MANASSAS — After downsizing BadWolf Brewing Company this past year, owners Jeremy and Sarah Meyers said that they have faced challenges, but are enjoying more creative control over a single location and a return to an artisan model of brewing.
“Looking back on the past year, we couldn’t really see through the trees, but now we’ve got a clearer vision of where we’re headed,” Sarah shared.
The Meyers said that although they are smaller now, they have the distinction of being the first brewery in Prince William County.
The company has undergone changes, but the business operates similarly.
“The biggest difference is that I’m the only one doing the brewing now,” said Jeremy. Before, Jeremy played a largely administrative role overseeing brewers working beneath him. “We’ve returned to an artisan model where I make and bottle all of the beer,” he said.
When BadWolf first opened on Center Street five years ago, Prince William County’s zoning ordinances required such establishments to be located in industrial centers, not in retail centers where you typically find restaurants. Manassas officials had already changed these ordinances and made a deal with BadWolf to open in the city.
In 2015, a second location that came to be known as “Big BadWolf” opened at Kao Circle. Some of the company’s most successful brews, such as Mother Pucker and Jessie’s Girl, were made there, and a team of brewers worked with Jeremy, manufacturing releases of 1,400 to 1,800 cases of bottled beer. That location closed earlier this year, after the Myers made the decision to “go back to our roots” of crafting small-batch, artisan brews.
“There were a bunch of breweries opening and we hit a critical mass,” said Jeremy. “Everyone starts thinking it’s a good business to get into, and before you know it, it’s not a good business anymore.”
Manassas currently has a wealth of breweries, including Sinistral Brewing, 2 Silos, Heritage Brewing, Farm Brew LIVE, and Eavesdrop Brewery.
“Managing the two locations made it difficult to control what we wanted to do creatively,” said Jeremy. “You’re constantly at the mercy of what the distributor and retailer wants.”
As reported in April, a lack of working capital and increased competition from other breweries led to the company’s downsizing. The Meyers have adapted to the change, and they now have the ability to focus on their family and small-batch brewing with exciting flavors. A new business, Tucked Away Brewing Company, now operates at the Kao Circle location.
“It’s still a lot of work. In some ways, it’s more work than when we had the big place,” said Jeremy. “But it’s not nebulous work. I know that I have to go in and brew beer, rather than worrying about managing brewers or repairing machines.”
“I feel better and less stressed, and our customers have noticed the difference,”
The smaller brewery is also able to pivot and make changes to brews on the go. “It’s cool that we can be so niche, and whip up an experimental beer on the fly,” said Sarah, citing examples such as a “gumbo stout” they conceived with Okra’s. “We’re spry and we can do whatever we want with the beers,” Jeremy said.
“And it’s fun again,” Sarah added. “It’s easier as a family to manage a smaller business.”
BadWolf is keeping busy with community events and new autumn beers, continuously rotating new flavors on tap. Classic favorites such as Mother Pucker are being rebooted and coming out in 22-ounce bottles. Upcoming events include Wicks and Sips, where customers can make their own candle while sampling BadWolf brews, in collaboration with Shining Sol candle company in downtown Manassas. A special dinner with Okra’s Cajun Creole is scheduled for October 10, where diners will get to try five new BadWolf brews paired with Okra’s food.
“We’re fortunate enough to still be here. The brewing scene has changed in Prince William County and Manassas,” Sarah said. “But both of us are happy to be doing this, and it’s an honor to be able to own our own business and work in this city.”
