USA, VA: Smartmouth Brewing Co. closing Norfolk location after 13 years in business

Smartmouth Brewing Co. is closing shop in Norfolk after 13 years at the original Chelsea location, Wavy.com reported on October 13.

The brewery opened its tasting room at 1309 Raleigh Ave. in 2012.

They posted this message on their website about the decision to close at the end of this year:

“After 13 years of serving the community, Smartmouth Brewing announces the difficult decision to close our Norfolk location. We don’t have an exact closing date set, but it will be in late December. While this marks the end of a chapter that began with big dreams and countless pints, it also opens a new door as we focus our energy and passion on the Pilot House in Virginia Beach, where our brewery will continue to thrive. For more info, please visit our social media channels.”

Porter Hardy, founder of Smartmouth Brewing Co., posted a video on social media about the decision to close his original location.

“This is where it all began back in 2012, where we’ve brewed our first beers, where we’ve made so many friends and shared countless memories with all of you,” Hardy said. “But this isn’t goodbye. We’re going to keep doing what we’ve always done — just in Virginia Beach. We’re going to double down our efforts, we’re going to keep making great beer, bake awesome pizza and throw awesome events.”

Smartmouth opened its Pilot House location at 32nd St. and Atlantic Ave. near the Virginia Beach Oceanfront in December 2017, featuring small-batch brewing, private event space, and a tasting room.

The brewery lists some of its favorite brews as their Alter Ego Saison, Game On IPA, Notch 9 Double IPA and its Safety Dance Pilsner. It’s also known for seasonal and limited releases, like its Saturday Morning Mashmallow IPA, which made national news on its first release. The brewery also created a special beer for the first Something in the Water festival.