Virginia Craft Beer - Oct/Nov 2014

virginiacraftbeer.com

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october 2014

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ingredients PUBLISHER/EDITOR Jeff Maisey ADVERTISING/MARKETING Jennifer McDonald CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brenda Mihalko

8: Lost in the Supermarket 12: National Beer Expo Reviewed 14: Green Flash Festival 22: Yeast 26: The Answer Brewpub Opens 30: Lickinghole Creek 32: Old 690 34: Heritage Brewing 35: Apocalypse 36: Adroit Theory 38: Bold Rock Cider 40: Collecting Schwag 42: Brew Reviews 44: Keeping Tabs 47: Brewery Guide

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Diane Catanzaro Diane Flynt Jeff Evans Lee Graves Chris Jones Kim Kirk Robey Martin Joshua Rapp Learn Wade Reynolds Mark Thompson Chuck Triplett Michael Wingfield Dan Yarnall CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Kathy Keeney Copyright 2014 Ghent Media, Inc. Virginia Craft Beer Magazine is published bi-monthly by Ghent Media, Inc. PO Box 11147 Norfolk, VA 23517 For advertising and subscription inquiries: 757.403.5852 jennifer.mcdonald@hotmail.com

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For editorial inquiries: 757.237.2762 jeffmaisey@yahoo.com virginiacraftbeer.com

Rain or Shine, We’ve Got You Covered WITH A BIG TENT ON THE BEACH

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Fall is one of my favorite times of year. Crisp, cool evenings, pumpkins, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course a plethora of Oktoberfest and Pumpkin beers – what’s not to love?!

We’ll take a look at some of these seasonal specialties and award-winning beers from the recent Virginia Craft Brewers Fest. Plus, November is Virginia Cider month. And, Jeff Maisey sits down with John Washburn from Bold Rock Cider to discuss the growing demand for cider and Bold Rock’s impressive new cidery. I can’t wait to visit!

Next, Elizabeth Erschens and Dan Yarnall travel to Richmond to contemplate the adage “Beer is the answer” as they get a first-hand look at the highly anticipated opening of An Bui’s Answer Brew Pub. The craft beer industry is exploding and one can easily get overwhelmed with all of the craft beer options at the grocery store these days. Mark Thompson takes a hard look at the crowded supermarket and retail shelves where packaged craft beer vies for attention, and he offers insight into the purchasing habits of consumers.

Similarly, the list of beer related merchandise continues to grow... stickers, pint glasses, coasters, koozies, bottle openers, key chains, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. This list goes on and on! Jeff Evans and Chuck Triplett take a look at this growing breweriana culture and share their passion for collecting beer schwag.

In our on-going quest to introduce you to Virginia breweries that you might not be aware of or have visited yet, we profile several breweries this issue.

With the passing of SB 430 earlier this year, people are now allowed to farm, brew, and live on the same land. We get an inside look at two such farm breweries with Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones, who visit Lickinghole Creek in Goochland County, and Jeff Evans and Chuck Triplett explore Old 690 Brewing Company in Purcellville. Joshua Learn highlights the heavy metal inspired Adroit Theory, and I have the pleasure of talking to Lee John from Apocalypse Ale Works. Then, in celebration of Veteran’s Day, we salute the men and women of our armed forces with a spotlight on former warrior-owned Heritage Brewing.

Also, in this issue, Steve Deason exposes the overlooked, secret ingredient in beer -- yeast. And, Elizabeth Erschens evaluates the Capital Ale House National Beer Expo that took place in Richmond this past July. Did we mention all of the Oktoberfest and Craft Beer Festivals happening in October and November?

Check out the Events Calendar and start making plans now!

Cheers!

Jennifer McDonald Jennifer.McDonald@hotmail.com Follow us on Facebook - facebook.com/virginiacraftbeer, Instagram @ VirginiaCraftBeerMagazine, and Twitter @VACraftBeerMag

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brewnews

Devils Backbone Sweeps Best in Show

By JeFF MaIsey

Fconvincing style, sweeping the best in show category.

or the third consecutive year Devils Backbone Brewing Company won the coveted Virginia Beer Cup. The brewery did so in

This year awards – gold, silver and bronze – were presented in 23 categories.

“It is always amazing to win an award and to get that kind of recognition from your peers and community,” said Aaron Reilly, brewer/head cellar man at Devils Backbone’s Base Camp brewpub. “It really makes you feel good about what you do.”

Devils Backbone operates two facilities. The Outpost, located in Lexington, is currently the largest craft brewing facility in Virginia. The increase in production capacity at the Outpost also improves consistency and quality.

“Our Outpost brewing team has done a really great job,” said Reilly. “They’re producing a lot of our core beers which allows me to experiment more with different recipes and fun things we’ve always wanted to do.”

While Devils Backbone scored the top honor, many other breweries from across the Commonwealth also had good reason to raise a pint glass and smile.

“I love that so many new breweries around the state won awards this year,” Reilly said. “It really says a lot for Virginia brewing in general.

Devils Backbone scores the 3-peat It’s a really great time to be a beer drinker in Virginia.”

HERE IS A COMPLETE LIST OF MEDAL WINNERS. CONGRATS TO ALL. 2014 Virginia Craft Brew Cup Winners Best of Show GOLD: Devils Backbone Outpost – Turbo Cougar Helles Bock SILVER: Devil’s Backbone Basecamp – Smokehouse Lager BRONZE: Devil’s Backbone Basecamp – Berliner Metro Weiss American and German Lager GOLD: Devils Backbone Outpost – Turbo Cougar Helles Bock SILVER: Blue Mountain Brewery – Living Helles BRONZE: Devils Backbone Outpost – Schwartz Bier Pilsner GOLD: Lost Rhino Brewing Company – Rhino Chaser Pilsner SILVER: Legend Brewing Company – Czech Pilsner BRONZE: Mad Fox Brewing Company – Praha Pils Vienna and Oktoberfest GOLD: Devils Backbone Outpost – Vienna Lager SILVER: Sunken City Brewing Company – Sunktoberfest BRONZE: Lost Rhino Brewing Company – RhinoFest Marzen Kolsch and Blonde Ale GOLD: Champion Brewing Company – Killer Kolsch SILVER: Parkway Brewing Company – Bridge Builder Blonde BRONZE: Capitol City Brewing Company – Capitol Kolsch

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Light and Amber Hybrid Beer GOLD: Bull and Bones Brewhaus – Appalachian Alt SILVER: Sunken City Brewing Company – Steamboat California Common BRONZE: Champion Brewing Company – Stickin’ In My Rye IPA English, Scottish, and Irish Ale GOLD: Apocalypse Ale Works – Heavy Red Horseman SILVER: Midnight Brewery – Not My Job Southern English Brown Ale BRONZE: Old Bust Head Brewing Company – Bust Head English Pale Ale American Pale Ale GOLD: Beach Brewing Company – Ghost Ship Pale Ale SILVER: Triple Crossing Brewing – Easy Now Pale Ale BRONZE: Center of the Universe Brewing Company – Ray Ray’s Pale Ale American Amber and Brown Ale GOLD: O’Connor Brewing Company – Red Nun Irish Red Ale SILVER: South Street Brewery – Browntown American Brown Ale BRONZE: Wolf Hills Brewing Company – Creeper Trail Amber Ale Porter GOLD: Parkway Brewing Company – Raven’s Roost Baltic Porter SILVER: Old Ox Brewery – Black Ox Rye Porter BRONZE: Port City Brewing Company –Robust Porter Stout GOLD: Apocalypse Ale Works – 6th Seal American Stout SILVER: Chaos Mountain Brewing – Coco Borealis Triple Chocolate Stout

BRONZE: Three Notch’d Brewing Company – Oats McGoats Oatmeal Stout India Pale Ale GOLD: Starr Hill – King of Hop Imperial IPA SILVER: Port City Brewing Company – Monumental IPA BRONZE: Sunken City Brewing Company – Red Clay IPA Imperial IPA GOLD: Three Brothers Brewing – The Admiral IPA SILVER: AleWerks Brewing Company – Bitter Valentine Imperial IPA BRONZE: Triple Crossing Brewing – Street Cred Imperial IPA German Weizen GOLD: Lost Rhino Brewing Company – Final Glide Hefeweizen SILVER: Extra Billy’s – My Only Weiss BRONZE: Smartmouth Brewing Company – Sommer Fling Hefeweizen Strong Ale GOLD: Wild Wolf Brewing Company – Wolfinstein Imperial Stout SILVER: Triple Crossing Brewing – Yoke of Oxen American Strong Ale BRONZE: Old Bust Head Brewing Company – Gold Cup Russian Imperial Stout Belgian and French Ale GOLD: Old Ox Brewery – Saison d’Ox SILVER: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery – Singel BRONZE: Bull and Bones Brewhaus – Sun Lit Wit Belgian Strong Ale GOLD: Chaos Mountain Brewing – Agents of Chaos

SILVER: Apocalypse Ale Works – Lustful Maiden BRONZE: Blue Mountain Brewery – Marsedon Sour Ale GOLD: Devil’s Backbone Basecamp – Berliner Metro Weiss SILVER: Champion Brewing Company – Tart Berliner Weiss BRONZE: Strangeways Brewing Company – Uberlin Berliner Weiss Fruit Beer GOLD: Wolf Hills Brewing Company – Watermelon Wheat SILVER: Devils Backbone Outpost – Pear Lager BRONZE: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery – Virginia Blackberry Ale Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer GOLD: Blue Mountain Barrel House – Spooky Bourbon Barrel-aged Pumpkin Ale with Cocoa Nibs SILVER: Ardent Craft Ales – Honey Ginger BRONZE: Wild Wolf Brewing Company – Ginger Lager Smoke-Flavored/Wood-Aged Beer GOLD: Devil’s Backbone Basecamp – Smokehouse Lager SILVER: Starr Hill – Bourbon Barrel Bandstand Barleywine BRONZE: Blue Mountain Barrel House – Dark Hollow Specialty Beer GOLD: AleWerks Brewing Company – Lover’s Greed Sour Ale SILVER: Starr Hill – Whiter Shade of Pale Ale BRONZE: Devils Backbone Outpost – East/West India Pale Lager

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brewnews

All Lost in the Supermarket

By Mark Thompson

Treminds me of the lyrics from the band The Clash: “I am all lost in he current state of craft beer in Virginia and across the country

the supermarket I can no longer shop happily.” A trip into any beer store today is a dizzying array of colors, brands, and styles. Choosing what beer to buy requires a herculean amount of effort. The irony is that with all of this selection only a handful of styles dominate the overall sales of craft beer in Virginia.

Many of you have witnessed or even been one of those confused shoppers trying to decide what beer to purchase. You can spot the confusion right away, as the consumer moves left, then right, and then back left again up and down the beer aisle. Often times they will pull out their smart phone to look up ratings, reviews, or scores of a certain beer prior to making their purchase.

Many consumers shop for beer based on a style preference. They know that they enjoy IPAs and will evaluate many different offerings in that one specific style prior to making their purchase. Other consumers are more brand focused. They know that they enjoy different beers from a specific brewery and will shop within that brewery’s brand family. A new seasonal beer from that brand family might catch their eye and influence their selection process.

A third purchasing behavior is the consumer who is all about “what is new.” This person will often take a long time to make their purchase.

In their quest to discover new beers, they will tell themselves “I have had that brewery’s IPA and really liked it, but I have not had this new brewery’s IPA so I think that I will buy it.” This type of shopper is driven by the discovery and might purchase hundreds of unique beers each year.

Trying to make sense of this ever changing landscape is a monumental task. The beer world has changed more in last 20 years -8-

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than in all of time before it. What is old is new and new old. The beer world has been turned on its head in large part because of the American Craft Breweries in which Virginia breweries have been an important player.

SKU Magedon SKU-magedon is a term that is being talked about in the industry recently that tries to describe the explosion of new craft brands and packaging. To better understand what this term means, it is helpful to first understand what the definition of a SKU is.

According to Wikipedia, the term SKU refers to “stock keeping unit” and is a specific product that can be purchased at retail. Most often an individual SKU is identified with a specific bar code that is unique to that one product. According to Wikipedia, a stock keeping unit or SKU is a distinct item, such as a product or service, as it is offered for sale that embodies all attributes associated with the item and that distinguish it from all other items. For a product, these attributes include, but are not limited to, manufacturer, product description, material, size, color, packaging, and warranty terms. When a business takes an inventory, it counts the quantity of each stock keeping unit.

An example of this would be ABC Brewing Company makes a beer that is packaged in a 12 ounce bottle (one SKU). That 12 ounce bottle is then packaged into a 6 pack for sale to consumers (2 SKUs), and then 4 six packs are put into one case box to for sale to retailers (3 SKU). ABC Brewery also offers that same beer in a 12 pack (4 SKU), a 12 ounce can (5 SKU), a 16 ounce can (6 SKU), and a full case for big box stores (7 SKU).

As you can see from the example, just one brand from one brewery continued

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brewNEWS can produce many different SKUs from just one liquid stream. Most breweries produce multiple brands in varying package configurations so that the number of SKUs continues to grow as the number of breweries increases.

Beer SKUs by Segment A visual representation of how the number of SKUs has increased in recent years can be seen in the chart on the right. From 2010 to the end of 2013, the number of SKUs has increased by 4,031, or 62.8%. The majority of this growth is occurring in the craft segment with the number of craft SKUs rising from 3,229 in 2010 to 5,156 at the end of 2013. This represents an increase of 48% more craft items available in just 4 years.

