Company History
Inspired by the craft brewing revolution and a thirst for great beer, I founded Blacksburg Brewing Co. with the help of my good friend, turned beer distributor, Chris Bernhardt. That's us pictured below at the original brewery in 2002.
Originally a small, artisanal microbrewery located in a Christiansburg warehouse, I operated BBC and Chris operated our distribution company, Blacksburg Beer Co. - the other BBC. (VA is a three-tier state, so beer must be channeled through a licensed distributor.)
We produced over six brands with varying availability at the original brewery. BBC beer was sold draft only to retail outlets via Blacksburg Beer Co. and brewery-direct to the general public. The majority of Blacksburg's bars and restaurants maintained at least one BBC tap. Here are some of the old logos that Nathan King designed for the brewery.
I was young, under-experienced, under-funded, and made a truckload of mistakes along the way. In May of 2004, I closed BBC to regroup. I spent a year and a half commuting weekly from my home in Blacksburg to work in other VA breweries (Capitol City Brewing Co. in Arlington and Old Dominion Brewing Co. in Ashburn) before returning to Blacksburg full time at the end of 2005, with a plan to reopen BBC.
A new location in the Blacksburg industrial park had already been secured the previous August, and the brewery equipment had been moved to the new site. I had planned to reopen BBC at what would have been its new location, unfortunately in December of 2005, I learned that things wouldn't work out with the new site.
In early 2006, I signed on as Production Manager at Starr Hill Brewing Co. in Crozet, VA and made the decision to put BBC's reopening on hold until it could be done right.
I left Starr Hill at the end of 2007 and I am currently attending the Certified Brewmaster Course at Versuchs- und Lehranstalt fur Brauerei in Berlin (VLB). Upon my return from Germany, I will be brewing BBC beer (under license) at a separately owned startup microbrewery, Roanoke Railhouse Brewing Company. I plan to brew one flagship lager and one rotating seasonal beer under the BBC name. I anticipate test brews to begin in early July 2008. Distribution of BBC beer will be limited to the NRV and packaged exclusively in kegs and growlers this fall.
There's nothing better than fresh, locally handcrafted beer, and a place like Blacksburg shouldn't be left out. I'd like to thank all of the loyal customers and true friends who have helped me to make it this far, and I look forward to brewing outstanding beer for you to enjoy in the future.
-John Bryce, brewer and owner