Jul/Aug 2020 - Lynchburg Living
Starr Hill Brewery Kicks Off Downtown Lynchburg’s Taproom Explosion
Photos by Ashlee Glen
Dan Powers shares the excitement many people in Lynchburg feel about the opening of Starr Hill Brewery’s newest location. “I can’t tell you just how often I go in somewhere and I’m wearing my Starr Hill gear and people are always asking about it,” Dan said. “People are just so excited to have us open up in Lynchburg and open up in downtown.”
Dan is the general manager of Starr Hill’s Lynchburg location at the corner of Main and 13th streets. The company started in Charlottesville in 1999. They moved to Crozet in 2005 and opened locations in Roanoke and Richmond in the past three years. Dan joined the Starr Hill team in February, but he has a lot of experience in the beer industry, previously working in beer distribution for Virginia Eagle.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted so many businesses in our area, but it didn’t slow down construction at Starr Hill. “The construction team, Jamerson Lewis, they have been just fantastic. They have done a fantastic job of staying on task, on timeline,” Dan said.
It did impact how they opened, though. Starr Hill started off offering beer for pickup on Friday afternoons, while waiting to hear when they would be able to open up the taproom. Then on June 19, they were finally able to open the taproom in a limited capacity.
Starr Hill offers 24 different beers on tap. Popular brews include the Ramble On Juicy IPA and The Love Wheat Beer. Dan says The Love is a hit with people who might be newer to craft beer. “It’s pretty palatable and it’s not necessarily hoppy or bitter. It’s very approachable,”
Dan explained. They don’t offer food, but you can bring food in or have it delivered. You can also get bottles, cans and growlers to go.
Dan is also working to add some outdoor seating, so you can enjoy Starr Hill’s beers while social distancing. He is turning two parking spots on 13th Street into a “parklet.” “It’s basically a pergola deck. That is something we are looking to do here pretty soon so that we will be able to offer some sort of patio seating,” Dan said.
Starr Hill is the first of several breweries opening up downtown in 2020. Others include Champion Brewing Company and Three Roads Brewing.
