Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

DRUTHERS BREWING COMPANY – SARATOGA

United States Brewpubs,

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.

In downtown Saratoga Springs on Broadway, the first DRUTHERS BREWING COMPANY opened for business in 2012. Home of Skidmore College (one of America’s best party schools) and a few miles from Saratoga Raceway, this affluent community’s picturesque landscape draws summer tourists to its lovely historic splendor. Owned in part by former Albany Pump Station brewer, George di Piro, each distinct Druthers location benefits from spacious layout design, well-realized decor, diversified craft beer and excellent food.

Initially visited during January ’16, a black archway leads to an extensive courtyard that fronts Druthers pristine yellow wood-furnished dining lodge. Upon entering, the 20-seat slate-topped bar showcases the mezzanine level glass-encased brew tanks while a separate dining area adorns the backspace. An eclectic food menu (sandwiches-salads-burgers-entrees) includes the outstanding Chili Con Carne and Roasted Vegetable Puree (with sweet potatoes, butternut squash, fried leeks and parsnips). A selection of fine wines and spirits complement the ambitious hand-crafted beers.

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First up, Strong Gose may be less sour than Druthers’ standard gose, but its lactobacillus-derived salted coriander expectancy stayed firm above tart lemon liming. A similarly soured lemony orange spritz engaged Rye Saison, a Vienna-malted moderation with caramelized rye toasting and soapy sugarplum notions.

One of the most popular elixirs, assertive All In India Pale Ale placed piney Amarillo hop sharpness inside floral-spiced grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering without depleting its back-end honeyed pale malt sweetness.

Toasted Munich malts frame Fist Of Karma, a chocolate-y caramel-spiced brown ale gaining hazelnut, pecan and almond tones above maple molasses sugaring and walnut-seared hop char.

A stronger version of a traditional hefeweizen, lofty Weizen Bock circulated dried plum, fig and banana fruiting around clove-coriander spicing and wheat-grained hop astringency. Decisive Strong Porter loaded molasses-sapped brown chocolate onto roasted nut resilience.

Sweet holiday delight, Winter Warmer, dripped caramelized molasses onto fruit-caked sweetness and toasted Munich malts for a surefire cold weather treat.

During March ’17 revisit, lemony banana-clove-bubblegum expectancy guided Against The Grain Hefeweizen as mild coriander riffs reached the subtle beechwood-smoked malting.

Scottish Style 80 Shilling brought caramel-toasted malts to dewy peat, dried fig, unripe orange and earthen hops.

Easygoing Irish-styled Dry Stout planted unmalted barley inside moderate black malt bittering and subtle dark-roasted coffee, chocolate and nut remnants.

www.druthersbrewing.com

RAPSCALLION BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

FISKDALE, MASSACHUSETTS

Off the beaten track two miles up a hill from Sturbridge’s main drag in Fiskdale’s Hyland Orchards lies a rustic sienna-hued barnhouse that’s home to RAPSCALLION BREWERY. Formerly housing Pioneer Brewing Company, identical twin owners, Cedric and Peter Arnold, took over operations in 2013 and re-branded the company to its current rogue handle. Head brewer Shaun Radzuik crafted some of Rapscallion’s recipes while working at Holyoke’s Paper City.

Basically a one-room, concrete-floored lodge with centered community bench, a few wooden tables and red brick-walled beer trays, Rapscallion’s uniquely enhanced by Hyland Orchards’ outdoor music pavilion, picnic area, petting farm and apple orchards.

Visited on a cold, snowy January ’16 evening, this growing neighborhood pub serves 13 taps worth of homemade beer to local minions and curious beer hounds. A large mounted glassware section is just down the L-shaped bar from the beer-to-go refrigerator.

Before heading out to get dinner, I settled into flagship Rapscallion Honey Ale, a dry, soft-toned moderation with mildly creamed honey-spiced butterscotch sweetness and lemony orange tang furrowed by grassy hop phenols. For further investigation, 32-ounce crowlers (canned growlers) of Irish Red, Rye IPA, Munich Dark and Porter (reviewed in Beer Index).

Traveling beer fanatics should also check out nearby Acton’s Rapscallion Table & Tap, a related restaurant serving all beers mentioned above.

