Damascus Brewery

How did we start?

Hi! To answer that I’d have to say that “WE” is actually Me! I’m Adam Woodson (the guy in the black shirt), brewery founder, daddy extraordinaire, and the first employee. I started out as so many brewers do brewing 5 gallon batches in college to drink and have fun. From these simple beginnings 12 years ago I began growing my own hops and brewing countless batches of homebrew to completely refine recipes and develop some new ones.

Not all were great, just ask my friends, but after a while I learned what to do (and what not to do) and my beer started becoming better than what I could find in stores. I had been looking to move to Damascus, Virginia for several years but there were no jobs in the area that were in my field– Chemistry and Biotech. Since there was no work in the area I had to create my own job using other skill sets. That is when the idea hit me of starting a brewery!

I didn’t have a gang of wealthy investors (or any investors) and the thought of going further in debt during the “Great Recession of 2010” was not really an option so I decided to push all my chips in, roll the dice, and do it all by myself.

So I started looking into it and fully expected to hit a dead end — but before I knew it I was a legal brewery!! Having worked lots of odd jobs to pay my way through college it really helped out when building this brewery as I was able continue doing it all on my own. Not only a has the building of this brewery been a great test of all my skills; it has also been a great way to truly make everything “craft”– not just the beer! When you visit you will see that everything has been hand crafted– the lighting, the welding, the woodwork, the graphic art, and even this website!

I really am not try to brag here, just try to show to other brewers or anyone else out there that if you want something, to go out there and give it a shot. The most dangerous risk of all is the risk of spending your life NOT doing what you want on the bet that you can afford the freedom to do it later in life. I am not the best welder, but my equipment is functional and it makes AMAZING beer…..and that my friends at the end of the day is all that matters. 🙂