Adroit Theory Brewing Company

Per my check-​in, it’s clear I was unaware the brewery closes at 8. However, guy next to me (that came with me) got served and I was ignored. 12 people with numerous tastings at bar and outside. 10 minutes passed before I got anyone to look at the other two of us and I was told didn’t I know they closed at 8?
Couple next to us who had six tastings told the bartender he was surprised to see that they were
The only local brewery closing at 8 on a Sat night.
We are too.
So no drinks tonight and a very disappointing experience.

5 stars for the beer– it’s fantastic. The barrel aged beer has great depth and is so good.
But: 1– you can get it at Wegmans
2– The bartenders are not super friendly. It was like they were more interested in keeping up with a tiny crowd than helping people.
3– no set flight price
4– not very family friendly, especially compared to others in Purcelville. They went industrial in a garage but without seating it’s not ideal.
Loved the beer though. Some of the best. If only they cared about everything else as much.
Stop two on the 4 stop Father’s Day brewery tour.

First off the vibe here is really different. If you like metal, hardcore, or punk music this is the place for you. If you like high octane beer and cigars this is the place for you. If you like rebellion this is the place for you. The beers are different. Artistic. You have to come here with an open mind and a liver ready for action. If this is you, Adroit Theory will rock your world. If it is isn’t don’t bother.

We went here on Mother’s Day. It was almost empty. I enjoyed my beer tastings. I really like the Caramel Macchiato Imagination Atrophy. I thought the beer was interesting and tasty — at least the ones that I had. They also have a nice patio, so if it’s warm and sunny, sitting outside would be a treat.
I agree with the reviews about the workers and their inattentiveness. In fact, I overheard one patron asking the guy behind the bar to get off his phone so he could talk to him about the beer.
I’ve been at other breweries where the staff is eager to talk about their beer. That is not the case here.

Their beer though…
Im so glad that my husband indulges my whims. We came here on a lazy Saturday and I was smitten after my 1^st sip. My husband and I shared a full flight, but their beers have such high ABVs we couldve used another person to not get so toasty.
The ‘décor’ here is not fancy, the artwork is metal inspired as are the labels and beer names. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, we had a great time with them.
I fully recommend trying things here that you might not like from other places. for instance, Im not really a saison gal, but their hibiscus saison, the Persona Non Grata, is fabulous. I also greatly enjoy their Fear Is your Only God, their B/​A/​Y/​S (Black As Your Soul) stout series, and their Caramel Macchiato milk stout.
I encourage you to make the trek to Purcellville, with a group, and get your delicious metal on.

Maybe we caught this place on a random day, but totally unimpressed.
Walked into the warehouse/​taproom around 12:30pm on Saturday. There was already a crowd with a full bar of standing guests hanging out and chatting. The place was very quiet for the amount of people there. I don’t recall and music playing, but my husband said he does remember some sort of weird music in the background — obviously it must have been turned WAY down because I don’t remember anything…
We sat at an empty table and started to browse the menu. LOTS of choices — but what was really annoying is that not one employee or bartender said hello to us or came by the table to talk about their beer or even just to tell us that you must order at the bar. We sat there for close to 10 min when my friend said maybe we better walk up to the bar to get some drinks.
We got the bar and I ordered 3 tasting samples — all range from $ 3.00-$ 4.50 for the SMALL tasting glass. That seems a bit much considering it’s just a few sips of beer for that price. And like another Unilocaler mentioned, there is no food other than small mason jars of cheesecake. If you just wanted a cheesecake and didn’t pair it with a beer of choice, I think it was $ 8.00! INSANE! At least offer some pretzels or small snacks to go with the beer.
The staff seemed completely uninterested in being there and the atmosphere just seemed so dull. It IS a bar, but everyone was basically whispering as if you needed to keep your voice down! It was only in the 50’s that day so the big garage doors were not open and no one was sitting on the patio.
With no food — dull, boring staff — and pricey beer samples, I don’t believe we will be back.

