Commonwealth Brewing Company

Based on the beer alone, I’m a fan. Had a delicious Belgian styled strong ale, and to my untrained tastes I would have sworn it was in the Chimay family. Apparently they don’t have any «stronghold» beers that will always be on tap, which is good if you’re into trying new/​seasonal/​experimental beers like I am… but maybe bad if you find one you really like and they rotate out of it.
I really like the «beer hall» feel to it, as they’ve obviously used the ample space of the old fire house very well. A bit cavernous when it’s just a few people milling about, but I bet at its peak it would be a great atmosphere. They’ve done their homework on aesthetics and decorating, too, as it doesn’t feel generic and has a beach brewery flair that keeps it unique.
I hope the local community supports it, because it makes the Chic’s Beach area all the more awesome. I’m not territorial, but I think the location will keep it as a fairly local-​oriented spot and the tourists won’t venture up nearly as much as they would to Back Bay, etc. A good thing, in my opinion!

I love this place.
Always a great atmosphere-​all the beer I have tried is great. They have food trucks their occasionally and the tasting room is huge. Pretty much a great place to chill out with your friends on a Friday night. You can bring in your own food, bring the pup or bring your own games! Parking is terrible… but honestly I think it’s worth the pain.

I recently visited Commonwealth and am looking forward to bringing my husband there to try out all the brews. My beer palate is developing so I can’t handle the thick stout or ale beers yet. So usually when I go to a brewery, I might enjoy one at most two of the beers they have on tap. Not so at Commonwealth, I enjoyed four of their beers on tap. I love how it’s like an old auto garage or fire station that has been converted into a brewery. It’s intimate, but trendy. You won’t regret giving this place a try!

This is one cool brewer!
One plus is that they always have a good set of food trucks that hang outside.
My coworker and I agree that the beer really isn’t a hit here. But the vibe here is just right.
This place is usually packed out, most customers sit around at picnic tables and the lighting here is cool, really sets the mood.
The parking here kind of sucks, sorry to say. There are plenty of times I couldn’t find the turn in so I drove past and had to make a U-​turn.
What this place lacks in flavor of beers, it makes up in good service and good times. One of my favorites.

This place rocks. Very cool inside, games to play and big glass garage doors that are just screaming to be opened when it warms up. The picnic tables and twinkly lights outside are just icing on the cake.

Wow, i just got back from Belgium on a beer quest– little did I know I had a Mecca here in my backyard. These guys might be Monks? If you know beer this will be your new favorite. If not, vent about losing your phone and how the beer is not yellow somewhere else!

The beer was not that great. This was our 3^rd stop of the day and the most disappointing. The parking was a nightmare, the interior was nice, but the beer missed the mark. I’ll try it again in a few months. They are new and need to work the kinks out.

I don’t know how this brewery ever got a bad review. Some people just like to nitpick and complain. The environment, ambiance, beer, and service were all exceptional. The parking may be limited, but what local brewery doesn’t have limited parking? They aren’t theme parks, they are local businesses. The tasting room is spacious with kitschy picnic table seating (loved the tables), and there is a separate room with a projector screen to the right when you walk in. There is also ample outside seating, but due to the inclement weather, we couldn’t sit outside. Joey, our beer tender, was really friendly and informative. As for the beers — they were all really well balanced — I particularly loved Wapatoolie, the Brett IPA.

If I could give less than one star I would. I live within walking distance of this vile monstrosity and after spending an unnecessary fortune there with my mom and boyfriend I misplaced my phone. Upon returning to this overpriced hell hole I talked to the gentlemen sitting where I was earlier, who told me they turned my phone in to the bar. When I asked the girl at the bar she frankly told me in the MOST disgusting tone that she didn’t have my phone and proceeded to take other orders like I didn’t even matter. Thankfully someone else who I can only assume was in charge because they didn’t have the soulless eyes of a money grubbing whoremonger had my phone within seconds. I will never go back due to her nasty attitude which is a shame.

Really chill brewery with plenty of seating (though smaller than Oconners). They have delicious flights, and a few cool board games to keep you entertained. The staff and owner were very nice.
Food trucks and bands are often there too, good time with friends.

Nice to have a new place close enough to walk to, the beers I tried were ok, nothing too spectacular but then again I’m not a huge beer drinker. No kitchen but they have food trucks that park outside which in a way might be better, there were 3 the night I was there. Downside to this place is the noise! It’s extremely loud inside and impossible to have a conversation.

