BadWolf Brewing Company (Little BadWolf)

 

When this place opened several years ago it was talk of the neighborhood. I remember seeing my next door neighbor coming home from work getting out of his car carrying a growler from this place. He shared some with me, and for the two of us it became our favorite establishment. The beer was great. I became enamored with their Jalapeno IPA and drank myself silly whenever they brewed a pot of that. Some other guys from the area also loved it.

But it's been under new management the last couple of years, and the beer just isn't the same. Last year they had the jalapeno IPA, and it showed a lower alcohol content, but it was just dead. It was flavorless. I hadn't been there. Then I saw on their website they had the Jalapeno IPA again, and this time it was back up to the 7.1% like the original recipe. So I went, and it was awful. It was just awful. It had an unmistakable very strong jalapeno taste which is why I used to love it, but it also had a very strong saltiness. I mean, it was overpowering, and despite the 7.1% alcohol content I didn't even get a buzz. The next morning I was sick to my stomach from so much salt.

I don't know how this place is surviving.

 

Went in with a couple of my friends the other day and asked about their flights. 6 samples for about $16, which isn't too bad. It was really easy to choose because they had 6 on tap so we got to try them all. When we first walked in I was intimidated since it was pretty small, a couple small tables and such but the atmosphere really sank into me.

There is a house cat, some board games, free popcorn to go with your drinks since they don't serve food (a nice perk).

Big menu on the wall of all the beers, easy to read and informative. Loved all the beers I tried. Their beers tend to be easier on the palate all being under 6% ABV except for like one if I remember correctly.

Lots of flavors and they were very attentive to their customer's needs and even recommended some nice bottled beer they had brewed that I wouldn't have known about unless they told me! I talked about being an IPA man and he immediately recommended me one.

Will go again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a small storefront just south of old town Manassas. The inside is a nice bar area with a small seating area. No food, but I've seen people bring in outside food and both times I have been there have been small snacks or candy available. Beer selection is six taps of what is the freshest - they will run out of the more popular beers since everything is small batch (in fact they are brewing behind the bar). They have tasting sizes, pints, and growler fills. Quality is fairly strong across the board and the staff is friendly and willing to talk about beer.

BadWolf is an enjoyable addition to the Northern VA beer scene and a change of pace from the bigger players in the local craft scene. Highly recommended.

 

Little storefront in a strip mall in Manassas; a bar in front, maybe 6-7 stools at the bar, another 15-20 stools around the outside of the room. Six taps, I think. Nice guys. We brought home growlers of their Irish Red and their Citra Ale; very good indeed. No food, but they're two doors down from a pizzeria, and they're fine with food from outside coming in. Very promising in the early stages. Clean and well-run.

The atmosphere of this taproom can only be described as "cozy", it is small, with a comfortably-sized bar complimented by comfortable chairs and a couch around the room. The taproom is very cleaned and manned by a knowledgeable and friendly staff, who I believe are the brewers themselves.

They have a constantly rotating selection of beers brewed onsite with six taps total. The selection usually includes some common standby styles along with a couple well-executed, off-style beers. I have never had a bad brew here, and it's impossible to find beer any more fresh.

All-in-all, this is an establishment worthy of being on every northern Virginian's list. It's fairly unique, but in a very good way.