Tin Cannon Brewing Company

Beer is always great… wide variety of beer and all are good… Friendly staff and always helpful… family friendly environment with booster seats. Very clean bathrooms but no changing tables… the plus is free bags of chips that go great with beer!!! Love this place!!!

This review is a composite of 2 visits. $ 7 flights of 4 beer samplings. I didn’t especially like or dislike anything. As with 90% of the new-​ish microbrews I’ve visited, Tin Cannon is set in an industrial park, and GPSs aren’t a lot of help to find the location. But there is a pizza place nearby to pick up some grub, or you can order in. They also have extra space in the brewery area in back and games.
Flagship beers:
Brunch of Champions: Too sweet
VA Blonde: Pretty decent
Non-​Flagship beers:
Unkel Dunkle: really good dark Hefeweizen; possibly my favorite
Double Tap: OK
One Night Pale Ale: No!
Biggest Small Beer: sorta like Guinness, but not as good
Abby’s Pale: must have high IBUs, since I wasn’t a big fan
Honey We’re On A Date; Belgium wheat, pretty good

Great beer selection and great staff. The diversity of the beer styles is just right and the quality is even better. I would rate 4 ½ stars if it was allowed and the only reason not a 5 is its based on only one visit.
Really liked the following beer:
Rusted Pipe Imperial Red IPA
Busted Pipe Black IPA
Strawberry Blonde
Humble Admiration
The only one I didn’t care for was the Cavalier Joe which I thought was too boozy. I love barrel aged stuff, but this was too much.

I’ve become a regular at Tin Cannon. I try to get over at least once a week. I enjoy the range of brews that they lovingly and so expertly craft! I’ve tasted most of the beers they’ve made.
My favorites now include:
Rusted Pipe Imperial Red IPA (8.3% ABV)
Busted Pipe Black IPA (6.3% ABV)
Twin Cannons DIPA (8.8% ABV)
The Rusted Pipe Imperial Red IPA is now my absolute favorite!
They recently did an outstanding collaboration beer with Big Bad Wolf (Manassas, VA) — called Redrum! (Think «The Shining» movie reference!) A saison/​farmhouse style beer — really good!
But you need more than good beer — you need good people — and Tin Cannon has loads of that! Everyone is so nice! I’ve gotten to know some of the staff, as well as some of their families — and they are a super wonderful bunch of folks! Aaron Ludwig, John and Marcy Hilkert, Abbi Hilkert, Sabrina and Rich Barnhart, Jose Ortiz, Angelika Guy, and all the rest!
They do all sorts of special events — live music, trivia, and more! On weekends, they’ll have a guest food truck out back. You can also order in for delivery or bring food in from other places.
I love Tin Cannon and the TC family! Check out their brewery!

Good beer, good service, great corn hole. Ang is the best thing about this place, next to the beer. You always feel welcome, the Brewers, owners and beertenders are welcoming, and they often have special events, food trucks, etc to help augment the experience. Watch out for Sabrina and her selfie stick, she loves that thing!

If you wanna try some great beer stop in and John and the crew. it will be worth it

I love beer but this is my first visit to one of the local breweries. I did not know quite what to expect but my wife and I had a good time. A small but adequate tasting room. If the tables and bar are full do not forget to look on the back wall for stools on the bar table that runs the length of the back wall. We kept to ourselves at our table for two but the service was fast and friendly. The crowd at the bar was lively and a couple of the other tables had families with kids. I tried two flights of the 4 oz samplers and my wife had a root beer for about $ 17. A great variety of beers and I liked them all for what they are. My favorite is the Twin Cannons a wonderful DIPA. I would like to have seen a couple more TV’s around the tasting room. It is a small space but 3 TV’s do not cut it if more than one sporting event is being displayed. We will definitely be back.

Hot Sunday afternoon, what do you want? BEER eh!
Taste: Goooood! I like their hef style the most. They have about 10 kinds.
Price: $ 6– /​pint, flight 4 for $ 7
Atmosphere: Casual cozy. 3 tv. Some couples and some single men, i saw.
Customer service: Simply great!
Tip: Free chips and pretzel small bags.
Location: Close to I-​66 and good restaurants like Taste of India;q
I’d like to go back there again!

