Month: December 2021

2021 is winding down, and it’s time to send it out in style. How about visiting a Beerwerks Trail brewery for festivities and some seasonal suds? If you prefer to watch the ball drop at home, prepare first by visiting your favorite brewery to carry out a 6-pack (or several) or a growler fill!

New Year’s Eve Events

• Brothers Craft Brewing will celebrate New Year’s Eve from noon to 10 p.m. with 13 beers on tap, specialty taps, and discounts on to-go beer. Check the link for more details.
• Cave Hill Farms Brewery will celebrate New Year’s Eve with “the best New Year’s Eve party around.” It’s happening from 8 p.m. – 1 a.m. and will feature Big City Band, a band that plays a big mix of “country, rock, and Southern rock hits from the 60s-70s to what’s on the radio today and everything in between.”

• Pale Fire Brewing Co. is hosting live music the entire week leading up to New Year’s. Here’s the lineup:

• • December 26, 6 p.m. Spencer Hatcher at Pale Fire
  • December 27, 6 p.m. Clayton Ware at Pale Fire
  • December 28, 6 p.m. Chad Hanger + Jonathan Rhodes at Pale Fire
  • December 29, 6 p.m. Bryan Elijah Smith at Pale Fire
  • December 30, 6 p.m. Andy McLeod + Oil Derek at Pale Fire

• Redbeard Brewing Company will be open until 12:30 a.m. on NYE. Watch the ball drop and share a champagne toast at midnight!
• You don’t want to miss the 7th-anniversary party at Seven Arrows Brewing. Held on New Year’s Eve, this celebration commemorates seven years of awesome craft beer and a brand new year. Dance to the music of DJ Lance, share a toast, and watch the ball drop at midnight. Stay refreshed with 12 taps, local wine, cider, and kombucha. Hungry? Nobos Kitchen will be open late. There’s no cover charge for this event.
• Skipping Rock Beer Company will be open from 2 – 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, and from 4 – 11 p.m. on New Year’s Day.

• Stable Craft Brewing‘s NYE Dance Party w/ DJ Rick Rowe is a stellar way to welcome 2022. Not only is there tasty craft beer and cider on tap, but you’ll get to dance and party until 12:30 a.m. Buy your tickets online today! They include a nacho bar, a champagne toast, and cool party favors. Make sure you return for the New Year’s Day Brunch on January 1st from noon – 3 p.m. Stable Craft also offers onsite cabins so you can stay all weekend for a complete holiday getaway. 

Other Brewery Events

• Want to test your knowledge? Devils Backbone Brewing is hosting a Trivia Night on December 30 from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Come on out, drink a few beers, have some food, and show everyone exactly how smart you are.
• Queen City Brewing also celebrates weekly with a Wednesday night Acoustic Open Mic. Sign up at 6 p.m. for performances starting at 7. Thursday nights, Carl Loya hosts a weekly jam session. Hang out and listen or bring your favorite instrument and join in. Music starts at 6 p.m.
• Redbeard Brewing Company’s entertainment lineup happens weekly, and holiday week is no different. Sing your heart out at a Sunday Funday Karaoke session w/ DJ Jammie Sosa (7-10 p.m.) or bust out your brain at a Trivia Tuesday w/ King Trivia.

• Warm up on crisp winter days with a flight and live music with Rockbridge Vineyard and Brewery’s upcoming Uncorked events. Plan to come out for Uncorked with James the Guitar Guy on December 26 at 1 p.m. and Uncorked with Brent Hull on January 2, at 1 p.m.

New Year’s Resolutions

Still working on your New Year’s resolutions for 2022? Check out our post on how to make keeping those resolutions easier by combining them with chances to drink craft beer: 9 Ways to Keep Your New Beer’s Resolutions Along the Beerwerks Trail.

Celebrate responsibly and have fun. Happy New Year!

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?

1. 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.
2. We have an awesome fully decorated and costumed-up Halloween with a DJ (all the staff gets in on it too!)
3. 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.