Commonwealth has some really great beers on tap. I’m hooked on the Supernaculum. In addition to good brews they really nailed it when designing their tasting room. The big garage doors opening up to the outside are a huge bonus. Plus, you can bring your dogs to hang out too!

Great beer. Awesome setting and addition to the beer scene. Elevating the standard. Looking forward to new beers. Will be a regular.

First let me so the place is beautifully decorated. It is big with tons of seating. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful.
The beer I feel something is amiss. I did like the West Coast IPA out of all the samplers but I didn’t love it.
They are a new brewery so I would go back in a few months to try it again.

The brewery itself was really nice, family and dog friendly. The décor and inside/​outside set up was great. As the previous reviewer said, the parking situation wasn’t great. The beer? So so. The Hefeweizen was nothing special and the west coast ipa was decent. I would consider returning in the future to taste new beer styles.

Just an «OK» starter
Being the craft beer connoisseur that I am I figured it was time to stop by this new brewery and see what all the hype was about. 1.) First and my biggest complaint with the place is the PARKING! Its straight up AWFUL, talk about trying to find any places to park during peak hours. I probably would have just returned home after circling the parking lot several times looking for a place to park. You’d think that like with Citra and Bay Local off Shore Drive this place would work with the other nearby business and ask if they can work out an agreement allowing them to use each others parking lots. 2.) That awful green looking exterior. I don’t know if the fire station was that color before for it was turned in to the brewery. I mean c’mon your in an old historic fire station at least you could keep some of the older historical stuff around as it can be what makes or breaks a place. In talking with a another fellow Unilocaler briefly about a brewery in Northern Michigan that was built in an old library retaining the old style book ladders and yes fake books but it was the interior detail that made the experience so extremely unique. 3.) And then there is the beer, $ 15 for a flight of beer is the highest I’ve ever paid for a flight and really wasn’t worth it to be honest. I did pay a similar price out at «Blue Lab Brewery» in Lexington, VA but they had 14 beers in their beer flight for $ 15. Needless to say, I felt bad that I ended up dumping all the beer samples, after tasting of course and found the Supernaculum to be the only on I liked and that even says a lot being into more Imperial beers like Stouts and Porters which was a disappointment here, though I’ve heard there is a stout being release soon
Funny fact, that the brewery is called «Commonwealth Brewery» yet NONE of the beers have anything to do with Virginia let alone any of the names of their beers. Most of which are all west coast or reference to someplace on the west coast. Most likely for the reason that this place hired a brewmaster from WA and moved him to VA on the bid he could do what ever he wanted as far as the style of beer goes. They need beer names to complement the brewery name Commonwealth. Look at «Pleasure House Brewing» they got the names right the first time, like Rudee Inlet IPA, Wreck Diver Saison, Lesner Sunrise of Lynnhaven Stout to name a few.
**Overall, the place is Alright. Still has it tweaks just as Pleasure House and Big Ugly did when they started out. Which is going to be typical for any place like this. Just need to work on some darker beer and for cripes sakes do something about the parking.
Cheers!

I don’t even think this place has been opened for more than a week, but i can tell it’ll end up being a local favorite! The atmosphere was great, the place looks nice and simple (remodeled old fire station), and the staff is friendly. I saw a bunch of kids and dogs, so that’s definitely cool. They even had organic milk or juice there for the kids.
The beers on tap were okay, but I probably wouldn’t go back just for the beers. They weren’t bad or anything, just not my favorite! I’d definitely go back for the atmosphere and probably try the food next time.
One thing I didn’t like though, was how close it was to the street, and parking is slim. That’s not their fault really, but there’s some maniacs on that road that drive crazy.

I didn’t think my girlfriend and I would make it on time to try some delicious brews after leaving a spot down the road but we made it! … well somewhat. We pulled up to the large fire station doors at 10:06 with someone at the door. The man said they’re closing for the night but if I wanted a growler filled, I could do so. When we entered, another man behind the counter let us know that we could have a flight! He was actually the owner.
I’m so happy that they’re not your typical brewers. Most have your basic blends of beers. Not this spot. They’re all about pulling out flavor in their beers and not a single one was like something I’ve had before. Something new that happened was one of their staff had told me to try a mix of two of the beers. Taonga, which is my favorite, and Supernaculum, which is my girlfriends favorite. … who would’ve guessed that we both would love the concoction that came to be once they were mixed?! He even filled a growler with the mix and sent me on my way with a shirt in my hand. Their material is so soft by the way!
I see this place booming fast! They have room for expansion and having the big doors right in the front is great for enjoying the weather with your brews. I have a feeling that I may become a regular!

