Benchtop’s Hopped Green Tea

By Jeff Maisey

How do you take your tea?

Why, hopped, of course.

Virginia craft breweries have been innovative in their approach in listening to customers, looking at trends in the marketplace, and making adjustments so that all who enter the tasting room have a beverage selection to their liking.

Eric Tennant recently unveiled a delightfully hopped green tea for those consumers who prefer a nonalcoholic, zero calorie, gluten-free, and yet flavorful menu item when visiting Benchtop Brewing Company’s Norfolk and Richmond locations.

“It is a sparking hopped tea brewed with hops and Gun Powder green tea so that people could have an alternative to beer while they’re here,” said Tennant.

At press time, the served-cold, carbonated beverage is likely to be called Hop Cha, though on the menu board it’ll be listed as Sparkling Hopped Tea.

The new tea will be a permanent, year-round item on draft as well as in 16-ounce cans for those seeking a to-go option and summer thirst quencher.

Tennant said the idea for the tea derived from observing families in the tasting room and patio spaces. Not everyone in the party of 4 or 6 wanted beer, so having a brewed tea with hops has been seen as a great way to have such guests purchase a beverage and introduce them to the flavor of hops, which surprisingly lingers when made with the green tea.

It’s tea time all the time.

Rising Tide for Water’s End

Water’s End Brewery, with locations in Lake Ridge, Potomac Mills, and historic Fredericksburg, announced it will open a fourth location — in Leesburg.

The brewery’s new location will be at Village at Leesburg within The Dell Food & Brew Hall, which will include Paulie’s Fresh Handmade Pasta, Lucky Dog (hotdogs), and Colombian’s Place. Among Water’s End’s popular brews are Damn Beer (Golden Ale), Don’t Hazy Me, Bro! (Juicy IPA), and Biergarten Hero (Kolsch).

Port City Season Winner

“We learned yesterday that we were the top selling independent local beer at Nationals Park in 2022,” posted Bill Butcher, founder and president of Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria, on social media.

Major League Baseball team Washington Nationals lost 107 games last season, making them the worst team in the entire league. Fans may have been screaming foul and crying the blues, but they apparently consumed a lot of Port City brews.

According to the Washingtonian magazine, the other independent craft beer brands — “District Drafts” — sold in 2022 at Nationals Park were from Old Ox, Solace, Fair Winds, City State, Right Proper, 3 Stars, DC Brau, Atlas, Denizens, Other Half, and Hellbender.

Beyond the independent brands, Budweiser and Devils Backbone have significant presence at the ballpark.

Don’t believe us? Just ask the person pouring beer at your local taproom. There are a lot of great ones in Fairfax County. Don’t believe the person pouring the beer? Then take a sip. See? We told you.

Brewed in Fairfax County. Poured in Fairfax County VISIT FXVA.COM TO FIND YOUR LOCAL BREWERY.

Caboose Tavern

Vienna, VA

Gorgeous All Year ‘Round

The Virginia Beer Company, in Williamsburg, has moved forward with adding its award-winning Gorgeous Hazy IPA to its year-round port folio of flagship beers. The packaging/label design of its 16-oz cans is in keeping with its new brand refresh.

“We’ve been steadily introducing the market to the new look and feel of the packaging on our core beers since last spring,” said Chris Smith, co-founder of The Virginia Beer Company. “Brand refreshes take a lot of planning but have started to become a little more common in the industry. We thought timing the official announcement of the refresh around the new yearround status of Gorgeous would give our customers something to get excited about.”

Gorgeous joins Free Verse Hazy IPA, Elbow Patches (oatmeal stout), and Saving Daylight (American wheat) as the brewery’s core, widely distributed offerings. The popularity of these beers spoke volumes to the brewery’s team.

Pilsner Fest at Billsburg

Local breweries have started a trend of hosting thematic competitions featuring a particular beer style.

“We want people to really understand that when we get feedback, we listen,” said Robby Willey, co-founder of The Virginia Beer Company. “This was a collaborative effort that included feedback from everyone in our brewery’s family: our distributors, retailers, loyal customers, and the ‘VBC’ team all gave feedback on the brand refresh. We’re an incredibly community-conscious brewery, and we really treated this process like a community event. And, we are really excited how this new look and feel reflects not just the liquid in the cans, but our whole brand identity these 7 years after first opening our doors & taps in 2016.”