thepourlife A little over a year ago, I stumbled upon Coelacanth Brewing Company during a brewery date night with my significant other. It’s not too often we are in Norfolk, so when we were in town over the holidays, we had to stop by for a proper visit. It’s an easy drive, located in Ghent about 10 minutes from downtown Norfolk, and we had no problem finding a parallel parking spot right out front (FYI, they advise you not to park in the shopping center across the street – you might get towed!)
When we looked at the beer list, we couldn’t believe the variety they had, so we opted for splitting 2 flights. I recommend you do the same on your first visit because you’ll be limiting your experience if you only grab a pint. Taste after taste, we became more and more impressed. Even their core beers were atypical, like the Hippocampus – a Mild Pepper Blonde Ale, and the Coelia – a Rosemary Lemon Wheat, which I recently found for sale down the street at Waterside, a festive marketplace on the Elizabeth River. It was winter during our most recent visit, and they also had a number of seasonal beers ready to warm you from the inside out, such as Dead Calm – a cask Irish Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout at 10.5%.
The old brick building is somewhat typical of a lot of breweries, with a tasting room up front and brewing equipment in the back. At first glance, they seem to be busting at the seams – not surprising considering the number of beers they keep on the menu. Despite testing their capacity, they manage to have plenty of seating, with a decent sized bar, high tops, and picnic tables. There are glass garage doors that let in plenty of sunlight, and are opened up for fresh air in the warmer months. The tasting room is decorated with throwback light bulbs, a pulley system chalk board, and wall art.
Before you visit, you should probably know how to pronounce Coelacanth (See-Luh-Kanth), which is an unusual type of fish. As we took in the unique coelacanth-themed décor scattered around the room, we had to figure out why the heck they were named after an ugly fish. It happens to be quite clever. Back in the 90s (when the idea of ordering my own beer was hardly even a thought), there was a craft beer boom, but it didn’t take long for that bubble to burst. Some people thought craft beer was only a phase, and on its way to extinction. But as we’ve all seen, it made a roaring comeback, and has since saturated the market. Similarly, the coelacanth was thought to be extinct, and was only known to man as a fossil of a huge (ugly) fish. However, in the 1930s, a live coelacanth was discovered off the coast of South Africa and surprise, turns out these guys have been around for over 360 million years and not extinct!
We learned this story from Ronnie, the friendly taproom manager, who’s always willing to share his knowledge of beer. While the tasting room is nice and all, the unique beer is what keeps me coming back. Ronnie made some tasting recommendations, and I’m glad we took his advice. Against the Wall, a Mexican Oatmeal Stout, is an international collab with Cerveza Roberta of Mexico City, who shipped some of their ingredients to be brewed in Norfolk. Upon your first sip, you’ll taste the delicious chocolate and hint of chipotle, but wait for it… a couple of seconds after you swallow, you’ll feel a peppery sensation. It’s truly a unique beer that also benefits Operation Smile (and you know I love drinking for a cause). Their newest beer was the 757 Amber – an American Amber Ale with tamarind, orange peel, and Mandarina Bavaria hops. Ronnie actually recommended that Matt, the head brewer, create an amber because of suggestions from their patrons. It has a wintery citrus flavor that is slightly sweet and easy drinking, and has been a hit in the brewery.
Coelacanth has truly perfected the art of creating bold beers. During our last visit, 3 beers in particular could have knocked you on your ass. I already mentioned the Dead Calm, characterized by the Irish whiskey barrels it was aged in. There’s also the Gorgon, an English Barley Wine with notes of warm brandy, aged for 12 months in bourbon barrels. And finally, there is the Quad, a Belgian Quadrupel with a strong nose and sweet taste of Belgium candy. But don’t worry if in-your-face beers aren’t your thing, there are also a number of more sessionable (or lower alcohol percentage) offerings. We haven’t even touched on the Passionfruit Gose or the Enefkay – both of which we bought a six-pack of.
Coelacanth takes pride in their superior beer and has a number of medals to prove it. Their extensive beer list speaks to a range of palates, so it’s a solid choice for a group a friends or family who have different beer preferences. Considering they are so young, but growing so fast, I think there are a lot of good things to come for this brewery. They’ve begun distributing locally, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to drink their beer outside the tasting room. I’m looking forward to seeing what beer this brewery will come up with next. While Coelacanth might be an ugly fish, it sure is beautiful beer.
Date of Original Visit: January 13, 2018
