#1 Weathered Ground Brewery

8.1 🍺 above average

As the third-most rural state east of the Mississippi (after Vermont and Maine), you would expect West Virginia to have an abundance of farm breweries. It has, in fact, just one: Weathered Ground Brewery. And it’s not really a farm, but more like a ranch. The barn-like building that houses the brewery and taproom is surrounded by 30 acres of pasture and woods. As I drove beneath a towering western ranch-style entry gate and up the narrow road to the brewery, I saw no signs of agricultural activity. The only animals grazing on the premises were deer.

Unlike its neighboring states, West Virginia does not issue farm brewing licenses, so the owners of Weathered Ground are under no legal obligation to engage in agricultural activities—which, thankfully, has allowed them to focus their energies on beer, food, and hospitality. Since opening the brewery in the summer of 2017, owners Sam and Aryn Fonda have created one of the most respected and even beloved breweries in the state. “I’ve not observed any other West Virginia brewery with a more passionate following,” notes Charles Bockway, chief writer and publisher of Brilliant Stream, West Virginia’s leading online source of craft beer news.

Ironically, the Fondas met as undergraduates at the University of Mississippi (Old Miss). Ironic, because at the time, Mississippi was the worst state in which to drink craft beer (even worse than Utah!). The Magnolia state was the first to adopt statewide Prohibition in 1908 and the last to repeal it (not until 1966). Beer stronger than 4% ABV was outlawed until 2012. So it’s a good bet that when the Fondas were first dating, they were drinking light beer or “near beer.”

It wasn’t until after graduation that Sam, a Mississippi native, traveled to Colorado, where he discovered his passion for craft beer. The Fondas eventually ended up in Charlotte, NC, where they both found jobs in the thriving craft beer scene. Sam began brewing at the Triple C Brewing Co. and helped develop its award-winning 3C IPA. It wasn’t long before this ambitious couple was ready to open their own place.

Aryn’s father, Tony Kelly, a retired physician and lifelong beer lover, encouraged the Fondas’ ambition to open a brewery and became Weathered Ground’s third partner and principal investor. They found a 30-acre site just seven miles south of Daniels, WV, where Aryn grew up, and began to transform their dream into reality. In August 2017, Weathered Ground began serving its first pints to the public. 

Given the rural setting, Sam Fonda’s original inspiration was to brew farmhouse-style ales. “My favorite kind of beer is using local terroir.” When the brewery opened in 2017, one of the six beers on tap was a Belgian-style saison fermented with Brettanomyces yeast and brewed with malt from an artisanal maltster near Asheville, NC. Perhaps more telling, though, were the styles of the other five beers: pale ale, IPA, double IPA, Irish-style stout, and a crisp, full-bodied lager. Something for every taste. More adventurous styles such as barrel-aged imperial stouts and barleywines, Belgian-style abbey ales, and Scottish wee heavies would soon follow. While most breweries focus on a few of their favorite styles, Weathered Ground has demonstrated an ability to brew a diverse range of beers at a very high level of quality.

The brewery can feel like it’s in the middle of nowhere. The nearest population center, Beckley (pop. 16,373), is about 12 miles to the north, and the nearest attraction, Winterplace Ski Resort, is only open in winter. “A lot of people’s eyes sort of rolled when they saw where our location was going to be,” Sam Fonda told Brilliant Stream.

The Fondas, though, were fortunate to open during the peak years of the craft beer boom. The brewery’s reputation for beer and hospitality quickly spread on social media. Beer lovers traveling between Ohio and North Carolina on I-77 found the brewery’s location—just minutes off the Ghent exit—a convenient halfway point to stop for a quick bite and a beer to wash it down. And though neighboring Cool Ridge is small (pop. 2,650), its residents enthusiastically embraced the new brewery for its well-crafted beer and strong commitment to the community.

Brilliant Stream immediately named Weathered Ground West Virginia’s “Best New Brewery” of 2017. By its fourth anniversary, it was anointed best brewery in the state by West Virginia Living magazine. And after nine years in business, its reputation continues to grow. Readers of USA Today ranked Weathered Ground the third-best beer bar in the nation in 2025 and the second-best brewpub, the following year.

The setting is breathtaking: verdant green fields bordered by woods as far as the eye can see. A handful of ancient oaks punctuate the flat pasturage with towering crowns of swaying green. Behind the taphouse a large fountain pond burbles contentedly and reflects the azure sky above.

“We live on a beautiful property, and we’re trying to take full advantage of this place we’ve got,” Sam acknowledges.

Equally engaging is the facility itself. The rustic wood-clad building features an inviting front porch (with rocking chairs!) and spacious interior, reminiscent of a 19^th-century Grange hall. Beneath a handsome gambrel roof that rises to a stunning two-story ceiling, an expanse of large and small tables leads customers to the 22-seat bar that spans the back of the taphouse.

The front of the room is divided into a cozy alcove on one side with sofas and a pinball machine, and on the other is a small, raised stage tucked into the corner. Original artwork—much of it by Sam’s mother Kathy Fonda—lines the walls.

