Brewery Spotlight

Red Dragon Brewery

Red Dragon Brewery’s name and logo are as intriguing as the drinks that they serve to their customers. Located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the brewery is popular among people who enjoy conversations and a cozy atmosphere along with fresh brews available every day. The brewery, which has been operational since August 15th, 2016, has been home to a number of events and memories, in addition to their house specialties: some fine English brews.

Red Dragon Brewery’s Story

The Red Dragon Brewery aims to have a mix of elite and refreshing common drinks that people can enjoy in their leisure time. The brewery is not currently aiming to exclusively sell the choicest beers because not everyone likes the offbeat and funky. Some people still prefer old-fashioned, comfort drinks, such as malty beers and heavy stouts. The place was opened by friends and co-owners Daniel Baker and Thomas Evans, who are natives of the city in which they started their passion venture. The chief brewer is Cody Natale, who has prior brewing experience in other establishments.

In an interview, Evans reveals that he has always been keen on the art and dabbled in home brewing on a casual basis around 2011. As he had personal commitments and couldn’t find a solid business partner, the idea was put on hold until everything fell in place around 2016. Although they got better offers and larger spaces than the Princess Anne Street location they are currently situated in, the duo weas keen on being in the center of the community that they wanted to give back to. Their aim was to create a place where people could get together and enjoy the arts and events of local establishments and people. They wanted this place to give out a homely vibe but with friends and lots of booze.

Just like with the renovation of the place, the business partners take a keen interest in the brewing process and the drinks that they serve. Their emphasis is on simple drinks with a hint of flavor or sturdy bitters, which have been popular with crowds almost since the day beer was first relished.

A couple of things that set this place from most others is their love for English beers and selection of a variety of beers, brewed in small batches, in their two tap, 90+ seating capacity taproom. Farmhouse ales, Belgian beers, sours, and stouts form the rest of their drink menu. Customers can drink them at the brewery or carry them in crowlers and growlers. The establishment also sells some popular merchandise, such as t-shirts and hats.

Limited edition beers are also available in traditional wooden barrels, called firkins, for those interested in carrying away much more than the 32 and 64 ounce containers. In case you’re interested in knowing more about firkins and anything else related to their beers, Red Dragon prides itself on making efforts to educate interested patrons about the beautiful complexities involved in brewing the drinks, starting from sourcing worts and hops to selecting the right kind of fermentation conditions.

Another interesting aspect about the brewery is their logo of choice. Their love for English beers extends to the Scottish, Irish, and Welsh specialties and is reflected in their brewing style as well. They are especially partial to the Welsh and display their national flag animal as their logo because the owners have ancestral relations from the region.

Image by Max Charp on Google Maps

Brewery Event Specials

Red Dragon is an integral part of its community via its regular events. Rather than keeping the vibe in the pub aloof and exclusive, the management is happy to allow the general public to participate in events every week between Tuesdays and Saturdays. Events such as Trivia Night, musical specials from Martin & Taylor, and a Rum Club every Saturday at 10 am is a great way to bring people together for good drinks, conversations, and a backdrop of entertainment. Another special the brewery has is for service industry workers, who get an extra 15 percent off all draft beers every Monday between 4 and 9 pm. It’s clear the brewery aims to attract patronage from people of all backgrounds and interests, which also makes it a smart marketing move.

Foodies who want to enjoy their pale ales with some scrumptious food won’t be disappointed either. In another smart business move, Red Dragon has partnered with several local food truck owners and posts their schedule prominently on their website. From tacos to pizzas and pig roasts, people can choose from a wide variety of items, making Red Dragon an even more popular spot.

Image by Karl LaFontaine on Google Maps

Public Reviews

Apart from having great reviews from critics on Untapppd and BeerAdvocate, Red Dragon is clearly a hit with the regular public too. A different atmosphere than most are accustomed to these days, customers can soak in the communal vibe in the amply proportionate space. As the place features a lot of local talents, customers are almost always treated with interesting games and an engaging family-like atmosphere. The rotating beer menus are especially appreciated by the public because they get to taste something different every time they visit and with interesting giveaways most times. The brewery aims to maintain high standards in terms of their limited brewing process, so customers always enjoy very fresh drinks, another aspect that has earned them brownie points. The delicious variety of food available from the food trucks has been a big hit with people too.

In order to serve their local members better, the brewery currently doesn’t sell on a retail basis, so you wouldn’t find a Red Dragon can, but you can always take away crowlers. Overall, the place has been highly rated for just about everything – its ambiance, the drinks, food from food trucks, and boost it gives to the community economy. So whether one’s looking to spend some quality family bonding time or play hours of card games with friends and have ears buzz pleasantly from alcohol, then Red Dragon is a must-visit spot in Fredericksburg.

You can visit the Red Dragon Brewery at 1419 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401. To know more about their brews, you can contact them via phone number at 540-371-8100 or a visit to their official website.

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