Cool spot, good beer and excellent service. We’ll be back for sure! When we asked a question about the hops used, a brewer came out and filled us in. They have bags of assorted chips for bar snacks and occasionally have a food truck.

A nice variation on a similar theme we see in NoVa breweries.
Set back off the road in an industrial type park, it’s fairly accessible with adequate parking and signage.
This was a lively Saturday evening crowd and they had the rock music cranked up.
I sat at the bar and checked over the beer menu which is creatively written on an oak loading pallett painted black.
There are quite a number of interesting beers and you get a choice of ½ pint or full.
Or you can get a 32 or 64 ounce growler fill.
I opted for a pint of the ‘Pleased To Wheat You’, I was very pleased indeed. Fresh taste, light and flavorful.
I like that they offer a 15% military discount.

When you can’t get Belching Beavers PB Stout, settle for a PB Porter. It’s actually pretty good. More of a nutter butter taste than a Reeses Cup taste like I was expecting, but still an excellent beer. You can’t go wrong with Peanut Butter. It’s called a porter, but tastes almost like an amber with its metallic taste. Looks like a dark brown.
Excited to try their other beers!
The staff seems real friendly. They are awesome, super friendly.
Now the root beer is bomb. A slight liquorice flavor, but delicious nonetheless.
Love the atmosphere and music here. It like 2005. The good times.
The Unkel Dunkel Heffenweizen. Slightly banana, smooth simple. Kinda ambery but smoother than that. A Great beer for people getting into craft beer.
Black and Tan
The most delicious. The tan is the twin cannon for sure, but the black is busted black pipe? Idk anymore… I just know it tastes great.

I’m going to confess, if I could marry Tin Cannon Brewery I would. I love this place for several obvious reasons; the deliciously sexy beer, the easy to be around environment, the fun that can be had and the long lasting memories that I’ve already created with friends. But what I love most about Tin Cannon is the incredibly awesome, super nice, and always helpful staff (and owners).
The beer is unique in so many ways and I think there’s a flavor for just about everyone. They do offer samples, but the best way to perfect your beer tongue and hone in on your beer of choice is to get a few flights and try them all. My personal favorites are the Unkel Dunkel (drooling), The Breakfast of Champions (mmmm…bacon), and Vaughn’s Peanut Butter (yes, peanut butter).
Once you’ve selected what’s best for your palate you can then consider if you want a 32oz or 64oz Tin Cannon refillable growler for home consumption. This is great because then you can have it when they’re closed during the week, use it to spread the word at a friend’s party or take it camping, which is how I was introduced to them by a friend (hat tip to Dan). Pricing for the growlers and the brews are all very reasonable in my opinion. When it comes to the growlers the bigger you go the more you save, so that’s a win in my book. By the way, if you already have a growler (s) from another brewery (s) bring it on in as they’ll fill that too. Just make sure your growler is clean because they do have OCD (and they want to keep things on the up and up, sanitation wise).
The décor of this joint is a simple, clean and stylish industrial look, which is just the way I like it. There is plenty of seating to go around and if it’s a little crowded, don’t worry it’s cool to hang around in the back like you’re one of the family. They have lots of board and card game options which include my personal favorites Cards Against Humanity and Jenga. In the back they’re got a ping pong table, cornhole boards and even a brewery (imagine that) that they’re proud to show off (ask for a tour). One of the most important aspects of this place is the bathrooms. They are always clean and even well setup, which is key because too often in places like this that is not the case. I’m told this is the product of the wives involved, so kudos to them for the wise business decision.
As I mentioned, my absolute favorite part of this fine establishment is the staff. Every time I have visited they treat me like I’m part of the family. From the moment you walk in you’re greeted with smiles. The service is always prompt. It’s not uncommon to interact with the owners as they’re usually there, so make a point to tell them how awesome the place is. They’ll be happy to hear it, I promise. And if you have a crush on John (guilty), ask him to make his silly special Virginia Blonde/​Busted Pipe black & tan. It’s like heaven in a glass, or maybe that’s just the angel that’s pouring it. I’m still trying to figure that out.
Also, if you’re fan make sure you ask about Tin Cannon schwag as they offer T-​shirts, stickers, magnets and if my memory is correct they even sell the glasses. Stealing the free coasters doesn’t count so show them some love by wearing your favorite Tin Cannon shirt with pride and telling everyone that you support your local brewery.
While the hours state that they close at 9pm this is not exactly the case. If they have customers and it is past 9pm they will continue to serve the beautiful brews. Something tells me you’re money is always welcome. Which by the way, they use Square so paying your tab is super easy and convenient.
Another point of note is that they don’t serve food, although they do have some prepackaged variety name brand chips in case you need something to soak up the suds. If you’re starving you can order from the local pizza joint and they have the menus to assist with that. Otherwise, get your grub on prior to visiting, but make sure to leave some room for the brew.
The beer menu is subject to change so make sure you follow them on one or more of their various social media sites to stay up to date on the latest and greatest offerings.
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Google+:
Oh yeah, if you’re law enforcement make sure you bring your badge to get a discount as they’re big fans of 5-​Oh.
Wow, I think I just wrote some of the longest wedding vows ever. Hopefully they will say «We do.»
*This business is gun carry friendly. However, please remember that carrying a firearm and consuming alcohol is not only stupid, but it’s against the law. Use your better judgement and leave the piece at home if you plan on imbibing. But If you’re the DD, you get double high fives for being safe two times over.