My friends and I had a nice time at this brewery. It is set in a large warehouse. When we arrived there were a few brand ambassadors who greeted us and explained the selections to us. I guess at any given time there are probably about 20 different beers on tap? $ 3 small tastings and $ 4.50 tulip size beers. A lot of the beers are barrel aged in mezcal, rum, tequila or brandy barrels, among others. I tried the Gin Herb, Lemon and Basil saison which was really delicious. I also had the Tulepo Cinnamon and Orange Braggot, mainly because I had never heard of a Braggot before. It was pretty good too.
There is some outside seating if the weather is nice and some indoor seating too. They don’t really have any food except cheesecake, for some reason. The anarchy theme of the brewery is over the top, I agree, but they have some really interesting beers which are worth your time to explore. A bunch of people had babies or dogs there too, if you are hoping to bring one or the other.

This is tough. Could possibly be a great place. But I can’t afford to drink there, and neither can many other people I have talked to who no longer go there. Samples can be almost $ 5 and you get just 2−3ozs. Full glass is like $ 9. I have been there a few times and decided I can go to many other places and get more for my time and money. The Beer. It’s incredible! But to be a regular you have to join a $ 300 club to get a discount. Drop the club, samples at $ 3 a crossed the board. $ 5 – 8 a full pour, and get a food truck out side on the weekends. I can’t drop $ 50 – 60 to taste a few beers and get a growler filled. I have the money to do it, just won’t.

Can’t think of anything about this place that was negative. Drove from York Pa, and wasn’t disappointed. Planning another trip in the near future. Loved everything, atmosphere, music, friendly /​knowledgeable service and can’t forget the beer selection. Not what I consider a «normal» selection, but thats what attracted me to Adroit Theroy.

If you sort my Untappd check-​in list by highest ratings, you’ll see a trend among the beers I’ve enjoyed the most, namely that many of them are barrel-​aged. I like the rich, boozy flavors of a porter, stout, or barleywine that’s been sitting in a barrel previously used to age bourbon, cognac, or port. Given that barrel-​aging is Adroit Theory’s specialty, this was something of a pilgrimage for me, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I accidentally scheduled my visit for a day when they were having their second anniversary party, which meant dealing with a few negative aspects, including having to pay an $ 11 entry fee (although it included a glass with their logo and my first pour of beer), their tiny taproom being absolutely packed with people. and the three or four bartenders being swamped so that even when you elbowed your way up to the bar, it took a few minutes to get served. The biggest mystery to me is why they were still apparently allowing growler fills, which slows everything down. At least the staff managed to stay pretty friendly despite being so overworked. All that being said, it wasn’t a terrible experience, but I prefer to just sit and sip some beers, not stand and get jostled like at a rock concert.
If it hadn’t been for the superb quality of the beers I would have been an unhappy camper, but it’s hard to pout when you’re sipping a generous pour of a smooth imperial stout aged in cognac barrels. I tasted five of their beers, and while I liked some better than others, all were excellent examples of how barrel-​aging can enhance the complexity of flavors in beer.
Their goth/​metal theme seems a little gimmicky to me, and the absurd manifesto about non-​conformism hanging on the wall sounds like the ramblings of a high school misfit’s diary, but I prefer not to let the trappings distract my focus from the beer itself. If you’re into session IPAs and cloudy wheat beers, you’ll need to move along friend. Adroit Theory doesn’t serve your kind. If you’re looking to really explore the darker side of the street, where the ABV numbers are mostly in the double digits and it will take you several sips to really nail down all the swirling complex flavors hitting your tongue, this is your place.

Awesome beer just a very packed house today due to a special event so I’m not sure how it is on a normal day. Today all the beertenders were working at max capacity and doing the best that they could. The beer is fantastic! I highly recommend this site for the beer conniseuer.

I really struggled to rate this place; I don’t often try barrel aged beers but most (or all) of their stuff was fermented that way. Adroit Theory is all about experimenting with beer to the point one could almost call it an art. But art (and beer) is subjective, and sometimes you just «don’t get it». Still, if you consider yourself a beer aficionado, I totally recommend them.
For many of the beers I tried, there wasn’t any middle ground. I haven’t yet had any ‘meh’ beers; you love them or hate them. Given the crowds I’ve seen here, they certainly seem to be doing well. Fortunately, as I love darker beers, the winners outnumbered the losers. They don’t do flights, but they do have $ 3 or $ 4 sample-​sizes.
Their theme matches the beer making style; over the top! They went all out with a grungy-​heavy metal vibe in their naming conventions and wall posters; they even named their membership club the «Black Heart Society», the highest tier of which is «The Cult». With names like «Death of Cthulhu» and «Tenebris», you get the picture.
I’m not trying to downplay the beers; I did like the Cthulhu (and some others), and to an extent I do think ‘fun’ names are fine. But Adroit Theory strikes me as trying too hard to be experimental; they remind me like an otherwise hot goth chick who wears way too much black eyeliner. I don’t want to be part of a cult; can’t we just concentrate on the beer?

