Young Veterans "Brew" Up A New Business | Military Spouse

Booze and the military have been going hand in hand since the beginning. I mean, the Marines were created in a bar! So, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise when two veterans decided to "brew" up a new business: a small local brewery in Virginia Beach, VA. The area does, after all, have the largest military footprint on the east coast. I was lucky enough to sit down with Neil McCannon, co-owner of Young Veterans Brewing Company and find out just what inspired him and co-owner Thomas Wilder to get into the business of beer after hanging up their boots. Neil and Thomas are both locals of Virginia Beach and have been friends since high school. After graduating, Thomas joined the National Guard, doing a 3 year enlistment that included a 1 year tour in Iraq. Neil went active duty Army for 3 years as an armorer followed by 7 years as a Drill Instructor in the reserves. His enlistment ended just a month before the YVBC tap room opened in September of 2013. When I asked Neil how they made the jump from military to brewers he said it was just a home brew kit a friend gave them as a gift one year that got everything started. Their first garage-brewed beer turned out better than expected so they just kept experimenting. He said he feels that experimentation is what helps set them apart from other companies. Most home brewers use either pre-generated recipes or just brew small batches as a hobby. They didn’t want to stay in the garage forever. After a couple years they had a small line of beers that were good enough to make them think, “Hey, we can do this!” That was back in 2008 and while the economy wasn’t booming back then, their research showed that craft breweries and small brewing companies were actually on the rise. It made sense to take the next step and see what could happen. So they “drafted” a killer business plan (no pun intended…) and spent the next two years trying to find investors. When you walk into the taproom you’ll see the names of those who contributed to the $20,000 kickstarter project that made it possible to get the business really rolling. In the process of getting Young Veterans Brewing Company up and running Neil went to Seibel School in Chicago to learn a little more about the business they were about to get into. The three-month program was an intense international program that taught every aspect of brewing from growing the ingredients to running a business. From 9-5 Monday to Friday, Neil was able to interact with some of what he called rock stars in the brewing industry and was even able to travel to Germany for tours of international breweries. He said it was valuable to be able to see how each brewery is so unique even while they are essentially doing the same thing. The education he gained there helps him with his responsibilities as head brewer of the company while Thomas makes sure everything is staying on task, books are balanced and the business side is handled. The two established who would be in charge of what aspects of the company early on and it’s obvious from their success that the roles work well for them. On September 7, 2013 the Young Veterans Brewing Company Taproom opened in Virginia Beach. The taproom opened because Virginia changed a law. Before then, all you could do in a set up like that was give a free sample of the beer, allow taste tests of drinks, and sell a packaged product. After the law changed you could actually sell beer to customers who wanted to hang around and have an enjoyable time in the taproom. YVBC was the 1 st company to open up after the new law passed. And it was important to Neil and Thomas that the company stayed local. Virginia Beach is home for them and they didn’t want to change that. Being part of the community and veterans, it’s important to Neil and Thomas that they are able to give back to those who serve as well. They offer a 15% military discount every day, which is something they are proud of, because the Virginia Beach area isn’t known for their military discounts despite the large military community. They work with Wounded Wear , a Norfolk based company that provides free clothing and alterations to wounded warriors as well as coordinating Jumping for a Purpose, a skydive event for gold star and disabled veterans. The Young Veterans Brewing Company Taproom also hosts a Vet Noise event the last Sunday of every month to raise money for the causes they feel passionate about. So, if you ever find yourself in Virginia Beach, I strongly suggest you head on over to the Young Veterans Brewing Company . It’s a great place to pick up a 64oz growler of your favorite YVBC beer to take home and enjoy (try the Jet Noise Double IPA or the New Recruit Honey Blonde Ale!) Or come, have a seat, and relax with friends while trying their newest release, Green Beret: Granny Smith Green Apple Belgian. The taproom is family and dog friendly and has an ever-expanding list of food trucks stopping by to supply wonderful food to pair with the beer. While right now you can only find YVBC beers in Virginia, it’s worth the trip to give it a try. If you want to work for a company with THIS much emphasis on military, check out these military friendly employers who are just waiting to hire military spouses and veterans! Hey, you, connect with us here>>

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