Outside, a fenced-in area of similar size accommodates numerous picnic tables with space for an elevated bandstand at one end. It’s a great place to enjoy a beer and an even better place for a festival or concert.

Hundreds of loyal customers fill the space every August for Weathered Ground’s annual anniversary party and a rollicking Oktoberfest in the fall. But the biggest event of the year is the annual WVPubFest, an all-day concert featuring 18 musical acts on two stages, benefitting WV Collective, a non-profit dedicated to promoting performing arts projects and programming on West Virginia Public Broadcasting, such as Inside Appalachia, Mountain Stage, Eclectopia, and Lost Highways.  

Weathered Ground has proven just as supportive on the local level, whether it’s hosting events such as “Small Business Sundays,” staging a benefit concert for a local musician with ALS, or providing space for senior fitness classes every other Tuesday morning. “The taproom has become a community gathering place,” notes Aryn.

That community support is perhaps strongest within the brewery itself. The Fondas have nurtured a dedicated staff, whose commitment to Weathered Ground has been strong from the beginning. Every employee, not just the principals, has their own bio on the company website.

“We’re super fortunate with having low turnover here, having people who want to stay here,” says Sam. Four bartenders have been pouring pints since the brewery opened nine years ago. One of them, Stacie Vance, expresses it best: “I love the fact everyone jumps in and helps with every job, not just ‘theirs.’ We are a true brewery family.”

Brewer Anthony Meader epitomizes that “family” better than anyone. A decade ago, he was selling luxury boats to vacationers when he met Sam and expressed an interest in brewing. While the taphouse was under construction, Sam and Anthony brewed test batches in the Fondas’ garage. Demonstrating a keen aptitude for brewing, Anthony became Sam’s brewing assistant when the brewery opened and now handles most of the day-to-day brewing activities.

I visited the taphouse on a Friday evening in mid-March, 2026. It was too early for hiking and too late for skiing, but the joint was hopping. The bar was filled, and many small groups and families were there for dinner. All local folks. The night’s performers—a talented guitarist and an engaging female vocalist—were a notch above the usual taphouse fare. From their small stage next to the entrance, the sound was clear but not overbearing.

I turned my attention to not one, but two chalked menu boards behind the bar. Twenty taps—with a very wide range of options. Both an Irish red and Irish stout. A German-style pils and a Vienna lager. Three sours and two Belgians (a pale ale and a dubbel). Eight IPAs that covered all the bases: two hazies, two West coasters, two DIPAs (one black), a brown IPA, and one session strength. And three compelling heavy hitters: a Baltic porter (7.3% ABV), barrel-aged coffee stout (9.2%), and English-style barleywine (10.2%). I hadn’t seen this much variety in quite a while.

I was able to work my way through half of the menu in two sessions. With a few exceptions, the beers were solid examples of their representative styles with some interesting twists. The brown IPA, Broke Picnic Table (5.7%), deftly balanced its malty and hoppy sides. The brewery’s second-most popular beer, Stop and Smell the Citrus (6.1%), though listed as a hazy, tasted somewhat bitter and struck me as more of a hazy/West Coast hybrid. Jethro (7.3%), a Baltic porter, offered a surprisingly smoky interpretation. Margaret seemed a bit mild and thin-bodied for a 10.2% barleywine. And both #Monklife (7.2%) and Dubbel Down (7%) could have shown more Belgian character. The IPAs were all well-made, though emphasized drinkability over intensity of flavor. The one exception was the pineapple-accented, El Dorado-hopped More Haggard Than Haggard (8%). This amped up version of their flagship beer was a hop-saturated monster. Best beer of the night.

Weathered Ground’s kitchen specializes in brick oven pizzas cooked with a thin crust in a dozen different combinations of toppings, including Greek and pickle varieties. Also available are nachos, mozzarella sticks, pretzels, wings, salads, and a tasty cheesy garlic bread with dipping sauce. Everything is well made and reasonably priced.

Social media reviews are overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Little surprise that the taphouse experience at Weathered Ground is rated best in the state. Aficionados give a slight edge to Stumptown’s and Short Story’s hoppy IPAs, which admittedly is their primary focus, but Weathered Ground has so much more to offer. No other West Virginia brewery can top Weathered Ground’s extensive selection, consistent high quality, and creative approach to everything they brew. A visit to this bucolic taphouse is one that every beer lover or curious traveler is sure to remember.

—DeWayne Wright, edited 8/22/26

WEATHERED GROUND BREWERY
2027 Flat Top Road
Cool Ridge, WV 25825

OPEN
Monday — Thursday: 4 pm — 9 pm
Friday & Saturday: noon — 10 pm
Sunday: noon — 8 pm

NUMBER OF TAPS
14

AVERAGE ABV
6.5%

FOOD
12 varieties of thin-crust pizza
plus nachos, chips, pretzels, subs, wings, and salads

PARKING
Extensive (enough for festivals)