The graph is broken out into the various segments with beer from Premium, Sub Premium, Import, Craft, Sub Premium, PAB (Flavored Malt Beverages), and Cider.

Premium and Sub Premium SKU growth was relatively flat at 15% and 10% respectively.

Imports, the second largest SKU contributor, saw growth of almost 20% over the four year period. Ciders were the big percentage winner growing by 63% but on a very small base.

When Bump Williams of BUMP Williams Consulting Company was asked what his take

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was on all of the recent brands that have been introduced by craft brewers, he responded, “it’s all positive.” Bump commented that there are three positive things coming out of all of these new beer SKUs. “First is that it brings new shoppers to beer who may be purchasing other beverages. Second, it increases beer shopping occasions and the number of times per week that the consumer is looking for beer. Third is that the consumer will buy more beer per shopping occasion.”

Bump’s comments were, despite the dizzying array of new craft beer products being introduced every year, this actually is good for the beer category. An average consumer might go into a store looking only for one product or SKU, but will leave with multiple items. They may have only wanted to get one 6 pack of IPA but wound up getting a couple of ‘dinner bottles’ of a beer that they had never heard of and at the end of the day, that is good for beer.

Founded in 2008, BUMP Williams Consulting Company provides clients with consumer insights, price and promotion analytics, and market level analytics for the Beer, Wine, and Spirits industries. Among other things BUMP Williams consulting analyzes the consumers buying trends using tools like the IRI* scan data of the varying SKU’s. *IRI is a market research company which provides clients with consumer, shopper, and retail market intelligence and analysis focused on the consumer packaged goods industry

Top 10 Craft Styles The attached chart located above shows the top 10 craft beer styles in Virginia. The sales data is collected when a consumer purchases a craft beer at the grocery store. The IRI Scan Data is collected for all consumer goods in the country and helps manufactures to understand sales trends.

At the end of 2013, there were over 5,000 SKU’s of craft beer sold in the country, with craft beer sales in Virginia up over 21% through the end of July this year. India Pale Ales were the big winner accounting for over 20% of craft beer sold in Virginia and growing by 3 share

points. Seasonal beers accounted for the next largest category of craft beer in Virginia accounting for slightly over 19% of total sales.

Within the universe of craft beer in Virginia, only three styles showed growth in sales. India Pale Ales were up big. Wheat beers showed a very modest gain in sales as did variety packs (12 packs with four different brands). On the flip side, Amber Ales and Amber Lagers were the big losers down by 2.5 and 1.2 points respectively this year. This could be due to a consumer shift away from malt based beers to ones with more hop aroma and flavor.

The top 4 styles of craft beer in Virginia (IPA, Seasonal, Pale Ale, and Variety Packs) accounted for over 60% of all sales in the state this year. The top 10 styles accounted for over 80% of the craft beer sold in the state with the ‘All Other Styles’ accounting for less than 20%.

It is interesting to note that the ‘All Other Craft Style’ category represents the vast majority of styles for the consumer to purchase at retail, yet

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The juxtaposition of the explosion in the number of SKUs in craft beer against the back drop of such a small number of styles driving the growth in the industry is an interesting one.

It is clear the craft beer has a very long tail, with a small number of styles driving the majority of the sales in the industry. In many ways, craft beer follows the 80/20 rule where 80% of the sales are generated by 20% of the styles.

Virginia Craft Brewers continue to innovate and blur the lines of styles as we continue to introduce new and unique products to the market. These unique products might not be generating the majority of the sales but do provide a healthy diversity for consumer choice.

All of this diversity and choice continues to keep the consumer engaged in beer. The one thing that all brewers can agree on is that anything that we as an industry can do to keep the consumer interested in beer is a good thing. We cannot afford to lose the preverbal ‘share of stomach’ to other adult beverages regardless of what type of brewery you are.

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only accounts for a minority of the overall sales.

The Brewers Association recognizes over 90 individual styles as part of the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer cup, and 80 of those styles account for less than 20% of craft sales in Virginia.

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brewnews

Evaluation: Capital Ale House National Beer Expo By eLIZaBeTh ersChens

Ithe inaugural Capital Ale House National Beer Expo in our very own

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Sit • Stay • Enjoy

Historic Setting • Modern Beer

t was only a couple of weeks before the event when I heard about

Richmond, Virginia. Always being up for an adventure and coveting a vacation, I hopped online to score tickets to all the food-beer pairing events for the six days, culminating with a Walk-Around Grand Tasting of over 150 beers.

Once in Richmond, I sat down with Alex Papajohn, executive director of events and marketing for Variant Events, LLC, to get an idea of what to expect from the inaugural Capital Ale House National Beer Expo. Variant Events was launched seven years ago and produces its flagship event, the Virginia Wine Expo, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, in addition to multiple other events. The company hopes to add the National Beer Expo to its list of annual events.

Papajohn wants to offer the craft beer enthusiast a climatecontrolled venue for comfort. He explained this is expensive to make work in the beginning because the cost can far exceed income the first few years of ticket sales. The first year doesn’t have as big an audience, but Papajohn still offered 25 events over the six days.

Papajohn envisions a beer festival with food on par with the quality at Variant Events’ wine festivals. Food trucks are great at outdoor festivals, but the menus are not generally prepared with the craft beer offerings in mind for pairings. “I am optimistic I can grow the National Beer Expo into a major destination in the national craft beer industry,” said Papajohn, whose motto is quality over quantity.

He added, “Instead of producing a lot of events, I like to produce a few great events that have the potential to scale really big and become long-term, durable franchises; brands that have a lot of sponsors and partners so they can be solid financially. At the end of the day, all events are to make money to benefit charities.”

Any beer lover in Virginia and beyond knows that Variant Events couldn’t go wrong in choosing An Bui, his Mekong Restaurant, and his new The Answer Brewpub to host the Tuesday kick-off party for the week-long Capital Ale House National Beer Expo. Of course, as often happens with brewery licensing, the brewpub’s opening was delayed, so quick arrangements were made to accommodate the food and band at the new brew pub while the carefully chosen beers were served with competition-like speed and accuracy in the adjacent restaurant. These guys can seriously pour beer! .

The next day I had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Holder, vice president, director of human resources and one of the partners in Capital Ale House. As with Mekong, Capital Ale House was a pioneer in promoting beer in Richmond. “Twelve years ago, if you went into a restaurant you could receive a 12-page wine menu, but if you asked what their beer selection was, they were trained like rats to say, ‘We’ve got a great big beer selection,’ and they would list every beer on the shelves of a 7-11,” said Holder. He explained most didn’t know there was a larger selection out there.

Capital Ale House set out to change that perception of beer by offering great food and beer. Their collection of beers, acquired by their beer buyer, Adrienne Yancey, for the week of the Expo proved that they have done a great job. Yancey had, over time, acquired

™

beers to host a special sour and funky night, a stout night, and an IPA night; the final evening showcased a collection titled “The Best of the Rest.”

During the Expo, several local breweries participated in a simultaneous release party featuring beers created just for the event. Guests had plenty of options this year, as concurrent parties were hosted by Strangeways Brewing, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Rusty Beaver Brewery, Triple Crossing Brewery Company, Isley Brewing Company, Midnight Brewery, and Legend Brewing Company.

One of the special releases was called “Wake Me Up Before You Gose,” brewed by Strangeways Brewing. Infused with hibiscus, the beer that struck a personal chord with me as one of my favorite childhood drinks was Jamaica (pronounced: Huh-MY-kuh), a nonalcoholic beverage with hibiscus as the main ingredient. I had to try this beer, so I hopped over to the brewery that afternoon to meet with Strangeways’ Head Brewer Mike Hiller.

At the end of the Capital Ale House National Beer Expo, I was able to sit down with Denise Kranich, executive director of the Legal Information Network for Cancer (LINC), the charity recipient of part of the proceeds from the Expo. LINC is a nonprofit, communitybased organization dedicated to helping cancer patients, survivors, and their families with the “business” side of cancer.

As an eight-year cancer survivor, Kranich is passionate about her work. “We really help the very low-income individuals, as well as the tier often referred to as the working poor, because most legal-aid societies only handle the most extreme poverty level,” said Kranich. She explained, “When you lose your job or you can’t work due to illness, you quickly go from having a decent income to having very little or no income.” Kranich was lucky to have an employer that would tell her to stay home if she didn’t feel well, but many people don’t have that option.

If you missed attending the Expo to benefit this great organization, you can make donations directly to LINC. For more information, visit their website at www.cancerlinc.org or call 804562-0371.

For more information on Variant Events’ wine and beer festivals, visit their website at www.variantevents.com.

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NOTE TO READERS: Read an extended version of this article at virginiacraftbeer.com Elizabeth Erschens is the owner of Homebrew USA. virginiacraftbeer.com

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brewnews

Virginia Beach Readies for Green Flash

San Diego-based brewery to host Treasure Chest fundraiser, break ground in October

By JeFF MaIsey

Sbreak ground for its East Coast brewery in Virginia Beach on

an Diego-based Green Flash Brewing Company is set to officially

Lisa and Mike Hinkley of Green Flash

“I think that Stone would be a welcome addition to the craft beer scene in Virginia or any community for that matter,” Hinkley said.

Monday, October 13. The ceremony will take place the day after “They make great beer, are community minded and collaborate. a fundraising event called Treasure Chest on the site of the future Stone has always been a good neighbor to us here in San Diego.” brewery.

Speaking of neighborly, Green Flash is presenting one of its Green Flash and city of Virginia Beach officials have been working 30 Treasure Chest events this year in Virginia Beach. The event is through the permitting process. designed to raise money for breast cancer charities from coast to “We have not had any delays, and have been going through the coast. The cause is near and dear to Lisa Hinkley, a breast cancer process, step by step,” said Green Flash co-founder and CEO Mike survivor, now four years free of the disease.

Hinkley. “We had to determine where the brewery would be situated “Over the past four years, each fest in San Diego raises an on the large lot and now we are working toward determining some increasing amount of money for the San Diego chapter of Komen,” important details from where we will drain the rainwater and what explain Liz Bradshaw, Green Flash’s special events coordinator. “Over turn lanes and sidewalks will be needed to how we can protect some the past 4 years, we have raised $90,000 for breast cancer charities of the bigger shade trees in the beer garden. We in key cities nationally – most of this has been via have completed most of the design phase from an the Festival in San Diego (and has remained in San architectural standpoint, but there are still some Diego). Last year is the first time we have taken the engineering matters to resolve. We are moving Treasure Chest program to other cities, including forward steadily.”

Virginia Beach – where we hosted events around Hinkley said he expects the brewery to open town. We also have Team Treasure Chest entered Sunday, October 12 in 2016, “brewing beer and hosting guests in the in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in each of (Corporate Landing/ tasting room and beer garden.” our home markets (San Diego and VA Beach) and General Booth BLVD) Green Flash Brewing Company was established we are a race day sponsor for the second year in Virginia Beach in 2002 by husband and wife Mike and Lisa Hinkley. a row in Virginia Beach. We look forward to raising 12pm - 5pm Head brewer Chuck Silva has made numerous more money than ever with this year’s program.” visits to Virginia and has collaborated with several Each year the brewery unveils an official Green Tickets: breweries such as Smartmouth in Norfolk. Silva Flash Treasure Chest beer. The 2014 beer is In advance via website - $40 (includes beer tastings, food is perhaps best known for his West Coast IPA, a Barrel-aged Belgian Style Saison with Plum. and commemorative glass) but the full array of its libation arsenal, including The description reads, “This specialty beer special one-off brews and favorites such as Black is fermented in red wine barrels with house At the Door - $50 IPA, Cedar Plank Pale and Symposium IPA, will be Brettanomyces, then conditioned with plums for $30 to members of the military available to Virginians at the new brewery. six months. This enticing blend emerges with an plus one (with valid ID Green Flash will operate a 58,000 square-foot appropriately pink hue, delicate notes of plum and presented at entrance) brewery in Virginia Beach with a 100,000 barrel almond, and is balanced by subtle tannins drawn capacity. It will be nearly identical to its West Coast from the barrel and wild yeast. A mouthwatering facility with the “same state-of-the-art equipment and brewery footprint, and tart rosé-like finish rounds out Treasure Chest 2014, an onsite lab for beer analysis, brewery tours, tasting room and vast outdoor exceptional barrel-aged offering.” beer garden, space for private events and educational experiences, The Virginia Beach Treasure Chest will include 12 guest breweries, offices for staff and ample parking for guests.” including Blue Mountain, Devils Backbone, Terrapin, Smartmouth and Hinkley said he chose Virginia Beach because of its similarities Hardywood Park. A large tent with open sides will feature live music, to San Diego: a beach town with plenty of tourists and a strong food, beer, and with abundant tables and benches. A commemorative military presence. glass will be give to each guest.

Where other West Coast breweries such as Sierra Nevada and Treasure Chest Fest VA Beach (Sunday, October 12) tickets are Colorado-based New Belgium have sought out locations in North available via eventbrite.com/treasurechestfestvb with 100 percent Carolina to serve markets east of the Mississippi, both Green Flash of the profits from ticket sales being donated to support Susan G and Stone Brewing have favored Virginia. Mike Hinkley is supportive Komen, Tidewater. of Stone’s eastward expansion.

