Virginia is for Beer (and Whiskey) Drinkers
Blue Mountain's Kölsch and Imperial Porter (on nitrogen)
Copper Fox's main product, Wasmund's Single Malt Whiskey, is a fiercely local spirit: the barley comes from a farm in Heathsville, VA and the apple and cherrywood used to smoke the grain all comes from sources around the property. Although VA law prohibits tasting or bottle sales at the distillery, I've had a chance to taste the products before, and the results of Wasmund's innovative techniques is a whiskey that is unlike anything you've ever tasted: intensely smoky, with hints of the apple and cherrywood.
Tours are available on the weekends at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. and are led either by Rick Wasmund or his mother. The other advantage of stopping off in Sperryville is that you get closer to the gorgeous stretch of mountains around the Shenandoah National Park, making the drive down to Charlottesville even more picturesque.
The next logical stop is Starr Hill in Crozet. Starr Hill is now distributed by Anheuser-Busch, which means the previously regional-only beers are starting to be seen further afield. It's unclear if the recent InBev-A/B merger will affect their distribution deal with Starr Hill.
A short drive up towards the mountains from Crozet leads to Afton, where Blue Mountain brewing is located. A gorgeous mountain view from the outside patio is the perfect complement to a Full Nelson Pale Ale or Blue Mountain Lager, and the brewers are always doing experimental batches of seasonal beers. The brewery has been open for only a couple years and is notable for also being the site of a hop farm: The Cascade hops grown on the premises are used in several of their beers.
From Afton, it's a fun 20 minute drive into the mountains to hit up Devil's Backbone, a ski resort brewpub that has opened last fall. The proximity to Wintergreen Ski Resort means that the clientele is largely still decked out in mountain gear, and the building is constructed to match that ambiance: The place looks like it was transplanted entirely from a mountain somewhere in Colorado, with a huge wooden vaunted ceiling and lots of copper. The beers at Devil's Backbone are brewed by Jason Oliver, who most recently was the head brewer at D.C.'s Gordon Biersch outpost. Some of the Gordon Biersch influence is noticeable (Vienna Lager, anyone?) but many of the offerings are a stark departure from Gordon Biersch's lager-only system. Standouts included the Eight Point IPA, an Imperial Stout, and an excellent session brown ale called Ale of Fergus. It will be interesting to see what other seasonal beers come around as the new brewery continues to get settled in.
It's at about this point in the day when you need to make the decision: drive back, or get a hotel room in Charlottesville. The nice thing about Charlottesville (and really, the whole area) is that things are super-cheap. We ended up at a slightly dive-y Days Inn a couple miles off the main stretch for $50/night, but the Red Roof Inn on University is another good option at $90/night. The South Street brewpub was worth a stop, but we had better beer luck at Michael's Bistro/Taphouse (HopSlam for $4!) and the relatively new 12th Street Ale House.
The Charlottesville beer scene is getting an infusion of new blood to make it step up its game. Both Devil's Backbone and Blue Mountain are wonderful additions to the brewpub scene. For a college town, that's a very good thing. And for those in D.C., it has the makings of a great road trip.