Beer of the Week! 06/10/24

Beale’s Gold

Normally $10.99 / Now on Sale for $9.96
Helles Style Lager

Beale’s Brewery — based in Bedford, VA’s former Hampton Looms building — is one of the projects of Dave McCormack, President of Waukeshaw Development. McCormack started Waukeshaw Development in 2007 to collaborate with government to bring life to historic properties. He opened Beale’s Brewery in 2017 after securing a grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Industrial Revitalization Fund. (It was his second brewery to revitalize a space, after Trapezium Brewing Company in Petersburg.)

More a concept than a dream, Beale’s started as what McCormack called, “a kind of ‘anti-craft’ craft beer company.” Eschewing IPAs, they set out to make simple, lower alcohol beers. Clearly, McCormack was more interested in beers that a lot of people would drink rather than beers that potentially fewer people would love. Fortunately for us, Beale’s hit on both with this, their flagship brew.

The Beale’s Gold is a clean, clear Helles Style Lager. Though it finishes dry, they’ve left just a little bit more malt sweetness in it than you would normally find for the style. Where we often talk about lagers being “bready,” we’re tempted to call the Beale’s “muffiny.” Either way, it’s both simple and pleasing, just want you want for a summer day … or night.