I stopped in here last weekend with my girlfriend. I was surprised to see so many people there! The bar was crowded enough that we had to wait to step up and order.
In the back, we could witness a few ladies filling and corking bottles from a keg. There were a few Blichmann fermenters in the corner. There was awesome metal and classic rock playing on the audio system. A guy was playing with yo-​yos out in the courtyard… definitely an eclectic crowd.
The beers were pretty good! I am glad I was able to experience the beer at the source. I have seen AT bottles here and there around the NoVA area over the past year, and even bought one a few months ago.
My only complaints are that:
A) there’s no air conditioning. It was quite warm in there, and they did have a «Big Ass Fan» on the ceiling. But for people that don’t like it warm, you may want to wait for cooler weather.
B) Bottle prices are ridiculous. I like the beer, but let’s face it — it’s tough to shell out $ 12 – 15 for a 12 oz. bottle from a local brewery when there are known good beers in 750mL bottles for the same price or less. I realize you are using exotic ingredients, barrel aging the beer, etc. but at the end of the day it’s a steep hill to climb. Maybe less fancy bottling (normal bottles & crown caps, more boring labels) might help you reach a wider audience.
That being said, I liked the tap room and prices were totally reasonable there. I will be back!

I couldn’t pass up a trip to this brewery after hearing about their extensive draft list. So the good thing, they have so many beers to choose from and they all have such awesome ingredients (meyer lemon for example!) The kinda bad-​you probably won’t be able to get the beer ever again unless they make more-​which I believe is rare. They seem to always have new stuff on draft as they are all about experimental beers! So, if you are up for always trying new beers then give Adroit Theory a try. The staff is amazing-​I have never been so well informed of what exactly each beer tastes like before I tried it. The brewery is in an odd area-​but once you find it-​try as many beers as you can and see which ones you like the best!

Man, when I walked into this place it looked cool. When I first tasted a beer, I was amazed at how great it was, yet had never heard of them, and couldn’t understand why they have such a low Unilocal rating. The problem isn’t the beer, you see, it’s the attitude.
We were visiting some friends who live in Fairfax County for my fiancée’s birthday, and we decided to visit a few wineries and breweries. When we first came in and sat down, I complimented the bartender on the shirt he (and every one of the others working) was wearing, and asked if I could buy one myself. He said no, but I could pay them $ 600 to have a beer named after me and receive a shirt «like it». Service was a bit slow, cold, and distant, but after ordering a couple tastes at $ 4 a pop, I bought a glass of one beer to finish the trip off with, and looked at the growlers… but they were $ 65 a fill (glass not included). I don’t have a problem paying for quality, but the hoodies were $ 70 too. Now I’m used to NYC prices, so where as this was a bit steep, the beer quality was good, but I’m not sure it’s $ 1/​oz good. I’m a firm believer in charging what the market will bear, and if you can secure a high-​end market, good on you.
The problem is, when it came time to check out, they wouldn’t accept my credit card (Amex Platinum). My money’s not good enough for them. Reason «we’re a small business and can’t afford the higher rates». I’ve brewed my own beer, I have friends who own commercial breweries, and friends who own bars; I have a degree in commercial winemaking as well — I have a relatively good handle on the costs associated with brewing and serving beer, and as I’ve set up credit card merchant accounts for others, I can draw all of this together to call bullsh-​t. If you’re going for high-​market high prices, and going to have presumptuous banners on the wall professing how we should all avoid greed, maybe you should take some of your own medicine.
Our friends who were local were disappointed as well. The good news is, though, that the beer is just as good but cheaper on tap in neighboring restaurants — without the attitude!
Really a shame, I would’ve liked to have returned. 5 stars for excellent beer, –3 stars for being the most self-​important brewery I’ve ever been to. Look up the dictionary definition for «Adroit», and you’ll see how much they like patting themselves on the back.

