VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

Just a block away from the oceanfront, ambitious Virginia Beach haven, Bunker Brewpub & Cadence Hall stationed YOUNG VETERANS BREWING COMPANY, whose rangy brew fare gets served in a seafood-friendly concert venue.

A cozy fenced-in porch leads to the front door of this red brick pub. Opposing the curved right side gray marble-topped bar (with four separate tap stations and electronic beer list) are several metal-wood tables and decorative wood barrels.

In the rear, Cadence Hall offers a secondary twelve-tap bar, rear band stage, comfy couch section and black art deco ambiance.

General Manager Chris Holyfield was friendly enough to be my guide this steamy Friday afternoon, July ’20.

The lightest offering, Life Finds A Way Helles Lager, combined raw-honeyed sourdough wheat breading with mildly herbal-vegetal Saaz hops in traditionalist manner.

Flagship staple, Commander In Peach Hazy IPA, allowed pureed peach tartness to penetrate sharp orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple and tangerine tanginess as well as yogurt-milked lactose souring and resinous pine tones.

Tart juice bomb, Bottom Rock Raspberry IPA, blasted piquant raspberry luster past mild citrus bittering and sour cranberry-crabapple tingle.

Clear golden wheat ale, Pineapple Grenade, let its tangy pineapple spritz stay subtle over wheat-cracked pale malts.

Bitterly brisk and refreshingly zestful NEIPA, Hazies In A Half Shell, furnished juniper-hopped grapefruit and orange rind bittering with tart gooseberry-blackberry-blueberry notions.

Blue raspberry Gummy Bear knockoff, Gummy Neutron, a sour IPA, brought raspy blueberry tartness to lemon-candied piquancy over honeyed wheat sugaring.

Bringing subtle pomegranate souring to the fore, The Revolting Blob Hazy IPA gained tart green grape, gooseberry and guava notions above grassy-hopped barnyard leathering.

Updated Citra-hopped IPA staple, Jet Noise, regaled orange-peeled grapefruit bittering with spicy peach-mango sweetness and mild guava souring in a crystalline vodka-like 9% ABV fuselage.

During post-Christmas ’25 revisit, consumed a few more Young Veterans before heading South to Georgia.

Briskly clean Czech pils, Czech Your Six, retained mellow light-bodied nature as fizzy lemon spritz dotted musky earthen graining and herbal hops.

Toasted amber grains marked Rico’s Red, a nifty amber ale with crisp autumnal foliage, spiced quince pinch and brown tea spot.  

Vibrant lemony orange-peeled grapefruit tropicalia dazzled Snake Eater, a lightly oat-creamed hazy IPA with sticky salt-licked pine resin. 

Then there were two breakfast treats to enjoy.

Sweet maple syrup draped vanilla-cinnamon adjuncts (and Waffle Crisp cereal sugaring) upon breakfast-inspired spice ale, Morning Chow, an engaging wintry morning treat with glazed walnut, praline, granola and toffee illusions. 

Fudgy dark chocolate syruping gained dry espresso, sweet toffee and slight cedar smokiness for Goat Locker Breakfast Stout, leaving wispy black grape musk on its deep mocha insistence.

Dry coffee-roasted dark chocolate led mocha stout, Night Vision, reinforced by tarry dark-roast hops.