Alexandria Brewery Begins Selling Abroad

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Craft beer from Alexandria has gone international. Port City Brewing Company has begun distributing beer to the United Kingdom, Gov. Ralph Northam announced.

Port City will begin selling its beer in the UK for the first time under a new partnership with American Craft Beer Company, a UK-based representative of craft breweries from the United States. The brewery was introduced to its new partner when European beer buyers toured Virginia breweries in 2016. Port City also participated in the state's “Virginia Is for Craft Beer Lovers” booth at the Craft Beer Rising trade show and festival in London during the past two years.

"Our new partnership with American Craft Beer Company allows us to diversify our sales base and enter a market with a high demand for craft beer from the U.S.," said Bill Butcher, a founder of Port City Brewing Company. "We have taken advantage of every opportunity [Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services] has offered to expose us to international buyers and markets and are thankful Virginia has such valuable resources to assist small companies like ours with our export efforts."

The UK is the second largest export destination for U.S. craft beer, providing for 10.5 percent of the total export market share, according to the Brewers Association. Bill Butcher, as well as Gov. Northam and First Lady Pamela Northam attended a launch event in London.

"It is wonderful to see this innovative Virginia company take its local and regional success to a global scale," said Northam in a statement. "Port City is already a significant employer and economic driver in Northern Virginia. This partnership will set them up to grow even further in a quickly developing export market."

Founded in 2011 by Karen and Bill Butcher, the award-winning brewery sells beers to buyers in the DC and Mid Atlantic region. Customers can find beers at various locations around DC and at the Port City tasting room in Alexandria.

Products range from year-round brews to seasonal beers. The brewery is a major supporter of Virginia farmers, buying more than 100 tons of wheat annually.

The brewery hosts regular events such as Joggers & Lagers Running on Monday nights, BeerYoga on Tuesday nights, live music on Friday nights, monthly Pedals ‘N’ Pints bike rides, trivia and more. It recently hosted the free Old Town Pub Crawl ahead of the Alexandria Birthday Celebration fireworks.

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Image via M. Enriquez/Visit Alexandria