Meet the Brewers Archives - Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail

Want to learn more about Pro Re Nata+, the newest brewery along the Beerwerks Trail? Discover the brewery’s most-popular beers, meet its new award-winning head brewer, and uncover the meaning behind the Pro Re Nata+ name.

Hours:

M-W: Closed
Th: 11-9 pm
Fri: 11-10 pm
Sat: 11-10 pm
Sun: 11-9 pm

What are your go-to brews and what makes them unique?

Hops Treatment (Hazy IPA w/ rotating Hop Varieties)
Tapped Out (Easy Drinking Pilsner)
Sound Check (Light American Lager)
Hop Drone (East Coast Style IPA)
Rotating Seasonal Beers (Brown Ale, East Coast IPA’s, Stouts, Oktoberfest, Sours…etc)
Rotating Cider & Wine Selection

Derek Hornig is the new Head PRN Brewer. He’s a highly recognized and award-winning brewer with medals at the Great American Beer Festival, World Cup, and the Virginia Craft Beer Cup. He’s known as one of the most talented brewers in all of Virginia.

What is something unique/quirky about the brewery that most people don’t know?

PRN means “as needed”. PRN+ means that we not only offer beer, but we also offer wine, ciders, and cocktails.

We are currently working on plans for a large covered patio area that will offer more space to spread out, and more rental options for hosting private events and parties.

Do you distribute locally or have any local collaborations?

PRN beer is currently offered at Pro Re Nata (Crozet) and PRN+ (Staunton). Due to new upcoming state regulations, we’re currently considering in-house distribution and partnering with a few other local establishments. We’ve purchased a large new canning line that makes taking beer home and gifting “Beers To Go” an essential and viable option.

Do you offer tours?

Not at this time. But if enough people are interested and make special requests, we will consider offering tours in the future.

Do you allow dogs?

Animals are not allowed inside (due to Health Department regulations), but pets are allowed on the outside patio area, as long as they’re friendly, leashed and well-attended.

Are you kid-friendly?

We’re very kid friendly, but always encourage parents to have a good time, but keep an eye on their kids at all times, especially for safety reasons!

Do you offer food onsite?

We have multiple food options. B&C Food Company is onsite and offers wings, Southern comfort food with an Asian flair. Pro Re Nata+ offers a wide selection of pizzas (Best New Pizza in Staunton), nachos, and salads.

What events do you offer?

We currently offer live outdoor music, a private party rental space, and multiple TV’s for football and other popular sporting events. We’re actively looking into hosting future silent discos, trivia, karaoke and open mic nights, specialty food nights, art & craft markets and any new ideas that will keep things exciting, interesting and engaging to the local and surrounding communities.

Head Brewer: Chase Kurtz

How long have you worked at the brewery? I have worked at 3NB for 3 years now, but have overseen the Harrisonburg brewery for just the past year.

How did you get involved in brewing? After college I had an opportunity to work for a startup brewery in Philadelphia as one of their brewers. Sadly, the brewery did not last for more than two years but it got me interested in brewing. I ended up going into sales, but about three years ago I saw that Three Notch’d was hiring and I thought it would be fun to get back into the industry.

Tell us something people don’t know about your brewery. One thing that you might not know about the Harrisonburg location of Three Notch’d is that we brew all our specialty brews on a 1 bbl system, which allows us to make fun, unique beers. So, for example, we were able to make a Mexican Chocolate Stout spiced with habanero peppers last year, and we just released a blueberry and marshmallow beer dosed with marshmallow flavoring and blueberry puree.

What’s your favorite food and beer combo? We don’t serve food at the Harrisonburg location, but in general I would have to say my favorite combo would be a hot pretzel, mustard, and a malty pale ale or IPA. It’s a simple but delicious combo.

Tell us about your pets. My wife and I got our son a one-year-old rescue dog named Hemingway for his first birthday. “Hemi” is a pitbull/hound mix who’s a great partner for walks and going to the park. He also makes a great furry brother for my sons. He is by far the most loving and happy dog I have ever owned. He has been a part of our family for four years now, and I could not imagine not having him.

What is your favorite thing to do in the Shenandoah Valley? My favorite thing to do with my dog, wife, and kids is to just get out and enjoy all the hiking, fishing, and camping you can do just a short ride from our front porch.

What’s the best way to spend time outdoors along the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail? I have two boys under five, and I love that a lot of the breweries on the Trail are family friendly and great places to just relax and enjoy yourself.

Category: Meet the Brewers

Brewery Spotlight: Pro Re Nata+