Month: December 2017

Looking for stocking stuffers for the local beer drinker in your life?  The one-year-old Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail, a route of 14 craft breweries in the region, recently launched a passport program, making it even easier for beer fans to sink local suds over the holidays.

How it works:  Beer drinkers pick up a passport and request a stamp at any of the 14 craft breweries along the trail – Seven Arrows in Waynesboro, The Friendly Fermenter in Harrisonburg. Once at least six stamps have been collected, beer drinkers can mail it in to receive a t-shirt.

COURTNEY CRANOR:  With the passport, visitors are encouraged to stay in the area longer, visit more breweries and enjoy more of what the Valley has to offer.

Courtney Cranor is assistant director of the City of Waynesboro’s Tourism Office. It’s one of five local tourism offices that helped launch the program as a way to promote the area’s craft brew scene with tie-ins to local tourism.  There’s state money behind it. The passport program is funded in part by a grant that was awarded by Governor McAuliffe in the fall.

CRANOR:  We’re already seeing a great deal of enthusiasm. I actually had someone waiting in my office the day after it launched with completed passport in hand.

No wonder. The first person to turn in a completed passport received two tickets to the Red Wing Roots Music Festival in July.

Source:  Click here to read the original story by Jessica Knadler/ WMRA.

WAYNESBORO — A new program encourages people to “drink in” the Shenandoah Valley through a tour of the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail.

WAYNESBORO, Va. (WHSV) — It’s a unique new way to explore the Valley. Not a hiking trail, but rather a beer trail.

“Well it covers the area from Harrisonburg to Lexington and Rockbridge,” said Assistant Director of Waynesboro Economic Development and Tourism, Courtney Cranor.

14 breweries will be a part of the new Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail, including Basic City Beer Company, Bedlam Brewing, Brothers Craft Brewing, Devils Backbone Outpost Brewery &Tap Room, The Friendly Fermenter, Great Valley Farm Brewery, Pale Fire Brewing Company, Queen City Brewing, Redbeard Brewing, Seven Arrows Brewing, Shenandoah Valley Brewing Company, Stable Craft Brewing, Three Notch’d Brewing Company and Wolfe Street Brewing Company.

The goal is to bring more tourism to the Valley.

“We’re a firm believer that all ships rise with a tide. And so getting more people out, exploring the craft beer industry can only do nothing but help us in the future,” said Skylar Hill with Basic City Beer Company.

“There’s a big tie in between folks who like craft beer and people who tend to like outdoor rec, which the Shenandoah Valley is loaded with,” added Cranor.

The program lets folks use a free passport which is stamped at each brewery they visit, with a goal to reach 6 stamps for a prize.

The 1st completed passport receives TWO 3-day general admission tickets to Red Wing Roots Music Festival. Camping and parking are not included.

• The 10th completed passport receives a half-day fly-fishing beginner class for two anglers from Mossy Creek Fly Fishing.

• The 25th completed passport receives a paddle adventure for two with Twin River Outfitters on the Upper James River Water Trail.

Valley beer lovers believe it will be beneficial too.

“In my opinion, the more people we can get brought into the valley to see what we have, the better off we’ll be,” said Doug Proctor.

Leaders said the program will be permanent in the Valley with more breweries added in the future.

Source:  Click here to read the original story by Matthew Fultz / WHSV.

It’s time to hit the trail! The destination tourism offices that produced the award-winning Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail® are launching a new beer passport program today.

“The passport program is designed to encourage craft beer drinkers to explore multiple breweries on the trail,” says Sheryl Wagner, the Director of Tourism for Visit Staunton.

Here is how the passport program works.

• Pick up your free Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail Passport at one of our 14 breweries. (You can also get the passport at Visitor Centers in Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Lexington, as well as the Rockfish Gap Tourist Information Center.)
• Request a passport stamp at each brewery you visit.
• Collect at least six brewery stamps, and mail in your completed passport to receive a Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail t-shirt*

Beer explorers can collect a stamp at any of the following 14 breweries, but only six brewery stamps are needed to fill up a passport booklet.

Basic City Beer Company
Bedlam Brewing
Brothers Craft Brewing
Devils Backbone Outpost Brewery & Tap Room
The Friendly Fermenter
Great Valley Farm Brewery
Pale Fire Brewing Company
Queen City Brewing
Redbeard Brewing
Seven Arrows Brewing
Shenandoah Valley Brewing Company
Stable Craft Brewing
Three Notch’d Brewing Company
Wolfe Street Brewing Company

As an added incentive, the first explorers who fill up and redeem their passports will also have a chance to win the following prizes:

• The 1st completed passport receives TWO 3-day General Admission tickets to Red Wing Roots Music Festival. Camping and parking are not included.
• The 10th completed passport receives a half-day fly-fishing beginner class for TWO anglers from Mossy Creek Fly Fishing.
• The 25th completed passport receives a paddle adventure for TWO with Twin River Outfitters on the Upper James River Water Trail.

“The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail has become a very popular way to showcase the amazing assets in our region,” says Brenda Black, Director of Tourism for the City of Harrisonburg. “Our area is chock full of outdoor recreation opportunities, music festivals, and all of these fun activities pair exceptionally well with a visit to a taproom where you can taste some of the nation’s best beers.”

Plan ahead and create your own self-guided #BeerwerksTrail tasting adventure using the online brewery Trail Map.

“The program is designed to encourage people to visit more breweries and extend their stay in the area. Friends can make a fun weekend getaway out of it by enjoying multiple breweries, and getting their passport stamped,” says Courtney Cranor, the Assistant Director of Visit Waynesboro Economic Development and Tourism.

The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail Passport Program follows on the heels of the creation of the very successful Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail, which launched in 2016. The Trail was developed by a joint partnership of five local tourism offices to promote the Valley’s growing craft beer industry and showcase the region’s natural tie-in with compatible tourism offerings. The alliance of tourism partners includes Staunton, Augusta, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Lexington/Rockbridge Area Tourism.

The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail Passport Program is a recipient of the Virginia Tourism Corporation Marketing Leverage Program (MLP) grant, which was awarded earlier this fall by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe.

ABOUT THE SHENANDOAH BEERWERKS TRAIL
The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail pairs the Shenandoah Valley’s best craft beer experiences with a combination of activities and attractions that uniquely reflect the region’s recreational and cultural activities. Trail updates and news can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Courtney Cranor, City of Waynesboro at 540.942.6644
Sheryl Wagner, City of Staunton at 540.332.3865

* Must be 21 or older to participate. Only one t-shirt per person. Valid while supplies last. Please drink responsibly.