Fermentory, Midnight

SILVER: Elation Brewing, Schwaz

BRONZE: 1700 Brewing, SchWARz Brr

15 DOUBLE IPA

GOLD: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Treat Me Wrong IIPA

SILVER: Big Ugly Brewing, Maybe Today Satan DIPA

BRONZE: Afterglow Brewing, Brain Science

16 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

17 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

18 GERMAN & AMERICAN WHEAT

GOLD: St George, Knight’s Respite Hefeweizen

SILVER: Sojourn Fermentory, Luftschloss

BRONZE: The Thin Brew Line Brewing Co, White Line Hefeweizen

19 HAZY IPA

GOLD: Billsburg Brewery, Tourist Trap

SILVER: Afterglow Brewing, Sprocket Surgery

BRONZE: The Bold Mariner Brewing Co, CPO IPA

20 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

21 IPA

GOLD: Big Ugly Brewing, Rockers IPA

SILVER: Sojourn Fermentory, Dwell West

BRONZE: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Snap Guns IPA

22 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

23 KÖLSCH/LEICHTBIER

GOLD: St George, Morning Dew Leichtbier

SILVER: Afterglow Brewing, Kölsch Ricky

BRONZE: Sojourn Fermentory, Delicate

24 MIXED FERMENTATION

GOLD: Coastal Fermentory, Semper Fermentis

SILVER: Oozlefinch Beers & Blending, Thrum

BRONZE: 1700 Brewing, Squared Away Brett Saison

25 MONASTIC ALE

GOLD: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co., Namur the Merrier Belgian-style Qu...