(Owner Rick Mariani and head brewer Michele Lowney. Photo by Diane Catanzaro)
By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones
Congratulations to the team at Maker’s Craft Brewery on earning Brewery of the Year in a very competitive field of excellent 757 breweries. Maker’s opened in 2019 in Norfolk’s Railroad District, and is just a few minutes’ drive from Ghent, Downtown, and Park Place.
Owner Rick Mariani had realized that crafting art in the woodworking field, owning a high-end contract furniture manufacturer and modifying and racing BMWs was satisfying but he needed to make more. What to make? Rick discovered homebrewing and the joy of making beer. From this he fell into the beer-rabbit-hole, as many a maker has before him. He MacGyvered a lagering tank utilizing the guts of an old window air conditioner, a food-grade glycol chiller, and elbow grease, and fashioned a brew system that was the envy of friends who would stop by to sip his suds. Being an overachiever, Rick felt the need to purchase and repurpose an historic industrial building at the corner of Church and 23rd street and build a REAL brewery. The result is a twenty-barrel brewhouse, a spacious and attractive tasting room, a capacious event space, and a separately ventilated cigar room with an impressive Emerson’s retail outlet for stogie smokers. The exposed brick walls supply oodles of character, and a huge grassy outdoor space provides a range of seating options perfect for gathering with friends.
Head Brewer Michele Lowney was hired by Rick before the brewery was open. A native New Yorker, Michele is a punk rocker who rides a motorcycle, has a degree in wildlife management and chemistry, has 27 years of professional brewing experience, and is a partner in Maker’s along with Rick’s wife Felicia. Michele’s brewing experience includes Phantom Canyon and Mountain Sun in Colorado, Atlantic Brewing in Maine, and Caledonia Brewing and William Bros. Brewing in Scotland. She was Head Brewer at Grizzly Paw in Alberta, Canada for six years. She studied Brewing Science at the Siebel Institute, drank goat’s blood beer in Africa, and was accepted to brew at a Belgian monastery until they realized ‘Michele’ was a woman and the offer was unceremoniously rescinded. As she was already in Belgium, she spent two days assisting with lambic brewing at Cantillon and drinking many of those delicious beers with a patriarch in the Van Roy clan. Michele has judged at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver many times and is active in the 757 Chapter of The Pink Boots Society. She designed the twenty-barrel brewhouse at Maker’s and has been Head Brewer since they opened, earning a reputation for quality beers with an emphasis on traditional English and German styles.
The philosophy at Maker’s is to brew approachable beers where you might be inclined to have more than one. This type of beer requires a strong emphasis on quality control as “there’s no place to hide” any off-flavors. Clean, drinkable, approachable, moderate ABV beers are the mainstay at Maker’s. The range does extend to bigger beers, like sweet stouts, bourbon barrel-aged porters, sours, and beers brewed with jalapeños or chili peppers, but the emphasis is always on drinkability. They key to Maker’s success is a well-brewed variety of beer styles with an emphasis on “beer-flavored beers.”
Maker’s had several beers that struck Gold in this year’s VEER Golden Tap Awards. Their Fest Beer won the Amber Lager category out of 23 entries. It is a malt-forward lager that is both drinkable and rich in character.
When in Brugge won in the Belgian Ale category. How can you not love a beer named after the ‘Venice of the North’ and one of our favorite places? This golden ale has classic Belgian character with a complex yeast character, restrained phenols, and a stealthy alcohol presence.
The Sweet Stout earned Gold in the Stout category. This is a style of stout that is less common than the dry, oatmeal, and imperial stouts, and is one of our favorite stout styles. Rich chocolate and malt character, a touch of sweet coffee, a barely-there kiss of hops, and little to none of the roasted character associated with dry stouts like Guinness. While we appreciate all the stout styles, a sweet stout is an uncommon pleasure.
SOB Mexican Lager scored gold in the American lager category. This is a lighter beer, that fits the bill (or sombrero) for those who like a clean and well-brewed beer that can be quaffed without a lot of fuss. A craft beer for people who might normally drink a lighter macro lager. Brewing this style well is a challenge because any flaws will stand out.
Maker’s also had award-winning beers in the Silver and Bronze categories. Brewer’s Tears earned Silver in Fruit Beer category. This version was brewed with mango and guava, and fermented with a sourvisiae yeast that lends a tart lactic acid character. However, the sourness is restrained and the fruit adds a depth of flavor that is very refreshing and easy-drinking. This beer has us yearning for a sunny beach day sipping suds and basking in the soft summer breeze. Until the weather cooperates, this beer is the next best thing.
Plain Seltzer scored Silver in the Seltzer category. The beauty of this seltzer is that it is clean, neutral, highly effervescent, and probably the lowest calorie alcoholic beverage you will find at a craft brewery. This unadorned seltzer sparkles with no harsh or sulfur notes. Want flavor? Maker’s has an array of Italian syrups to add, in flavors like brown sugar cinnamon, peppermint patty, gingerbread, kiwi, pumpkin cheesecake, raspberry, pistachio, and lavender. Choose your adventure!
The Patch Slapped Pumpkin Ale earned Bronze in the in Vegetable-Spice Beer category. This is a tough category to medal in as we have a wealth of tasty brews in this category here in the 757. Maker’s version has cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and somehow balances the spice flavors to not overwhelm the beer flavor. While we aren’t always fans of restraint, this beer has an appealing balance that is easy to appreciate.
When you visit Maker’s, you also have a choice of ginger, black cherry, and root beer craft sodas for the non-imbibers. Imbibers may appreciate beer cocktails, like the Maker’s Mule, Ginger-lime Radler, and Beermosas. These beer cocktails are tasty treats for those who might not (yet) be beer lovers.
Maker’s is located at 735 E 23rd Street, Norfolk. They have easy parking in their parking lot or on the street. Do come and check out Maker’s Craft Brewery, the VEER Golden Tap Award winner for 2025 and “make” a day of it!
