How long have you worked at the brewery?The brewery opened just after Thanksgiving. It’s been a multi-year, joint effort with my super talented wife, Jenny, who’s a professor of theater and dance at Washington & Lee. None of this would have happened without her.
How did you get involved in brewing? I’m from Portland, Oregon. It’s kind of an unspoken rule there that everyone has to brew at some point in his/her life. It’s probably something in the water – or possibly in the beer. I started home brewing in 1994, worked at a couple of breweries along the way, then went through the American Brewers Guild’s Brewing Science and Engineering Program and apprenticed at Deschutes Brewery.
Tell us something people don’t know about your brewery:Virtually 100% of the grain we brew with is Virginia-grown, and locally malted by Murphy & Rude Malting in Charlottesville.
What’s your favorite food and beer combo?Our chefs at the brewery just came up with a new brick oven pizza that’s a deconstructed version of a jalapeno popper. I think it goes particularly well with our Quotidian Pils, slow-poured and topped with a big, fluffy head.
Tell us about your pets: I’ve been a Labrador retriever guy my whole life. We currently have two: Juniper, who’s 8; and Kumara, who’s 6. They’re shameless attention seekers, so I’m sure they’ll be fixtures on our patio once the weather gets warm again.
What is your favorite thing to do in the Shenandoah Valley? I think a pretty perfect night out in Lexington would include a romantic dinner at the Red Hen and tickets to hear the Rockbridge Symphony.
What’s the best way to spend time in the outdoors in the Shenandoah Valley? You absolutely can’t beat watching summer sunsets from the Adirondack chairs at Great Valley Farm Brewery in Natural Bridge.
Don’t let winter’s short days, freezing temps, and lack of sunlight keep you couch-bound. Beerwerks breweries have packed January with tons of fun activities to keep your spirits high. And if you want to play in the snow (before cozying up for a recovery pint at one of our breweries), look below for the closest area ski slopes.
Upcoming Winter Activities at Beerwerks Breweries
January 17
Skipping Rock Beer Co.’s Blind Tiger Party w/Boxcar Speakeasy: Chase SADS away with a party to celebrate lawful drinking. Prohibition technically went into full effect on January 17th 1920 per the Eighteenth Amendment which was ratified on January 16th 1919. We’re celebrating history and that this was repealed. YAY BEER! Live Music from Boxcar Speakeasy 7-10.
Friday IPA Release: Total Entropy III at Stable Craft Brewing: Calling all IPA lovers: we are extremely proud to release the 3rd IPA in our revolving hop series!
Total Entropy III is a crisp IPA with tropical notes on the nose. El Dorado, Simcoe and Amarillo hops impart juicy flavors of pineapple, tangerine and mandarin orange. This delicious balanced IPA finishes with a crisp dry, slightly bitter finish.
Brin’s Posy Floral Workshop at Redbeard Brewing Company: Join us for our 2nd Floral Workshop with Brin’s Posy. Let’s pretend it’s spring and brighten things up a bit.
LIVE! Who Shot John at Basic City Beer Co.: Who Shot John (Rock n’ Roll / Soul / Blues) will be jamming out once again at Basic City in Waynesboro.
Tell Your Friends about this Comedy Show at Brothers Craft Brewing: This is a free Comedy Show w/ Shane Hill, featuring JR and Headliner Samantha Padgett w/ an open mic to follow.
January 25
The Friendly Fermenter’s Winter Festivus 2020: Details to come, but you can plan on fresh beers, fresh tunes, and some good eats!
Winter Paint Night at Devils Backbone Outpost Tap Room & Kitchen: Beat those winter blues with a winter-themed craft night and a beer at Devils Backbone Outpost. We will be making 3-dimensional wooden peek-a-boo snowman shadowboxes.
Tom Tom’s Silent Disco: Harrisonburg Take Over! at Pale Fire Brewing Company: Celebrate creativity and good times at Pale Fire Brewing Co in the historic Ice House. Don a wireless headset and choose between three stations of hip hop, house, and pop, featuring DJ Ryan Clark, DJ Double U, & DJ Flatline. Purple attire encouraged. 21+ to attend.
Prince Bellerose LIVE at Three Notch’d:Prince Bellerose is an Indie Soul band from Harrisonburg, Virginia. They weave together soulful melodies with tight grooves for a truly unique and captivating sound.
Downhill Sports
The Beerwerks Trail is in the center of the Shenandoah Valley, but it offers easy access to nearby downhill snow sports. See our lists of nearby and slightly further afield places to play. Make sure you visit a brewery along the Trail to warm up after your day on the slopes!
Lexington Area
The Omni Homestead Resort
1 hour and 10 minutes from Devils Backbone Outpost Tap Room & Kitchen
Head west into the Alleghenies to enjoy The Omni Homestead Resort. This winter paradise has nine downhill ski runs catering to various abilities as well as an Olympic-sized ice rink. The resort has won awards for being beginner- and family- friendly, and skiers over the age of four can take lessons.
Liberty Mountain Snowflex Resort
1 hour and 10 minutes from Heliotrope Brewing
5 years or older can ski, snowboard, and tube YEAR ROUND at Liberty Mountain Snowflex Center. Lessons are available for beginners and advanced skiers and boarders. The facilities, part of Liberty University, include special synthetic slopes and freestyle areas for all levels that can be used in all seasons, bag jumps, olympic trampolines, and tubing runs.
Staunton, Waynesboro, & Augusta County
Wintergreen Ski Resort
35 minutes from Seven Arrows Brewing Company
The Plunge Snowtubing Park (part of Wintergreen)
Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, you’ll find Wintergreen Ski Resort. Wintergreen’s 24 slopes include options for all ability levels to ski, snowboard, and snow tube. Want to improve? Sign up for group or individual lessons. To reduce time waiting in line, enjoy Wintergreen’s high-speed chairlifts and electronic passes.
Snowshoe Ski Resort
2 hours and 15 minutes from Skipping Rock Beer Co.
Snowshoe Mountain Resort boasts more than 60 trails and glades, five terrain parks, night skiing and activities like snowmobiling, and tubing. Lessons at the “world’s friendliest ski school” and snow provided by “Mother Nature and the Mid-Atlantic’s most powerful fleet of snow makers” should put this resort at the top of your list.
Harrisonburg Area
Massanutten Resort
30 minutes from Pale Fire Brewing Co.
Everybody, regardless of ability, will find their thrills on Massanutten Resort’s 12 ski trails. There’s also a freestyle area and 16 lanes of snow tubing. Ice skaters can practice twirls and jumps on a 5,000-square foot rink. If you want to warm up away from the slopes, check out Massanutten’s indoor waterpark.
Bryce Mountain Resort
45 minutes from Brothers Craft Brewing
Bryce Mountain Resort is a four-season resort that in the Allegheny foothills that offers skiing, snowboarding, and lessons in the winter. There are 8 slopes that can be accessed by ski lifts as well as a dedicated area for beginners with carpet lifts. Beginners ages 8 and up can book lessons with th Horst Locher Snowsports School. Three 800-foot snow tubing lanes and an ice skating rink round out the fun.
