Fox Hops Brewery jumps into WV beer world West Virginia Beer Roads

West Virginia Beer Roads traveled to Elkins, WV, to get this interview with Samantha Fox, owner and head brewer at Fox Hops Brewery. Fox Hops is a new brewery, tucked into the Appalachian Mountains, that opened in April 2024.







As this beautiful region of West Virginia moves from its traditional timber industry background to becoming a bigger and bigger tourism industry stronghold, the opportunity for new businesses, like small breweries, opens up.







Changing industries bring many new types of people to the region. Along with that change comes challenges. The mixing of old and new is never completely smooth.







Samantha Fox in her brewery.







A new generation of brewers







Samantha Fox represents a new generation of brewers who are forging their own paths in this still relatively new WV environment. They’re doing their take on craft beer and introducing new groups of customers to it. Keeping new blood entering the industry is so important to the craft beer industry’s future.







As the new interjects and blends with the old, it’s intriguing to watch this interaction play out in its effects on both breweries and their customers. To blaze a path through diverse clusters of customers, brewers must be adept at adapting to people with different backgrounds, different palates, and different sets of experiences and expectations.







In a large city, breweries can focus more narrowly on sets of styles and more specific customer preferences and still have enough business to make a go of it. However, in small market towns like Elkins, brewery taprooms must find business paths that produce beers with broader appeal.







Two popular beers at Fox Hops taproom: Chocolate Stout and Sami’s Saison







Today, West Virginia’s local craft beer industry finds itself in a very fluid situation, with an interaction and flow that will continue to change and shape both brewers and customers.







An interesting fact about Samantha, that adds to her unique perspective, is that she is the only female brewery owner in West Virginia who is also the brewery’s head brewer.







So listen in to our interview with Samantha Fox and hear from one of the new pioneers in WV craft beer. We think you’ll enjoy her optimism and enthusiasm as she provides her views on starting up a small brewery in the mountains of West Virginia.







List to the podcast







Episode 082 • WV Reer Roads • Fox Hops Brewery • 32 minutes







Time & Topics







TIME (min/sec)DISCUSSION TOPIC HIGHLIGHTS1:06How Samantha got into craft beer2:13 Her brewing education4:49Tasting Sammy Saison8:40Starting her own brewery11:14Description of the taproom12:49Samantha’s brewing philosophy14:20Brewing education15:30Review of current taplist beers at Fox Hops23:38Food service at Fox Hops Brewery25:16Discussion of female-owned breweries27:38Pink Boots Society program28:49 How to keep in touch with Fox Hops29:10Involvement in 2024 summer beer festivals







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Tasty dishes and special friends







Food service at Fox Hops Brewery includes Pimento Cheese Bites (the most popular appetizer) and Carnival Brats and PB & J Burgers (the biggest-selling sandwiches). Samantha also recommends trying their Sweet Pepper Cole Slaw, which is a traditional dish with a different twist.







Carnival Brat made with their Amber Ale, topped with grilled peppers and onions and doused with sweet honey sriracha sauce.  [Brewery photo]







As Samantha reviews her new career as a craft brewery own...