Spotlight on Sterling Stokes Jr. : Richmond's “Beermeister”
Sterling Stokes Jr.’s, Instagram
Richmond’s beer scene has continually put the River City on the map, with mentions in Men’s Journal, US News & World Report, The Washington Post, and the title of #1 beer destination in the world. Beer venues have opened, expanded into restaurants, closed, and added multiple locations since the beer boom over a decade ago. A few lucky residents have been a part of the beer community since nearly the very beginning. We recently had the pleasure of interviewing “Beermeister” Sterling Stokes, Jr. about his journey through the years in Richmond’s beer community and what he sees for its future.
How did you get involved with the Richmond beer community?
I didn't really get into craft beer until I started homebrewing with a coworker in 2009. My writing about beer started when Kevin Clay asked me to write for GayRVA.com. Eventually, I struck out on my own to write RVABeermeister.com.
You run a popular beer blog. Can you take us through its lifespan a bit?
My first post on RVA Beermeister from April 2011 takes me back. I started the blog as a way to write on my own time and to focus on events that were happening or coming up rather than posting a blog after the fact. I wanted people to be able to go out to enjoy themselves at local beer events and not wait for posts about me bragging that I did something and readers didn't. I was able to keep up with all of the breweries and events in town for a while after SB604 was passed. I think we reached over 30 breweries in the Richmond area by 2016, when my limits became stretched. Then there was the 2016 election. After that, I felt the blog had very little importance, and I pretty much stopped. As it turns out, stopping that creative outlet was a major source of depression for me. So I wrote when I could, but focused on causes that mattered the most to me. I’m mainly on Instagram these days, but my last written blog was in March 2021 for the Respect release from Black Heath Meadery.
Where did the moniker "Richmond Beermeister " come from?
RVA Beermeister was a take on brewmaster, which is a title brewers can earn from experience. Knowing I did not have the experience to call myself a brewmaster like Garrett Oliver (of Brooklyn Brewery) or Hardywood's Patrick Murtaugh, I went with Beermeister. And then I put the RVA in the front like my friend and blog idol, Andrew Cothern of RVA Playlist; I hoped to be to Richmond beer what Andrew was to Richmond music.
Sterling at Dogfish Head 2018: Photo Credit Annie Tobey
Have you always felt welcome in the Richmond beer community as a gay, Black man?
I always find this to be a difficult question for me to answer. As a person with access, yes, I have always felt welcome in the beer community. The majority of the events or breweries I visited also knew my partner, Douglas, by name. That's not to say there haven't been times when something was said at an event that another person noticed and felt they needed to apologize for the person who said it, even though I never heard it. Douglas has a better recollection of these instances than I do. These days I try to keep a better eye on situations and realize that I can have my blind spots.
Take us through your ideal RVA beer crawl- what are you ordering, and from where?
Um, can the beer crawl just come to me in smaller portions? Most days, I like to pretend I'm not 45, but the reality is well, yeah, you get the idea. Give me a great meal with one or two beers, and I am a happy camper. I know everyone expects me to name the best IPAs in town, so I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to tell you to grab a local lager because the time and skill it takes for breweries to make good ones will blow your mind. And if you think lagers only come in the pale variety, you are wrong. They come in all shapes, colors, and ABVs. I will say the best lagers in town are being made at Bingo Beer Company, Ardent Craft Ales (yes, it's ironic Ales is in their name), Triple Crossing, and Benchtop (a more recent addition to #RVABeer out of Norfolk).
Sterling’s 40th Birthday at the Veil: Photo Credit Sterling
What's been your favorite or most meaningful project/collaboration that you have been involved in?
There have been a lot of small collaborations over the years, but I have to say the most meaningful to me would have to be collaborating with Hardywood to participate in the Black is Beautiful project created by Weathered Souls Brewing out of San Antonio, TX, in the wake of George Floyd's murder. Knowing that my name was on that can that held such importance will be an experience I will treasure for a lifetime.
How do you see the Richmond beer industry changing over the next few years?
Richmond's dining community is still feeling the effects of the pandemic and rising inflation, so there is still a level of uncertainty. From what I can tell, places are focusing on expanding what they do well to elevate the individual experience. There will be new breweries opening but maybe not at the same ferocity as before the pandemic. One such brewery to look out for will be Capsoul Brewing Collective as they work to open Richmond's first Black-owned brewery. I, for one, will definitely be in their corner, rooting for their success. As should we all!