Jonathan Newman, 34, was living in Atlanta, Georgia when he first began brewing 10-gallon batches of oatmeal stout at his home.
Newman, an employee at SweetWater Brewery in Atlanta at the time, was scheming up a recipe for a stout that could be served year-round — a tough task for a dark beer.
In 2013, Newman had crafted the start of a recipe that seemed versatile. Later, a test bottle of that beer was sent from Atlanta to Williamsburg, where it found a home at Virginia Beer Co. Newman, now the brewmaster at the Williamsburg brewery, followed closely behind.
After more than two years on-tap full-time, Virginia Beer Co. and Newman’s Elbow Patches Oatmeal Stout has been internationally recognized.
“It’s definitely the little stout that could,” said Robby Willey, brewery co-founder.
The 6.2-percent alcohol by volume stout received a European Beer Star Award in the Dry Stout category at the BrauBeviale 2018 craft beverage exhibition. The competition attracted about 2,500 beer entries, Willey said.
Virginia Beer Co. received a silver — or second place — award against hundreds of competitors in the dry stout category.
“It’s a very drinkable beer,” Newman said. Newman is also the brewmaster behind Virginia Beer Co.’s Free Verse IPA and Saving Daylight American Pale Wheat Ale.
“Elbow Patches really fit the stout category,” Willey said.
Brewmaster Jonathan Newman brews a batch of Elbow Patches Oatmeal Stout Jan. 15, 2019. (WYDaily/Sarah Fearing)
Virginia Beer Co.’s other founder, Chris Smith, traveled to Nuremberg, Germany to receive the award.
So, what’s behind the award-winning beer’s name?
As an English major, Newman said the running joke was that you can’t wear elbow patches on your jacket until you finish your master’s degree.
Newman decided to forego writing his thesis and finishing his degree, brewing beer instead, but he got his Elbow Patches a different way.
