I've decided to start with the Southern VA breweries. I've had to explain many times that "yes, I am from Virginia" but "no, I don't have a crazy moonshine-making Southern accent because I'm from Northern Virginia." So my arbitrary decision that "Southern" Va is anything below Fredericksburg comes with a disclaimer. I am including some breweries that are geographically in the Northern part of VA, but they might not exactly fit the social mold of what is known as NoVA, since they reside outside of the two or three closest counties to Washington D.C. There aren't too many farms in NoVA, but there are plenty in what I am calling Northern Virginia, if that makes any sense.
Last week I went on vacation that involved me driving from Northern VA down I81 to Blacksburg then across the Southern part of the state and into North Carolina on mainly small highways. On the way home we drove through VA Beach and up the Eastern Shore of VA. So, essentially I drove most of the the border of the fine Commonwealth in the last week. Unfortunately I didn't parlay that into much VA beer drinking and I'm disappointed to say that from the brewers on this first list, I've only had beer from Starr Hill.
Wolf Hills, Abingdon. Located in SW VA near TN they distribute to a few towns in VA and TN and I think they want to stay that way, because they emphasize fresh and local on their site. They make three year round beers and seven limited releases. Each beer is named after something relating to the geography or history of SW VA, and the story behind each name is on the website. In general I like when breweries put stories on their bottles, or at least explain how the specific beer is made. If I'm going to kill brain cells while I'm drinking your product, I'd like you to at least educate the ones I have left.
Blue Mountain Brewery and Hops Farm, Afton. Founded in 2007, they bottle, can (first in VA to do so), and run a brew-pub. They have 9 year round and 20 seasonal draft-only brews. Decent logo, nothing flashy, but respectable. 2500 barrels a year, VA distribution. I think the coolest part about this brewery is that they grow their own hops, which are used in their Full Nelson Stong Pale Ale. They also use their first 150lbs of freshly picked hops for a harvest celebration beer. Many breweries make beers with freshly picked hops in the fall, so wherever you are, be on the lookout.
Starr Hill, Crozet. Outside of Charlottesville. Started in Charlottesville in 1999, they moved to a bigger location a little bit out of town in 2005 due to growing demand. They distribute to D.C., MD, VA, WV, NC, TN, SC, and FL. 6 year rounds, 3 seasonals, and 3 reserve beers. I like the Lucy, which is a light, low ABV, spiced golden ale. Also, if you dig unfiltered hefeweizen's, The Love is one you should check out. I had one down in Blacksburg and it turned into three.
St. George Brewing, Hampton.Opened in 1991 as a BOP, they have grown and are now distributed in D.C., NC, SC, MD, and VA. They make 11 beers (7 year round and 4 seasonal) and they do some contract brewing as well. Their labels all have a medieval theme and their beers do not have specific names. Their website could use an update.
Blue Lab Brewing, Lexington. My grandparents live in Lexington and my Grandfather tipped me off to Blue Lab a while back, close to when they opened in January 2011. However, I will be down there next weekend, so maybe I'll get a chance to swing by and see if they actually exist or are just a figment of my Grandfather's imagination. Happy Birthday Grandpa.
Jefferson Street Brewery, Lynchburg. They are located in downtown Lynchburg, and they opened in 2007 as part of a revitalization of downtown. They brew their beers for the restaurant that they are located above. They also do tastings and tours so you can sample the 5 styles that they brew.
O'Connor Brewing, Norfolk. Their philosophy is "Fresh is Better." The president and founder quotes Jack Handey (from SNL) on his bio, so I immediately like him. They make four beers, I like the style of the artwork on all of them, and their names relate to nautical terms or geographical locations in Southeast VA. They are distributed in SE Virginia from Williamsburg down to Chesapeake.
Legend Brewing, Richmond. Opened in 1994. They make five year round beers and four seasonal specials and distribute all over Virginia and also operate a brew pub in Richmond. Last year they made 5000 barrels.
Roanoke Railhouse Brewery, Roanoke. Their slogan is "Engineering Balanced Craft Beers" so brace yourselves for some straightforward beer styles with cheesy railroad names. I haven't even looked at the website yet, but I can almost guarantee it. Ok. I looked. I was half right. They make three beers; Track 1 lager, Caboose Imperial Lager, and Railhouse IPA. I don't mind the labels and an Imperial Lager is definitely not something I've seen before. The names are definitely cheesy train names, but hey, if you're going to commit to a theme, you gotta go 100%. After all, a beer from a railroad themed brewery named Choo Choo Chocolate Stout wouldn't make sense if there was a picture of a turtle on the label. They distribute all over VA and NC.
Beach Brewing, Virginia Beach. They brew six beers year round, and several seasonals. The beer names are all ocean related. They distribute all over the VA Beach area but nowhere else and it looks like it's just on draft, no bottles. The founder has a quote on his bio page that I think is slightly funny. "I don't understand what the big deal is with these new 55 and 64 calorie beers. It's not like it's a new concept; Deer Park and Aquafina have been bottling water for years." ZING! That's my kind of joke.
Williamsburg AleWerks, Williamsburg. Opened in 2006. They brew six beers year round and even though they aren't flashy I think these are my favorite labels so far. They make three seasonals, one of which is a Coffee Milk Stout, which I generally love. They also make two reserve beers (a Bourbon Porter and a Barleywine) and two brewmaster's choices (one is a 9.4%ABV Belgian Farmhouse). I like the styles of beer these guys make. They are the most creative brewery I've found in VA so far and they are distributed in VA, MD, DE, and D.C. so if you are on the East Coast, check them out.
Music:
Carbon Leaf is a band that started in Richmond and got a lot of airtime in D.C. in the early 2000s with their song "The Boxer." They have a Celtic feel to a lot of their music, but they also rock out and their songs have some really good stories/thoughts behind them. One of my favorites is "Life Less Ordinary."
Virginia Coalition (VACO) started at T.C. Williams High School, which was made famous in Remember the Titans. They have a lot of funk inspiration. I've seen them three times and they really really put on a good show. Yup. Two reallys. Check out this live video of "Walk to Work."
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