WV brewery flagships worth another look

Let’s take a look at the most iconic examples of West Virginia brewery flagships. I’ll bet you know these beers, but maybe you haven’t had one in a while.

In the beer world, a flagship is a beer a brewery built its name and reputation on. It is typically a beer that the brewery has made for a long time, has wide distribution, and sells well. When you hear a flagship’s name, you know the brewery. Nationally, beers like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Sam Adams Boston Lager come to mind. While West Virginia breweries have not been around as long as Sam or Sierra Nevada, they too have some accomplished flagships.

Flagships tend to be more traditional in style, such as pale lagers, blondes, ambers, and pale ales They tend to be lower-alcohol, easy-to-drink styles. Flagships may not always be the brewery’s best beer, or your favorite beer, but they are probably the beers most people know from that brewery.

West Virginia’s Quintessential Flagships

These WV beers have established themselves for three or more years as leading flagships and are sold in distribution outside the brewery taproom. There are more flagship beers from WV breweries beyond the ones listed below, but these six are the ones I’ve chosen to highlight as examples.

Big Timber Porter, Big Timber Brewing

One of Big Timber’s initial offerings from the brewery’s early days, their Porter caught on and sold extremely well for a dark beer. It achieved wide distribution and became the go-to dark beer for numerous bars and restaurants across the state. Then, it was one of the first two Big Timber beers put into the 16 oz. can. This brew no doubt introduced hundreds, if not thousands, of WV beer drinkers to the pleasures of a nice toasty, malty beer that coats you mouth with chocolatey pleasure. Sales are still strong.

Long Point Lager, Bridge Brew Works

It is pretty uncommon for a small local brewery to have a lager as its flagship. This is because the process of lager making ties up tank space at least twice as long as does making ales. Most little breweries can’t afford to do this. Kudos to Bridge Brew Works, though. From the beginning Long Point Lager has been its best selling and most widely distributed beer. That obviously says something about the beer’s quality and consistency. It also speaks volumes about this brewery’s commitment to quality over quantity. Since its introduction in 2010, this crisp and refreshing golden lager has been a popular beer in WV bars and restaurants.

Halleck, Chestnut Brew Works

Since its introduction in 2013, no one beer has better defined a brewery than has Halleck. Right out of the gate, this hoppy pale ale dominated the lucrative Morgantown on-premise market like other beers only wish they could. Bar owners complain loudly if the brewery runs out of Halleck. The beer established Chestnut Brew Works as a real force in craft beer, a position they have never relinquished. Still a great tasting beer, and still selling well, this golden elixir annually introduces countless throngs of thirsty WVU students to the taste of hoppy beer.

Mothman, Greenbrier Valley Brewing

Mothman was the first Black IPA made in West Virginia to achieve broad distribution. It sets the standard for the style in the state. Along with its partner Wild Trail Ale, it was one of the first two beers released by Greenbrier Valley when they opened. It was also the first beer canned for distribution in WV since 1971. Due to its clever labeling and effective marketing, the beer developed a following even beyond the state’s borders. With GVBC’s expanded brewery operation and the return of brewing leader Brian Reymiller, we are ensured that the quantity of Mothman could grow and the quality of the beer will remain superb.

Cold Trail Ale, Mountain State Brewing

I’d say this was the first WV brewed beer to achieve wide distribution and gain flagship status. Mountain State Brewing describes the beer as a light, easy drinking American blonde ale, featuring a healthy dose of oats and wheat. This formula was a great one to introduce countless WV beer drinkers to craft beer. Cold Trail was the first WV craft beer to gain near-statewide distribution. It quickly became the brewery’s best selling beer. Through the years, the total sales of Cold Trail Ale have likely been the largest of any beer from a West Virginia brewery.

Roedy’s Red, NET Brewery

In production since 1997, this was the first amber ale ever tried by many WV beer drinkers. It undoubtedly weaned thousands of beer lovers off Bud Light. As a classic American amber with bold hop and malt characteristics coming from traditional two-row and caramel malts and Cascade hops, it is a fitting tribute to long-time brewery owner Joe Roedersheimer. It’s a classic brew from West Virginia’s oldest continuously operating brewery. WV craft beer doesn’t get any more authentic than this.

February is Flagship Beer Month

Over the past few years in the craft beer world, we have seen an increasing interest in whatever beer is new. The popular buzz has gone toward bigger, bolder flavors, higher alcohol, and more exotic flavored beers. Flagships have often been left by the wayside and removed from the taps. Many are suffering declining sales, not because they are bad beer, but because they are viewed as too common, too simple, and not the latest, greatest thing.

Some folks think the consumer’s move away from flagships is not necessarily good for the industry. It certainly makes managing a brewery much more challenging. It’s also tough on beer distributors when planning their buying. Respected Canadian beer writer Stephen Beaumont observed this phenomena and recently posted in Facebook:

“I think that American and Canadian beer drinkers, who seem to have collectively developed ADD when it comes to beer brands …, should declare next month to be FLAGSHIP FEBRUARY! The idea would be that for one month, drinkers would place their focus upon tried-and-true favourites of yore….”

Beaumont goes on to contend that flagships are the beers that “created this entire craft beer renaissance.” He believes we owe them a debt of gratitude and should honor them this February in an attempt to better understand “how we got to the hazy IPAs and kettle sours of today.”

Beaumont’s social media post sort of went viral as bars owners and beer drinkers picked up on the idea and shared it. Now, Flagship February is becoming a thing. This February, beer bars and retailers across North America are encouraged to feature flagship beers.

Flagship February WV style

It’s cool for WV bars and restaurants to include some Sierra Nevada and Samuel Adams flagships, but what I’d like to see them do for Flagship February is focus primarily on the flagships of West Virginia breweries. As West Virginia’s contribution to Flagship February, it would be great to get reacquainted with Long Point Lager, Halleck, Mothman, and the others. Let’s make a point to order a pint of these and other WV classics when we see them on tap. Maybe take a growler or six pack home.

REGISTER your event on the official #FlagshipFebruary website..

You can honor our pioneering West Virginia craft beers and the breweries that made them by using this hashtag when you post about them on Untappd, Twitter and Instagram:
#FlagshipFebruaryWV