It’s a light aroma of sweet, vibrant flavors. And it’s Coastal Fermentory, consistently providing a wide variety of refreshing beer through distinguished styles and tastes ranging from intense and crisp to delicate and robust. With its unique craftsmanship and individual talent, this brewery provides great beer to its customers and enthusiastic support to its community, demonstrated through its partnerships with more than 70 different local non-profit organizations across the Virginia Peninsula. With beers varying in color from a dark bronze to a golden yellow, customers are excited and satisfied by the wide selection.
Initially skeptical about opening in late 2020 in the midst of COVID-19, co-owners David Lamb, Seth Caddell, Mike Reppert and Brandon Samuels rose above the challenges brought on by the pandemic, hosting their grand opening in their parking lot and celebrating with nearly 1,000 guests.
Coastal Fermentory is known for its hazy IPAs — India Pale Ales, which are beers known for their unique brewing process and bitter taste. The company is also famous for brewing Newport News Lager, the first city partnership beer to be currently made and sold exclusively. The four co-owners are beer enthusiasts who seek to provide radical transparency to the community through their efforts to uplift and revitalize Hampton Roads for future generations. When asked what sparked their initiative to open their own brewery, Caddell says, “After looking at dozens of potential locations across the Virginia Peninsula and meeting with local city developers, we knew we wanted to be a part of the initial wave of revitalization for Hampton Roads. We wanted the opportunity to grow in a developing community and use our expertise to help drive traffic to our location, in addition to the other beauties that Hampton Roads offers. After many discussions, the idea of starting a brewery became more and more real and the startup adventure began.”
The team runs operations flawlessly through exceptional leadership and a strong passion for community development. Caddell and Lamb work together to foster community relationships while maintaining customer relations and sales at the front end of the house. Currently in the process of developing Coastal Fermentory’s upcoming second location, Samuels spends the majority of his time meeting with contractors, engineers and architects with exciting construction plans soon underway.
Reppert, currently in charge of leading brewing operations, is primarily responsible for deciding what’s brewed each week, what’s ready for customer release, sales and the maintenance of back products.
“Our social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook are also maintained weekly by one of our bartenders who manages digital content creation and engagement with our customers. We also post questions about products, market upcoming events and community outreach programs and stay abreast about what’s selling or trending on social media,” Caddell adds.
Management continuously looks for new opportunities to support and partner with local charities each week, including food banks and animal rescue organizations. Coastal Fermentory hosts its ‘Drink Beer and Do Good’ event on Wednesday evenings, with the company helping to support a different non-profit organization, giving 10 percent of sales and 100 percent of tips to help those in need. “We believe that most people like to drink beer and do good, so we strive to be the brewery that not only helps to enliven downtown, but encourages our customers to give back to the community as well,” says Caddell with a smile.
Brewing nearly 15 different types of new beers that are advertised and sold each Friday, Coastal Fermentory takes pride in beer turnover and experimentation with new spices and flavors for its customers. “It can be a nightmare at times as we learn what works, what moves well and what types of beer our customers want to try. As passionate beer lovers, we want the chance to experiment so we can provide something new to our customers each time they visit. We test and try new styles often, setting us apart from most of our competitors and driving more traffic to the local area,” Caddell says.
By captivating support from local community members, businesses and charities, Coastal Fermentory plans to continue to embark on community revitalization through a customer-first approach to positively impact the Virginia Peninsula.
TO THE POINT:
Coastal Fermentory
Address: 206 23rd St.. Ste. B, Newport News, VA 23607
Contact: team@coastalfermentory.com
Website: coastalfermentory.com