GREEN FLASH TREASURE CHEST FEST

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virginiacraftbeer.com

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mugsHOTs Virginia Craft Brewers Fest (Roseland, VA)

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virginiacraftbeer.com

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mugsHOTs

nTelos Wireless Pavilion Virginia Craft Beer & Wine Festival (Portsmouth)

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aPriL 20142014 october

Dog Street Pub Craft Beer Festival (Williamsburg)

Virginia Brewers’ Bash (Mad Fox Brewing Company, Falls Church)

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Craft Beer T-Shirts

Día de los Muertos is as good an excuse as any to show your love for the craft. Brewershirts has a vast array of beer-inspired designs for women and men.

Brewershirts Lynchburgh etsy.com/shop/brewershirts

Forge - Leather Beer Holder with Vintage Brewery Bottle Opener

These hand-stitched forge beer holders are made from premium Latigo leather, and come with a vintage bottle opener.

Designed, cut, and sewn in Richmond. Each product is handmade to order just for you.

beer CRAFT These talented Virginians are getting their craft on in celebration of the beer lover in all of us!

Soberdough Brew Bread

Made with all natural ingredients, this brew bread is the easiest and most delicious bread you can make. Just add beer, mix, and bake!

Available at Table Seven Antiques 915 W. 21st Street Norfolk 757.651.6772 table7antiques.com

Craft Brewery Guitar

If the mere sight of the logo of your favorite craft brewery is music to your ears, artist Eric Worden has a little ditty that’ll be a hit to keep your friends humming. Worden, a radio personality on the Tide radio in Virginia Beach, can turn any musical instrument into a work of art, covering, in this case, a guitar in re-purposed schwag from a local brewery. Now, take that to an open mic night! They’ll be singing your praises.

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october 2014

AwlSnap Richmond etsy.com/shop /AwlSnap

DISTINCTLY NORFOLK.

Good times are always on tap in Norfolk. From signature brews to seasonal offerings, O’Connor Brewing Company and Smartmouth Brewery are serving up something for every enthusiast to savor. Hop into one of Norfolk’s many bars and gastropubs and enjoy a cold pint paired with fresh local fare. With a group of four or more, take a gastronomic adventure on Norfolk’s Beer and Wine Tour.

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Favio Garcia and Jasper Akerboom in Lost Rhino Tap Room

Yeast is the Beast How three scientists in Virginia are improving your craft beer Words & Photos by Steve Deason

Yany respect. Craft beer drinkers talk endlessly about hops. For a east is like the “Rodney Dangerfield” of craft beer. It doesn’t get

dark beer, you might even hear them mention the wonderful chocolate malt. Doubtful you’ll hear much about what great yeast this is or where it came from. Three scientists and their labs are starting to get yeast a lot more attention in Virginia. Would it surprise you to know that the yeast in that beer you’re drinking may have come from a backyard in Ashburn or a farm in Goochland? Would you believe it came from a 30 million year old whale skull or from a beer barrel used by a DC brewery that closed in 1917?

Reinheitsgebot, commonly referred to as the German Purity Law dictated that beer could only contain barley, hops and water. Since this was first issued in 1487, it’s understandable that yeast was omitted. It wasn’t until the 19th Century that Louis Pasteur confirmed the role of micro-organisms in fermentation. Brewers now understand it is yeast that turns the grain sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. No yeast, no beer. So how did brewers make beer before they understood the science? If you expose certain foods and beverages to the open air under the right conditions, they will ferment. This is how pickles and sour kraut are made “no vinegar style”. It’s also how wine, mead, and beer were first made.

A common fermentation practice is to “use a little” from the batch - 22 -

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before. Flavors and fermentation are more consistent using this process compared to using wild yeast. Commercial brewers primarily use yeast that comes from a commercial lab. Yeast libraries at these labs read a like a beer menu. They are first divided into Ale or Lager strains and then grouped by style such as India Pale Ale. Drill down to the yeast strain and you’ll get a name / description citing a specific beer and brewery. In a way, brewers still borrow from the “batch before,” just not necessarily their own. Since living organisms are difficult to patent, this is allowed.

Yeast impacts the flavor of beer. If you have ever tasted a Bavarian Style Hefeweizen, you can’t have missed the yeast. Hefe means yeast and weizen refers to the wheat in the beer. Hefeweizen’s distinctive clove, bubble gum, and banana flavors derive from esters produced

by Hefeweizen style yeasts. Jason Ridlon, co-owner of RVA Yeast Labs, explains that even in beers where the yeast is not noticeable; the yeast impacts the flavor of the other ingredients. Brew two beers exactly the same changing only the yeast and the beer will taste different.

Like your local chef, many craft brewers strive to use fresh local ingredients. Virginia farmers are increasing their crops of hops and barley to feed this demand. Favio Garcia, Director of Brewing Operations and Co-owner of Lost Rhino Brewing Company points out that brewers in legendary locations like Belgium didn’t set out

to establish a style. They were just brewing with what was locally available. Garcia believes that as he and other Virginia Brewers use more local ingredients, such a “sense of place” will develop in the Commonwealth. Until he met Jasper Akerboom at a Lost Rhino “neighborhood open house,” he saw yeast as the biggest obstacle to brewing a 100% Virginia beer. Akerboom told him about and later shared some of his home brewed beers made with yeast strains he had gotten from his back yard in Ashburn. Garcia said “it was eye-opening that they were tasty”. He was surprised that the local ingredient “that he thought would be hardest (to get) turned out to be the easiest.”

One of the strains of yeast Akerboom isolated from his back yard in 2008 (JY31-Nova Ale Yeast) was used to make Lost Rhino’s Farmwell Wheat in the summer of 2013. Akerboom believes this was the “first Virginia sourced commercial yeast since prohibition.” Because yeast is a living organism, it changes with each generation. Sometimes the brewer likes the change and sometimes they don’t. Although Garcia was happy with the flavor of Farmwell Wheat, there were problems with the early generations of the yeast. “The first time we used it, it would not flux at all, bartenders thought we were crazy, (it was) like a milk shake,” according Garcia. Akerboom explained that the rate that yeast sticks together and falls to the bottom of liquid is flux. The faster it falls, the easier it is to work with. Later generations performed better.

Akerboom freezes the yeast about every ten generations so that he can return to a previous preferred version if need be.

Native Son, Garcia’s realization of an all Virginia Beer was first released in August of 2013. The second release of Native Son was in August of this year to mark Virginia Craft Beer Month. Akerboom’s “back yard yeast” was used for both. Native Son’s hand-crafted malts come from Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, its unmalted wheat is from Billy Dawson’s Bays Best Feed in Heathsville, and its hops were harvested in Leesburg at Sage Hill Farms. Hop Harvest is available this month (October) from Lost Rhino. Although the hops are from Madison County, the yeast was harvested the old fashioned way.

Akerboom got the “British style strain” from a beer made in Michigan.

Akerboom, originally from the Netherlands, wasn’t just your average home brewer. When he first met Garcia, he was a chemist at Janelia Farm Research Campus. Akerboom is now head of Quality Control for Lost Rhino. He has also launched Jasper Yeast LLC. to supply yeast to other brewers. Garcia is pleased that a brewery of Lost Rhino’s size has a full time microbiologist on the team. He believes Akerboom’s addition supports Lost Rhino’s desire for quality and variety. Garcia expressed “Experimentation is critical, is essential for a brewery to thrive, (we) have to make our core beers and make them well, but we also need to experiment – need an outlet. Things you learn along the way help to make your core brands better. Everyone makes pale ale and IPA’s; (we) need something to stand out”.

At the request of a friend, Akerboom took yeast from fossils including an ancient whale bone. The yeast he isolated “doesn’t like high alcohol, it just stops and starts. Tested five times before we found a strain that worked” according to Akerboom. The aptly named Bone Dusters Amber Ale was made using this “whale” yeast in June. The second release of Bone Dusters is planned before year end. Akerboom is now working with yeast isolated from a beer barrel that Alexandria Archeology believes came from a Washington, D.C. brewery that closed around 1917. In both cases, Akerboom points out that the age of the yeast is unknown.

In December, 2013 two scientists launched RVA Yeast Labs LLC in Richmond. Malachy McKenna has a Masters of Science in Chemical Ecology and teaches biology. Jason Ridlon has a PH.D in Molecular Biology and teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in microbiology and fermentation. He also does research for the Department of Veteran Affairs. McKenna and Ridlon have been home brewing together since 2011, often using yeast they isolated in the wild or from beer bottles. Since the U.S. brewing renaissance started in the west, that is where most domestic yeast labs are located and where

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most Virginia brewers get their yeast. McKenna and Ridlon believe that they can help east coast brewers make better beer. Ridlon explains their role this way; “The health of the yeast is critical to how they perform. That’s what we’re about…a local producer where people order it and we grow it up fresh.”

McKenna and Ridlon are already impacting the craft beer you drink in Virginia. Big Lick Brewing Company in Roanoke used only RVA Yeast Lab Jasper yeasts for their grand opening beers in Ackerboom September. Bryan Summerson, Big Lick’s shows yeast owner and brewer, has been pleased samples frozen how the yeasts have performed with his at minus 80 degrees American Home Brewers Association medal winning Cream Ale and English Brown Ale. He used RVA 104 yeast derived from Alchemist’s Heady Topper for his Double IPA and RVA 262 Saison yeast to make a dark Saison. Summerson says he bought from RVA Labs because it’s local, costs are good, and you can’t get much fresher with such a fast delivery.

Jeremy Wirtes, Brewmaster and Co-Owner of Triple Crossing Brewing Company in Richmond shared the same sentiments.

In mid-August, Triple Crossing brewed a seven barrel batch of Falcon Smash IPA using RVA Yeast Lab’s American Ale strain RVA 105 for the first time. Wirtes says from the “beginning pilot batches he has been more than impressed with the performance of RVA Yeast Labs strains. As a total yeast nerd,

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october 2014

having these guys (Mckenna and Ridlon) open their business in central Virginia is huge for all of the craft breweries.” Isley Brewery used one of RVA Yeast Lab’s “Belgian” strains for a Belgian Style Double around Labor Day. Brewer Brandon Tolbert has been experimenting with RVA’s strains in pilot batches for the planned Answer Brew Pub brewery.

The RVA Yeast Labs web site lists four lager strains and twenty-four ale strains available for purchase. RVA 804 Orchard Brettanomyces is listed under “Native Yeasts” as the “first yeast strain isolated in the 804”. McKenna and Ridlon sourced this yeast from Carters Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville. Earlier this year, McKenna and Ridlon isolated yeast from a beech tree at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery in Goochland County. They then brewed a Triple Ale with this yeast and shared it with the team at the brewery.

Sean- Thomas Pumphrey, Co-Founder and Chief Beer Officer at Lickinghole Creek Brewery admits he “was pleasantly surprised how good it was, candidly I had low expectations.” McKenna and Ridlon have provided the brewery a quantity of this yeast for pilot batches. Pumphrey and team plan to brew what may be Virginia’s first modern estate beer. All ingredients would be sourced from the brewery’s 260 acre farm including the yeast. You can’t get any more local than that.

Maybe that will get yeast a little more respect.

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The Answer is

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october 2014

WORDS BY DAN YARNALL AND ELIZABETH ERSCHENS PHOTOS BY KATHY KEENEY

I

is a Brewpub

f the Richmond beer scene was a circus, there is only one man who could possibly stand center stage under the big top: An Bui, the eccentric owner of Mekong Restaurant and now the proud proprietor of The Answer Brewpub. The brewpub’s name is an obvious play off his Mekong slogan, “Beer is the Answer.” Well, Bui is no stranger to answering that question. If you are unfamiliar with the Richmond icon, he and his beer army have been the national winner of Craftbeer.com’s Great American Beer Bar Contest for last two years running.

When Mekong opened in 1995, Bui focused on Vietnamese cuisine and fine wine. A couple of years later, he introduced a large bottle collection of imported European beer offerings that were new to the area. “It was tough in the beginning,” said Bui. “There was no beer community aware of the array of beer styles, so we had to build one through education, tastings, and other fun events.” continued virginiacraftbeer.com

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the answer brewpub 6008 west broad street richmond 804.282.1248 theanswerbrewpub.com

seek the answer

monday-friday: 4pm-midnight saturday: noon-midnight sunday: noon-10pm - 28 -

october 2014

The bottle collection gave Mekong the reputation as a renowned Belgian beer bar, and the European beer styles were later followed by draft beer and American craft beer to make it the iconic beer destination it is today.

After a couple of soft opening events, Bui and his new staff at The Answer Brewpub did not disappoint when they opened the doors of the establishment in early September to a throng of fans waiting outside for the grand opening.

The 500-person capacity brewpub has a main bar with 36 beer taps. There is also room for expansion at a back bar for up to 20 taps once the brewpub begins serving its own beer in addition to its expansive selection of commercially available European and American craft beers. Bui expects to take charge of a 5 bbl (155 gallons) brewhouse in the coming months.

We immediately noticed that the beer selection differed between Bui’s Mekong Restaurant, located a few doors down in the shopping center, and his new The Answer Brewpub (6008 W Broad St., Richmond, Virginia 23230).

We were able to enjoy Ardent Craft Ale’s Honey Ginger beer (which won a silver medal at the 2014 Virginia Craft Brewers Fest) at the restaurant and an Ardent Cru at the brewpub. Bui plans to add a passage way between the two establishments so his guests can meander back and forth and take advantage of the selections at all the bars. Allowing my imagination to run a little wild, I could see this tunnel being dungeon-esque where patrons could walk with a torch in one hand and a hoppy ale in the other.