Before heading back to Publick House Historic Inn, my wife and I stopped by Enrico’s for wood-fired pizza, splitting the Giardino (white-sauced ricotta cheese with artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers). A terrific Tuscan-influenced Italian food venue with U-shaped left bar and right side dining, its open kitchen also serves pasta dishes, panini sandwiches and salads. On tap are 20-plus macro-micro brews.

Revolution Anti-Hero (a Chicagoland India Pale Ale fave) had a bright floral fruited briskness gathering tangy grapefruit, orange, pineapple and mango juiciness atop piney hop bittering.

Easygoing Notch Left Of The Dial, a milder IPA, bolstered its lingering Chinook/Amarillo hop pining with less aggressive lemony grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering, sugary peach-pineapple-quince-cantaloupe-mango dalliances and recessive floral nuances.          

COMMON ROOTS BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs, ,

Image result for comMON ROOTS BREWING CO  Image result for comMON ROOTS BREWING CO EXTERIOR

SOUTH GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK

Across the Hudson River from Glens Falls and down a few blocks, COMMON ROOTS BREWING COMPANY had its soft opening December 19, 2014. A magnificent father-son operation with a well-rounded and wide-ranging craft beer lineup, the sterling brewpub takes pride in adding “artisanal boutique styles to the culinary landscape.” After buying, then gutting, the small corner building housing Common Roots, owners Bert and Christian Weber began investing time on sundry recipes.

Originally a home brewer, son Christian received a graduate degree in biology from Plymouth State and utilizes his brewery’s upstairs space for yeast propagation. Impressed by the innovative spirit and articulate nature of Dogfish Head founder, Sam Calagione, as well as the historic lambic stylings Jean-Pierre van Roy maintains for Belgium’s Cantillon Brewery and the highly prized ales defining Hill Farmstead’s award-winning Shaun Hill, he now operates a 20-barrel system as of my January ’16 Adirondack tour. And expansion of the mustard yellow-walled pub (with splendid wood- carved fish theme) seems imminent as the popularity of the Weber’s elixirs holds no boundaries.

For openers, clean mineral water provided the smooth base for Modern American Pale Ale, a Chinook-hopped, crystal malt-spiced moderation with yellow grapefruit peel bitterness extending into tropical mango-guava-passionfruit fruiting.

Approachable Last Light IPA draped tangy yellow grapefruit, navel orange and pineapple juicing atop sugar-spiced sweetness. Bitterer Daylight Double IPA contrasted wood lacquered piney hops with crystal malt-sugared grapefruit, orange, mango, peach, cantaloupe and melon sweetness.

Gaining lots of local attention, Belgian Style Honey Ale let its creamy wildflower honeying inform peppery Belgian yeast funk, tingly citric crisping and mild vanilla licks.

Expressive ‘citrus hops’ enlightened Burly Monk Belgian Pale Ale, as its lemon-bruised orange tang contrasted dry gin tonicity and white-peppered herbage above honey-spiced caramel malts.

Closer to a sessionable Berliner Weisse, perhaps, Farmhouse Style Ale brought coriander-salted lemon souring to brettanomyces-dried barnyard acridity and lemongrass snips.

Highly impressed with the tremendous fare already quaffed, I then dive into two fine strong ales. At 9% ABV, the monumental Coffee Cup Double Stout revealed sweet, sour and bitter coffee bean roasting to caramelized chocolate sweetness and wood-charred tobacco resin.

Not to be outdone, mellow Bourbon Barrel Dark Ale (aged 18 months in Bullitt Bourbon barrels) retained a sweet bourbon chocolate affluence above dry burgundy-port wining, burnt caramel sugaring, oaken vanilla illusions and roasted cola nuttiness.

During quick December ’18 stopover, enjoyed Snowy Night Double Stout, a richly fudged mocha sensation with lactose highlighted by rapturous vanilla-beaned dark chocolate, cold-brewed coffee and maple molasses abundance. Mild espresso, cola, hazelnut and cookie dough illusions add depth.

An absolute destination spot along the Adirondacks foothills a few miles off Route 87, Common Roots will appeal to all beer connoisseurs.

www.commonrootsbrewing.com

COOPER’S CAVE ALE COMPANY

United States Brewpubs, ,

GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK

In a pale green aluminum building a few blocks off Glens Falls historic downtown, COOPER’S CAVE ALE COMPANY has operated as a brewery since 1999. During 2009, the cozy backdoor brewpub opened for business serving craft beer alongside homemade sodas, locally sourced ice cream and upscale pub food. Tannish earth-toned furnishings provide a soft elegance while a private room serves business and party functions.

