Along with delicious craft beer and outdoor adventure, the Beerwerks Trail offers opportunities to sip craft beer made in buildings with fascinating pasts. From the repurposed foundries and factories that now house thriving breweries like Basic City Beer Co. and Pale Fire Brewing Co., to the historic farmhouses and modernized barns that have been transformed into charming breweries like Cave Hill Farms Brewery and Stable Craft Brewing, the Beerwerks Trail offers a journey through time and a taste of local craftsmanship. Raise a glass to the past as you enjoy the present!
Basic City Beer Co.
Basic City Beer Co. opened in 2016 as the first occupant of the Virginia Metalcrafters Marketplace, an extensive brick industrial building built in 1925 and updated for modern use. The structure was used until 2006 by the Virginia Metalcrafters Company, which is considered one of the US’s greatest brass companies. It reproduced high-quality household items like candlesticks and trivets modeled after those found at Colonial Williamsburg and other historical points of interest. The building itself was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. Basic City brews and serves its beer in sections of the foundry and showroom, and recently, they opened The Foundry, a music venue that brings big-name acts to Waynesboro. Other businesses in the Virginia Metalcrafters Marketplace include Common Wealth Crush and Happ Coffee.
Stable Craft Brewing
Stable Craft Brewing’s site was once a farm called Waynesboro Stables that raised and trained Tennessee Walker horses. When it became Hermitage Hill Farm and Stables in 2006, the enormous 288-foot barn inspired the new owners to develop it into an upscale event venue. Local craftspersons worked to maintain the rustic appeal of the space while updating the barn with modern amenities. As farm breweries grew in popularity, they added the brewery and dining facilities and incorporated events like live music into the schedule. Stable Craft remains a leading agritourism destination.
Redbeard Brewing Company
Before the Virginia Central Railroad came to Staunton in the 1850s, the Wharf Historic District was a quiet meadow bisected by a creek. The railroad brought businesses to the area like warehouses, hotels, saloons, distilleries, liveries, brothels, and even a dispensary of a patent medicine that claimed to “cure all ills.” It’s now home to a wealth of independently owned businesses and restaurants. Redbeard Brewing Company’s space once operated as the William S. Bryan Coal and Lumber Yard, the largest in the area. The taproom space was a covered, open-air coal yard. Customers drove wagons and trucks into the yard to be weighed before and after being loaded with coal. When they paid, the cash was stored in the company’s vault, which dates to the 1920s. The walk-in vault is still there, tucked away in the bathroom hallway.
Pale Fire Brewing Co.
Pale Fire Brewing Co.’s taproom has a sleek modern industrial feel, but that’s the result of a 2013 renovation of an important historic structure. The Casco Ice House was built in 1934 to meet the demand for ice and cold storage to hold and ship the agricultural bounty of the farms around Harrisonburg. Clear and bag ice were actually invented here! As the demand for ice and storage grew, the complex was expanded until it spread across two acres and consisted of 80,000 square feet. Eventually, technology and refrigeration techniques outpaced the space and it was no longer needed, but the complex of abandoned buildings was perfect for adaptive reuse. The downtown space is now a mixed-use structure consisting of over 30 loft apartments, office space, retail and commercial space, a restaurant, and Pale Fire.
White Oak Lavender Farm
White Oak Lavender Farm is named for its beautiful setting on White Oak Ridge. The Civil War Battle of Cross Keys, a Confederate victory and part of Stonewall Jackson’s campaign, occurred here on June 8, 1862. It is, perhaps, fitting that the area that saw such bloodshed now hosts a farm that grows over 8,000 lavender plants with a long medicinal history and powers of healing and relaxation. The farm opened in 2008, and visitors can breathe deeply while touring the incredible-smelling farm, attend classes, purchase lavender items, and taste wine, beer, and lavender ice cream.
Cave Hill Farms Brewery
Cave Hill Farms Brewery opened in 2018, but the 359-acre farm’s history dates back to a land grant from King George II of England. This 1759 deed was written on sheepskin! Family-owned for six generations, the farm was named for a nearby cave with a spring that produced abundant fresh water. The farm has grown a wide variety of crops, including wheat, grapes, corn, and soybeans. Cave Hill Farms now grows the hops and barley it uses in its beer. Many different types animals have lived on the farm, which was used as a dairy between 1960 and 2008. The dairy’s large herd of cows spent much of their time in the “Loafing Shed.” After removal of cows and modernization, that large building now holds the brewery taproom and the Feed Lot food truck. Visitors can see horses, cows, and a fantastic view of the Valley from above from the farm’s silo overlook.
Elkton Brewing Co.
Built in the early 1900s, the building that’s now Elkton Brewing Co. originally housed the Elkton Milling Company, which processed grain for local farmers. In the 1980s, it was used as a warehouse by the current owners’ family, and later even served as a church. Now, the building has come full circle, and once again there’s a grain mill in the brew cellar. This time, however, the building’s purpose is to brew delicious craft beers and provide a hub for the community. The taproom boasts beautiful exposed beams of rare, old American Chestnut, and a mural that celebrates local imagery and themes. The brewery’s commitment to its roots is evident in the names of its beers, each with a unique local backstory that sparks conversations and fosters connections between locals and visitors alike.
The Beerwerks Trail isn’t just about great beer. The breweries themselves offer unique tastes of history. Experience the stories, savor the flavors, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Cheers to history, and cheers to great beer!