The staff, led by General Manager April Herrington, was knowledgeable and ready to answer questions about the food and beer menus. Herrington, a long-time friend of Bui, was hand-picked by him for her food-service knowledge and experience. Herrington said that like the beer menu, the food menu at The Answer Brewpub will differ from that of the Mekong Restaurant. While the restaurant boasts a full menu of Vietnamese cuisine, the brewpub will feature popular Vietnamese pub or street food. Examples include Banh Mi, a meat-filled, single-serving baguette with vegetables, and Banh Goi, a Vietnamese tamale similar to the Mexican-style tamale but created with mashed rice and banana leaves instead of corn meal and husks.

We got the chance to chat with Brandon Tolbert, The Answer Brewpub’s new head brewer, between pouring pints. Although our assumptions were for the brewing to be heavy on Belgian Styled brews, he explained they intend to offer a huge variety of American beer styles. Tolbert said that he plans to “brew hoppy beers on site so they are fresh and don’t lose their hop characteristics.” He explained that when you order commercial IPAs, they’ve often sat for a couple of months before being delivered, so they aren’t as fresh as they could be. Later, the brewpub plans to add sours and barrelaged beer. For styles they don’t care to brew, they will continue to source commercially for their guests.

Kudos, Bui! At the end of the evening, while strolling and chatting with Bui, our only advice was installing cots upstairs. We could easily camp out there--indoors with the food and beer, of course.

Dan Yarnall is COO/Head Brewer at Back Bay Brewing Co. in Virginia Beach. Elizabeth Erschens is the owner of Homebrew USA virginiacraftbeer.com

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PHOTO Courtesy of Lickinghole Creek

A Taste of Lickinghole Creek

By Diane Catanzaro & Chris Jones

T

his month’s pop quiz question: What is Lickinghole Creek? (a) Let’s just say it was illegal for consenting adults in Virginia until 2014 (b) A brook in Goochland that attracts thirsty wildlife (c) Virginia’s first farm brewery (d) All of the above The correct answer? If you chose (d) all of the above you nailed it. You deserve a beer!

About 45 minutes west of Richmond, in Goochland County, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery (LCCB) opened in 2013 and is already gaining recognition as Virginia’s first farm brewery. The brewery is named for Little Lickinghole Creek, a bucolic brook located on - 30 -

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the 260-acre property. Lickinghole Township, the Lickinghole Reservoir, and the historic Lickinghole Episcopal Church all bear the proud moniker of this historical place name, but the Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is putting this historic rural area on the map today.

What is a “farm brewery”? According to LCCB founder Sean Pumphrey, a University of Richmond MBA graduate, a farm brewery is simply a brewery that is located on a working farm in an agricultural zone. Ideally, a farm brewery uses well water and grows some of the agricultural products used in the beer.

LCCB grows many varieties of hops as well as barley, sugar pumpkins, herbs, and figs. The Gentleman Farmer Estate Hop Ale featured

LCCB’s homegrown hops, the Pumpkin Ain’t Easy beer has homegrown sugar pumpkins (if you think pimpin’ ain’t easy try growing pumpkins) and the brewery will soon have its own barley malted for the next beer in the “Estate Series”, as the beers featuring LCCB’s own agricultural products are known.

If all goes well Sean says they will soon make a beer with all ingredients grown on site, including a yeast cultivated from a beech tree growing on the farm. This will be a taste of Goochland terrier and we can’t wait to try some!

These guys are eco-sustainability minded and support the local community. Brewing beer takes a lot of water. LCCB uses their own well water for their beer and brewing

operations. They have their own treatment plant for wastewater which is then returned to the Lickinghole watershed. Their website encourages visitors to drive carefully and slowly to respect the neighboring farms, wildlife, and rural character of the area. The brewery supports many nonprofit organizations in the region and donates money from each barrel sold to a ‘nonprofit of the month’.

August sales benefit the Goochland Animal Shelter. So, come on people....drink some Lickinghole Creek beer and save a puppy’s life!

Sean and his wife Lisa, a University of Richmond trained lawyer, were instrumental in helping get Virginia SB 430 passed last March, basically giving farm breweries the same legal standing as farm wineries in our Commonwealth. This allows LCCB to be regulated as a farm as opposed to an industrial manufacturing facility, but still have retail sales and a tasting room on site as wineries are permitted to do.

Thank you to our Richmond legislators and Governor for this act of sanity, creating parity for the grain and the grape, the hopsvine and the grapevine. May we all live in harmony (can we get a kumbaya?)

Sean, Lisa, and their partner Farris Loutfi invite the public to visit during tasting room hours, try the beers, and enjoy the peaceful rural setting. The brewery looks like a horse-farm in keeping with the setting, and LCCB is family and dog-friendly (the dog must be leashed and vaccinated, but this is not required for the children). The tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday afternoons until sunset, check http://www.lickingholecreek.com/ for the tasting room hours of operation. Location is 4100 Knolls Point Dr., Goochland, VA. Head Brewer David Achkio has experience brewing at Pyramid in Seattle, Blue & Gray in Fredricksburg. David studied brewing at Chicago’s revered Siebel Institute, one of the top brewing schools on the planet. And, finally, residents throughout Virginia can enjoy the fruits of his labor in our own backyard; three of Lickinghole Creek’s flagship beers are now being distributed in your region.

The Magic Beaver Belgian-style Pale Ale, a reference to the Magic Beaver Pond on the Lickinghole Creek farm property, is brewed with pilsner malt and American and New Zealand hops. This ‘hoppy Belgian’ is 5.5% alcohol, which is practically a session beer these days.

Beer Advocate referred to the Magic Beaver as “kick ass” which is high praise indeed.

The Short Pump Saison is not named for the Richmond-area mall but for the inefficient pump at a historic watering hole in the village that became known as Short Pump. The saison (French for ‘season’) style was originally brewed on working farms for household and farm worker consumption in the southern Wallonian parts of Belgium and the nearby French countryside. This is a higher-octane version than you’d want your farmhands drinking during lunch, however, at 6.8%.

Better to wait til quittin’ time. And hide the goats.

We put Lickinghole’s Three-Chopt Tripel, named for a road signifying a colonial-era trail hatchet-marking in the days before GPS technology, to our palates for a taste test. We love tripels and have tasted the original benchmark tripel at the Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle near Antwerp. The name ‘tripel’ came from the XXX markings Westmalle brewers traditionally etched on the wooden kegs to mark this strong, pale beer produced at the Abbey, so the Three Chopt name is a clever and appropriate historical reference.

Poured into a stemmed tulip glass at 55 degrees, the tripel is a hazy golden color with a modest but persistent head. The aroma is fragrant with hints of orange rind, pale malt, yeast, and alcohol. The flavor is full of unabashed tripel character, with orange-tangerine fruit esters produced by the yeast, enough alcohol flavor to balance the soft malt sweetness and fruity esters, and little to no hops bitterness. The mouth feel is medium-bodied but you would never guess this beer is 9.3% alcohol due to its balanced flavors and drinkability. If you are wondering what a tripel tastes like, the Three Chopt boldly exemplifies the tripel flavor profile and will inscribe it indelibly on your palate. This is a very fine beer and a classic example of the style. virginiacraftbeer.com

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Brewing and Farming on the Old 690, Angry Neighbor Notwithstanding

BY JEffERSON EvANS AND CHuCK TRIPLETT

W 15670 Ashbury Church Rd. Purcellville 540.668.7023 old690.com

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october 2014

hen SB 430 passed both houses of the General Assembly in Richmond early this year, creating a special license to allow people to farm, brew, and live on the same land, the folks of Old 690 Brewing Company, along with Lickinghole Creek in Goochland and Barnhouse Brewery in Leesburg, were among those at the front of the line waiting to take advantage and brew beers utilizing hops and other crops grown on site. Which brewery was the first? Old 690 co-owner Darren Gryniuk tells me, “Well, Lickinghole is closer to Richmond so it could be they got their paperwork in the mail a day earlier, but we were right there.”

Old 690 is built on a 10-acre property owned

by Mark and Ronda Powell in the Purcellville area near the junction of Hillsboro Road and Ashbury Church Road, which is the old Route 690 from which the brewery gets its name. The property was and is zoned for agriculture, and now, besides the brewery itself, is the home of 327 hop plants – a combination of Cascade, Centennial, and Brewer’s Gold – to go along with raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry plants. The hops and fruit are all destined for use in Old 690’s beers, but so far the one beer to utilize the on-site crops was a fresh hop blond ale brewed with some of the Cascade hops in August.

Space is being cleared for pumpkin plants and peach trees and down the road even some grains may be grown on the property.

Joining Mark, Rhonda, and Darren are Darren’s wife, Tammi, and the head brewer Bob Lundberg, who previously brewed with O-Fallon Brewery in St. Louis. Mark and Darren met competing against each other as coaches in a youth football league.

Contact with head brewer Bob came via a friend of a friend on Facebook and Bob now brews on Old 690’s 7-barrel system which they obtained

from Pismo Brewing Company out of Pismo Beach, CA. A picture on the brewery’s Facebook page shows the first beer being poured from the taps on August 1. The official opening was supposed to be around August 22, but the space was essentially ready and eight beers were on-line a couple of weeks early so the decision was made to go ahead and open August 8, and a strong push on social media helped bring out approximately 350 people that first day. The brewery never had that official opening but hasn’t looked back, hosting over a 1,000 people over the course of the Labor Day weekend.

The building and property give an initial impression of being a rustic, rural winery and, in fact, the property was previously permitted as a winery. The décor is wood-centric, featuring a building built by Pennsylvania Amish, with much of the interior work being done by the owners themselves. The Old 690 round tables were made by an artist from Florida who does industrial furniture and who they actually found on Etsy. As for the beer, five brews will be the year-round standards, and the goal is to have an additional 3 rotating beers or so for a total of around 8 at all times, with the extra beers including big beers like their double IPA and Belgian tripel. One beer they always get questions about is the Angry Neighbor Pale Ale, named after a gentleman down the road who proved none too friendly. One interesting beer in the works will be a Bourbon Barrel Porter to be brewed and aged with the help of the folks at Catoctin Creek Distilling Company. Stay tuned for that one.

The Old 690 Tasting Room is open Friday 5-9pm, and Saturday 11am-6pm. Check them out on Facebook and at old690.com

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BY JEff MAISEY

E

very day is Veteran’s Day at Heritage Brewing Company in Manassas, Virginia.

CEO and co-founder Sean Arroyo and his brother, Ryan, had always discussed retiring from the military at their 20-year mark and starting a brewery. Sean’s wife, however, wanted to see her husband depart the military service much sooner – after 10 years.

“I said, ‘I love brewing. It’s what I want to do, so let’s go after it,’ ” explained Sean.

In his decade as a member of the military, Sean served both in the US Army and Marines. Ryan remains an active member of the military.

There is a spirit of patriotism with a distinctly American can-do attitude in everything Heritage Brewing does.

“We’re all about repurpose and trying to build things ourselves,” said Arroyo.

The décor and furnishings you see at the brewery were crafted by the Heritage crew.

The red, white and blue painted American flag on the wall made use of wood from pallets. The dynamic industrial looking Heritage sign that adorns the wall behind the bar is sheet metal from old, nearby barn that was falling apart.

The front of the bar is reclaimed pallet wood donated by Smith Family Farms in exchange for spent grain from the brewery. The top of the bar is self-poured concrete. Chris Lang of Pig Iron creatively painted the Bomber Girl image on metal as if it were the side of a WWII aircraft.

It hangs on the perpendicular bar wall. The bar area has a cool, artsy vibe. A large chalkboard allows the staff easy updates of limited edition experimental concoctions and seasonal brews.

Heritage has been operating as a 20-barrel microbrewery with six fermenting tanks. They are projected to produce 3,000 barrels of beer in 2014. By the end of this year, Arroyo will be installing a half-dozen 100-barrel tanks.

The tasting bar offers between eight and - 34 -

october 2014

Photos courtesy of Heritage Brewing

Heritage Scores a Direct Hit with Revolutionary Veterans

ten different beers on any given day. These “It’s a little more expensive,” he said, “but it include their flagship beers King’s Mountain is something we believe in.”

(Scot-American Ale), Revolution (American Heritage Brewing Company is open to the Amber Ale), Freedom Isn’t Free (IPA) and The public from 5-9 PM on Thursday and Friday, Teddy (East Coast Pale). Some of the seasonal 2-9 PM on Saturday, and on Sunday they for fall are Sovereign Stout (Dry Coffee Stout), serve customers from 2-6 PM. The majority of Ironsides (Session IPA), Bradford (Cinnamon, visitors come from northern Virginia, but they pumpkin and whiskey infused dark beer) also see daytripping brewery hoppers from all and Experimental Batch #7. American around the Commonwealth.

Expedition, a honey wheat ale, was designed Heritage Brewing Company prides itself on as a summer seasonal. Its being veteran owned and popularity earned it a fulloperated. Arroyo goes the time position as a flagship. extra mile and focuses on Heritage Brewing’s flagship hiring veterans as well. In beers are also available in fact, 90 percent of his staff 225 restaurants and bars are vets. throughout northern, central “We feel it’s a very and southern Virginia. Their important thing to do,” new canning line will soon he said. “One percent debut with Freedom Isn’t of our gross profits are Free as the lead-off brand donated to vet charities. It and then King’s Mountain. is important for our country All of the beers at to remember that a lot of Heritage are unfiltered and guys dedicate their life to unpasteurized. Organic service and are often left and/or local ingredients are empty-handed when they given a priority. come home. It’s our duty to Where many breweries try and help them acclimate tout their bourbon barrel into the environment. We varieties, Heritage takes Heritage Brewing Co. must also take care of the a different route by using 9436 Center Point Lane families of fallen service organic Catoctin Creek Rye members. For us as a Manassas Whiskey barrels from the heritagebrewing.com company we will always nearby Purcellville distillery. dedicate ourselves in that “We love the caramel nature.” notes that come out of it,” said Sean, “with This year, in honor of Veteran’s Day, just the right amount of chard oak. Organic Heritage Brewing is providing free food for whiskey adds a much smoother, less harsh all vets. They are also collaborating on a beer taste.” with Virginia Beach-based Young Veterans The barrels are used only once because Brewing Company. All proceeds from the sale Arroyo believes the first batch aged is the of the collaboration brew will go to veteran finest quality. charities.

