Fort Monroe History
Fort Monroe sits on a point of land known as Old Point Comfort at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads, Virginia. This key area influenced our country's story from the beginning and served as a strategic defensive site for more than four centuries. The fort's last military mission as the US Army's Headquarters for Training and Doctrine Command ended with its decommissioning in 2011.
We're honored to continue discovering Fort Monroe, learning from its failures and triumphs, and telling its stories today.
The Oozlefinch backstory…
One night in 1905, Captain H.M. Merriam (while quite possibly under the influence of our favorite beverage) swore he saw a strange, large-eyed bird outside the Fort Monroe Officers' Club. His outlandish tale quickly spread throughout the community, and the bizarre creature later became the mascot of the club.
Merriam's fellow officers dubbed the bird the "Oozlefinch" and placed a figurine of its likeness on a shelf behind the bar. The Oozlefinch rose to mythic status on Fort Monroe and regular sightings reportedly occurred.
Today our brewery bears the name of the Oozlefinch, drawing inspiration from its legendary status, the celebration of good times with friends, and the traditions of Fort Monroe.
And if you're lucky, you just may catch a glimpse of the infamous bird yourself.
Meet Our People
Russel Tinsley, Founder | CEO | Majority Owner
Originally hailing from east Tennessee, Russel joined the Navy in 2004 and was later stationed in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where he met his lovely future wife, Rebekah. He joined the Newport News Police Department in 2008 and spent the next seven years serving as a police officer & narcotics detective, as well as staying in the Navy as a reservist. An avid craft beer lover, Russel began his brewery quest by way of homebrewing, and has now been living out his dream since opening Oozlefinch in September of 2016. When not at the brewery, he stays busy teaching his young sons (Treyton & Coltyn) the finer points of manhood (i.e. how to be die-hard Chicago Cubs fans), or spending the day bass fishing or knife forging.
Brittany Heller, CFO & Administrative Manager
Brittany grew up just outside of Richmond, and made her way to the Hampton Roads area to attend CNU. While there, she majored in Communication Studies as well as Accounting. She went on to work in the public accounting sector, where she was able to work with many clients in many industries. In January 2022, she was offered the opportunity to take her experience into the craft beer industry. With her passion for spreadsheets, and zest for turning numbers into usable data, Brittany has enjoyed being able to use her strengths to assist the Oozlefinch management team. Though she is the only Gluten free member of the team, she is always happy to enjoy an Oozlefinch Seltzer or Soda. In her free time, she enjoys watching reality TV, doing pilates and yoga, drinking wild amounts of coffee, frequenting farmers markets, researching conspiracy theories.
Rebekah Tinsley, Taproom & Events Manager
Bio coming soon!
Erek Jones, Artist / Designer
Erek (aka “Stachesquatch”) is no stranger to Virginia—born & raised in Chesapeake and now calling Richmond home for the last 15 years. He received a degree in communication arts with a particular area of interest being realistic illustration. Although his art style might make that seem an unlikely interest, he loved honing his realistic art skills so that the same subject could then be made into something unrealistic but appear natural! Outside of art, Erek enjoys playing soccer, riding his bike, watching soccer, reading sci-fi, talking soccer....did he mention soccer? And if he’s not enjoying a beer with friends you’ll find him spending time with his girlfriend & cat.
The Oozlefinch backstory…
One night in 1905, Captain H.M. Merriam (while quite possibly under the influence of our favorite beverage) swore he saw a strange, large-eyed bird outside the Fort Monroe Officers' Club. His outlandish tale quickly spread throughout the community, and the bizarre creature later became the mascot of the club.
Merriam's fellow officers dubbed the bird the "Oozlefinch" and placed a figurine of its likeness on a shelf behind the bar. The Oozlefinch rose to mythic status on Fort Monroe and regular sightings reportedly occurred.
Today our brewery bears the name of the Oozlefinch, drawing inspiration from its legendary status, the celebration of good times with friends, and the traditions of Fort Monroe.
And if you're lucky, you just may catch a glimpse of the infamous bird yourself.
How it All Began
While our story has been years in the making, our goal has remained unchanged: make good beer, and enjoy it with good people.
Founder/owner Russel Tinsley first began dreaming in 2010 of one day opening his own brewery. After reading a book by Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione and visiting the Rehoboth Beach brewpub, Russel realized his love for craft beer was more than a casual interest. He set out to learn everything possible about the brewing process, and he and his wife Rebekah started the journey of building a brewery that blended their vision of history, innovation, and community.
Fort Monroe, Virginia, a recently decommissioned military base rich in American history, soon became the ideal setting for the future brewery's home. After years of tireless dedication from a hardworking team (and some, blood, sweat, and tears along the way), Oozlefinch Beers & Blending finally opened its doors to the public on September 3, 2016.
But we haven't stopped dreaming.
We hope Oozlefinch becomes a place where creativity and excellence are pursued, time-honored traditions endure, and new stories are told.