Category: Dining

9 Ways to Keep Your 2021 New Beer’s Resolutions Along the Beerwerks Trail

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2021 is finally here, and not a moment too soon! You’ve probably made a list of resolutions to improve yourself and live your best life. Resolutions can be tough to stick to, but we’ve come up with ways to reinforce them by combining them with chances to drink beer! Read on for how you can live your best life with help from the breweries along the Beerwerks Trail.

#1 Exercise More/Lose Weight

The Beerwerks Trail stretches over three counties in one of the loveliest parts of the country. There is no end to excellent hiking, biking, paddling, climbing, and more. For an easy stroll, try out the Chessie Trail in Lexington or Waynesboro’s South River Greenway. Verona’s Trails at Mill Place, the trails through Staunton’s Montgomery Hall Park, Harrisonburg’s Hillandale Park or Edith J. Carrier Arboretum are also all just moments away from downtown areas. Reward yourself with a refreshing beer after your walk!

In addition, some of our breweries occasionally convert their spaces to Saturday morning yoga studios or organize community runs and races (that conclude with a brew in the tap room, of course). It’s also a known fact that wearing inspirational workout gear (decorated with the names of your favorite breweries, naturally) will actually help you work out even harder as you imagine the brewed treat waiting for you after you finish. Check out breweries’ taprooms and websites for what’s available.

#2 Get Organized

We know this is a tough one. One look inside the garage or the junk drawer, and many of us run for the hills. But spending so much time at home has made us realize that it’s imperative to get organized. How about fortifying yourself with some beer? With a growler by your side you can conquer anything…including your pantry or your closet. Most of the Beerwerks breweries sell refillable growlers, which will stay fresh for about 7-10 days before you open them.

#3 Learn a New Skill or Hobby

So you’ve always wanted to try home brewing, right? There’s no time like the present. Stop in at The Friendly Fermenter for Brew-a-Beer workshops, advice, and supplies. Want to see how the professionals work? Why not schedule a behind-the-scenes masked tour at a brewery and follow in the brewers’ footsteps through the fermentation halls and quality labs?  Learn about ingredients, packaging and inspiration. Several of our breweries will give you a tour of their facilities if you ask them nicely and make an appointment ahead of time. 

Keep an eye out for special events at Beerwerks breweries including floral design and seasonal decoration workshops and painting sessions. Nearby businesses like Valley Pike Farm Market, JMD Market and Garden Center, and White Oak Lavender Farm hold events such as wreath-making and cooking classes. Beginning quilters can find inspiration in classes held at Harrisonburg’s Virginia Quilt Museum.

Other good places to learn a new skill or hobby include Rockbridge County’s Shenandoah Art Destination, an all-inclusive art getaway. Staunton’s Beverley Street Studio School and Waynesboro’s Shenandoah Valley Art Center also offer a variety of classes for adults. Harrisonburg’s Larkin Arts is officially in “hibernation,” but those interested in classes should follow on social media for pop-up opportunities. Be on the lookout, also, for the return of master classes at the American Shakespeare Center.

#4 Live Life to the Fullest

It’s been a long and quiet year, but there are many ways you can continue to eat, drink, and be merry. Here’s a sampling of regular events at our breweries. Check your favorite brewery’s events calendar for specifics about what’s on tap.

Trivia:

Skipping Rock Beer Company, Basic City Beer Co., and Redbeard Brewing Company all hold pub regular trivia nights. Redbeard also holds monthly Monday night movie nights and open mic nights.

Live Music:

#5 Save Money/Spend Less Money

While craft beer tends to be a bargain, keep an eye out on our breweries’ social media streams for specials on beer or food. Also check out our Trailblazer Beercation itineraries. These fun explorations of area lodging, dining, outdoor discovery, and entertainment target our best picks for different groups (like empty nesters or millennials). They’ll help you escape, but keep you local!  

#6 Spend More Time with Family and Friends

We’re always celebrating at the Beerwerks breweries. Keep an eye out for holiday events, parties, charity fundraisers, celebrations for new beer releases, football games, horse races, and more. Lots of our breweries are child friendly and many even offer games or activities to keep kids busy. Basic City Beer Co., Skipping Rock Beer Company, Seven Arrows Beer Co., and Three Notch’d Valley Collab House have board games. Stable Craft Brewing’s Pints and Ponies and S’mores events are especially appealing to the younger crowd. Stable Craft also rents igloos where small groups can stay warm, even in the coldest weather.

#7 Travel More

We admit that travel is tough this year, but you could put a local spin on this one. Check out one of our hikes or bike rides that fall into the Beerwerks Trail footprint. You might also work on your Beerwerks Passport by venturing out of your immediate area to get those stamps and earn your new t-shirt. Do you live in Harrisonburg? Take a road trip to Lexington for a day of history and shopping followed by artisanal pizza and delicious beer at Heliotrope Brewery. Natural Bridge residents might enjoy traveling north for some thrilling winter fun at Massanutten Resort and a warm-up brew at Elkton Brewing Co. 

