The New Brews in Town
Charlottesville and its surrounding areas have long been a center for great wine and beautiful wineries, but over the past several years, Charlottesville has become a place for craft beer lovers as well. Just in the past six months, two new craft breweries have come to town, easily accessible right in downtown Charlottesville: Random Row and Hardywood. If you enjoy a good craft beer, you’ll love visiting both of these spots. We tried them out so we could give you some details on what you can expect!
Random Row opened this past fall, and it has been a hit from the start. When you come here, you’ll walk into a large, rustic-industrial taproom, and you’ll be able to see the brewing operations from your seat. They have a selection of beer that will appeal to any taste, with a tap menu that constantly rotates. We love the Beta Brown among others, but you can see what they currently have on their live menu online at any time. If you like food with your beer, you can bring something with you (to-go options from Timbercreek Market and Kardinal Hall are just a short walk away) or visit during the variety of times that they have food trucks available.
A unique aspect of Random Row is their variety of events. They seem to always have something going on- anything from family friendly events to yoga & brews and paint nights!
Hardywood just opened their doors in March on W Main St. near UVA, and they offer a 
taproom much different than Random Row’s. The industrial-style taproom is smaller, though there is ample seating available inside with a small outdoor patio option outside. The bar is large, and so is the beer selection. The beers here are quite unique and extremely drinkable. Their brewers know what they are doing, and though they are new to C’Ville, Hardywood is actually a well-established brewery from Richmond. Though their main operations are there, they do brew the beer that they serve right in their Charlottesville location as well, and you can watch them do so from the taproom!
They have 16 rotating taps at their new Charlottesville location, with a couple that constantly rotate cold brew coffee and kombucha. The rest are dedicated to offering small batch, seasonal and flagship craft beers. The Hardywood Pils is one of our favorites, especially for a light, refreshing beer for the summer weather. There aren’t as many food options here, but they have great snacks available, including delicious ice cream sandwiches and soft pretzels!
Though the two new craft breweries in Charlottesville are quite different from one another, they are both worth a visit for the craft beer extraordinaire and the average beer-enjoyer alike. Random Row and Hardywood offer unique tastes of the Charlottesville craft beer culture and a great way to kick back and enjoy a hot, summer afternoon or evening with a great beer in hand!
