The road to success was far from smooth early on. Goochland County officials tried to require LCCB to build an expensive paved parking lot and severely limited the number of visitors who could be on the property at any one time. Recognizing that a robust tasting room was vital for an upstart craft brewery, Pumphrey helped usher farm brewery legislation through the Virginia legislature in 2014.

After some additional wrangling with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, LCCB was finally granted the flexibility it needed to host events and entertain large swaths of customers at its farm. Since then, the brewery has taken off — opening a Shockoe Bottom location last year and announcing a partnership with Bob Marley’s half-brother in Jamaica.

In addition to having a good backstory, LCCB continues to produce some of the best beer in the region. Known for its wide variety of barrel-aged stouts, quads and tripels, LCCB has been racking up awards and acclaim for its array of innovative brews. For instance, its Enlightened Despot Russian Imperial Stout received a 95 out of 100 rating on BeerAdvocate.com, as well as collected two gold medals at the Virginia Craft Brewers Cup.