From left: WayGone owners Tim Powell, Nancy Powell, Richard Myers and Nicole Myers. (Courtesy WayGone Brewery)
The region’s 46th brewery and first in western Henrico has opened its door.
WayGone Brewery debuted last week at 10612 Patterson Ave. in the Canterbury Shopping Center.
Behind the brewery are married couples Tim and Nancy Powell, and Richard and Nicole Myers.
Though it’s been open for less than a week, WayGone’s roots date to 2015 when Tim and Richard met as neighbors on the nearby Goneway Drive, the street that would later inspire the brewery’s name.
Myers and Powell connected at a neighborhood dinner and quickly fell into homebrewing together.
“(Tim) was a big craft beer drinker. I drank Corona and liquor,” Myers said, laughing. “Now, I just drink craft beer.”
They spent the next few years homebrewing, sharing their ales with friends and family. In 2021 they signed a lease for the 3,600-square-foot space in the Wilton Cos.-owned shopping center and got to work.
WayGone uses two brewing rigs: a 4-barrel system and a 1-barrel pilot system for new, experimental beers.
Myers said that WayGone is focusing on brewing West Coast- and New England-style IPAs, but that the owners also want to always have a “bridge” beer on tap.
“Bridge beers are for those that don’t think they like craft beer or they’re only pilsner drinkers – like a Bud Light. We have them try (a bridge beer), and it generally flips them,” Myers said.
“All (opening) weekend we had folks in here complaining that we didn’t have a pilsner, but we gave them Afterthought, which is a hoppy lager, and they fell in love with it. That’s our top seller right now,” he said.
In addition to Afterthought and a slew of IPAs, WayGone also opened with a stout and a raspberry and lime gose on tap, and Myers said a WayGone hard seltzer is in the works.
Down the line, WayGone may look to distribute some kegs of its beer to a few local shops and restaurants, and Myers said the entity likely will try self-distribution, a line of business available to breweries next year after legislation that passed through the state government this year.
Myers said he’s now running WayGone full time, leaving a career in the healthcare industry to do so.
“It’s pretty damn scary,” he said of launching the new business. “But, you know, we had to pull the Band-Aid off, so we did it. Hopefully we’re in favor with the community here.”
Though WayGone is the first brewery to open in the far west end of Henrico, it does have some brewery neighbors nearby. Both Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Kindred Spirit Brewing have locations a few miles west in Goochland County.
Another recent arrival to the region’s brewing scene is Local Pizza and Brewery, a Chesterfield brewpub from the owners of Brew Craft Bar & Kitchen. Intermission Beer Co., which has been located near Virginia Center Commons since 2017, also recently opened a second location at 10180 Lakeridge Parkway in Hanover.
One of the city’s oldest beermakers, Isley Brewing Co., recently closed in Scott’s Addition, and its future remains up in the air.
From left: WayGone owners Tim Powell, Nancy Powell, Richard Myers and Nicole Myers. (Courtesy WayGone Brewery)
The region’s 46th brewery and first in western Henrico has opened its door.
WayGone Brewery debuted last week at 10612 Patterson Ave. in the Canterbury Shopping Center.
Behind the brewery are married couples Tim and Nancy Powell, and Richard and Nicole Myers.
Though it’s been open for less than a week, WayGone’s roots date to 2015 when Tim and Richard met as neighbors on the nearby Goneway Drive, the street that would later inspire the brewery’s name.
Myers and Powell connected at a neighborhood dinner and quickly fell into homebrewing together.
“(Tim) was a big craft beer drinker. I drank Corona and liquor,” Myers said, laughing. “Now, I just drink craft beer.”
They spent the next few years homebrewing, sharing their ales with friends and family. In 2021 they signed a lease for the 3,600-square-foot space in the Wilton Cos.-owned shopping center and got to work.
WayGone uses two brewing rigs: a 4-barrel system and a 1-barrel pilot system for new, experimental beers.
Myers said that WayGone is focusing on brewing West Coast- and New England-style IPAs, but that the owners also want to always have a “bridge” beer on tap.
“Bridge beers are for those that don’t think they like craft beer or they’re only pilsner drinkers – like a Bud Light. We have them try (a bridge beer), and it generally flips them,” Myers said.
“All (opening) weekend we had folks in here complaining that we didn’t have a pilsner, but we gave them Afterthought, which is a hoppy lager, and they fell in love with it. That’s our top seller right now,” he said.
In addition to Afterthought and a slew of IPAs, WayGone also opened with a stout and a raspberry and lime gose on tap, and Myers said a WayGone hard seltzer is in the works.
Down the line, WayGone may look to distribute some kegs of its beer to a few local shops and restaurants, and Myers said the entity likely will try self-distribution, a line of business available to breweries next year after legislation that passed through the state government this year.
Myers said he’s now running WayGone full time, leaving a career in the healthcare industry to do so.
“It’s pretty damn scary,” he said of launching the new business. “But, you know, we had to pull the Band-Aid off, so we did it. Hopefully we’re in favor with the community here.”
Though WayGone is the first brewery to open in the far west end of Henrico, it does have some brewery neighbors nearby. Both Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Kindred Spirit Brewing have locations a few miles west in Goochland County.
Another recent arrival to the region’s brewing scene is Local Pizza and Brewery, a Chesterfield brewpub from the owners of Brew Craft Bar & Kitchen. Intermission Beer Co., which has been located near Virginia Center Commons since 2017, also recently opened a second location at 10180 Lakeridge Parkway in Hanover.
One of the city’s oldest beermakers, Isley Brewing Co., recently closed in Scott’s Addition, and its future remains up in the air.
Great beer and place, I checked them out this past weekend!
Congrats Rick, Nicole and folks – can’t wait to check it out
The families running this business are genuine good people! Enjoyed many a firepit Thursday in their backyard drinking these same beers and filling the donation box. Now we have a legit bar and space to enjoy their smiles!
The thing in the headline I am looking at the most is the number 46. Wow.
Yeah, it’s at least 23 too many.
I don’t know why you’re being downvoted, truth hurts I guess. Fact is there are only a handful of Central Virginia breweries that put out a consistent quality product.
Team Myers & Powell Congrats on the successful opening, I cant wait to make the trip and visit pub.
CONGRATULATIONS NEIGHBORS! I visited the Company and found it to be very cozy. I’m not a beer drinker, but my husband is and he loved the drinks he tried. We shall visit often.