3.2 🍺above average
Plato had Socrates. Alexander the Great had Aristotle. And Curt Kimbrell of Amani Brewing Co. had Garrett Chambers of Cushwa Brewing to mentor his mastery of the New England-style IPA. Chambers is the guy who brought a firsthand knowledge of Juice and Haze to Maryland after brewing at Four Quarters Brewing Co. in the Burlington, VT, suburb of Winooski in the early 2010s. And now, Kimbrell is doing the same for beer lovers in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle. Kimbrell’s top IPAs, such as Hazy Day Maker (6.8% ABV), IMHO, are the equal of those brewed by such local haze pioneers as Cushwa in Williamsport or Aslin in Herndon, VA.
Kimbrell, his wife, and daughter, Paris, brought craft brewing back to Martinsburg in 2022 after an 11-year absence. The family-run, family-friendly enterprise began in 2021 as a coffee shop, A.M. Brews, operating out of an 11 x 14-foot trailer. The brewery followed a year later.
The name Amani is Swahili for “peace, love, and most beautiful girl,” and is also the middle name of general manager Paris Kimbrell, who personifies those qualities with grace and elan. The brewery is located about five minutes north of downtown Martinsburg on 32 acres of pasturage that has been in the family since Paris’s dad, Curt, migrated with his family from North Carolina at the age of seven. It is a peaceful, bucolic setting, ideal for appreciating Curt Kimbrell’s well-honed creations.
Amani typically reserves four of its dozen taps for IPAs—the highest percentage of any brewery in West Virginia (even Stumptown!). Its signature IPA, Hazy Day Maker, is usually complemented with two other moderate-strength hazies and one West Coast IPA. Unlike most brewers who scale up their favorite recipes to double or triple strength, Kimbrell scales his down to more drinkable gravities. With the exception of its barrel-aged bottles, Amani keeps everything on draft below 7%. Its average ABV of 5.4% is the lowest in the state, and its selection of modestly alcoholic lagers and ales includes something for every taste.
Amani’s taphouse is relatively small and compact, seating 80. A small kitchen with a pizza oven sits behind glass next to the entrance; the modest 5-barrel brewhouse fits neatly along the opposite wall. In between is an inviting mix of tables, sofas, and cushioned benches beneath a simple array of ceiling drapes that help dampen the sounds of a sometimes-boisterous bar. The vibe is laid back and relaxing.
Equally welcoming is the outdoor seating, where an assortment of picnic tables and fire pits looks out across 2½ acres of manicured turf, enclosed by wooden fencing. The area is thoughtfully landscaped with graveled walkways, shade trees, and a small garden of flowering shrubs and ornamental trees. The most arresting sight, though, is a gallows-like structure with a crossbeam towering 30 feet above the ground that is used for rope-climbing competitions.
Physical fitness is an essential part of Amani’s brand. A 1.33-mile grass and gravel trail encircles its property and is maintained throughout the year. Pub runs are scheduled the second Thursday of every month. A 5K and “Beer Mile” event is held in May in which runners must down a 12-ounce beer before every lap. Puking participants receive a five-minute penalty added to their time. Drinking is optional for October’s “Final Countdown Race,” in which runners are given 20 minutes to complete the 1.33-mile loop. Each successive lap must then be run 20 seconds faster, until only one runner returns before the end of the countdown.
Even if Fleetwood Mac and Red Hot Chili Peppers are in heavy rotation on the brewery’s playlist, Amani is certainly not your father’s brewpub. There is no telephone, no menus (scan the QR code, dad). The brewery’s Instagrams, TikTok videos, and social media presence are on par with the best influencers; its website is straight-forward, informative, and elegantly designed. Customers are not afforded the luxury of anonymity. GM Paris Kimbrell and the rest of the staff go out of their way to assimilate every guest into the Amani community.
I visited the taphouse on a breezy afternoon in early September, escorting my dog through the brewery and lashing her leash onto one of the picnic tables out back. Picked a water bowl from the display next to the door, emptied my Dasani into it, and went inside to get something for me to drink.
The tap list was as advertised: four IPAs and eight alternatives, all under 6%. The flagship pilsner, Mountaineer (5.3%), is named after Martinsburg first craft brewery. An easy drinking beer with a little umph, it demonstrates Kimbrell’s sure hand with toasted malts. Even better was The Road Goes Ever On (4.4%), an English-style dark mild that delivers an amazing amount of toffee flavor for its gravity. Just as interesting were two out-of-the-box lagers: Revolution (5%), brewed from a mixed grist of alternative grains, and Rabbit’s Foot (5.4%), a pre-Prohibition lager that is heavy on the corn (in a good way).
Amani’s fruited sour series is called “Embracing Risk.” I accepted the challenge and ordered the latest iteration, Strawberry Margarita (4.3%), which has the highest rating in the series. Strawberry can be a difficult flavor to express in beer, and this one tasted more like peach or watermelon. Still, it was light, refreshing, and nicely balanced—and quite flavorful for its weight. A one-off Munich Dunkel (5.2%) was fresh tasting but lightly flavored.
The IPAs I saved for last. Could Be Trouble (6%) was kind of hazy for a traditional IPA but gave off a fresh dank aroma and had the classic piney/citrusy flavor with mild bitterness at the end. The three hazies offered an interesting range of flavors. An unnamed 6.2% IPA (The Way: Path 024), in the New Zealand-style, was the most turbid and featured lots of Nelson Sauvin tropical, winey flavor with a hint of onion in the finish. Summer Solstice (6.3%), originally a 5.6% pale ale, had been bumped up to IPA strength in this sample. Its unusual blend of Tangier and Motueka hops produced a distinctive, but restrained combo of orange and citrus flavors. The super juicy Hazy Day Maker (6.8%), which pairs Citra with Motueka, delivered robust and complex tropical and citrus flavors that were very rounded and filling. A worthy signature beer.
Amani offers eight different pizzas. The brewery reportedly spent six months perfecting a house dough. It was time well spent. The crust on “The Mountaineer” pizza I ordered was medium-thick and crispy—topped with pepperoni, bacon, and jalapenos. The peppers were deployed with restraint, and the bacon, shredded into almost a paste, was a tasty touch. Pretzels, hummus, and chicken nachos are also available.
Alcoholic alternatives include house versions of a vodka sour, espresso martini, and Old Fashioned, plus three wine options: pinot noir, prosecco and a bubbly moscato. And how about this fun option for the kids: Are We There Yet?—a sweet non-alcoholic IPA.
Amani also offers an interesting variety of beverages to go. Canned cold brew coffee is produced in house in four core flavors plus a rotating seasonal. All core beers are available in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans, which can be purchased as mixed packs. And the brewery also bottles a limited number of barrel-aged beers. I took home a 12-ounce bottle of Communion (8.6%), a sangria fruited sour, dosed with grape and pomegranate puree and aged in oak. It was fruity and slightly sweet with a grainy background like beer, and light tannins like a mild red wine. An edgy sangria.
Amani Brewing
654 Ropp Dr.
Martinsburg, WV 25403
OPEN
Wednesday: 4 – 8 pm
Thursday: 3 – 9 pm
Friday: 2 – 9 pm
Saturday: noon – 9pm
Sunday: noon – 6pm
NUMBER OF TAPS
12
AVERAGE ABV
5.4%
OTHER DRINKS
3 wines
3 house cocktails
1 non-alcoholic sweet “IPA” for kids
FOOD
8 varieties of pizza
pretzels, hummus, chicken nachos
PARKING
plentiful around taphouse