Tin Cannon Brewing Company is, like most VA breweries that I have been to, in a small industrial park off a main road. It’s Gainesville’s first nano-​brewery and as such is already a local hot spot.
The tasting room is medium-​sized and pretty simple, but very clean. There is a tasting bar and about 15 – 20 high tops with chairs around the room, a back wall of bar stools, a cute assortment of board games (love this), then a corn hole area out back past the brewery itself. The staff is very friendly and welcoming.
They have an ever changing list of beer and their website and facebook page are updated often to show what is currently on tap.
Since it was my first visit, I tried a sampler of 4. The VA Blonde (meh), the Pleased to Wheat you (very good), The Breakfast of Champions (omg!!!) and Vaughn’s Peanut Butter Porter (omg+ice cream).
I am happy to report that I am now obsessed with their Breakfast of Champion beer – it tastes like ham. No joke (and yes I know how weird that sounds). It’s made with bacon and chipotle peppers, and it is just fanfreaking tastic. Since TCBC is a nano-​brewery, I know it won’t be around for long and this thought already makes me a little sad. Seriously, give it a try, although it may be confusing at first (since you don’t need to chew it) you will probably feel like you are eating the best breakfast of your life.
Then for dessert, I would recommend the Peanut Butter Porter with a scoop of ice cream on top. Yep. That is right. They make a beer float and boy is it good!!! I liked the porter on it’s own. It’s warm PB flavor isn’t overpowering, but adding vanilla ice cream really makes for an awesome combo.
Final thing to note: Tin Cannon doesn’t sell/​serve food but they do let you bring in your own and there is a pizza place next door that will bring your food right to your table.

As a local and craft beer enthusiast I was really excited to see Tin Cannon open up a few miles from my home. On our first visit I was not disappointed.
The Vaughn’s Peanut Butter Porter was my absolute favorite. They cut down the hoppiness with the peanut butter taste just enough to leave a slightly bitter, yet peanut-​y aftertaste with a pleasant aroma.
The Gilligan’s Island Ginger Pale is really unique and refreshing. There aren’t a lot of other beers that are good comparisons. One of the thrills of craft breweries is finding bold flavors that you don’t experience on a regular basis. The GIGP meets that goal well.
The staff is really friendly. I think my wife and I talked to everyone who worked there in our hour long visit. With traditional bar scenes essentially illegal in Virginia, this is the closest you can get to a neighborhood watering hole.
I’m looking forward to trying their Dunkel, which was out when we went and apparently goes quick, and a bacon flavored experimental.
I just wish they were open more!

Seriously impressed with the folks at this nano brewery. They are friendly and give free tours of their operations, explaining the whole beer making process. My husband love the Rusted Pipe IPA and I loved the Uncle Dunkle. They have new specialty brews every few weeks. Gives us motivation to come back every two weeks to try their new stuff. The free potato chips were a nice touch. :)

Awesome staff! This place is fun and clean there are many options for beer and I really like the peanut butter brew. I will defiantly be back!