A New Beginning

BY JENNIfER MCDONALD

I

t was the end for a new beginning when Doug and Lee John opened Apocalypse Ale Works.

Before starting this journey, John was a plant manager and Lee worked as a dental hygienist.

One night, they were planning to meet for dinner and John was an hour late. It was at that point, Lee said, “I wouldn’t marry you as the person you are today.” Doug was never home and he was consumed by the confines of his job. Lee continues, “He had lost his excitement for life and something had to give.” Lee asked the hard question, “What is going to make you happy again?” Doug quickly replied that he wanted to re-open his homebrew store, Pints O’Plenty. This confession was also the catalyst for the opening of Apocalypse Ale Works.

After liquidating everything, Doug and Lee purchased a plot of land that had two buildings on it. One was an old Montessori School which became the location of Pints O’Plenty. The second building was the Forest Volunteer Fire Department, the future home of Apocalypse Ale Works. They hit the ground running and opened the brewery in February 2013. Lee likes to call Apocalypse a “community based brewery.” She says, “If it was not for the support and help from the community, we would not be where we are today.”

Doug serves as the unpaid technical support at the brewery. The recipes that they brew are ones that Doug has been working on for 25 years as a home brewer. Jim Knichel is the unofficial head brewer and works closely with Doug and the rest of the team. Lee explains that they consider themselves all co-brewers. Everyone knows how to operate the equipment and learned how to brew the beer together.

Prior to opening the brewery, Doug was the only one who had brewed on a large scale. In 2012, as a home brewer, Doug’s recipe for the Lustful Maiden won the Heavy Seas National Competition.

Doug visited Clipper City and brewed his beer at Heavy Seas. He has won many national and international home brewer awards.

The Brewery has also been recognized with many awards, most recently at the Virginia Craft Brewers Fest where their Heavy Red Horseman and 6th Seal Chocolate Stout won gold medals and the Lustful Maiden took home the silver medal in the Belgian Strong Ale category.

They plan to release their Golden Censer Honey Wheat and Hoppocalypse Imperial Red Ale in cans beginning in October. Other year round beers include the Lustful Maiden Belgian Dubbel and the 6th Seal Chocolate Stout.

The Apocalypse logo and the intricate label designs could be taken right out of a Dan Brown novel. Lee says, “The most important thing that I want people to get out of the logo is that it is the

story of our lives.” Apocalypse means the end for a new beginning. Their logo tells the story of this new beginning, their drive and determination, and their philosophy.

The large “A” at the top represents the Alpha, the new beginning, and sits above the darkness that they left behind.

The Omega, the end, is depicted three times in the shape of the horns. The Alpha and Omega symbols are also present in every label design.

Lee elaborates, “We started in the depths of hell with Doug being tied to the corporate world. And, the kids and I were stressed out.” They had to break free from the bad job and bad life in order to start anew. Lee continues, “To reach our Alpha, we follow our guiding lights.” The pyramid signifies that by following spiritual and physical guiding lights, they can build a foundation for success. Their guiding lights are represented by three stars which are depicted in the logo and in every label design. Lee says, “They represent family – one for Doug and I and one for each of Doug’s two children. It’s what pushed us to improve our lives and reach our Alpha and start this new business and take a leap of faith to get this done.”

The Roman numerals in the pyramid also have significance. Each represents a birthday. Lee, born X IV (10/4), Doug and his daughter, born IX IV (9/4), and Doug’s son XII XII (12/12). If you add the primary numbers in the pyramid together, they equal twenty-five. December 25 (12/25) was humanity’s new beginning.

Lastly, the number 72, a symbol of perfection and sign of purity in Masonic history, is also represented in the logo. There are 72 barley corns on each side of the logo. On a comedic note, 72 also represents the ’72 Miami Dolphins’ undefeated season. Doug is a huge Dolphins fan and this is a nod to the fact that they are the only team in the NFL to have a perfect undefeated season!

Lee reflects, “When people hear our story, we really want them to take away the fact that anything is possible. It’s just a matter of taking that step to get it done. If you have the desire, you can do it. Happiness is more important than anything.”

Cheers to new beginnings!

Apocalypse Ale Works 1257 Burnbridge Road Forest 434.258.8761 endofbadbeer.com

virginiacraftbeer.com

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Adroit Theory Brings a Progressive Chord to Brewing

BY JOSHuA RAPP LEARN

F

or Adroit Theory, heavy metal is more than just the loud music that pumps from the speakers of the establishment. It sits at the back of the industrial yard lot in Purcellville, in Northern Virginia full of old Mack trucks, construction equipment and other wrecks that rust in peace like a classic Megadeth album.

Heavy metal is twisted into welded shapes to create bar stools made of reclaimed scrap and it even binds together the barrels that that hold brews like the brandy-aged version of their imperial stout “Black as Your Soul.”

“There’s definitely a little bit of heavy metal,” says owner Mark Osborne, adding that the brand reflects some of the dark things the brewers like. “There’s a lot of Gen-X angst in everything that we do.”

But despite the meaning of his last name in the music genre he said he isn’t the traditional metal head. He has no tattoos and his short hair cut could be out of place in a mosh pit full of head-bangers. For him, it’s more about the creative outlook of heavy metal that inspired the design, the cool labels on the bottle beers the brewpub sells and even the name.

“Basically adroit means you’re skilled with your hands or you’re very clever, or both,” Osborne says. But the theory part of the equation deals with the brewpub’s whole outlook of brewing concept beers, the idea - 36 -

october 2014

of continual progress in brewing rather than winning awards.

That’s the reason why they’ve never brewed the same beer twice – no small feat since they’ve brewed more than 84 different beers since January when they opened shop on the brewpub with a half-barrel system and about a dozen one-barrel fermenters – they brew double batches of the former to fill the latter.

“We don’t have a flagship, we don’t have a portfolio – we just make interesting beers.

When we sell out of them, we sell out of them.”

Of course, there’s always an exception. The Agave is a well-balanced imperial IPA brewed with cactus syrup with plenty of wonderful floral and citrus aroma and a justifiably great response from guests. It’s one of a series of beers with Mexican influences, including a tequila barrel-aged version of their imperial stout “Black as Your Soul” – the title a reference to a line in the Nine Inch Nails song “Head Like a Hole.”

But despite the theme Osborne describes as having “a little bit of the occult” and a “bit of a rabble-rousing biker-club” look and feel, the brewpub draws a diverse crowd through the doors of the small warehouse that used to be a landscaper’s shop. The back patio opens onto a property that appears one part scrap yard and one part parking lot for old construction

machines, trucks and other random bits of gear. He said there are a few metal heads and biker-types, but most of the crowd comes predominantly for the beer and includes families out visiting the country from the D.C. area on the weekends, wine-tasters, hipsters, and plenty of “your average Joe.” “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone in there and it looks like a corporate event,” he said.

And the hardcore “raving” fans get treated to some of the brewery’s best stuff once bottled through their Black Heart Society – a kind of favored customer club in which paying members get access to rarer bottles like “What Evil Lurks – Brandy,” (a barrel-aged old ale aged with Shiraz grape must) and other cool stuff like discount and custom glasses.

“We knew they would be the people out there telling everyone they knew about us. In a way, our sales people,” Osborne said of his fans.

And with a spirit of progressive brewing more along the lines of Marty Friedman’s ingenious guitar solos or the music of Dream Theatre than the relatively static creativity of a band like AC/DC, Adroit Theory has been putting together an impressive array of big and bold brews behind a logo filled with crosses and pentagrams.

Their theory: Consume life, drink art.

6T H A N N

UAL

2 2 0 0 PA R KS AV E | V I R G I N I A B E A C H | 4 2 5 - 0 0 0 0

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS:

ATLANTIC SHORES BALADI MEDITERRANEAN CAFÉ CABOT CREAMERY THE DANCING TOMATO EURASIA CAFÉ & WINE BAR FUSION RESTAURANT & LOUNGE GOURMET BAKE SHOPPE JUST CUPCAKES MASALA BITES MONTERO’S RESTAURANT, BAR & CATERING ROCKAFELLER’S SALT Rain or shine. Proceeds benefit MOCA’s exhibitions & education programs.

THE LANDING @ WEST NECK WHOLE FOODS MARKET LIVE MUSIC with touring Delta blues & hillbilly trio; THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND and opening bluegrass act, More Perfect Jones.

NEW! SILENT AUCTION of 100 items from 2014 Boardwalk Art Show artists!

SUNDAY

NOVEMBER 2, 1-5PM

PRESENTED BY

s, brewmastteerrs, stewmas and rockers rs! bake

FOR INFO & TICKETS: VirginiaMOCA.org

Inside Business The Hampton Roads Business Journal

virginiacraftbeer.com

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All photos by Tom Daly Photography

View of Bold Rock’s production line

Discover a Bigger, Bolder Cidery

BY JEff MAISEY

B 1020 Rockfish Valley Highway (Rt. 151) Nellysford 11 am to 6 pm, 7 days a week

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october 2014

old Rock Cidery, in Nelson County, is certainly living up to its company motto “Be Bold. Tread Lightly. Make it Happen.”

In just a few short years founding owner John Washburn and business partner Brian Shanks, considered by many to be the world’s foremost expert cider maker, have seen demand for their Bold Rock hard cider flourish so much so that they have had to quadruple the size of the cidery. The result is a remarkable, largely made from salvaged materials barn-like structure with hillside views of the rolling hills in the distance.

“We wanted to have a rural, Virginia countryside look that would fit in with our agri-tourism and agricultural base here,” said Washburn. “We have built a truly stunning Shenandoah barn with a hay hood protruding out at the top, barn doors with iron hinges, an all-wood exterior; it just says barn.”

Bold Rock is now well known in the Commonwealth for its portfolio of award-winning hard apple ciders that include Virginia Draft, Virginia Apple, Crimson Ridge Vintage Dry and Vat No. 1. As you will read in the following Q&A with John Washburn, the cidery will be unveiling a new pear cider in November (officially Cider Month in Virginia) and they will package the premium ciders in 12-ounce bottles sold as 4-packs by mid-December.

Since the new facility is now open to the public, I encourage you to visit, tour the cidery and as they

like to say at Bold Rock, “Drink-in the scenery.”

John, the new facility offers an exceptional view and relaxing atmosphere for folks on tasting tours. What do you want visitors to experience at Bold Rock?

The visitor’s experience will be layers of discovery. When you first come upon it you’ll see this elevated, big, stunning barn up on a hill in the woods. Then there’s a boardwalk up through the woods to the building. When you come into the building you don’t see the view yet; you see a handmade brick fireplace with an old logo of Bold Rock up in the fireplace. It’s a log-burning fireplace. Then, to the left, you see all the bottling.

You have 50 feet of glass, floor to ceiling, seeing all the crew bottling and making the hard cider. So we’re not just looking into a porthole or window at a tank. We have a big, full view.

Up above the glass is the biggest beam in Virginia – the Big Ass Beam. It is a 6,000 pound beam that was a gift to us that is unbelievable. It’s over 100 years old. Everybody asks about it. The assistant secretary for tourism in Virginia came in and teared-up when she looked up at it because it has our motto carved in it by the guy who gave it to us: Be Bold. Tread Lightly. Make it Happen.

Another discovery is the interior décor. It is keeping with the barn feel, but it is an elegant

Visitors drink-in the scenery

Bold Rock’s barn-like cidery

urban rustic style with big beams. There are over 600 beams in the building all pegged together. We have 35-foot high ceilings, and a big rock sculpture at one end of the building.

Three fireplaces. We used handmade brick. A lot of the walls were made from a cherry tree that we had to cut off the hill.

Then you come upon the view. The view is striking because it drops almost 50 feet from the building to this meadow and this very bold trout stream – the Rockfish River – that rushes by. The view goes for miles and miles across pasture and mountains with no homes in sight to disturb the idyllic view.

We have a theme: “Come hang out at Bold Rock and drink-in the scenery.”

What is your capacity in terms of the number of visitors the facility can host at one time?

We have such an outdoor space that we’re in really good shape. We can handle many hundreds of people during the day. I don’t want to alert the fire marshal and say a really big number, but we can’t really get too crowded because we have an upper mezzanine that people can go on a self-guided tour, look down on all the bottling again from up above.

It’s mesmerizing watching the bottling and production from up above in this museum area.

Outside we have five difference terraces and decks embedded into the hillside at different levels. We have a beautiful fire pit area and Adirondack chairs surrounding it. So there is a tremendous amount of space outside and inside. The whole building is 13,000 squarefeet, and half of that is inside space.

We will always give free tastings. We believe in that. We will always give tours. We are truly

Bold Rock’s cider-making guru Brian Shanks

a craft cider company. Some businesses can be criticized for not doing those things, but we love giving tours.

How important is the education aspect of the museum within the facility?

It has the history of Bold Rock. It has the history of cider. And it has all the explanations of how cider is made. It has an old cider mill.

