According to a report by ApartmentGuide, Leesburg has more breweries per capita than any town or city within 400 miles.
The study, which only considered towns or cities with more than 50,000 residents, listed the top-10 brewery capitals in the U.S. Leesburg came in tied for sixth with Vista, Calif., supplying 17 breweries per 100,000 residents.
Leesburg, with approximately 60,000 residents, was by far the smallest municipality on the list, compared to cities like Pensacola and Boulder.
Here’s a snippet of ApartmentGuide’s analysis of Leesburg as a beervana:
Today, Leesburg is easily accessible for visitors as the western terminus of the Dulles Greenway, a highway that funnels visitors from posh NoVa suburbs like Reston, Tyson’s Corner and Falls Church, with direct access from Dulles Airport.
But how did this picturesque Loudoun Valley hamlet with a downtown filled with antique stores and mom-and-pop shops become a beer capital? Call it a legacy heritage. While several Northern Virginia communities are buzzing with new craft brewery districts, Leesburg can thank its veteran brewpubs that came along long before the recent revolution.
The city staples have been bringing in some of the best crafts from around the country for years, and in turn, are attracting a plethora of newcomers. Local monument Tuscarora Mill (known as “Tuskies” by townies) has been offering residents local craft beer since the mid-1980s, seeding Leesburg reputation as a Virginia beer capital.
In addition to Leesburg’s vibrant bar and restaurant scene, it is home to many craft breweries, including:
- Vanish Farm Brewery
- Barnhouse Brewery
- Crooked Run Brewing
- Loudoun Brewing Company
- Black Walnut Brewery
- Black Hoof Brewing Company
- Bike TrAle Brewing
- Phase 2 Brewing
- Kettle & Grains
- Dog Money Restaurant and Brewery
The best part is that many of these breweries source ingredients from local farms and orchards for their craft brews. Tipping a pint in Leesburg is one way of supporting the farmers that surround the town.
If drinking good beer and supporting local farmer isn’t quite enough reason to celebrate, keep this in mind: neighborhood craft breweries have also been linked to higher home values.
According to a study published in March 2019, “single-family homes saw their value increase by nearly 10 percent after a brewery opened within a half-mile of the property, and center-city condos got a nearly 3-percent bump.”
To find the perfect greater Leesburg brewery, see our full list here.