On my January ’16 afternoon sojourn, my wife and I sit at the 10-seat bar to share nachos with pulled pork while sampling eight mid-range brews.

A few fruit ales reach my palate first. Raspberry Wheat offered a bittersweet raspberry rasp sharpened by phenol hops and spritzy carbonation while Cooper’s Cave’s ‘fastest selling beer,’ Bluesberry Ale, went down even easier with its perfume-hopped blueberry lacquering.

Next, there were three British styled ales. Traditional English bitter, Tavern Ale, featured raw-honeyed rye, roasted caramel malts and fungi earthiness. English-styled India Pale Ale brought dewy moss and musty earth tones to mild citrus snips. Dark mild ale, Bummpo’s Brown, retained a soft-toned chocolate malt sweetness for its slick hop-roasted nuttiness.

Uniquely hybridized Fenimore Froth Winter Warmer brought medicinal alcohol astringency to honeyed oats, ginger spice, orange zest, sugared cinnamon and earthen musk without getting peculiar. Equally medicinal, ‘rocket fueled’ Strong Ale draped its ethanol burn with honeyed Maris Otter malts, blanched barley malts and dried fig illusions.

Though a bit underwhelming, dry Irish stout, Sagamore, plied oats-dried coffee roast to nutty cocoa and sweet chocolate.

In canned version, musky Brit-styled Pathfinder Porter delivers chalky black chocolate malting to bourbon-dried Muscat grape mustiness, walnut-oiled raw molasses astringency and mildewed cellar dankness.  

www.cooperscaveale.com

CORCORAN BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

Corcoran Brewing Company | Purcellville, VA | Beers | BeerAdvocate

PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA

One mile up the road from Adroit Theory in a red brick medical center lies CORCORAN BREWING COMPANY,  a modest retreat with a turf-floored picnic area and pristine tap room serviced by brewmaster Kevin Bills’ well-rounded brews. Opened for business, 2011 (and closed ’round 2020), and operating out of its current space since March 2014, Corcoran was Purcellville’s first microbrewery (but closed down a few years hence).

Oak barreled tables surround the lacquered wood bar while the cement floor, exposed aluminum ceiling and pendulum lights offer a cold industrial ambience during my September ’15 visit. As two TV’s entertain a few solo drinkers, tasting room manager Trevor Dodge turns his attention to me and serves up seven heavenly nectars.

Pleasant Wheatland hefeweizen brought lemony banana-bubblegum-clove tartness to crystal-malted wheat sweetness, leaving recessive honeydew, peach and melon illusions. A fruitier version, Weatland Peach, regaled tart peach tones with floral perfumed hops and banana bubblegum sugaring.

Worthy light-bodied autumn seasonal, Corktoberfest, countered its leafy hop astringency and tangy lemon spritz with toasted caramel malts.

“Hopped like an IPA” and aged like a lager, IPL moderated its juicy orange-grapefruit tang with yellow wood dryness and resinous hop bittering.

Things really get exciting now as Dodge breaks out the Big Beers starting with Raiders Ghost Imperial IPA aged with Ghost Peppers. Though the ghost pepper heat increases at the citric finish, it’s not at the expense of the perfumed yellow grapefruit, orange rind and pineapple tang. Sticky sweet maple syruping, rum-spiced brandy wining and latent orange bruise bring sugary surety.

Smooth Irish-styled dry stout, Slainte, pleated its dark-roasted black malts with smoky charcoal overtones, soy-sauced dried fruiting, charred nuttiness and black chocolate-y cocoa powdering.

Best bet: Jeb Stuart Stout – a soft-toned bourbon-aged Imperial accumulating bittersweet dark chocolate and roasted coffee tones to offset its whiskey-nipped dried fruiting. Dry black cherry, fig and orange illusions play backup at the light black-malted chocolate bourbon finish.