Sadly…
Good brews. Very interesting styles and well executed.
Pricy tastes, even pricier bottles to take home… and they don’t accept Amex.
Really…
You have overpriced beers and merch. but you won’t take Amex.

This place is a total hole in the wall with industrial park garage chic going on. That being said it was a hoppin’ place on a Saturday afternoon.
The beers are really interesting and many are aged in whiskey barrels to give them a more well rounded flavor. Their «chocolate chip cookie dough», a porter advertised as a «dessert for adult kids,» is perhaps the smoothest stout I ever tasted.
My brother bought a growler of a whiskey barrel-​aged porter. The growlers come in a number of sizes, but they all seem a bit on the small side compared to those from other breweries I’ve visited.

I completely understand why the reviews for this brewery are all over the place and am torn myself on how to rate them. I honestly think being able to get a seat at the tasting bar would yielded for a slightly better time. However, I’m glad I finally made the trip out here though and look forward to coming back when it is warmer and they have the huge garage doors open.
It was quite busy when we walked in and most of the tables were occupied with families with children. We managed to snag a barrel and two seats for 6 of us at first, but eventually were able to move over to a table after being there a while. We ordered tastings to split between couples and although I liked most of them, I absolutely LOVED the Legion. Whoever thought of this flavor creation needs a hug and an award stat! Seriously. So freaking good!
Nano Brews don’t typically blow my socks off, but this brewery hails itself as creating «esoteric beers with an emphasis on barrel aging» and I liked quite a few of them. So barrel aging FTW!
Initially, the staff struck me as being quite gruff at first, there were 3 people behind the bar and they took care of us fairly quickly, but they didn’t seem all that happy about it. Then once the tasting room cleared out a little they were much much nicer. So it’s possible they aren’t used to the crowds? Not really sure what that was all about.
The place itself feels like you are hanging out in your friend’s garage. It’s very open but pretty scarcely decorated. There are some interesting features though, like the barrel tables and the artwork behind and above the bar. I love the NIN/​MM feel to the artwork btw. Very cool. I also loved the huge logo on the entrance door. That’s an entrance you can’t miss!
Again, I’m excited to come back in the warmer weather.

Visited here on a Saturday afternoon.
Opted for a sampler flight of Ales, which included:
— Zero Coffee IPA
— Zero Coffee IPA (neutral oak barrel aged)
— Trendy T.R.I.P.A. Triple IPA
— Not a Beautiful and Unique Snowflake Holiday Ale
— Caramel Macchiato Milk Stout
— Ortolan Bunting Strong Ale
I very much enjoyed all of the Ales — except for the Holiday Ale. Just was not my thing.
All of the staff was friendly and interactive.
Can’t wait to come back here again! Awesome brewery!

So, this place was a lot of fun (love the atmosphere, garage theme and the music), but 3 stars due to the speed of service.
Went to Adroit Theory on a whim after visiting Catoctin Distillery. It wasn’t easy to find, in the back of a warehouse as so often breweries are nowadays, but we managed! Once inside, we staked out some bar seats since a few people were leaving. It was crowded, but not overwhelmingly so — there were a few tables open.
Adroit Theory is a nanobrewery, and I’d say I liked about half of what I sampled (just personal taste… their beer was fresh and well-​made). If you like dark beer, this is your place. I also like that they are super-​experimental with their brews.
Honestly, I’d rate 4 stars if it wasn’t for the speed of the service. We probably sat for at least 10 minutes before we were acknowledged, and one couple who sat down after us ended up leaving due to having wait so long! Now, as I mentioned, it WAS a little crowded — but the fact that other reviews mention the same thing makes me knock off a star because that’s clearly management not wanting/​willing to do anything about it. The day I visited, there were two bartenders and it just wasn’t enough — waiting over 10 minutes to just be acknowledged and then waiting a while again to get pints was definitely more than a little annoying. The bartenders were very friendly but they just couldn’t keep up with the demand. There are other breweries I’ll visit in the meantime instead of waiting for my beer at Adroit.