At one end is an old orchard scene. It has a lot of lore about cider – like cider cures gout and that kind of stuff.

Up above it is a hay-ring that I got off the farm. It’s a cow feeding hay-ring that we made into a chandelier. There are elements like that all over the barn.

As has been the case for nearly every craft brewery in Virginia, you have experienced such great demand for Bold Rock cider that you have had to increase production volume. What production capacity does the new facility provide you?

Yeah, we had the capacity of maybe 130,000 cases, which we reached that maximum per year. Now we’ll be able to do around 400,000 cases.

Have you seen increased sales outside of Virginia as well as within?

Yes. Sales in Virginia are going up dramatically.

We went from 7,000 cases per month two years ago. Now we’re up to 22,000 cases a month.

We are distributed from Pennsylvania to Charlotte, North Carolina. Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC buys the most. They feel very local with us. There is a local movement

as you know. Local apples are the key. We crush tens of tons of local apples every week.

What makes the Virginia apple a unique product for cider making?

We are so fortunate, Jeff, because right here in the Blue Ridge we have the slopes, the climate and the soil that are perfect for apples.

As a matter of fact, in the 1930s and ‘40s more apples were shipped out of this area than anywhere else in the United States of America.

These apples here have been grown by the orchardists for over 100 years. They know every single thing about growing wonderful apples. They are the juiciest, best tasting apples. Over the years they have perfected it.

What is currently Bold Rock’s most popular brand, and are you seeing an increase in the large bottle sales as well?

The Virginia Apple – in six-packs and in tap – right now is our biggest seller. Virginia Draft, though, has been growing very fast behind it. In some markets Virginia Draft has caught up. The Vat No. 1 that you talked about and the Vintage Dry in the 750 milliliter bottles sell extremely well at the cidery because of their taste and quality, having won the top award in Virginia the last two years. So we are going to put those now in 12-ounce bottles with a great label and in four-packs. We just finished the imagery and packaging. They will hit the market before year’s end. We will also launch a pear cider before Thanksgiving in both bottles and on tap.

My wife, Robin, has done that.

This is still a business where you can come in and meet real people.

virginiacraftbeer.com

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I Schwag, Therefore I Am

By Jeff Evans and Chuck Triplett

T

he beer is good, the décor is inviting, the crowd is lively and the staff is friendly. You, Mr. or Ms. Beer Drinker, are having a fine time and looking around, you realize you’d kinda like to leave with a memento from your visit to this fine Virginia brewery, brewpub, or festival. But what sort of memento? Something simple and free (or practically free) like a coaster or sticker or bottle opener? Maybe, that $6 glass or $20 T-shirt? Maybe, you feel like really splurging and pop down $40 for that work shirt like the ones the employees wear or that very limited edition wood-aged beer in a nice case. So many choices. And what are the implications of that choice? Did you, my friend, just become a collector? Yeah you did. Maybe, you shouldn’t tell the significant other right away…just kidding. Sort of. But, if it puts your mind at ease, know that you are not crazy or alone in this flourishing hobby.

Breweriana is the term used to define any collectable item related to breweries or beer. It can be any number of things from cans and bottles, coasters, labels, stickers, signs, glassware, advertisements, bottle caps, matchbooks, openers, clocks, letterheads, clothing, and just about anything with a beer or brewery logo. It is not limited to craft beer or recent breweries – breweriana includes anything collectable going back to even the pre-prohibition era of brewing and farther to historic old breweries. Lest we forget, brewing dates back 5,000+ years and commercial brewing at least back to the Middle Ages, and between then and now, people have gotten around to putting beer logos on anything and everything. Combine humans’ love of beer with a penchant for collecting, whether coins, baseball cards, or cars, and the results are at least somewhat predictable.

It might be helpful at this point to take a look at the different categories of collectors: DEFCON 5: “Breweriana? I don’t need no stinkin’ Breweriana!” – A transient category for people who drink beer but don’t have any collectibles but soon will have, even if just a few coasters in the back seat of their car or in a drawer at home, ‘cause seriously, it’s going to happen at some point. Beer = warm fuzzy glow = “beer related @#$% rocks!”

DEFCON 4: “Ummm…sure, I’ll take some coasters” - This category of collector would be characterized by someone like Jeremy Stuart Thompson of Harrisonburg, VA who makes the salient point that “the prices [of beer items] is beer money” …not spent on beer. Indeed.

But, hey, there are always coasters and stickers and other freebies and giveaways that scratch that collector itch without raiding the wallet.

This type of collector probably owns at least one t-shirt from a beer establishment. Significant others and friends can end up here through patience, loyalty, or exposure to the enthusiasm of more serious collectors.

DEFCON 3: “What the hell am I going to do with all these pint glasses?” – Too late to try to inoculate yourself, ‘cause you got the bug and it isn’t going away any time soon. But that said, you really enjoy your beer swag and you probably have a nice mix of it. You’ve got a few growlers you’ve picked up here and there, at least 5 or 6 if not approaching double digits. There’s the desk drawer packed with coasters and stickers (with perhaps a few having made it onto the bumper of your car). The cabinet to the left of the kitchen sink is pretty much filled with beer glasses. Somewhere on a wall hangs a brewery poster or sign, and you got, well, a “few” brewery t-shirts. You’ve heard of at least one collector’s organization such as the Brewery Collectables Club of America (BCCA) and have been invited to or attended at least - 40 -

october 2014

Jeff Evans playfully shows off some of his schwag from Virginia craft breweries.

one event sponsored by such a group. This is the great central core of beer-nerdia and it is a pretty happy place.

An example would be someone like Amy Devol Kramer from Richmond who writes “I pick up whatever swag I can, usually directly from breweries or beer fests. I get glassware from “steal the glass” type events. Nothing displayed but I have a dedicated drawer for the coasters, stickers, key chains, etc. I’m probably closing in on 100 glasses stashed all over my kitchen area, and will have to do something about all that glassware very soon – out of space in the cabinets! And T-shirts/hats…that collection is small but growing. Growlers, only about 6 so far.”

A subgroup of this category is people who don’t collect very many things, maybe only one or two things, but what they collect, they collect with extreme prejudice. People like Chris Galiffa who writes “I have a growler addiction, fetish, compulsion, whatever! Everywhere I go and it really is getting ridiculous.” Ooooh…growler fetish. You ain’t storing that in a desk drawer.

DEFCON 2: “honey, would it be ok if we sold your grandmother’s old dresser and I put in some new shelving?” – You’ve installed that new shelving or bought curio cabinets to hold part of your collection and are already thinking about that dedicated room you’ll have for at least part of your collection in the next house you’ll live in.

You have saved searches for breweriana on eBAY and have stayed overnight at least a night at a big breweriana event. Your better half has energetically cursed at least once in reference to your collecting

habits. You’ve bought at least one or two items, not because you don’t have them, but rather to upgrade what you do have.

That decision about the blue pill and the red pill was made long ago. Red pill. Big fat red pill.

Quote Kory Mohr of Mechanicsville: “I’m actually in the middle of a major house renovation. One thing I’m working on is a dedicated man-cave/office for me which will be based around breweriana.”

Kory indicates he hasn’t actually joined the BCCA, yet, but the use of “major house renovation” and “breweriana” in close proximity immediately qualifies one for DEFCON 2 status.

DEFCON 1: “Yep, I own 12 of the 13 known copies in existence.” – You have outbid Jack Blush or Dan Morean or a Russian oligarch for a breweriana item. Historians from an old brewery have visited your home to catalog your collection of items from their brewery.

People speak of your collection in hushed tones and wonder if the legends are true.

You have made Ray Johnson stop dead in his tracks at least once and demand to know “where the hell did you find that?” Behold your glory. Oh, we plan to have the “mother of all yard sales” do we? Yeah, well maybe we’ll accompany it with a flying pig BBQ contest.

Seriously though, collectibles are an important tool for brewer owners, if not without their challenges. As Mark Osborne, co-owner of Adroit Theory Brewing in Purcellville, VA tells me, “We think merchandising is an excellent strategy to promote our brand and reinforce the look/feel of the brewery.

As long as the product is consistent with our brand image, we will literally put our logo on anything. That said, it is not a terribly profitable endeavor. Merchandise and printing (at least to the scale we do) is a lot more expensive than people think it is, so even with a modest mark up, the price point is quite high. Plus, you have to pre-pay for everything, which means you have thousands of dollars tied up in something that might take months to sell.

Regardless, it is still cool to see your bumper sticker on a car on the road or have someone stop you while wearing an ATBC shirt to ask about the beer.”

The ongoing renaissance of craft brewing and the revival of good beer being sold in cans has led to a new interest in collectibles and a chance for the new collectors to bridge the divide and connect with the more “old school” collectors who often began primarily as collectors of old beer cans and

items from the ‘60s and earlier. The great dead period in American brewing that lasted from the late 1960s into the mid-80s contributed to a gap in the continuity of collectors, a gap that has proven somewhat resistant to being overcome as the new collectors are often not aware of the breweriana collector organizations that are out there, but efforts are being made by those in the hobby to close the gap and bring in, hopefully, lots of “fresh blood”.

The national organizations and local clubs and chapters offer ways for collectors to meet, exchange, and share their collections and knowledge.

In Virginia we are lucky to have several groups dedicated to collecting breweriana.

The Capitol City & Richbrau Chapters of the Brewery Collectables Club of America are two such organizations. The Brewery Collectables Club of America is the largest Brewery Collectables Club of America bcca.com

Capitol City Chapter of BCCA capitolcitychapter.com

Richbrau Chapter of BCCA corzman69.tripod.com/ RichbrauChapter/index.htm

Rusty Bunch Chapter of BCCA therustybunch.com/phpBB3/portal.php

East Coast Breweriana Association eastcoastbrew.com

National Association of Breweriana Advertising naba.wildapricot.org

Potomac Bottle Collectors potomacbottlecollectors.org

Most of these groups also maintain FaceBook pages too.

national organization but there are several others including Nationals Association of Breweriana Advertising and The East Coast Breweriana Collectors. There are also several national chapters of the B.C.C.A. that have plenty of members from VA, one being the Rusty Bunch Chapter. There are clubs that are specific to certain items like The Potomac Bottle Collectors Club as well.

The local chapters sponsor several shows and “Canventions” around Virginia each year.

Collectors from all levels like to attend to see if they can obtain new treasures and additions to their collections via trading or purchasing. Others come to sell or trade from their collections.

The most well-known, annual show on the East Coast has taken place in Virginia for the last 36 years.

It is called the Blue Gray Show and some of you no doubt have attended this show. Collectors from all over the country and indeed from around the world attend. The Blue Gray Show is held annually starting the Wednesday before Presidents Day Weekend and runs through the Presidents Day Sunday.

There is a ton of great breweriana at the show every year along with nice displays featuring old and antique collectable brewery neon and lighted signs and such. There is also great craft beer of course. The show is presently scheduled to be held February 2015 at the Howard Johnson on Route 1 in Fredericksburg.

So for all of you who are putting brewery stickers on your cars or are collecting different coasters from every new brewery you visit, you might consider joining one of these clubs.

Meet others who are doing the same thing you are. It is a great way to add to your collections and make contact with other collectors who might be interested in exchanging collectibles with you. Remember, you are not alone in this hobby.

Full Disclosure – one or both authors of this article may or may not be in denial about being somewhere in the DEFCON 3 to DEFCON 1 range of collectors.

Happy Collecting!! virginiacraftbeer.com

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brewREVIEWS AGENTS OF CHAOS Chaos Mountain

This Belgian Style Special Dark Ale from Chaos Mountain pays homage to the amazing dark beers from the Trappist breweries in Belgium. Its quality, like its Belgium counterparts, does not disappoint, winning the gold medal in the Belgium Strong Ale category at this year’s Virginia Craft Brewers Fest. It is dark in color and full of rich and decadent flavors of fruit and caramel. It comes in high at 10% ABV, so, sip slowly!

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october 2014

BETWIXT

WOLFINSTEIN

STONEWALL STOUT

Crisp cool Autumn nights are perfect for sipping this palate pleasing hard cider from Old Hill. It’s full of fresh apple flavor with a touch of strawberry. And, with a hint of ale on the nose, it’s reminiscent of something between a beer and a wine.

Served chilled and serve with spicy dishes or hearty chilis.

This is a big beer in every way: 22-ounce bottle, full of malty, chocolaty, roasted flavor and 10% ABV. Wolfinstein is a monster Russian Imperial Stout. It’s surprisingly smooth character makes it an excellent fireside selection at night with a good book in-hand, and man’s best friend by your side.

General Stonewall Jackson was shot in the dead of night and this stout pours just as dark as the moonless evening.

Stonewall Stout is big on flavor with a heavy smoke that some say they “give their right arm for.” The English style stout has a relatively low ABV of 5% which allows the taste buds the freedom to enjoy without overpowering the brain.

Old Hill Cider Timberville

Wild Wolf Brewing Company Nellysford

Blue & Gray Brewing Co. Fredericksburg

RATINGS 5 = Exceptional 4 = Damn Good 3 = Pretty Good

LOVER’S GREED

Alewerks Brewing Company Williamsburg Talk about an intro: Lover’s Greed made its debut at the Virginia Craft Brewers Fest this year and won a gold medal in the Specialty Beer category. That’s akin to walking into a room, kissing a complete stranger, asking them to marry, and getting a “yes” reply. Well, you too will fall instantly in love with this American wild ale. Brewmaster Geoff Logan aged this enchanting, bronze-colored sour for 18 months in French oak, red wine barrels.

The patience certainly paid off.

