Husband and wife team Aaron and Melissa Allen launched Seven Arrows Brewing Company on New Year’s Eve 2014 to “provide high-quality craft-brewed beers to the Shenandoah Valley.” We touched base with them this month, seven years later. Read on for info about what to expect from a visit, what to try first, and what events are absolutely can’t-miss.
What’s new or what’s coming up?
We are excited that we will be celebrating our 7th Anniversary on New Year’s Eve this year. With seven years of brewing beers at Seven Arrows, we are planning a 7th Anniversary and New Year’s Eve party on Dec 31st. We hope to see you all there!
What are your go-to brews and what makes them unique?
From the very beginning, we have been heavily focused on making German-style lager beer. In recent years, we have been branching out into kettle sour beers that use grape must. With that in mind, we would say our “go-to” beers are our Aurora Pils (classic style with a full-body taste), our Sour Grapes (this series is our sour beer series with grape must), and our Smoothie Sour.
What is something unique/quirky about the brewery that most people don’t know?
We have surprisingly a lot of staff that have been with us since the beginning. They have officially become family to us!
Do you distribute locally or have any local collaborations?
Being able to provide fresh and local beer is something that we have been passionate about since day one. We have a fantastic partnership with Oakridge Distribution that allows us to bring our beer to many locally owned and operated businesses. Some of the folks that have recently had us on tap or in their bottle shop include:
- Mr. Jamison’s
- Silk Road
- River Burger Bar
- Valley Pike Farm Market
- Capital Ale House (Harrisonburg)
- Brew Ridge Taps (Lexington)
Do you offer food onsite?
We are blessed to have a wonderful onsite partnership with Nobos Kitchen. We have the talented Chef Ben Demory and staff at Nobos Kitchen offering a wide range of American fare to all who visit Seven Arrows.
Are you kid-friendly?
Yes, we are kid-friendly and offer non-alcoholic slushies, sodas, and juice boxes for the kiddos. Nobos Kitchen also has a range of kitchen offerings for kids as well.
Do you allow dogs?
Dogs are definitely allowed. In fact, if the dog is willing to vouch for the owner, we will let them in too! But, in all seriousness, we are dog lovers to our core and welcome all well-behaved dogs and dog owners.
What are the top events held at the brewery each year?
- We have Bazaarfests in the summer, fall, and spring. These events feature all-day music from local bands, and local vendors come out to sell their wares.
- We have an awesome fully decorated and costumed-up Halloween with a DJ (all the staff gets in on it too!)
- We celebrate our anniversary on New Year’s Eve with a DJ, a free photo booth, and drink and food specials.
Do you offer brewery tours?
We do offer tours by request. You won’t always have a brewer with you, but we are always excited to show where the magic happens and answer any questions.
