Alexandria Couple to Open Forge Brew Works in Lorton

Matt and Kerri Rose are crazy about beer, but only the good stuff. The couple left their cushy jobs last month and decided to go for the dream — opening a brewery. That dream will be realized this summer when Forge Brew Works opens its doors to the public in Lorton. 

"We started talking about doing this a year ago," said Matt, who recently quit his job as an aerospace engineer at Booz Allen Hamilton. "The idea that I could sit there and brew beer all day and get paid for it was amazing."

• See: Alexandria Residents Start Craft Brewery; Seek Donations Via Kickstarter

The couple plans to open Forge Brew Works at 8532 Terminal Road, Suites L, M and N in Lorton, at the end of June.

The brewery will host tasting events Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Customers will be able to buy samplers, growlers and kegs from six batches - a single hop IPA, a Belgian Pale Ale, a Roggenbier, an Abbey Ale, an Oatmeal Stout and a Petite Saison.

The beer craze began for the Roses five years ago, when Matt received a home brewing kit for Christmas from a friend. 

"I looked at the ingredients and I thought I could do better," he said. "I'm an engineer born and trained. I went and built a better kit and then started brewing and then started bothering my friends in the industry. Then I started buying textbooks from Germany and reading through them, and it grew from there."

The Roses raised $22,000 in a Kickstarter campaign, and will sell their beer to a number of Northern Virginia bars and restaurants. They will also host events at the brewery. 

"We're going to host competitions and we'll all sit around and taste each other's beer, and what I would like to do is brew the winning beer and get it into a few bars," said Matt.