Can you believe it? Beer aficionados and brewery seekers have been following the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail for a decade! That’s ten years of small-batch brewing focused on local ingredients, and ten years of gathering diverse communities together for fun and connection. To celebrate our anniversary, here are ten things you’ll love about the Beerwerks Trail and the diverse breweries along its route.
- The Beer
You’ll love the beer brewed along the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail because it is handcrafted by people who care deeply about flavor, process, and place. It is made right here in the Valley and served to this community, not shipped across the country from a one-size-fits-all production plant. This freshness matters because beer is alive. Flavors flatten, aromas fade, and balance shifts the longer it sits. The best craft beer is brewed nearby and poured young, while the brewer’s intent is still sharp. Small-batch brewing also lets brewers experiment with a variety of techniques and flavors, keeping tap lists evolving and interesting, and inviting you to sip slowly, paying attention to taste, sure, but also aroma and texture. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed by options, tasting flights made up of multiple small pours let you sample styles before committing to a full pint.
- Brewers with Their Hands in the Process
One of the things that makes craft beer so tasty is that brewers bring passion, creativity, and experience to the process. Successful brewing requires decisions about which hops and grains to use, water chemistry, and fermentation process. Brewers constantly refine recipes, consider sustainability, and decide whether to chase balance or lean into weirdness. They’re also working on improving the brewery experience because they understand their customers. The person who makes the award-winning beer you’re drinking is probably walking between the tables, answering questions and asking for your feedback. Don’t hesitate to chat with the brewer and ask your questions about the brewing process! The Friendly Fermenter combines tasting, teaching and a tour with a 3Ts Experience.
- Music Scene
Craft beer tastes even better when you pair it with a soundtrack and the Beerwerks Trail has a lot of those. The Foundry at Basic City draws big-name bands in a variety of genres. The Red Wing Roots Festival celebrates roots music. Many breweries host free live music each weekend, and Queen City Brewing has acoustic open mic nights each Wednesday. The Trail is also near musical and cultural performances at area universities, and the classical Staunton Music Festival, Massanutten’s Summer Jam, and Lime Kiln Theater’s Summer Concert Series, which draws folk, bluegrass and Americana artists.
- Delicious Food Stops
Many breweries provide fresh and interesting meals and snacks. Heliotrope’s gourmet pizzas will make your mouth water. Hearty appetizers and handhelds complement the tap list at Cave Hill Farm Brewery, while pizza and Southern comfort food fill the menu at PRO RE NATA+. Look for Nobos Kitchen to serve made-from-scratch apps and entrees at Seven Arrows, or check out the food trucks that come to Rockbridge Brewery and Winery for concerts and special events.
- Awesome Festivals
You can learn a lot about a town by watching how its citizens gather and celebrate. Communities along the Trail have everything from Hallmark-movie-type winter parades, pride and multicultural festivals, Independence Day fireworks displays, harvest celebrations, and agricultural county fairs. Don’t miss Waynesboro’s eco-focused Riverfest, Lexington’s Freedom Food Festival, and Staunton’s Harry-Potter-themed Queen City Mischief & Magic.
- Our Quirky Best
The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail winds through some unique countryside with lots of fun, quirky finds. Discover dinosaurs battling Civil War soldiers at Dinosaur Kingdom II, browse acres of antiques at the Factory Antique Mall (our country’s largest), road trip to Buc-ee’s, which is just down the road from one of Rockingham County’s turkey statues, explore the street art in downtown Waynesboro, and meet alpacas at Point of View Alpaca Farm.
- Four Seasons, Four Flavors
The Shenandoah Valley boasts four unique seasons, and all of them are good times to visit. People come for skiing and snow sports in winter, wildflowers and waterfall hikes in spring, camping and water fun in summer, and leaf-peeping and harvest festivals in fall. And the best part? Many of those seasons make their way into our beer! Rotating seasonal tap lists include favorites like BrewHaHa Brewing Co’s SnowBlower Coconut Cream Ale (perfect for après-ski) and Feel the Rain Brothers Craft Brewing’s Chocolate Cheesequake Milk Porter. Devils Backbone sells a Buck Tradition IPA series themed around hunting season!
- Breweries with Big Personalities
Twenty breweries all within an hour’s drive? It might seem like a lot, but they’re wonderfully diverse. Relax in purple lawn furniture and lavender-infused air at White Oak Lavender Farm. Seek out German-inspired brews (and beerhall experiences) at The Alpine Goat Brewery. You’ll feel the connection with the JMU college scene at Three Notch’d Valley Collab House.
- Space to Sit and Stay a While
From converted industrial complexes and reclaimed barns to wide open lawns and urban patios, our breweries offer plenty of space to spread out and linger. Great Valley Farm Brewery has Adirondack chairs, amazing mountain views, and room for kids and dogs. Head outside for firepits and yard games at Stable Craft Brewing, where you can also book a suite for overnight stays. Stay inside and try your hand at trivia, D&D, or karaoke at Redbeard Brewing. Restless Moons has weekly movie club and chess club along with regular “bad art” nights.
- Our History
Some of our taprooms have fascinating stories: Pale Fire is located in the old Casco Ice Plant, once on the cutting edge of cold storage. Elkton Brewing Co’s taproom has American chestnut beams and beers with local backstories. History along the Trail goes beyond the beer, too, with sites and museums that let you explore the past. Natural Bridge State Park’s limestone arch has connections to two presidents, Staunton’s Frontier Culture Museum teaches hands-on history, and you can learn about the historical and spiritual legacies of Brethren and Mennonites at the Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center. The Beerwerks Trail also has a history of loyal followers, some who have been with us for the entire ten years, supporting our community, enlivening our taprooms, and championing our beer.
The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail is marking its 10th anniversary this spring, and there’s no better place to raise a glass to ten years of great beer and even better memories. Join us in celebrating!
