(RICHMOND, VA) – Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin hosted craft brewers from throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia at the Governor’s Mansion on Monday night to commemorate Virginia Craft Beer Month. Thirteen of this year’s Virginia Craft Beer Cup gold medal winners poured their winning beers to a crowd of 100+ including the Governor’s entire cabinet. Governor Youngkin also presented VCBG’s Chair, Janell Zurschmeide (Dirt Farm Brewing), with a framed certificate of recognition for Virginia Craft Beer Month. In recognition of the Governor’s dedication to the preservation and promotion of Virginia’s craft beer industry, VCBG’s President & CEO, Brett Vassey, presented him with an official VCBG work shirt emblazoned with the organization’s logo.
Virginia Craft Beer Month occurs every August and gives the citizens of Virginia, as well as its independent craft breweries, an opportunity to celebrate an industry that contributes $1.4 billion in economic activity to the Commonwealth. Virginia has been a destination of craft beer enthusiasts for years and has risen from a small industry of 40 independent craft breweries in 2012 to a large economic driver of over 314 independent craft breweries in 2022.
The Virginia Craft Beer Cup is an annual competition organized by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild and has become the gold standard of craft beer quality in a state that is #1 for craft breweries per capita (per 100,000 21+ year olds) in the south. With 34 different categories that range from “Hazy IPA” to “Veg/Spice,” the Virginia Craft Beer Cup is the most comprehensive craft beer competition in Virginia. VCBG is collaborating with the Virginia Tourism Corporation to launch a virtual beer trail of all 2022 Virginia Craft Beer Cup award winning breweries.
About Virginia Craft Brewers Guild
The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild (VCBG) was formed with the mission to create the best environment in the United States for independent craft beer businesses to manufacturer and headquarter their operations. The VCBG is an affiliate of the Virginia Manufacturers Association and the state affiliate of the Brewers Association. For more information about the VCBG, visit www.virginiacraftbrewers.org.