USA, VA: Bryant’s Cider in Shockoe Bottom, Richmond adding beer to its menu
Just in time for Father’s Day, Bryant’s Cider in Shockoe Bottom is adding beer to its menu on June 18.
Bryant’s Brewing, located at 2114 E. Main St., is an outgrowth of Bryant’s Cider. The business will be launching three beers that day: a Kolsch, an amber ale and a hazy IPA. A selection of 13 beverages will be available on tap, including the beers, several barrel-aged and seasonal ciders, and a peach seltzer.
Bryant’s Cider is the maker of Unicorn Fuel, which is canned and distributed across the state. The canning began after owner Jerry Thornton moved the business from a small location in Jackson Ward to Shockoe Bottom with an eye toward expansion.
The timing of the new location, which opened in March 2020, was less than ideal. Canning and distributing the cider while businesses were shuttered helped keep the operation afloat.
“Beer was always an operating idea,” said Thornton, who started the paperwork to open a business in Richmond in the summer of 2017, shortly after completing a cider-making program at Cornell University.
That fall, he attended brewing school at the University of Richmond to learn the business and logistics side of the alcoholic beverage industry.
When Thornton realized his space in Shockoe Bottom was less suited for distribution than he first believed, he pivoted toward using it for future experimental creations.
Thornton plans to eventually create funky beers and sours at The Lab, in addition to more experimental, small-batch ciders than the ones offered at Bryant’s other location in Nelson County. The beers will be taproom-only to start, with the possibility of canning down the line.
Thornton hopes the new additions will expose beer lovers more to cider and allow them to develop more of an appreciation for it.
That said, he thinks the nascent brewery’s initial three offerings will be a pleasant surprise.
“We mill our own grain,” Thornton said. “I’m surprised at how well the beers turned out.”
10 June, 2022
