Biggest West Virginia Beer Stories of 2022

We all enjoy taking a quick look back at the previous year’s top West Virginia Beer Stories. Here’s what the Brilliant Stream team thought most significant.

# 1 – Five new breweries open in the state

In chronological order, the new breweries included:

Amani Brewing, Martinsburg. Opening last January, this brewery was the first to operate in Berkeley County since 2010. With the second-most population of any county in the state, this opening could be viewed as long overdue. Owner/brewer John quickly took Amani to the top echelon of WV breweries by releasing 33 different beers in the year, and recording an impressive 3.83 (out of 5 possible) overall score from over 1,600+ ratings on Untappd.com. (Amani article link)

Fife Street Brewing, Charleston. This much anticipated brewery in downtown Charleston became the first to open there in nine years. Following a May opening, it became the hottest beer ticket in town, staying absolutely packed for most of the summer. People loved the Fife beer, giving its 31 beer releases an overall 3.87 (out of 5) rating on Untappd with over 2,300 ratings in its first seven months. (Fife article link)

North Branch Brewing Company, Keyser. This first-ever brewery to open in Mineral County, North Branch had its roots in a popular pub of the same name. Pouring their first beers in June, the small-batch brewery went on to host popular beer & food pairing dinners and introduce local beer fans to true, West Virginia made brews. They keep at least one house-made brew on their tap list. (North Branch article link)

Clendenin Brewing, Clendenin. Last summer, the owners took a risk by opening a brewpub in a tiny town, but were rewarded with a strong following of local patrons. By year’s end, Clendenin beers could also be found in several bars and restaurants in the Charleston area. (Clendenin article link)

Charleston Nano-Brewery, Charleston. As the first brewpub to open on the West Side, the tiny operation attracted a good following of loyal customers. So positive was the response following its late summer opening, that the owners quickly committed to enlarge the one-barrel brewhouse to more than triple the brewery’s capacity and to add an outdoor beer garden in early 2023. (Charleston Nano article link)

#2 – Major expansions by existing breweries

Major expansion projects were either announced, underway, or completed at five existing breweries in 2022, including:

• Big Timber Brewing (new showcase Elkins taproom under construction),
• Short Story Brewing (new Charleston taproom opened),
• Chestnut Brew Works (major brewery expansion and new taproom under construction),
• The Freefolk Brewery (major brewery expansion and new taproom under construction)
• Stumptown Ales (new brewery taproom in Fairmont announced)

#3 – The Return of Beer Festivals

Local beer festivals returned in 2022 in a big way, as the public longed for fun outdoor gatherings in the post-COVID-pandemic environment. Beer festivals returning or starting up brand-new in 2022 included:

WV Cupcakes & Craft Beer • March 19	Foam at the Dome • April 30
Brewgrass WV Festival • May 28	Rails & Ales Festival • Aug. 13
Mountaineer BrewFest • Aug 20	Great Beckley Beer Festival • Sept 4
Happy Retreat Festival • Sept. 10	Kegs 4 K9s • Sept. 11
Shinnston Rollin’ Brews • Sept. 17	Oktoberfest in the Park • Sept. 24
OcktoberWest • Sept. 24	Chili’n on the Elk • Oct. 1
Hops on the Mon • Oct. 15	Corks & Kegs • Oct. 15
Wagging Tails & Nitro Ales • Nov. 5

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Were there other major West Virginia beer stories that you thought were just as or even more significant? Add them in the comments below.