#8 Read More

One of the great pleasures in life, especially after football season ends, is to curl up with a good book and a tasty brew. You can join the monthly Redbeard’s Readers Book Club and enjoy lively discussions on the chosen author, genre, or theme. Better yet, you can join in person or check in via Zoom.  Another, less organized, way to enjoy books with your beer is to cozy up in the taproom at Pale Fire Brewing Co. and grab a book off the shelves.

If none of this interests you, check out the Green Valley Book Fair or one of the independent bookstores located in many of our localities.

#9 Try Some New and Different Styles of Beer

Enrich your palate and your life by drinking a wider variety of beers. A good way to find out what’s out there and to keep track of what you’ve tried is to use the Untappd app. You’ll be able to read notes and reviews, find out what your brewery has on tap, and discover what new tastes your friends are recommending. Encounter beer terms you’ve never heard of before? Confused about the difference between ABV and ABW? Head over to Craftbeer.com and look up that unfamiliar word in their glossary. You’ll sound like an expert in no time!

So what are you waiting for? Improve yourself, enjoy yourself, and have your best year ever along the Beerwerks Trail.

What We’re Eating on the Beerwerks Trail

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The Shenandoah Valley celebrates not only craft beer but also craft food. From nationally acclaimed eateries to local food trucks, the restaurant scene along the Beerwerks Trail offers a wide variety and emphasizes farm-to-table freshness. If you’re visiting a brewery, make sure to take time to explore nearby restaurants, too.

Be sure to check websites or Facebook pages for updates as offerings/services can change frequently due to Covid-19 guidelines. 

Harrisonburg

Whether you’re looking for the upscale meals offered at The Joshua Wilton House and Local Chop and Grill House or a quick burger and a beer as you stroll downtown, Harrisonburg has a wealth of options.

Better yet, many of the independent downtown restaurants source local ingredients. Treat yourself to a plate of fried oysters at Rocktown Kitchen before digging into a main course like wild mushroom and sweet vermouth linguini or beef tenderloin medallions. Leave room for warm, sticky toffee cake or peanut butter pie! Stop in at Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint for an award-winning burger menu featuring Snake River Farms’ Wagyu beef and a massive tap list boasting over 100 local and international beers. If modern Southern cuisine and whiskey are your passions, don’t miss Jimmy Madison’s, where connoisseurs can sip premium whiskey and eat entrées like honey-glazed scallops and drunken shrimp and grits. 

Waynesboro

If you’re craving an all-American breakfast, Asian fusion, Cajun food, or southern barbecue, Waynesboro has it on the menu! Start your day with breakfast at Weasie’s Kitchen, a favorite of locals and A.T. hikers, offering comfort food for every taste.

If you want Chinese, Japanese, or Thai, travel to Silk Road and sample dishes that are as artful as they are flavorful. Order a classic or inventive five-star burger made with certified Angus beef from The River Burger Bar, or try one of their vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options. And don’t forget that the barbecue is always smoking and the fish is always frying at The Fishin’ Pig, a restaurant with a Friday dinner special called “Eat like a pig, drink like a fish!” Now that’s a call to action! If you fancy dinner at a brewery, Basic City Beer Co. offers some tasty options including Billy Pie wood-fired pizza. Basic City’s newest location, the Showroom, located in the old VA Metalcrafters showroom, serves small plates, paninis, and shareable items like cheese spreads and platters.

Augusta County

Craving sauerbraten, jägerschnitzel or a good German beer? For a flavorsome meal in the county, check out Edelweiss German Restaurant, where you can devour classic German dishes in the lodge-style dining area while enjoying live music.

Make sure you’re hungry for Highland County trout or a sandwich on original-recipe WhiteWay bread at White’s Wayside. Rather feast on barbecue? Try Sooner BBQ, ranked #2 for Valley barbecue by the Valley Choice Awards. Alternatively, stop in at Valley Pike BBQ Co., a food truck specializing in Texas-style, slow-smoked barbecue located at Valley Pike Farm Market (also home to Old School Burgers and Baja Burrito). Seven Arrows Brewing and Nobos Kitchen offer an opportunity to pair craft beer with inspired American fare. Order the fried pickles and the fish and chips! If you want a view with your meal, Stable Craft Brewing offers a menu that focuses on locally-sourced ingredients paired with beer (of course). After enjoying sandwiches, burgers with names like “Southern Pleasure,” and spent-grain bread pudding, spend time petting the horses or playing a yard game. 