Though the 22-ounce bottle may seem pricy at $15, the quality and enjoyment of relishing every drop is worth it. Fans of traditional, Belgian-style gueuze and pure lambics will fine this exceptional.

Love at first taste!

2 = Needs Help 1 = Sucks

13.FIVE OFEST

Blue Mountain Brewery Afton Here’s a highly enjoyable Oktoberfest lager actually brewed at Blue Mountain’s Barrel House in Arrington.

The 13.5 in the name is a reference to the measure of the sugar levels in the wort (the sweet liquid that comes from mashing grains) prior to fermentation. The beer pours with a nice head, amber red hue and is very sessionable with plenty of maltiness and low bitterness. 6% ABV

RAVEN’S ROOST BALTIC PORTER

Parkway Brewing Company Salem Nevermore will you search for a better Porter. And, the judges at the Virginia Craft Brewers Fest agree. Parkway Brewing Company’s Raven’s Roost Baltic Porter took home the gold medal in the Porter category at this year’s Fest. With a color as dark as the midnight sky and flavors of caramel, chocolate and toffee, it’s a winner in our book too!

7.1% ABV

virginiacraftbeer.com

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Virginia Craft Beer has an eye on the upcoming beer related events and festivals throughout the state BLUE RIDGE HIGHLANDS Oktoberfest & 5K Trail Race Sat., Oct. 4, 10:30am-5pm 5K race, live entertainment by Harbor Towne Fest Band, children’s play area, German food and Oktoberfest beer brewed by Sunken City Brewery.

Race registration: $25/adults; $15/ children 13 and under Westlake Towne Center 84 Westlake Rd Hardy smloktoberfest.com Blacksburg Brew Do Sat., Oct. 25, 12-6pm 40+ beers from local, Mid-Atlantic, and national craft- and microbreweries, food, home brewing demonstrations, and live music.

First & Main Shopping District 1470 South Main St. Blacksburg blacksburgbrewdo.com Foggy Ridge Cider Chef Series Sat. Oct. 25, 11am-5pm Chef Aaron Deal from Roanoke’s River & Rail pairs tasty treats to compliment the cider. $10 Pairing ticket 1328 Pineview Rd. Dugspur 276-398-2337 foggyridgecider.com

Steal the Oktoberfest Mug at Blue Mountain Thurs., Oct. 2 Purchase a $5 beverage and keep the Oktoberfest mug!

9519 Critzer Shop Rd. Afton 540.456.8020 bluemountainbrewery.com Oystoberfest 2014 Sat., Oct. 4,12-6:30pm Oysters, Beer, Brats, Bands and a Kids’ Zone $2 suggested donation St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church 3602 Hawthorne Ave. Richmond 804-321-9548 oystoberfest.com

1

Oktoberfest at Blue Mountain in Afton Sept. 26-Oct. 5 Live music, menu specials, games, tastings, and more!

9519 Critzer Shop Rd. Afton 540.456.8020 bluemountainbrewery.com

2

Shenandoah Valley

4

Northern Virginia

5

Chesapeake Bay

6

Eastern Shore

7

Central Virgnia

Kickin’ Chicken Wingfest Sun., Oct.19, 12-5pm A day full of contests, food, music, and Virginia craft beer from Center of the Universe Brewing Company 17th Street Farmers’ Market 100 North 17th Street Richmond 804-646-0954 Pumpkin Carving Contest at Blue Mountain Wed., Oct. 22, 3-8pm Free pumpkins, decorations, and carving tools for kids.

9519 Critzer Shop Rd. Afton 540.456.8020 bluemountainbrewery.com

Appalachia Blue Ridge Highlands

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Southern Virginia

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Hampton Roads

Submit your upcoming event to Jennifer.McDonald@hotmail.com october 2014

Oysters and Beer @ Union Market Sat., Oct. 18, 4-8pm Enjoy 8 different COTU brews and fresh oysters from Anderson’s Neck Oyster Company.

2306 Jefferson Ave. Richmond unionmarketva.com

The Festy Experience Fri., Oct. 10 – Sun., Oct. 12, 11:30am-11:30pm Featuring amazing bands, camping, superior local food and world class beers.

Devils Backbone Brewing Company Concert Grounds 200 Mosbys Run Roseland 434-220-4000 thefesty.com

CENTRAL VIRGINIA

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46th Annual Richmond Oktoberfest Fri, Oct. 17 & Sat., Oct. 18, 5-11pm Authentic German food, German & domestic beers, live music, children’s activities, and shopping Admission: $15; 65 & older $12; adv. purchase $12; 15 & under Free Old Dominion Building, Richmond International Raceway Complex 600 E. Laburnum Avenue Richmond richmondoktoberfestinc.com

Pumpkin Carving Contest at Wild Wolf Brewing Company Wed. Oct. 22, 11:30am-10pm Put your pumpkin carving skills to work!

2461 Rockfish Valley Highway Nellysford 434.361.0088 wildwolfbeer.com Halloween Dog Costume Contest at Wild Wolf Brewing Company Wed. Oct. 29, 5-7pm 2461 Rockfish Valley Highway Nellysford 434.361.0088 wildwolfbeer.com Halloween Party at Wild Wolf Brewing Company Fri. Oct. 31, 7-10pm Celebrate with food and drink specials and live music.

2461 Rockfish Valley Highway Nellysford 434.361.0088 wildwolfbeer.com Halloween Party at Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company Fri. Oct. 31, 6pm-midnight Live bone-rattlin’ music, costume contest, ghoulish treats, frightening decorations, award-winning beer.

200 Mosbys Run Roseland 434-361-1001 dbbrewingcompany.com

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Sunday, Nov. 9

Virginia Roast & Toast

Hermitage Museum, Norfolk

Chili Cookoff & Cornhole Competition at Wild Wolf Brewing Company Sun., Nov. 2, 11:30am-10pm Come on out and try some chili and test your skills at cornhole.

2461 Rockfish Valley Highway Nellysford 434.361.0088 wildwolfbeer.com

Center of the Universe 2nd Anniversary Party Fri., Nov. 14 – Sun., Nov. 15 Featuring the return of Richard on Friday and 16 guest beers Sat. & Sun. Center of the Universe 11293 Air Park Rd. Ashland 804.368.0299 cotubrewing.com

Olde Towne Fall Crawl Hosted

by Ghent Bar Tours Sat., Oct. 4, 4-9pm Ticket includes specials on food and drinks at participating bars and afterparty, t-shirt, cup, and more!

Tickets: $20 in advance; $25 day of Proceeds benefit Portsmouth Humane Society oldetownefallcrawl.com

El Duderino White Russian Stout Release Party Sat., Nov. 1 Center of the Universe 11293 Air Park Rd. Ashland 804.368.0299 cotubrewing.com

EASTERN SHORE

Laughmeisters Comedy Show Sun., Oct. 5 Andrew Pabon, Jon Small, and Joseph Anthony.

Tickets: $10 at the door Smartmouth Brewery 1309 Raleigh Ave. Norfolk laughmeisters.com

The Big LeBYRDski Fri., Nov. 7, 7-10:30pm Big Lebowksi screening and El Duderino drinking benefit Proceed benefit Byrd Theater Foundation The Byrd Theater 2908 W. Cary Street Richmond Veteran’s Day & Anniversary Party at Wild Wolf Brewing Company Tues., Nov. 11, 11:30am-10pm Honor our Veterans and celebrate Wild Wolf’s Anniversary!

2461 Rockfish Valley Highway Nellysford 434.361.0088 wildwolfbeer.com

Main Street Blues & Brews Sat., Oct. 11, 11:30am-7pm Over twenty craft beers and five musical acts Tickets include a souvenir glass, 6 beer tickets and plenty of blues.

Tabb House Lawn 6596 Main Street Gloucester mainstreetbluesandbrews.com

HAMPTON ROADS An Occasion for Taste presented

by Blue Talon Bistro Sat., Oct. 4 & Sun., Oct. 5, 11:30am4pm Over 120 wines, local and rare import beer, craft distilleries, and all you can eat buffet Tickets: $45 Duke of Gloucester Street Williamsburg bluetalonbistro.com

Brews & BBQ at O’Connor Brewery Thurs., Oct. 9, 5-8pm Join Peter Decker Children’s Charity for fun, food and philanthropy. $20/person at the door give@peterdeckercharity.com O’Connor Brewing Co. 211 W 24th Street Norfolk 757.623.BEER (2337

Treasure Chest Fest Beer & Food Festival Sun., Oct. 12, noon-5pm Featuring rare, barrel-aged and oneoff cask beers, beer tastings from local breweries, and food from local restaurants.

Tickets: $40 in advance; $50 day-of; $30 military advance Proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen Tidewater Future site of Green Flash Brewing Co. 1902 General Booth Blvd.

Virginia Beach treasurechestfestvb.eventbrite.com Virginia Beach Craft Beer Festival Sat., Oct. 18 – Sun., Oct. 19, 1-6pm Over 80 craft beers from over 50 breweries and live entertainment.

Tickets: Sat. $25 in advance; $30 at the door; Sun. $20 in advance; $25 at the door 30th Street at the Virginia Beach oceanfront beachstreetusa.com

Crafted Indie Arts & Craft Market Sat., Oct. 11, 11am-5pm Over 50 artisans, live music, food trucks, and craft beer O’Connor Brewing Co. 211 W. 24th Street Norfolk

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Devil’s Backbone Tap Takeover & Steal the Pint Night Thurs., Oct. 23, 6pm Featuring live music on the patio and Devils Backbone on tap (buy a pint of Devils Backbone beer and keep the glass, limit one per customer)!

Home Republic 328 Laskin Rd. Virginia Beach homerepublicvabeach.com Ghentoberfest Sat., Oct. 24 & Sun, Oct. 25, 2-6pm Over 75 craft beers, live music, and local food Proceeds benefit Lee’s Friends 824 W. 21st Street Norfolk ghentoberfest.brownpapertickets. com Backyard Sports Club Battle of the Beers Sat., Oct. 25, 1-6pm Sample local beer and vote for your favorite; food, music, games, raffles, and more.

Tapped Gastropub 1550 Laskin Road Virginia Beach beachambassadors.com Pints & Pairings Sat., Oct. 25, Dec. 27, 2-4pm Micro-brews and craft beers are paired with products from local farms and artisan food crafters.

Colonial Williamsburg 310 S. England Street Williamsburg colonialwilliamsburg.com Halloween Party at Home Republic Fri., Oct. 31, 6pm Home Republic 328 Laskin Rd. Virginia Beach homerepublicvabeach.com Alewerk’s Jubilee Release Party Sat., Nov.1, 12-8pm 189-B Ewell Road Williamsburg alewerks.com Smartmouth’s 2nd Annual Street Party Birthday Bash Sat., Nov. 1, noon-7pm Smartmouth Brewery 1309 Raleigh Avenue, Suite 300 Norfolk smartmouthbrewing.com

4 The Love of Cheese Festival Sun., Nov. 2, 12-5pm Sample cheese, cooking tips, cheese pairing with beer, wine, spirits, and other food.

Sandler Center for the Performing Arts 201 Market Street Virginia Beach 4theloveofcheese.com House of Blues & Brews Sun., Nov. 2, 1-5pm Brewmasters, stewmasters, rockers, and bakers!

MOCA 2200 Parks Ave. Virginia Beach VirginiaMoca.org Williamsburg Alewerks Tap Takeover & Steal the Pint Night Thurs., Nov. 6, 6pm Featuring live music on the patio and Williamsburg Ale on tap (buy a pint of Williamsburg Ale and keep the glass, limit one per customer)!

Home Republic 328 Laskin Rd. Virginia Beach homerepublicvabeach.com Pungo Craft Beer Festival Sat., Nov. 8, 2-6pm Over 75 craft beers, live music, and local food Proceeds benefit Lee’s Friends 1801 Princes Anne Rd. Virginia Beach pungobeerfest.brownpapertickets. com 5th Annual Virginia Roast & Toast Sun., Nov. 9, 3-7pm Virginia Oysters, barbeque, craft beer, wine, and live music.

Hermitage Museum 7637 North Shore Road Norfolk thehermitagemuseum.org

NORTHERN VIRGINIA The Art League’s Art on Tap Fri., Oct.3, 7-10:30pm Local craft beer is paired with a work of art from an Art League instructor and local restaurant Tickets: $45 The Art League Gallery 105 N. Union St. Alexandria theartleague.org/content/art_on_tap

Capital Ale House Oktoberfest Sat., Oct. 4, 12pm 11th annual celebration of German cuisine & VA beers!

917 Caroline Street Fredericksburg Capital City Oktoberfest Sat., Oct. 4, 12-7pm 65+ breweries, local food vendors, authentic German music & food Tickets: $30 The Village at Shirlington 4001 Campbell Avenue Arlington capcitybrew.com RhinO’fest Sat., Oct. 4 12-7pm Featuring traditional German food, polka bands, games, and local vendors.

Lost Rhino Brewing Co. 21730 Red Rum Dr, Suite 147-157 Ashburn lostrhino.com Bunny Man Bridge Release Party Mon., Oct. 6 Release of Bunny Man Bridge Hoppy Red Ale (a collaboration between Lost Rhino & Legend Brewing Co. Fireworks Pizza 201 Harrison St. SE Leesburg Reston Oktoberfest Sat., Oct. 11, noon-11pm; Sun., Oct. 12, noon-8pm Enjoy food, wine, beer, live entertainment, and a carnival.

