An Inside Look at 1865 Brewing Co.

According to The Virginian Pilot, "1865 Brewing Co., slated to open as soon as late summer, will become a brewery themed after the history of the Fort Monroe area. The brewery will also be historic in its own right, as the first Black-owned brewery in Hampton Roads, and one of precious few in the beer industry nationwide."

Our new neighbors on Mallory Street are keeping history alive! Learn about their inspiration and upcoming brews in The HeART of Hampton: Episode 16.

Co-owner Whitteney Guyton offers an inside look at 1865 Brewing:

Tell us about your decision to open a Brewery, give us a bit of history about the naming of the company.

I was working on a different project (not the brewery) and needed a contractor.  I reluctantly met William for a business lunch at the behest of a mutual acquaintance – I was hesitant because I already had a person in mind for the job and I’m very picky about business partners (this was last November).  I’m so glad the acquaintance pushed me to go – it was kismet!  William brought his whole team to lunch and we talked for hours.  It was a breath of fresh air to instantly connect with like-minded people.  I hired him for that project and now we’re like family! 

William actually found the Brewery first and was working on that deal with a different partner.  I was instantly interested when he mentioned it, but he is loyal and kept moving forward with the other partner(s).  I respected that and when eventually, the project moved in a different direction, I was happy to join him as a co-partner.  As soon as I stepped into the space, things *clicked,* the building has an energy and a vibe to it, I knew we could create something special.

William handles the contracting/construction side of things and I handle the paperwork/project management tasks.  We’re a great team and work well together.  We applied for and received our brewery license in just two weeks – it should have taken 90 days.  We’ve had some setbacks due to COVID, specifically in the design aspect with items being delayed too long so we’ve changed direction and rebounded.

We recognize the fact that we are just down the street from Fort Monroe.  We know and respect the importance of that place.  Our tagline for the Brewery is “Freedom Starts Here.”  We truly believe that message and want our guests to feel that way when they walk in the door.  If you need a restart from your day, to recharge, whatever you need, we want to provide the space for that.  For us, the 1800s are when a powerful discussion around “humanity” started and when action started to happen.  Yes, the US was founded in the late 1700s, but we fully became the UNITED STATES in 1865.  That date is not just important to Black people, it’s important to all people.  1865 taps into the larger themes of humanity and human rights.  We honor the enormity of that year and want to keep the conversation going.  We want to cultivate a larger discussion about history.  And we want to share the story of the entire brewing process – the engineering that goes into each step, the craftsmanship of the hardware.  We want to celebrate the different minds that come together to brew beer and show everyone that walks in our doors that they have a place in the brewery world if they are interested.  Representation matters.  We want Black people, women, everyone to open their minds to possibilities and know they are welcome in this industry.

We are the first Black-owned brewery in Virginia.  Yes, there’s a distribution center for a brewery in Richmond that is black-owned, but that franchise wasn’t started here in Virginia.  Black people are very much underrepresented in the alcohol industry.  1865 Brewery is proud to be the first Virginia resident black-owned brewery.

Can you share opening details yet?  Any plans for an outdoor space?  Food?

Yes, we are aiming for a mid-October opening.  The inside has a cool, downtown loft feel where you can stop by in a t-shirt and jeans or your three-piece suit.  We will have a two-tier deck that will have a different vibe, it will be a fun party space.  The outdoor area is going to be awesome!  It’s going to have that feeling of, what’s happening out there, I have to be a part of that.

The tasting room will have an indoor and outdoor component.  We will offer a suggested pairing menu of our brews to the food truck we have on-site that day/night.  This will be carefully crafted by us and some of the food items will feature our beer in the cooking process as well.  We are very excited to offer this unique experience.

Eventually, we plan to open a distillery next door that will have a bar/lounge and full kitchen.  Those plans are still in the works and we don’t have a projected opening yet so stay tuned for that additional project.

What type/styles of beer can patrons expect from 1865?  Any plans to use unexpected ingredients?

We’re still determining our full menu, but we know we’ll have a mixture of IPAs, sours, and some light options. Our signature Freedom beer (IPA) will always be available on tap and we’ll rotate the other taps with experimental/seasonal flavors.  We want to keep things fresh, especially as the seasons change.  We are working to trademark a different type of beer that is spritzer-like and has a refreshing fruity quality.

We want to tell a story through our beer, start conversation and bring awareness.  We want this to be a neighborhood spot, a community space where you can bring a friend, a business appointment, or drop by solo.  Everyone is welcome.  If you need to come here to start over, do it.  If you need to recharge, we got you.  If you don’t drink beer or you aren’t feeling it, no problem!  We’ll also serve coffee, fruit cocktails, and we’ll have amazing food.  For us, it’s about the atmosphere, not just the beer.  We want people to think that this place is a good time, conversation starts here.  That this place is whatever you need it to be.

We plan to open each morning to serve coffee and pastries.  We will fresh brew coffee and are working with local distributors and farmers to offer as many local options as possible.  We’re also working with a local chef who’s competed on Chopped and Cupcake Wars to create our pastries.

Do you have any plans for special events?  To what types of things can patrons look forward?

We’ll have live music, classes, home brewing merch, tours, and corporate tastings.  Eventually we will have a second floor balcony that has a VIP feel.  We want this to be an inclusive, welcoming space.  We want you to walk in and feel that you belong, feel that this space is yours and will give you what you need – even down to the smallest detail, I want to be sure the Wi-Fi bandwidth is appropriate.

We also recognize the history of Phoebus and its once former days as a “Little Chicago.”  While tearing up the floor, we found old bottles from the Al Capone era and what we believe are horse bones.  We plan to display the old bottles and connect to the history of this area and specifically Phoebus.  Those stories will be highlighted through the brewery tour.

Watch Episode 16 of The HeART of Hampton to learn more about 1865 Brewing Co.!

Images sourced from 1865 Brewing Co.'s Facebook page.