Starr Hill Brewery was founded in 1999 by Mark Thompson and Kristin Dolan in Charlottesville, Virginia, and took its name from the neighborhood in Charlottesville where the brewery was first located. Mark Thompson was already a master brewer when he started Starr Hill, having trained and worked for years in Portland, Oregon. It was there that he learned that craft brewing was equal parts art and science, and Mark took this knowledge back with him to his native Virginia to start Starr Hill. A hit from its very first offering, Starr Hill’s Dark Starr Dry Irish Stout took home the gold from the Great American Beer Festival in its very first year of production, as well as 2005, and 2009. By 2005 the brewery had to relocate to Crozet, Virginia to accommodate growing demand. Starr Hill’s beers continue to be a hit at national and international festivals, taking home a total of 8 gold medals in its 15 year history. Always looking to develop and innovate, Starr Hill continues to expand their seasonal and limited edition offerings while still producing the craft beer staples that people have come to expect from them.