Bottled versions of Corcoran’s military-themed Three-Nine Kolsch, Blue Ghost IPA, Haze Gray Imperial IPA and Heroes Stout are reviewed in Beer Index.

www.corcoranbrewing.com

FORGE BREW WORKS

United States Brewpubs,

Forge Brew Works - Lorton, VA, United States

LORTON, VIRGINIA

Inside an inconspicuous red-bricked industrial mall building with a large bay window, green awning and readymade front deck, Lorton-based FORGE BREW WORKS opened its doors during October 2013 (and closed 2024). Concocting fulsome American ales alongside well-rounded Belgian-styled fare and whatever strikes their fancy, this admirable Northern Virginia microbrewery provides owner-brewer Matt Rose with the friendly local hangout he’d envisioned as a home brewer.

A black and white Forge signpost, rustic wood furnishings and reclaimed wood-lacquered serving station adorn the barebones space. Veterans are saluted by the Marines, Army and Navy flags hanging on the right wall and a cornered TV shows the Michigan State football game as I settle in at noon on a sunshiny Saturday, September ’15.

Doing “modern takes on old recipes,” Rose now bottles the locally popular Kelsenator Doppelbock (reviewed in Beer Index) and plans to have more styles readied for retail shops soon. Presently, Forge crafts six flagship beers ranging from easygoing saison to rich stout.

The above-mentioned saison, simply known as Farmhouse Ale, stayed light on the tongue as white-peppered yellow grapefruit and navel orange tartness picked up candi-sugared plum tones over grassy-hopped earthen herbage and modest barnyard acridity.

Sunny day rejuvenator, Belgian Blonde, brought peppery citrus spritz and beet-sugared sweetness to toasted pilsner malts for another winsome moderation.

A few fruitier choices made the rounds as well. Shandy-like crossover, Grapefruit Radler, provided stylish salted coriander and lemon-limed tartness to this grapefruit-juiced ‘petite saison.’

Dry Jaryllo hops deluged Jary Dewit (a wit-styled saison hybrid) with its floral-perfumed grapefruit peel zest and orange rind bittering while the aspirin-like solvency gained astringency.

Peat-smoked malts inundated washed-out Smoked Berry Blonde, where honeyed blueberry tartness faded alongside ancillary blackberry, boysenberry and raspberry undertones.

A few more flagship brews caught my attention thereafter. Soft-tongued Abbey Ale, a strong dark Belgian knockoff, brought candi-sugared fig and dry prune-raisin-cherry fruiting to sweet molasses malts.

Salted yellow grapefruit-peeled bittering spread across Slake IPA, a pine-oiled citric hop topper with lightly spiced pineapple, orange and juniper splendor given ethyl alcohol fuming.

Even more vibrant, heavily hop-embittered Seaward DIPA loaded tangy grapefruit, orange, peach, tangerine and cantaloupe luxuriance atop subtle 10.2% ABV as its Cascade, Centennial, Chinook and Columbus hops created a Northwest India Pale Ale likeness.

Another popular flagship, Roggenbier, allowed subtle rye spicing and tamped-down dry hops to spread across wispy banana-clove sweetness and candied orange tartness.

Meanwhile, Wild #3 Experimental Sour Ale doused green grape esters with light balsamic vinegaring.

Though the ever-popular Oatmeal Stout was unavailable, an adjunct version scored well. Cask-conditioned Oatmeal Stout with Cranberry & Cinnamon brought soured dried fruiting to cocoa-dried Baker’s chocolate. Mild orange, fig and gooseberry soaked up the tart cranberry pucker softly contrasting the reclusive cinnamon sugaring.

For dessert, fabulous Daywalker Tripel sweetened its wheat-sugared raspberry adjunct with hop-spiced orange blossom honey to contrast musky orange-dried tartness and pale-malted yeast phenols. Though presently only a limited edition ale, this Belgian-styled slow sipper deserves serious investigating.

www.forgebrewworks.com

BELLY LOVE BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA

While Purcellville’s Adroit Theory specializes in boozy barrel-aged elixirs and strong hybridized ales, BELLY LOVE BREWING COMPANY relies more on approachable moderate-to-medium body fare. Inside the red-bricked Shoppes at Main Street mall next to Coney Island Diner and a pizza parlor, Belly Love brewer, Tolga Baki, crafts a diverse range of familiar ale styles in his rear brew tanks. Open for business since November 2014 (and closed 2024), its latticed front deck leads patrons to the centralized bar.

A comfy lounge area near the entrance adds a vintage homey atmosphere with its sofas, easy chairs and cocktail table while exposed ducts and pipes fill the high ceiling. Several buddha-bellied statues and insignias serve as mascots for the serene family-owned alehouse.

