by Vickie Holt
When Bill Bryant retired from the Air Force, he faced the question of what to do with the rest of his life. As a teenager, he couldn’t wait to leave Floyd County, so he joined the Air Force after graduating in 1988. Bill had no intention of ever returning to his home town, but life has a funny way of changing your plans. After all, Bill’s family had lived in Floyd County since the late 18th century. There are generations buried in the Floyd County soil, and roots like that have a strong influence on destiny.
Twenty-five years after leaving, Bill returned home to make his future as one of the newest additions to the character and culture of Floyd.
When considering retirement in 2012, Bill and his wife thought about moving to Alaska. They’d spent a lot of time in America’s most northern state, and even had a house there. However, when the couple came home to visit, the family strongly urged Bill to stay. He’d been living in Washington DC at the time, so he went back there to think about it. If he moved back to Floyd, what in the world would he do with himself? He knew he didn’t want to farm but couldn’t think of any other options.
He contacted an old school friend, Lydeana Martin; now Floyd County Economic Development Director. Lydeana helped Bill connect with the students of Pamplin Business School at Virginia Tech. Always in need of projects for course work, the students created a feasibility study to determine the type of business that would do well in Floyd. At the end of the semester, after all the work had been done, the study revealed that Bill’s best two options were either an organic Tilapia farm, or a microbrewery.
Though Bill had been all over the world and had sampled the best beers the world had to offer, he’d never made beer before. Going into it, he knew that to make good beer, you need to have tasted good beer, and he’d certainly managed that crucial first requirement. The next step was to try his hand at actually making a batch.
Still in DC, Bill bought some home-brewing equipment and a few recipes. He had fun making those first couple of brews, and really enjoyed the process. After such a great first impression, he jumped in head first! Unlike many others who have gone into the microbrewery business, Bill was never a home-brewer by hobby. His first approach to home-brewing had been as a starting point for bigger things.
He quickly bought a barrel pilot system from another brewery in Nelson County and started making barrel batches. He seemed talented even in those early days, never creating what he’d consider a bad batch. And with the beer-making question answered, it came time to find a location.
The current location at 332 Webbs Mill Road represents the third attempt to find a home for Buffalo Mountain Brewing. The first two sites had ultimately been rejected for feasibility considerations and practical needs like water, sewer, electrical needs, logistics, regulations, and cost. But then he saw the Webbs Mill Road house up for sale. As a boy, Bill had milked cows for the previous owners, so he already knew them. The house had everything he needed, but most importantly, it was the right price.
Bill bought the house in July of 2016. The original thought was to tear it down and build from scratch. After evaluating the structure, however, he decided to renovate. Using 20,000 feet of timber Bill and his son had logged from the farm, the home was slowly transformed. Every beam, every piece of trim, and even the bar and tables were built by Bill with the help of family and friends. The bar is actually made out of wood salvaged from barns Bill tore down on his farmland.
Having spent a lot of time in European pubs and taverns during his Air Force days, Bill wanted to emulate the coziness and hominess he remembered of those taverns for Buffalo Mountain Brewing. He wanted it to be a comfortable place where even the kids could kick back and make themselves at home.
After multiple delays, Buffalo Mountain Brewing finally opened on April 12 of 2018. The event was marked by nothing more extravagant than Bill walking out to the edge of the road and putting up a sandwich board. But even on that day, people drove by, saw the sign, turned around and stopped in.
Buffalo Mountain Brewing has been well-received by both locals and tourists alike. When it comes to the future, however, Bill’s ultimate goal is to remain a home-town tavern. This dream is even engraved into the wood of the brewery’s unique flight boards: “A Place To Gather And Meet With Friends”.
Bill Bryant has no plans to expand or distribute. “I want my beer sold right here,” he tells us. “I’m not doing this to get rich. I’ll never enter my beer in competition. I’m doing it because I like people. My blue ribbon is when I hear someone say, ‘this is the best beer I’ve ever had’. What more can you ask for?”
Bill loves when the place is filled with people having a good time and laughing. “That’s what it’s about for me,” he says. He also loves how it brings folks together. He’s been told by more than one guest that every time they visit, they see someone they hadn’t seen in a long time. Bill feels the brewery adds to Floyd’s already eclectic mix. If it makes Floyd a more enjoyable place and gives folks a place to drink fresh draft beer, Bill is happy. He has no ambitions other than to “keep it Floyd”.
Though music does happen at Buffalo Mountain Brewing, it’s rarely scheduled. With so many musicians in town, however, music happens organically. Folks just bring along their instruments to play for the joy of it. With so many wanting to play, however, a calendar has been created and is available on the Facebook page. You can usually find a jam session, however, on Thursday nights. Bill calls it “Pickin’ on the Porch” and the most formal thing about it is the tip jar he puts out for the band. Everything is casual, relaxed, and friendly at Buffalo Mountain!
Buffalo Mountain Brewing
332 Webbs Mill Rd N, Floyd
(540) 745-2491
Facebook: BuffaloMountainBrewingCompany