One Friday afternoon found me standing downstairs at the Legend Pub and Brewery with none other than head brewer John Wampler. Looking half-casual, half-scientist with his John Wamplert-shirt, boots, and beaker full of beer, he offered me a belt of Legend’s Double IPA straight from the tank, albeit without much carbonation. So far so good – tasted very drinkable for a heavy-duty IPA, but had some depth to it as well. A rather fitting analogy for the brewery itself.

Before I could even launch into the questions, John wanted to show me around. I had peeked around the ol’ Legend brewhouse once or twice in the past, but hadn’t yet seen the expansion that had taken place. There used to be case after case of beer from some very recognizable names in the beer world just sitting in one part of the warehouse, but all that space was now replaced with new equipment. Since Legend spun off their distribution arm, Legendary Distributors, they now had room to add a bottling line and more fermentation tanks. Thus, more Legend product to the market.

After showing me the copper-colored 10-barrel pilot system that the brewery originally started with, I walked the rows of tanks housed in the bowels of the building, eventually seeing the seven new fermentation tanks and the five new ones reserved for clearing or “brightening.” These additions are attached to their current 30-barrel brewing system. Obviously, this expansion all boils down to demand.

But what really drove this demand is a new format. Legend will now bottle their beer in six-packs, as opposed to the familiar 22oz. bottles that have cropped up all over town (and in other towns as well). Why six-packs? “There’s a proven package with six-packs. Customers seem to prefer that size for whatever reason, and this could catapult us into out-of-state Legend Brown Sixer Packagingsales that we haven’t had before” said Wampler. “The demand [for Legend six-packs] has been there for a while. But after dealing with these 22s, 12-ounce bottles almost seem tiny.” The initial run in the sixer setup seems to be Legend Lager, Brown, Pale Ale, and their IPA, commonly referred to or once-known-as Golden Ale.

Due to the brewery’s focus on expansion not only inside the brewhouse but on the shelves as well, John mentioned that the “focus is now on the flagships or mainstays of our lineup.” Since the product is expected to reach many customers outside of Legend’s current distribution sphere, it’ll take time to introduce them to beers they’ve never seen before. Wampler confided that over half the tanks at Legend were storing Legend Brown. What about those seasonal releases? Fear not, John assured me that they’ll still get their seasonals in there once the public gets acquainted, or reacquainted, with Legend’s foundation offerings. And if you’re looking for special releases, more than likely they’ll be on tap, or cask, at the pub.

Taking a step back, I ask, “Who in their right mind would be expanding at a time like this?” John made it out to be a matter of necessity. “We needed to expand, and it was a good time to do it.” And from the looks of it, they haven’t been suffering. Though Wampler made it clear that he leaves the bean-counting to the accountants, and the brewing to himself and his staff.

On a related note, I wanted to get his insight on the Richmond market, particularly market saturation in the better beer sector. Asked if he thought Richmond is becoming saturated, John replied, “We’re there. We have enough clout with the beer-drinking crowd, and the beers are good enough to stand on their own.” By shooting for balance and drinkability, Legend strives to reach the public with flavorful beers that will entice you to order another. “We want these beers to be accessible, and have a little something for everybody. If you can’t find something you like, you’re not a craft beer drinker.” That versatility has paid off. “The craft beer consumer has taken us in, held us as a stalwart, or a steady go-to, if you will.”

Humulus the Brewery Cat

Humulus the Brewery Cat

Playing on the attention that beer and food pairings have garnered recently, I inquired as to Wampler’s favorite. He scratched his head for a second, then was reminded of the combination that opened his eyes to how great of a match beer can be to food. It was four years ago at a Legend beer dinner, hosted by the Greene Leafe in Williamsburg, where John tried an egg nog cheesecake matched up with a Legend Barleywine that was a year and a half old. He said he hasn’t tasted anything quite like it since, but the appreciation for pairing still remains.

Wrapping it all up, I ask John what gets him out of bed in the morning, what aspect of brewing does he loves most. He replied, “The little headaches that end up making a delicious product, and being able to see the results of your work right there. It’s a great crew of guys, and when you’re managing a small team, you develop much more productive relationships. In the end, you’re taking raw material and turning it into a satisfying final product.”

At that point, it was quittin’ time for John, a time to tie up any loose ends the week had brought him and head home to his family. For me, it was upstairs to the bar for a Legend Hefeweizen and some time to contemplate the effort put into such a satisfying final product.