The limited menu on this sunny September ’15 afternoon featured honey mustard-spiced pretzels, Scotch eggs, artichoke dips, flatbread sandwiches and burgers. My wife and I shared the sour-creamed, bacon-cheesed, potato-fried Tot Nachos while consuming seven fine tapped offerings.

Easygoing Weisse Weisse Baby crossed hefeweizen-like banana and clove sweetness with lemony orange-fruited American wheat ale traits above biscuit-y wheat malts. Lightly grain-charred Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em seared oak-smoked wheat malts into lemony herbal Saaz hops.

Light pilsner-malted Narcissist Munich Helles Lager brought sugary orange and peach spicing to its raw barley musk. In contrast, rich amber-toned Vienna lager, Marz Attacks, draped toasted pilsner malts atop leafy Hallertau hops and tangy orange-pineapple-grapefruit zest.

Mildly fruit-spiced (despite its provocatively harsh moniker), Shut The Fook Up Pale Ale saddled orange-candied tartness with floral-perfumed hops. Better still, Belgian-styled strong ale, 50 Shades Of Gold, placed citric-spiced Saaz hops against rum-sugared coriander sweetness.

For dessert, creamy oatmeal stout, Eye Of Jupiter, loaded mocha nuttiness all over black patent malts, leaving roasted coffee bean, black chocolate, dark cocoa, cola nut and hazelnut illusions in its wake.

www.bellylovebrewing.com

KENT FARMS BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

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KENT, CONNECTICUT

Connecticut’s first farmhouse brewery is a doozy. Inside a 2,400 square foot barnhouse on 48 rural countryside acres, KENT FALLS BREWING COMPANY relies on its own locally grown ingredients to craft small batches of intriguing sour ales, saisons, goses and India Pale Ales. Open for business during autumn, 2014, this organic well-watered brewery has already began bottling for local distribution and each beer brings something “unique to each season.”

Using a solar hot water system for sustainability and feeding spent grain to local livestock, Kent Falls’ mission is to responsibly serve the local community by crafting uniquely blended or hybridized beers from freshly harvested grains and hops.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in September ’15, I quaffed nine selections at Nanuet’s Ambulance Brew House. (In fact, Ambulance took several good customers on a trip to Kent Falls thereafter.) The reviews are listed separately in the Beer Index.

www.kentfallsbrewing.com

ADROIT THEORY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA

One of the most interesting and bold nanobrewery gone wild!

Specializing in experimental barrel-aged elixirs and a few solid hybridized regulars, ‘esoteric’ Purcellville-based ADROIT THEORY BREWING COMPANY crafts some of Virginia’s finest Big Beers in small batches at its rustic light industrial warehouse. Wood-barreled tables and a large L-shaped bar furnish the cavernous interior and heavy metal music plays loudly during tasting hours. Head brewer Greg Skotzko’s rangy ales usually top out above 9% ABV, though a few equally fine fruitier choices were deviously sessionable.

Serving at least twenty different brews at any given time, I sit at the wood-and-metal stooled bar on a Friday evening, September ’15, to enjoy ten varied selections going from moderate India Pale Ale to rum-soaked porter during a most intriguing two-hour session. The crowd heightens by 7PM, as young and old alike buy growlers, 4-ounce servings or pints. Some visitors grab a seat on the deck to enjoy sundown beneath blue umbrellas at green plastic tables.

Open since January 2014, Adroit Theory has already crafted over 150 different small batch beers in less than twenty months. Liberated old rockers screaming along to Metallica and Judas Priest settle next to younger folks more concerned with the headier-than-usual liquid fare this clean and friendly hotspot offers in spades. A destination for any serious beer connoisseur traveling thru the Old Dominion State, Adroit Theory’s ever-changing recipes just keep-a coming.

For starters, I reached for sumptuous perfume-brandied mainstay, Angels Trumpet IPA, a sharply spice-hopped medium body with tantalizing lemony grapefruit-mango-pineapple tropicalia and brisk orange peel bittering receiving astringent ethanol boozing. Interestingly, its mezcal-barreled version added light agave hints to cotton-candied malt sweetness and juicy mango-grapefruit-orange-tangerine tang for a soft-toned delight.