I could not go all the way today, but Commonwealth Brewery is well on there way. I stopped in today on just the second day of there opening and they were jamming big time. I have been following them for months and had heard bits and pieces about a west coast brewmaster they secured to get the operation up and going. They may have opened up a little later than what they hoped, but I was impressed.
Parking proved to be a slight challenge with cars parked somewhat hap hazard, but I did secure one on the side. Parking also in the rear with striping coming soon. No debris any where to be found which is excellent considering the crews only left days ago.
Ground broke on the old Chesapeake Fire House in April. Since then there has been a lot of activity everyday to get Commonwealth up and going. The front of the buildings four tall garage doors that served the fire house add an awesome coolness factor. The structure could double as a bomb shelter, it’s a concrete box once you step inside. This proves almost impossible to get a cellular connection. They do have WiFi but it has not been activated yet, but soon will. The exterior had a complete paint job and looks great!
The bar is to your right and six picnic type table seating in the middle. Counter space is in the rear against the windows to the tank. If you lucky you can even see the brewmaster hard at work like I did today. To the left is bench seating running across the entire wall. All the wood appears to be recycled type and is fitting of Chicks Beach. However, décor is lacking and I’m sure it will be filled in soon. Unsure if TV’s will be added.
There was a nice mix of customers in the tasting room enjoying the six great offerings on tap. However, the crowd was more 30ish in my opinion. There was a nice mix of male to female and even a few kids romping around with a pooch, or two bellied up at the bar. Everyone was having a great time, but it was on the noisy side. I’m unsure if there is anything that can be done with noise, but having all the doors open.
It took longer than what I would have liked to get waited on, but it was busy with a few barbacks getting flights ready. Even the owners Natalie and Jeramy were completely involved to ensure everyone was getting waited on. With it being so busy the balance between serving the customer orders and providing great customer experience was challenged. Large menu boards are behind the bar and you can request paper ones too. Natalie served me up a Aureole which is a Belgian Lager, not something I would normally order as I like darker beers. I also sampled a Hoi Polli, The People Sessions IPA. I don’t drink IPA’s, but this was great for my taste, not too hoppy, or bitter. With only six beers on the menu and two out of six being IPA and no dark I was a disappointed.
I was pleased that both owners did take time to discuss the business. Natalie told me they are working on an Imperial Stout which will be exciting for me. They have a lot of room to expand according to Natalie. I also talked with Jeramy and his passion is Sours which will take around a year to produce a great one. They have both been in the area for over 10 years and have a couple of small children that I saw running around.
Something they are both proud of is the Seattle brewmaster Greg Fleehart that signed on with them last year to get Commonwealth Brewery off the ground. The space is also something they are excited about. They shared with me that a special event room is just finishing up, also serving as the overflow room. They will also be expanding space in the front to add family activities such as corn hole etc. Not a lot of road frontage, so parents will ned to watch kids closely. They expect WiFi issues to be corrected soon. Food trucks are going to be scheduled since they do not serve anytime of food. Later adding cheese & crackers etc. would be smart.
Before heading out I peaked into the overflow area and it will be a cool space. I also checked out the restrooms which are located behind the bar. I found them to be clean and pretty spacious. However, a urnial was out of order with a sign and pretty disgusting water. Everything else in working order with proper supplies presenting nicely.
I am thrilled at the location, but even better I see Commonwealth succeeding and thriving in Chicks Beach. A strong brewmaster with a pedigree is a great reason to respect them from day 1. Also I felt comfortable with Natalie and Jeremy plans. They have methodically worked for years to get it right! I do look forward in improvements with service, décor and expansion of beer menu. I would recommend and look forward to future visits. Keep up the good work and let’s get that Imperial Stout online soon please.

Just opened and already have 6 beers on tap! Hefeweisen is of a quality I have not tasted since living in Germany. Owners on site and happy to serve you with an unique beer serving flight. Great local feel, staff is friendly and inviting.