For the longest time, the only place in Chesterfield to find a craft beer on tap was Extra Billy’s Smokehouse & Brewery, which serves up award-winning brews at its Midlothian location as a complement to its well-known barbecue restaurant.
Opened in 2000 at 1110 Alverser Drive, Extra Billy’s is the second-oldest brewery in the Richmond region – it precedes by more than a decade state legislation that
finally allowed the sale and sampling of beer on brewery premises and sparked Virginia’s craft beer boom.
Over the past eight years, Chesterfield’s brewery scene has expanded steadily, tapping into pent-up demand from a growing population that sought craft beer options closer to home instead of having to drive into the city.
In June 2016, after considering various sites across the state, Manchester High School alum Brad Cooper opened Steam Bell Beer Works in the Oak Lake Business Park off Genito Road.
Steam Bell’s location at 1717 Oak Lake Boulevard was an immediate smash, drawing enthusiastic customers from nearby neighborhoods (such as Brandermill) and capitalizing on its proximity to River City Sportsplex, which brings thousands of visitors to the county annually for tournaments and other athletic events.
With proof of concept established, other homebrewers soon followed suit.
In February 2020, Thom and Melissa Pakurar opened the doors to Dancing Kilt Brewery at 12912 Old Stage Road. Less than a month later, public health restrictions related to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic forced them to shutter their fledgling business indefinitely.
Like many other hospitality-related establishments, Dancing Kilt survived the depths of the pandemic initially by selling cans at curbside, then with limited in-person service to accommodate social distancing requirements. As the pandemic lifted and life returned to normal, so did the brewery’s loyal customer base in Chester and beyond.
The following year, the owners of a popular Richmond brewery – Triple Crossing Beer – recognized an opportunity in the still-underserved suburban market and decided to expand into Chesterfield.
Adam Worcester, Jeremy Wirtes and Scott Jones opened their new Midlothian location at 1101 Winterfield Crossing in December 2021. Situated within a bustling mixed-use development, its waterfront outdoor patio area is standing room only on weekends from early spring through late November.
Since February 2022, Steve and Melissa Clayton have served Chester’s growing population and built a devoted following at Three Leg Run, a brewery that also sells wines and meads.
Three Leg Run, which was named for a pet dog who had the unusual habit of running on just three legs, is located at 4418 West Hundred Road in Chester.
Then last November, Hidden Wit Brewing Company held the long-awaited grand opening for its farmhouse-style brewery in the Skinquarter area of Chesterfield, west of the Magnolia Green community.
Local business owners Butch and Kim Taylor broadened their entrepreneurial horizons with Hidden Wit, which is located near the county’s fastest-growing area at 21110 Hull Street Road. They’ve partnered with Dave Butler and Stephan Parry, and Chad and Jessica Ritter, while Brad Cooper and his wife Andrea also have a stake in the business.
The six local breweries are widely dispersed from east to west across Chesterfield’s 437 square miles, offering residents convenient access to craft beer that didn’t exist just a decade ago.
And as one of the most desirable localities in Virginia, with a population that now exceeds 380,000, Chesterfield’s brewery market is far from saturated and can easily support additional entries.
Experience Chesterfield promotes and celebrates all the things to see, do and experience within Chesterfield County. The website is not paid to endorse individual businesses or events and any that you may see mentioned are just a sampling of the many wonderful places to visit in Chesterfield. If you operate a hospitality related business in Chesterfield, please be sure to reach out to our partners at Richmond Region Tourism to create a business listing for our website. You can also reach out to Virginia Tourism Corporation to create a business listing on their site for additional exposure.