Legends aren’t born, they’re made

There are dozens of craft breweries in Richmond, some founded here + others which grew from other cities. Many boast dozens of taps, patios, full dinner menus + tasting rooms ― but one has been pouring pints since before many of these brewers were born.

Tom Martin opened Legend Brewing Company as a small tasting room + pub in 1994, making it the oldest operating craft brewery in the state of Virginia. Its original barroom could only hold about 20 people, at the end of a gravel road which used to be W. 6th St.

Tom Martin, the founder of Legend Brewing, behind the old bar, which was moved upstairs around 1998. | Photo provided

Making Richmond Legendary

As they say, success is all about location, location, location. We asked Dave Gott — the Vice President of Operations, who’s been a part of Legend Brewing since ‘96 — and he said the facility could’ve been anywhere in Virginia. But Tom, the founder, happened to visit Richmond, and walked out to the hillside. He saw the stunning skyline view of the city by the river, and he knew then he wanted to build the brewpub on the James.

The view from the front of Legend Brewing is one of the reasons Richmond was picked as its home | photo provided

One of the reasons Dave says Legend is still surviving + thriving is due to its ability to change with the times, but remain true to its roots. You may recognize the iconic unicorn on its logo, which has adorned all of Legend’s bottles + cans since its inception. It’s actually in honor of a deep, historical connection to Richmond’s landscape.

Legend Brewings Brown Ale is one of its most popular, this is its design from 2016. | Photo provided

“The unicorn is the coat of arms animal of the House of Scotland,” Dave said. “King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England … He’s the James of Jamestown and the James River … It’s a tiny bit of history right on the bottle.”

Straight from the 90s

At Legend, experience reigns supreme.

“Out of the 11 people working downstairs, I believe that’s a total of 200 years of brewing experience,” Dave said.

The first beer made at Legend Brewing was the Legend Brown Ale, an award-winning beer which is still popular in 2021. Meanwhile, the driver of 80% of Legend Brewing sales is the Legend IPA.

According to Jenna Jennings, the assistant production manager, Legend makes almost twice the amount of both the Brown Ale + IPA to hold in massive tanks attached to the taps you see at the bar. That way, the beer is fresh, cold + never runs out — no one likes a kicked keg.

Legend also bottles, cans + distributes all of the products themselves out of the garage below the restaurant. You can find their products at grocery stores + specialty beer shops across the state.

Legend went from 3 of these fermentors to over a dozen in its nearly 3 decades of business | Photo provided

Old + new, making it through

We asked Jenna + Dave about how they recommend beers for new visitors or those who aren’t exactly craft beer fans. Jenna has a system.

“I always ask, what is your go-to, what’s in your fridge at home, and I reflect that,” she said. “If they like a domestic, such as Miller Lite, I say go for the Pilsner. Or I offer them the flagship Brown Ale.”

As for what’s next, Legend Brewing released a brand-new beer last week, called “Fairy Crosses,” a raspberry saison.

Legend Brewing just released Fairy Crosses, a raspberry saison, last Thursday. | @legendbrewingco

It’s the latest in its urban legends series, the first being the Bunnyman Red based on a creepy story in Northern Virginia. According to Dave, there’s another one coming soon featuring a local legend, the Richmond Vampire.

It looks like we’ve got a new beer to look forward to and an old story to investigate — much like Legend Brewing itself, valuing the past while looking towards the future.

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