Alright, another VA brewery, nothing special, nothing that stands out.
Great staff, industrial yet warm and inviting tasting room that opens out into their mini brewery, pretty cool but again nothing I haven’t seen or experienced before. Perhaps when they start experimenting on their beers they could be something more, but for now, they are a safe bet with safe beer that tastes good but won’t have people going out of their way to try if they aren’t local.
Don’t believe the hype, their Peanut Butter has nothing on DuClaw and nothing on Isley’s Choosy Mother by any stretch of the means, theres no flavor.

I am a huge fan of local breweries. Badwolf, Heritage, Old Bust Head… you will find me at these pretty frequently.
Tin Cannon is the newest addition, and is a great one for several reasons.
1. It’s hard to explain how much care and devotion go into brewing great beer to someone who isn’t a brewer. Aaron has some serious chops as a homebrewer for many years and it is evident from the taste of the recipes that these guys are killing it with the new equipment.
2. Not too cool for school. Sometimes brewery staff can be pretty uninterested in their customers. Not so at Tin Cannon.
3. Nice taproom and great location.

Dang!!! I added the business during its grand opening weekend and I didn’t even get a chance to write the first review!
Take a look at the pics I posted and you’ll get a quick snapshot of what to expect. Pretty cool décor and wood artwork on the walls. It’s a new microbrewery in Gainesville.
The Beer: They have a great selection and variety of beer for your choosing. I’m not 100% on whether they change up the menu (I’d assume some will be regulars and some will be specials), but on opening weekend this was the menu of 7:
VA Blonde
Cali Blonde
Honey We’re On a Date
Unkel Dunkel
Vaughns PB
Breakfast of Champions
Black IPA
The order is important because it’s the best way to enjoy the beer starting with the lighter blonde ale to the ridiculously hoppy black IPA. How do I know this? Well, I asked!!! I’m not a beer connoisseur, but I certainly know there’s an order to how you’re supposed to enjoy craft beer (just like wine). I ordered a flight, which comes with 8, 4-​ounce tastings of your selection. This being my first time here, I went with all 7 and doubled up on the Honey We’re On a Date.
Recommendations: Unkel Dunkel — it was soooooo bizarre in a good way! There was no traditional beer after taste… as if there were no hops whatsoever in it. The taste wasn’t as flavorful or rich, but it was crazy smooth and I enjoyed it. Honey We’re On a Date added a little sweetness but not too much, and I tend to enjoy blondes more than IPAs, so the VA and Cali Blondes were both good to me. The Breakfast of Champions and Vaughns PB were outside of my realm of enjoyment but, hey, give it a whirl and see what you think! I’m just not down with drinking bacon or peanut butter flavored drinks… or anything that resembles food for that matter. I’m not a fan AT ALL of Bloody Mary’s if that helps you understand my drift. And yeah, I don’t like IPAs in general so I passed on that one too. Overall, I really liked the variety and the staff was super friendly and knowledgeable when I asked about the different selections.
My two reservation about this place: NO TVs!!! Seriously. I think that’s a bad move, but hopefully it works out for them. It’s already hard to steer folks away from the larger bars and breweries, add the inability to watch sports or TV in general, and I find it super hard to believe that’s a winning combination. The hours of operation are Friday-​Sunday and during peak sporting events times. Ehhh, I just don’t get it. My second concern is the location. I don’t spend time in Gainesville when I’m in the DMV visiting, so that’s my disclaimer. I’m told that it’s really close to the Nissan Pavilion so the push is to draw traffic from the events letting out into the brewery. Sounds like a plan to me. The only thing is that the location seemed completely in the cut… it’s not on the main street so there’s no visible signage, and it’s located in the BACK of an industrial, small office strip. Even once we pulled in, we had to drive around searching for the address, sign, door, etc. to find the place. Marketing and advertising will be key here for sure. It seems to me like you really need to know that you’re looking for TCBC specifically — through word of mouth or something else. It just didn’t seem like the location where someone would just stumble upon it.

TCBC! Love this place and very happy it’s open so close to the main attractions in Gainesville. Their flagship brews are all worthy of filling a growler and taking home and definitely looking forward to more seasonal and experimental brews as well.
Since they don’t serve food there, they’re very accommodating to guest bringing in a pizza from next door and enjoying pints, trying flights of samplers and hanging out.
The owners and staff all display a comfortable, hospitable personality that you’d expect from some folks whose home brewing dreams came true with a small craft brewery… love that we have another brewery in our corner of Northern Virginia!