A few more fruity concoctions really caught my attention as well. Easygoing Mango Fook Yourself (7% ABV) placed syrupy mango above its lemony IPA-styled pineapple-tangerine-peach tang and sugared wheat backbone.

Cult 010 Blue’s Berry, a nifty Belgian dubbel, brought blueberry ripeness to raisin-dried cranberry, blackberry, boysenberry and gooseberry souring.

Lightly creamed Belgian-spiced dessert treat, Lemon Tripel, brought candied lemondrop tartness to peachy vanilla sweetness.

Ambitious Cult 013 Nova Initia Quad benefited from whiskey-nipped dried fruiting and brown chocolate sweetness as black cherry, fig and raisin tones carried the load. 

Truly rewarding Death March Imperial IPA loaded floral fruitiness and piney hop resin atop richly caramelized chocolate malting. Its candied red cherry sweetness and zesty grapefruit-orange tang really zing the senses.

On the dark side were four alcohol-fueled faves. Cult 008 Evil Grace Imperial Stout proved worthy gathering stylish coffee-roasted black chocolate richness for ancillary milk-creamed espresso, cacao nibs and toffee illusions as well as dried raisin nuances and a hint of whiskey.

Its more complex companion, B/A/Y/S V20 Imperial Stout, lined its smoked mocha mass with hop-charred dried fruiting and a bourbon wisp, gaining coffee-roasted chocolate prominence and subtle cocoa remnant along the way.

Before heading out, dazzlingly hybridized Black Celebration Imperial Porter offered black lava-salted brine to rum-soaked chocolate roast and molasses-sapped sugaring, picking up light oak tannins at the chewy caramelized mocha finish.                 

www.adroit-theory.com

PALE FIRE BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA

After cookie-cutter chain restaurants and malls replaced once-thriving ’70s department stores, Shenandoah Valley county seat Harrisonburg decided to revamp local businesses and revitalize apartments by the ’90s while James Madison University continued to thrive.

In the light industrial section a few blocks away from midtown at the Ice House mall, PALE FIRE BREWING COMPANY continues to gain popularity with its sterling operation. Shiny glass-encased silver brew tanks hold a nice array of brews served at the U-shaped central bar.

Mild Golden Hour American Wheat Ale, a well-rounded Amarillo-hopped moderation countered dry lemon-pined bitterness with caramelized wheat sweetness, leaving lemon-pitted sourness and lemongrass herbage at the back end.

Hybridized Foxy Roxy Rocktown Wheat (a collaboration with Brothers Brewery) brought IPA-styled dark fruited spicing to dewy carafa malts and barley-roasted red wheat.

Fruity American hops and dewy English malts formulated Deadly Rhythm Pale Ale, a dry medium body meshing raw-honeyed peat earthiness, fig-sugared spicing and dark floral accents.

Highly expressive farmhouse ale, Saving Grace Table Beer, led herbal-citric saison yeast to pilsner-malted Saaz hops, allowing white-peppered lemon tartness and salty lemongrass brininess to pick up a bubbly mandarin orange spritz.

In comparison, Salad Days American Saison loaded barley-roasted rye malting onto Amarillo/Simcoe/Cascade hops, leaving yellow grapefruit, white peach and pineapple fruiting as well as lemon-rotted herbal snips in its lightly creamed caramel-malted wake.

Residual-sugared Munich malt sweetness fronted Red Molly Irish Red, a mildly hopped moderation with dewy earthen tones, chocolate-roasted wheat malts, nutty notions, sugared spices and red cherry licks.

Tropical Galaxy hops informed Major Tom IPA, delicately placing bright lemon-peeled grapefruit bittering atop crystal-sugared Maris Otter malting.

Stylishly approachable Village Green Double IPA gained a sharp citrus spicing while staying easygoing. Floral-perfumed lemon zest, grapefruit, pineapple, peach and passionfruit illusions illuminate.