Lexington and Rockbridge County

Lexington and Rockbridge County boast a wealth of culinary experiences. If you’re in Rockbridge County visiting Great Valley Farm Brewery or the James River, check out Natty B’s, a country store, for daily lunch specials and made-from-scratch pies and desserts. Along Lexington’s picturesque streets you’ll find Southern-style barbecue, farm-to-table fine dining, upscale bistros, vegan lunch joints, ice cream shops and everything in between. Those looking to score a craft beer and a succulent burger prepared with local beef will find Pure Eats a solid choice. Top off your meal with a donut in the day’s special flavor.

The “casual and contemporary” atmosphere at Bistro on Main provides the perfect background for savory and unique fare like the shrimp and grits or apricot-glazed duck breast. If you’re looking for a quick meal to grab and take to a brewery or on a hike, consider the Elvis Burger from Pink Cadillac Diner, a Virginia country ham sandwich with hoop cheese from Layne’s Country Store, or a to-go meal from Gertie’s General Store, where the BBQ and fried bologna sandwiches are local favorites. Make reservations at The Southern Inn and spend your next special occasion appreciating classic and contemporary American cuisine. Later, for some lively entertainment, fine food, and cocktails visit Haywood’s Piano Bar. Finish up your dinner or your day with a trip to Sweet Things Ice Cream Shop, a Lexington staple, which delights locals and tourists alike.

Rockingham County

If you’re looking for a good meal in Bridgewater, try The Cracked Pillar Restaurant and Pub, a historic building where you’ll find specialty burgers and unique sandwiches like bourbon steak wraps and fried pickle burgers. Bridgewater’s Francesco’s offers amazing Italian food, personal service, and great prices. Elkton Brewing Company and Bella Luna Wood Fired Pizza let you enjoy the ultimate comfort food: craft beer and pizza.

If you’d rather devour some pasta, you’re in luck: they make it fresh! Elkton’s El Paso Mexican Grille serves authentic Mexican food that can be enjoyed in platters and combination dinners for lunch and dinner. And with just a short drive into the countryside, you can indulge in Smiley’s Ice Cream at Mount Crawford Creamery. The ice cream, made with the creamery’s freshest ingredients, embodies its motto, “Bringing happiness to you, one scoop at a time.”

Staunton

A Mexican-American taquería, European pastry shops, delicious food trucks, and widely known restaurants like The Shack (James Beard-award double nominee), Zynodoa, and BLU Point Seafood Co. give Staunton the restaurant chops of a much larger city. Chicano Boy Taco is a gem that serves handmade tacos and mission-style burritos inspired by its chef’s heritage.

If you’re in a hurry, grab your lunch or dinner from a food truck like Gonzo’s Pollo for traditional Peruvian charbroiled chicken, which is a healthy alternative to fried food. Another option is Magdalena Bake, which serves artisan baked goods. Interested in wine or craft beer and snacks in a hip new venue? Try the fare at The Greenroom. Get some Southern comfort food with a twist at Table 44, where you can augment your meal with a loaded Bloody Mary. Sharing the same space, Paris Cake Company fills the dessert menu with beautiful treats, which are also available by special order. And if you prefer your desserts frozen, taste gelato from The Split Banana, where you’ll find all the traditional flavors, plus cocoa ancho, pineapple basil, Guinness Extra Stout, and other house specialties. 

Breweries with Food and Food Trucks

To eliminate some of those tough food decisions, some of our breweries have onsite kitchens, regularly visiting food trucks, or arrangements for delivery from nearby restaurants. Many others welcome outside snacks or carry out.

Cave Hill Farms Brewery: See Facebook for food truck schedule. McGaheysville area restaurants also offer delivery

Elkton Brewing Company: See Bella Luna Wood Fired Pizza above. Elkton area restaurants also offer delivery

Stable Craft Brewing: See above.

Skipping Rock Beer Company: Shredders BBQ (Friday-Saturday)

Basic City Beer Company: Lost Town Billy Pie (brick-fired pizza), Fancy-Full Craft Sublime Sandwiches. See above.

Seven Arrows Brewing: See Nobos Kitchen above. 

Redbeard Brewing Company: The Depot Grille offers free delivery.

Queen City Brewing: Free delivery from Mike and Mario’s. Menus are available at the bar.

Heliotrope Brewery: serves wood-fired artisan pizzas and tasty sides.

Devils Backbone Outpost Tap Room & Kitchen: serves a variety of tap room grub.

Great Valley Farm Brewery:  Food trucks weekly. See schedule.

Rockbridge Vineyard and Brewery:  food trucks on select Sundays in association with their Uncorked music events.

Brothers Craft Brewing: Check Facebook for food truck schedule.

Pale Fire Brewing: BoBoKo and Rocktown Kitchen offer delivery to the tap room.