Reston Town Center 11900 Market Street Reston oktoberfestreston.com Fredericksburg Brew Fest Sat., Oct. 18,, 11am-6pm Over 70 craft beers, food, home brewing demonstrations, live music Tickets: $35; $10 designated driver 2400 Airport Ave. Fredericksburg fredbrewfest.com NOVA Fall Brewfest Sat., Oct. 18 – Sun., Oct. 19, 11am7pm Craft beer, food, entertainment, arts & crafts Tickets: $25 in advance; $35 at gate; $10 designated driver 7700 Bull Run Drive Centreville novabrewfest.com

Brewing History: Beer Tasting & Dinner Fri. Oct. 24, 6-9pm 4 course beer dinner, brewing demonstration, and private Mansion tour.

Tickets: $95 George Washington’s Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy Mount Vernon info@mountvernon.org Cask Ale Festival at Mad Fox Sat., Nov. 8, 12-6pm Showcasing proper cask conditioned ales from Mad Fox and other top breweries, live music, food and more.

444 West Broad Street Falls Church madfoxbrewing.com

SHENANDOAH VALLEY Oktoberfest at Flying Mouse Sat., Oct. 11, 2-9pm Beer & wine tastings, souvenir mug, authentic German food.

Flying Mouse Brewery 221 Precast Way Troutville flyingmousebrewery.com Laughmeisters Comedy Show Thurs., Oct. 16 Featuring Joel Palilla, Sean Malec, and Rahmein Mostafavi.

Tickets: $7.50 and $10 at the door Redbeard Brewing Company 120 S. Lewis St. Staunton Laughmeisters.com

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA 1st Annual Wine and Brew Ha-Ha Fri. Oct. 31, 5-11pm Live music, food truck, DJ, release of Pumpkin Ale, costume prizes.

2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co. 209 Trade St. Danville 2witcheswinebrew.com Bluegrass, Barbeque & Brew Festival Sat., Nov. 1, 11am-5pm 1250 Red Hill Rd. Brookneal bluegrassbarbequebrew.com

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october 2014

Get your growler of Monumental IPA refilled at Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria

brewery GUIDE BLUE RIDGE HIGHLANDS Bull & Bones Brewhaus 1470 S Main St., #120 Blacksburg 540.953.2855 bullandbones.com Callaway Brewing Company 21 Woodwinds Road Callaway 540.267.6733 callawaybrewingco.com Chaos Mountain Brewing Company 3135 Dillons Mill Rd. Calloway 540.334.1600 chaosmountainbrewing.com

Creek Bottom Brews 307 Meadow Street Galax 276.236.BEER (2337) cbbrew.com The Damascus Brewery 32173 Government Road Damascus 540.314.2782 thedamascusbrewery.com Old Glade Brewery 217 Town Square St. Glade Spring, VA 24340 Oldgladebrewery.com River Company Brewery 6633 Viscoe Rd. Fairlawn 540.633.3940 therivercompanybrewery.com

Shooting Creek Farm Brewery 1188 Thomas Farm Rd. Floyd 540.745.8700 shootingcreekbrewery.com Sunken City Brewery 40 Brewery Dr. Hardy 540.420.0476 sunkencitybeer.com Wolf Hills Brewing Company 350 Park St. Abingdon 303.5508762 wolfhillsbrewing.com

CENTRAL VIRGINIA Apocalypse Ale Works 1257 Burnbridge Rd Forest 434.258.8761 endofbadbeer.com Ardent Craft Ales 3200 W. Leigh Street Richmond 804.359.1605 ardentcraftales.com Beer Hound Brewery 6420 Seminole Trail Barboursville 434.985.2192 beerhoundbrewery.blogspot.com

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Blue Mountain Brewery 9519 Critzer Shop Rd. Afton 540.456.8020 bluemountainbrewery.com Blue Mountain Barrel House 495 Cooperative Way Arrington 434.263.4002 bluemountainbarrel.com

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery 2408 Ownby Ln. Richmond 804.420.2420 hardywood.com Isley Brewing Company 1715 Summit Avenue Richmond 804.499.0721 isleybrewingcompany.com

C’ville-ian Brewing Company 705 W. Main Street Charlottesville 434.328.2252 cvillebrewco.com

James River Brewing Company 561 Valley St. Scottsville 434.286.7837 jamesriverbrewing.com

Center of the Universe Brewing Company 11293 Air Park Rd. Ashland 804.368.0299 cotubrewing.com

Jefferson Street Brewery 1309 Jefferson St Lynchburg 434.455.1514 jeffersonstreetbrewery.com

Champion Brewing Company 324 6th St SE Charlottesville 434.295.2739 championbrewingcompany.com Devils Backbone Brewing Company Basecamp 200 Mosbys Run Roseland 434.361.1001 dbbrewingcompany.com Double Dizzy Brewery Amelia Court House 804.505.0109 doubledizzy.net Extra Billy’s 1110 Alverser Dr. Midlothian 804.379.8727 extrabillys.com/ ExtraBillysBarBQ2.htm Garden Grove Brewing Company Richmond 804.338.6029 gardengrovebrewing.com

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october 2014

Legend Brewing Company 321 W. Seventh St. Richmond 804.232.3446 legendbrewing.com Licking Hole Creek Farm Brewery 4100 Knolls Point Dr. Goochland 804.314.4380 lickingholecreek.com Midnight Brewery 2410 Granite Ridge Rd. Rockville 804.356.9379 midnight-brewery.com South Street Brewery 106 South Street Charlottesville 434.293.6550 southstreetbrewery.com Starr Hill Brewery 5391 Three Notch’d Rd. Crozet 434.823.5671 starrhill.com Strangeways Brewing 2277 Dabney Rd. Richmond 804.303.4336 strangewaysbrewing.com

The Answer Brewpub 6008 West Broad St. Richmond facebook.com theanswerbrewpub.com Three Notch’d Brewing Company 946 Grady Ave Charlottesville 434.293.0610 threenotchdbrewing.com Triple Crossing Brewing Company 113 S. Foushee St. Richmond triplecrossingbeer.com Wild Wolf Brewing Company 2461 Rockfish Valley Highway Nellysford 434.361.0088 wildwolfbeer.com

HAMPTON ROADS Alewerks 189-B Ewell Rd. Williamsburg 757.220.3670 williamsburgalewerks.com Back Bay Brewing Company 614 Norfolk Ave. Virginia Beach 757.531.7750 backbaybrewco.com

O’Connor Brewing Company 211 W. 24th Street Norfolk 757.623.2337 oconnorbrewing.com Pleasure House Brewing 3025 Shore Dr. Virginia Beach, VA 23451 757.647.8597 pleasurehousebrewing.com Smartmouth Brewing Company 1309 Raleigh Ave., #300 Norfolk 757.624.3939 smartmouthbrewing.com St. George Brewing Company 204 Challenger Way Hampton 757.865.7781 stgeorgebrewingco.com Young Veterans Brewing Company 2505 Horse Pasture Road, Ste. 104 Virginia Beach 757.689.4021 yvbc.com

NORTHERN VIRGINIA Adroit Theory Brewing Company 404 Browing Ct., Unit C Purcellville 703.722.3144 adroit-theory.com

Beach Brewing Company 2585 Horse Pasture Rd., #204 Adventure Brewing Co. Virginia Beach 33 Perchwood Dr. 757.563.2337 beachbrewingcompany.com Fredericksburg 540.242.8876 Brass Cannon adventurebrewing.com Brewing Company BadWolf 8105 Richmond Rd., #105 Brewing Company Toano 9776 Center St. 757.566.0001 Manassas brasscannonbrewing.com 571.208.1064 Gordon Biersch badwolfbrewingcompany.com 4561 Virginia Beach Blvd.

Barnhouse Brewery Virginia Beach 13840 Barnhouse Pl. 757.490.2739 Leesburg Home Republic Brew Pub 703.675.8480 328 Laskin Road barnhousebrewery.com Virginia Beach 757.226.9593

Battlefield Brewing Company 4187 Plank Rd Fredericksburg 540.785.2164 chancellorpub@msn.com Beltway Brewing Company 22620 Davis Dr. #110 Sterling 571.989.2739 beltwaybrewco.com Blue & Gray Brewing Company 3300 Dill Smith Dr. Fredericksburg 540.371.7799 blueandgraybrewingco.com Capitol City Brewing Company 4001 Campbell Ave. Arlington 703.578.3888 capcitybrew.com Corcoran Brewing Company 205 E. Hirst Road, Suite 105 Purcellville 540.441.3102 corcoranbrewing.com Crooked Run Brewing 205 Harrison St. Leesburg 571.978.4446 crookedrunbrewing.com Forge Brew Works 8532 Terminal Rd., Ste. L Lorton 703.372.2979 forgebrewworks.com Gordon Biersch Tyson’s Corner Mall McLean 703.388.5454 gordonbiersch.com

Heritage Brewing Co. 9436 Center Point Lane Manassas 800.432.1792 heritagebrewing.com Hops Grill Brewery 3625 Jefferson Davis Hwy. Alexandria 703.837.9107 hopsonline.com Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Dr., Ste. 142 Ashburn 571.291.2083 lostrhino.com Mad Fox Brewing Company 444 West Broad St., Ste. I Falls Church 703.942.6840 madfoxbrewing.com

Mud Hound Brewing Company Leesburg, VA mudhoundbrewingco.com

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Appalachia

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Blue Ridge Highlands

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Shenandoah Valley

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Northern Virginia

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Chesapeake Bay

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Eastern Shore

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Central Virgnia

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Southern Virginia

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Hampton Roads

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CENTRAL VIRGINIA Albemarle CiderWorks 2545 Rural Ridge Ln. North Garden 434.297.2326 albemarleciderworks.com

Bold Rock Hard Cider 1020 Rockfish Valley Hwy. Nellysford 434.361.1030 boldrock.com Castle Hill Cider 6065 Turkey Sag Rd. Keswick 434.296.0047 castlehillcider.com Potter’s Craft Cider Charlottesville potterscraftcider.com

Old Hill Cider 17768 Honeyville Rd. Timberville 540.896.7582 oldhillcider.com

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Foggy Ridge Cider 1328 Pineview Rd. Dugspur 276.398.2337 foggyridgecider.com

SHENANDOAH VALLEY

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BLUE RIDGE HIGHLANDS

Blue Bee Cider 212 W. 6th St. Richmond 804.231.0280 bluebeecider.com

Mad Horse Brew Pub 34 E Broad Way Lovettsville 540.436.0669 madhorsebrewpub.com

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ciderGUIDE

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Winchester Ciderworks 2502 N. Frederick Pike Winchester 540.550.3800 WinchesterCiderworks.com

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october 2014

Wild Run Brewing Company 3071 Jefferson Davis Hwy Stafford 540.659.3447 wildrunbrewing.com

Port City Brewing Company 3950 Wheeler Ave. Alexandria 703.797.2739 portcitybrewing.com

visit us online for up-to-date news, info and more

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Old Bust Head Brewing Company 7134 Lineweaver Rd. Warrenton 540.347.4777 oldbusthead.com

SHENANDOAH VALLEY

Portner Brewhouse Alexandria 703.646.0466 portnerbrewhouse.com Rock Bottom Brewery 4238 Wilson Blvd., Ste. 1256 Arlington 703.516.7688 rockbottom.com/arlington Rusty Beaver Brewery 18043 Jefferson Davis Hwy Ruther Glen 855.478.7892 rustybeaverbrewery.com Sweetwater Tavern 14250 Sweetwater Ln. Centreville 703.449.1100 greatamericanrestaurants.com Sweetwater Tavern 45980 Waterview Plaza Sterling 571.434.6500 greatamericanrestaurants.com Sweetwater Tavern 3066 Gate House Plaza Falls Church 703.645.8100 greatamericanrestaurants.com Vintage 50 Brew Lounge 50 Catoctin Cir., NE Leesburg 703.777.2169 vintage50.com

Backroom Brewery 150 Ridgemont Rd. Middletown 540.869.8482 facebook.com/ BackroomBrewery Big Lick Brewing Company 135 Salem Ave. Roanoke, VA 24011 540-562-8383 biglickbrewingco.com Blue Lab Brewing Company 123 S. Randolph St. Lexington 540.458.0146 bluelabbrewing.com Devils Backbone Brewing Company - Outpost 50 Northwind Lane Lexington 540.462.6200 dbbrewingcompany.com Flying Mouse Brewery 221 Precast Way Troutville 540.992.1288 flyingmousebrewery.com Piccadilly’s Brew Pub 125 E Piccadilly St. Winchester 540.535.1899 piccadillysbrewpub.net Parkway Brewing 739 Kessler Mill Rd. Salem parkwaybrewing.com

Queen City Brewing 834 Springhill Road Staunton 540.213.8014 qcbrewing.com Red Beard Brewing 120 South Lewis St. Staunton 804.641.9340 redbeardbrews.com Roanoke Railhouse Brewery 451 C McClanahan St. S.W. Roanoke 540.293.2423 roanokerailhouse.com Shenandoah Valley Brewing Company 17 Middlebrook Ave. Staunton 540.887.2337 shenvalbrew.com/ Soaring Ridge Craft Brewers 523 Shenandoah Avenue Roanoke 540.529.2140 soaringridge.com Three Brothers Brewing 800 N Main Street Harrisonburg 540.432.8940 threebrosbrew.com Winchester Brewing Company 110 West Boscawen St. Winchester 540.999.6161 winchesterbrewingcompany.com

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company 209 Trade St. Danville 434-549-BREW (2739)

Is there someone we’re missing?

Email Jennifer.McDonald@hotmail.com with any additions or corrections

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october 2014