Silkily smooth Lucille Oatmeal Stout worked oats-flaked chocolate malting into milk-steamed coffee bean sedation, cocoa bean bittering and dark cherry wisps.

www.palefirebrewing.com

WILD WOLF BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,
Image result for WILD WOLF BREWINGImage result for WILD WOLF BREWING
NELLYSFORD, VIRGINIA
Just up the road from Devil’s Backbone Brewery on the Blue Ridge Trail in its own 10-acre shopping village, Nellyford’s WILD WOLF BREWING COMPANY opened November 2011 (then closed January ’22). An impressive all-purpose brewpub serving the local rural community extremely well, it’s also a full-fledged restaurant and worthy sportsbar spread across several disparate rooms. A former schoolhouse, Wild Wolf is packed on this Saturday evening following the fabulous Virginia Craft Beer Festival.
Adding to the bucolic splendor, an authentic biergarten, spacious pavilion, several decks, working water wheel, gazebo and koi pond surround the centralized rustic wood cabin while a bouncyhouse provides child-oriented activity. Inside the main space, ten taps service the 26-seat bar and surrounding dining areas. Though my wife and I cannot get a seat anytime soon, we picked up a few brews for outside consumption (listed in Beer Index).

DEVILS BACKBONE BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

Image result for devils backbone BREWERY

ROSELAND, VIRGINIA

Exquisite Blue Ridge Mountain retreat, DEVILS BACKBONE BREWERY, occupies a copious rural valley homestead in Roseland and includes a beautiful earthen wood-stoned gastropub, separate brew house, massive backyard party area and gorgeous mountain views of the beautiful pastoral landscape. Besides this distinguished Basecamp site, Devils Backbone also runs an Outpost brewery and tasting room down the road in Lexington. In town to enjoy August 2014’s 4th annual Virginia Craft Beer Festival, my wife and I hit Basecamp Friday evening prior to the event for a few suds.

Creating a total sportsman’s atmosphere, Basecamp’s pristine stone-towered columns, corrugated tin roof, cathedral ceiling, stuffed animals and rustic wood furnishings increased the intimate lodge feel. The spacious multi-roomed gastropub featured wooden floors and tables, several dining booths, glass-encased brewtanks, centralized bar (with two TV’s and black-boarded beer list) and outdoor deck (with red umbrellas). A varied pub menu included “field, forest, stream and pasture” items. Tortilla-chipped nachos (with jalapeno-cheesed roasted peppers and black beans), drunken mussels and the campfire burger made fine dinnertime fodder.

Previously, I’d only quaffed bottled versions of Devils Backbone’s two straightforward flagship offerings, Vienna Lager and Eight Point IPA. But these fair choices were bettered by several tapped draughts imbibed during my August ’14 sojourn. Each elegantly executed elixir elevated my peaceful easy feeling and complemented the panoramic splendor of the hilly Blue Ridge terrain. For starters, six German styled brews served as aperitifs, creating a delicate tone matching the next few tantalizing selections.

Impressively designed Trail Angel Weiss brought to mind world-class Bavarian hefeweizens by Franziskaner and Weihenstephan with its mild lemony banana-clove expectancy and honey-spiced crystal malt sugaring picking up a soft vanilla creaming.

Equally soothing, Hasselhoff Lager layered wispy lemon-pitted hop astringency atop perfumed crystal malt sweetness.

Approachable Smokehaus Lager balanced the dewy peat-smoked malting, mild cedar char and bacon fattening of a surefire German rauchbier against the sugar-spiced caramel malting and wispy dried fruiting of an amber lager.

Dry Dortmunder lager, Tommy 2Fists brought docile grain pungency to lemony hop astringency.

Bettering most of its nebulous German styling, easygoing Alt Bier evenly blended subtly spiced grapefruit, tangerine, cherry and fig tones with Scotch-licked toffee snips.

Gentle pinkish-cleared cranberry-soured cocktail, Crangose, offered a brisk lemon zing to pureed cranberry tartness and briny sea watering.

Following the parade of German beers were well-rounded Blue Ridge Hop Revival, a sharply citric Cascade hop-embittered medium body underscored by nut-breaded barley malts, delicate spicing and herbal peppering.

Hybridized Hot Shots IPA placed mellow smoked jalapeno peppers atop the sunny citric splurge.

Sessionable Spider Bite Black IPA toned down the black-peppered citric bite and piney bittering for black patent malts and wandering coffee-chocolate illusions.

Soft-toned moderation, Ale Of Fergus, and English Dark Mild, plied toffee, caramel and chocolate subtleties to peaty malts and leafy hops.

For dessert, hotshot Baltic Porter, Danzig, caressed bittersweet nut-toasted black chocolate with dark molasses, plum-dried black cherry and licorice.

dbbrewingcompany.com