Isley was the first brewery to open in Scott’s Addition’s Historic District, doing so in 2013. (Mike Platania photo)
Scott’s Addition’s first brewery has tapped out of the neighborhood, though the company may not have served its last beer.
Isley Brewing Co. closed for business last weekend at its longtime home at 1715 Summit Ave. The closure came abruptly on Oct. 29, when it announced that day would be its “last day open in Scott’s Addition.”
Reached this week, owner Mike Isley said he couldn’t comment on the future of the brewery, citing a nondisclosure agreement. It’s unclear what that NDA is related to.
Whatever’s next for Isley, it’s likely to happen outside of Scott’s Addition as the brewery’s 4,500-square-foot space already has been leased. That’s according to the building’s owner, Charles Bice, who said Isley’s lease was up and a deal has already been inked with an unidentified tenant to take over the brewery space and a neighboring office building at 1707 Summit Ave.
Though there are now 10 breweries in and around Scott’s Addition, Isley was the first to open in the neighborhood, in 2013. Along with Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Strangeways Brewing, Isley was part of the initial leg of the new wave of local breweries that has since swelled to nearly four dozen across the region.
Isley’s popular Choosy Mother peanut butter porter. (Isley Brewing Co.)
Isley, whose background was in the HVAC and plumbing industry, initially planned to name the brewery Archangel Brewing Co. before putting it under his family name.
Isley Brewing Co. built a following off flagship beers like its Choosy Mother peanut butter porter and Plain Jane Belgian blonde ale, as well as others made by longtime head brewer Josh Stamps.
Isley went on to distribute its beer to retailers and restaurants throughout the region, and once landed a deal to open a satellite taproom in Virginia Beach, though that location looks to have never opened.
Bice and frequent collaborator Birck Turnbull have owned Isley’s space on Summit Avenue since 2012, paying $140,000 for the building. The duo are no strangers to the beer industry: They also own the buildings that house The Veil Brewing Co.’s local taprooms in Scott’s Addition and Forest Hill, as well as The Veil’s old taproom on Roseneath Road. Bice and Turnbull also have a stake in the West Broad Street building in which Three Notch’d Brewing Co. operates.
The building adjacent to Isley at 1707 Summit Ave. totals around 23,000 square feet and has housed several tenants over the years including Health Warrior, Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Hogan Group. Bice said a number of tenants recently moved out, which freed things up to devise a plan for the new tenant to take the majority of 1707 Summit Ave., along with Isley’s space.
Bice said he couldn’t yet announce the tenant. He said work on the space is expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2024.
Isley was the first brewery to open in Scott’s Addition’s Historic District, doing so in 2013. (Mike Platania photo)
Scott’s Addition’s first brewery has tapped out of the neighborhood, though the company may not have served its last beer.
Isley Brewing Co. closed for business last weekend at its longtime home at 1715 Summit Ave. The closure came abruptly on Oct. 29, when it announced that day would be its “last day open in Scott’s Addition.”
Reached this week, owner Mike Isley said he couldn’t comment on the future of the brewery, citing a nondisclosure agreement. It’s unclear what that NDA is related to.
Whatever’s next for Isley, it’s likely to happen outside of Scott’s Addition as the brewery’s 4,500-square-foot space already has been leased. That’s according to the building’s owner, Charles Bice, who said Isley’s lease was up and a deal has already been inked with an unidentified tenant to take over the brewery space and a neighboring office building at 1707 Summit Ave.
Though there are now 10 breweries in and around Scott’s Addition, Isley was the first to open in the neighborhood, in 2013. Along with Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Strangeways Brewing, Isley was part of the initial leg of the new wave of local breweries that has since swelled to nearly four dozen across the region.
Isley’s popular Choosy Mother peanut butter porter. (Isley Brewing Co.)
Isley, whose background was in the HVAC and plumbing industry, initially planned to name the brewery Archangel Brewing Co. before putting it under his family name.
Isley Brewing Co. built a following off flagship beers like its Choosy Mother peanut butter porter and Plain Jane Belgian blonde ale, as well as others made by longtime head brewer Josh Stamps.
Isley went on to distribute its beer to retailers and restaurants throughout the region, and once landed a deal to open a satellite taproom in Virginia Beach, though that location looks to have never opened.
Bice and frequent collaborator Birck Turnbull have owned Isley’s space on Summit Avenue since 2012, paying $140,000 for the building. The duo are no strangers to the beer industry: They also own the buildings that house The Veil Brewing Co.’s local taprooms in Scott’s Addition and Forest Hill, as well as The Veil’s old taproom on Roseneath Road. Bice and Turnbull also have a stake in the West Broad Street building in which Three Notch’d Brewing Co. operates.
The building adjacent to Isley at 1707 Summit Ave. totals around 23,000 square feet and has housed several tenants over the years including Health Warrior, Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Hogan Group. Bice said a number of tenants recently moved out, which freed things up to devise a plan for the new tenant to take the majority of 1707 Summit Ave., along with Isley’s space.
Bice said he couldn’t yet announce the tenant. He said work on the space is expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2024.
They appear to be a victim of their own success, as is so often the case with those who lead off the redevelopment of older neighborhoods. Get in when it’s relatively cheap, see the area prosper, then become a victim of increasing rents.
It’s hard to consider them a victim when they’ve failed to evolve and adapt to the changes within the industry over the last decade. Hardwood and Veil are perfect examples of doing things the right way to remain relevant, investing tons of money into moving/improving their spaces to support larger crowds and offer other amenities such as food or entertainment. On the other hand, Isley has felt tired and dated for the better part of a decade. Their label designs were tacky, their beers were average at best, and the atmosphere was always flat as it was never crowded.
I always thought I was having a great time at Isley. You can imagine my disappointment at realizing that I must not have been.
It’s too bad that the success of a business is dependent on catering to more than just a handful of people like yourself.
damn negative nancy, thanks for spiking the ball on them.
haha, great answer. Some of us like mellow and cozy.