STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. – Newly added brewing equipment at Highmark Brewery in Stafford County takes this already-established name in local beer to another level. Moving beyond its menu of eight standards and a few rotating beer types, Highmark is setting a new note on the brew scene with the recent installation of three new fermentation tanks, three extractors, and a modern keg washer.
“To continue to expand, we needed to update,” said brewmaster Josh Alley whose been with them a few years as they waded through the ups and downs. With the new equipment, “we’ll be able to put new rotating styles out and possibly get back into canning,” Alley said.
As with all new things, there’s a learning curve, so they expect that in a few weeks, the new brewery will be in full swing. In the spring, they feature more lightweight beers and brew the darker beers in the colder months.
The new brewing vats are made by Cassman, a company based in Jinan City in the Shandong Province of China. They supply brewing equipment to over 60 countries. Highmark imported the materials before the tariffs came into play.
Many from the local brewing community helped out with this expansion. There was Jessie Zhang, a star sales coordinator with Cassman, and Casey J. Blaylock and Butch from Northern Neck Brewery that helped clean kegs over the past five months before they got the new keg cleaner. Pete and Michelle Sullivan of Sullivan Towing and Recovery helped unload the new brewing equipment from the shipping container. Barry K. Boyd from Barley Naked Brewing Company added a hand at the last minute.
Highmark opened a 3500-square-foot facility in February 2017. At that time, they had six core beers and had expanded slightly through the years before this endeavor in early May.
At that time, there weren’t many breweries in Fredericksburg, but now the list of local breweries includes the Red Dragon Brewery, Six Bears and a Goat, Strangeways, Water’s End, and BJ’s Brewhouse. There is a smaller Highmark in King George that serves beer from the Fredericksburg brewery. On Sundays, the Fredericksburg location hosts a bluegrass band.
The brewery at 390 Kings Highway, just outside Fredericksburg, is rented out for wedding receptions throughout the year.
