Billsburg Brewery is opening at the James City County Marina next month, and its owner opened its doors Thursday for a first look at the new facility.
Billsburg will open at the end of October, according to CEO and Master Brewer Dave Baum. The new brewery consists of two buildings- the brewery itself, as well as a taproom for guests to grab a seat, a beer and a view of the marina.
“The location’s amazing,” Baum said. “We have the water — it’s a great equalizer for everybody. We have the Colonial Parkway, we have the Capital Trail, we have the [Jamestown] Settlement, we have the beach event area. It opens itself up for us to collaborate with a lot of different local businesses.”
The brewery broke ground in February at the county’s marina, located at 2054 Jamestown Road.
Baum said 12 beers will be on tap in the tap room, which seats 30. An adjoined deck can seat nearly 50 more customers. Eight beers will be available on tap at the garage doors of the brewery during events on the property’s green space.
Billsburg Brewery will invest $1.4 million and create nine new jobs in James City County, according to a news release from Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s office.
Baum and his Billsburg business were presented with a check for $100,000 from the Virginia Tourism Growth Fund Thursday. The check was presented by Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore and will be used for additional infrastructure improvements and tourism assets at the brewery.
The fund is designed to offer assistance to new tourism projects in the commonwealth. The funds will be used to create additional parking, pedestrian access, a beer garden, a “hops garden” and other additions for visitors, according to a James City County press release.
Haymore commended the growing brewery industry for bolstering the commonwealth’s economy, adding the craft beer industry generated over a billion dollars in revenue and 10,000 jobs in Virginia in 2016.
“The addition of new breweries, like Billsburg Brewery, not only represents new job creation and revenue generation, but it also stimulates economic growth in Virginia by supporting manufacturing, tourism, and local farmers,” Haymore said in the Governor’s Office’s release. “This will be a fantastic new attraction for the Greater Williamsburg area and for the region as a whole.”
The Billsburg Brewery is just part of a revival in the historic area of James City County, the governor’s office news release said.
With the establishment of the Jamestown Beach Event Park, plans for restoration of a local historic home into an arts venue and future plans for the county’s marina area, the brewery is expected to become a tourist destination, the release said.
“I’m really excited, especially with Alewerks opening the tasting room and now we have this out here, we’re starting to make a dent in the craft beer breweries,” said James City County Berkeley District Supervisor Ruth Larson, who was at the brewery Thursday. “I love the location… we as a county are going to need to commit to doing some things out here because we want this to be a really enjoyable experience. We’re really excited Billsburg is leading the way.”
Baum said he is happy to do his part in boosting the James City County economy — and recommends patrons pick up a Founder’s Club Growler. It costs $295, but members will be able to refill it for half price upon every return to Billsburg.
“We envision Billsburg Brewery as a destination brewery where visitors come to enjoy meticulously-brewed craft beer and stay to enjoy surrounding local attractions,” said Baum. “We will offer a unique visitor experience through small-batch beer and food, educational brewery tours, and a tasting room. Billsburg will also serve the community as a venue to host a diverse array of events held throughout the year.”
“The idea of this being a part of the fabric of the community has been more important to us ever since day one,” Baum added.
