Photo by: Stephanie Breijo
Richmond's long-awaited Stone Brewing Co. outpost, located at Williamsburg Avenue and Nicholson Street in Fulton, quietly opened its Stone Company Store today. It's there that you'll find Stone merchandise, and, of course, beer: Though the Richmond brewery isn't up and running just yet, the store's taps are stocked with beer brewed in the company's headquarters in Escondido, California, and it's available by the pint, growler or tasting flight.
The Company Store's official grand opening will be held on March 2, with the brewery's grand opening slated for June or July, once the facility is brewing Richmond-made beer.
"We definitely want to do a Richmond-specific beer, sort of a tribute to Richmond and to Virginia, and we're still kind of working on ideas for that," brewing supervisor Nicole Mandala said at a December ceremony, adding, "The first year, once we get going, I think we can do a couple hundred thousand barrels in this facility [annually]."
According to Mandala, a large portion, perhaps even a majority, of Stone's East Coast beer will be brewed and provided by the Richmond location. Once the brewery is fully functional, it will produce 225 barrels of beer in a single batch; with roughly 248 pints in a barrel, this equated to roughly 55,800 per brew. Public tours of the facility will begin this summer, and the brewery's restaurant and beer garden is slated for 2017.
Until then, you can stop by the Company Store for a quick pint or two.
The Richmond Stone Company Store is located at 4300 Williamsburg Ave., and is open Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
Correction: This piece originally stated that the brewery will produce 225 barrels, equalling roughly 248 pints. In fact, one barrel produces roughly 248 pints, and the story has been updated to reflect this.
