Dirt Farm Brewing
18701 Foggy Bottom Road
Bluemont, VA 20135
(540) 554-2337

To arrive at Dirt Farm, one has to negotiate a long, steep, winding climb after which there had better be a good view. Well, there was that and more.
The view from Dirt Farm's deck is worthy of a Skyline Drive scenic overlook, and there is much outdoor seating from which to enjoy this heavenly vista.
Along with some Dirt Farm beer, of course.

Dirt Farm has 15 taps, including a Pils, pale ale, several IPA's, Kolsch, Imperial Stout, as well as two non-alcoholic brews. And more.

My barkeep, Holly, was welcoming and knowledgeable, and answered all the questions I posed about Dirt Farm.
There is more than ample seating both inside and out, with several different rooms offering both community and more intimate seating. And the miraculous view can be seen from the taproom too!

Dirt Farm offers many specials, including half-price pints during Happy Hour, an Oyster Fest the first weekend of every month, live music every Friday, Bluegrass Brunch, and more.
All of the beer is brewed right here on their 20-bbl. system, and you can't find Dirt Farm beer anywhere else.
You can, however, take some of this delicious product home with you in pint cans or crowlers.

Dirt Farm is located just off Route 7, in the little town of Bluemont, about halfway between the brewing meccas of Leesburg and Winchester.
The whole region is brewery-rich and your next beer tour of the area had better include Dirt Farm.

Alesatian Brewing Company
21-23 North Loudoun Street
Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 667-2743

Alesatian Brewing Company is a brewery located above Roma Old Town Wood Fired Pizzaria on the delightful Pedestrian Mall in downtown Winchester.
One seeking the brewery enters the restaurant, passes through the door on the right, and proceeds up the stairs.
The taproom, while not seeming that large, still has room for 10 drinkers at the bar, and perhaps 30 more at tables.
Alesatian offers 10 taps, including an amber ale, coconut stout, sour, altbier, IPA, and more.
During my visit the patrons at the bar were all male, engaging in lively sports chatter. I made myself at home and ordered the altbier.
Neil, the bartender, was welcoming and very helpful in answering whatever questions that I had.
If you are in the mood for some food, ask for a menu, and you will find choices such as appetizers (the fried calamari was excellent!), soups, salads, many variety of pizza, and dinners. Order from the barkeep, and your food will be brought up to you from the restaurant below.
For the most part, this taproom is the only venue where you can get Alesatian beer, though there is some "minimal distribution."
One can also take home Alesatian beer in crowlers.

Dividing Creek Beer Company
160 N Loudoun Street
Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 546-2558

Dividing Creek is a microbrewery located on Winchester's Pedestrian Mall.
The bar seats about seven patrons, and there is drinking room for 75 more at various tables.
The small 1-bbl brewery is visible toward the rear, and brews the beer that you will be drinking at Dividing Creek.
They can also be found at a few local establishments.
Although they are completely different businesses, Dividing Creek's brewer is also the brewer for Escutcheon Brewing, not far away in Winchester.
Dividing Creek has about a dozen taps, featuring a hefeweizen, Pilsner, IPA, Mexican Lager, Kolsch, and others.

Kent, my bartender, was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful in filling me in about the brewery.
A few of the special events include Open Mic Night, and live music on many Fridays.

You just might need more Dividing Creek beer to take home, and they offer 6-packs of cans.

Dividing Creek is all about their beer, which is fresh and varied, and is a pleasant place to drink, either inside or outside, on Winchester's Mall.

Long Way Brewing
501 2nd St
Radford, VA 24141
Tel: 540-838-2229

Housed in an old Seventh Day Adventist church, Long Way Brewing is a must-stop microbrewery when passing through Radford VA.

The interior has somewhat limited seating, with 8 indoor tables made from old church pews, and several long communal tables.
The patio, however, more than makes up for it, having 2 dozen or so outdoor tables divided between the upper and lower patios.
At the time of our visit, Long Way had 11 beers on tap, including a blonde ale, a black ale, ESB, IPA's, and more.

Long Way features live music…check their schedule for a list of upcoming acts.
The stage is found where the altar once was, so you can get a good seat, and worship whilst waiting for the show to begin.

In case worship and drinking make you hungry, Long Way will often feature food trucks. One should also check the schedule for their appearance.
While you are enjoying your food, remember that Long Way gives patrons the opportunity to round their check up to the nearest dollar, with the proceeds going to the Radford Fairlawn Daily Bread, which is housed downstairs and provides meals to the needy.

Pyromaniacs will be delighted to use the firepits, which are located outdoors.
And you may not be surprised to learn that this old church building is available for weddings and other special events.

Friendly staff were willing to help us out with some trivia we were working on as a group. 

With a wide variety of beers on tap, a beautiful building, and a friendly staff, you will want to take the “Long Way” to visit this microbrewery.

Hawksbill Brewing Company
22 Zerkel St.
Luray, VA 22835
(540) 860-5608

Hawksbill is a microbrewery in Luray, VA, just off Main Street, across from the fire house.  
The small signage is hard to read but the stand-alone building is in plain sight.
Hawksbill's taproom is cozy with a small bar, several picnic tables, and a few high-boy tables.  They also offer outside seating near the parking area.  Hawksbill has about 9 beers on tap. One can request beer to go and they will fetch it from the back.  

Big Lick Brewing Company
409 Salem Ave SW
Roanoke, VA 24016
(540) 562-8383

Big Lick Brewing Company is a microbrewery located in downtown Roanoke.
At any given time, Big Lick will have 12 "big batch" brews on tap coming from their 15-bbl. state-of-the-art system.
You can also order drafts from their "small batch" or experimental 2-bbl. system.
As far as personal preference, the Scattered Kindness Pale Ale was the winner over the amazingly-named Paddy O'Furniture Stout.
The venue is spacious, having lots of room for drinking and socializing both in the tap room, and on the patio outside.
If consuming craft beer gives you an appetite, you can order food from Beamer's 25, a neighborhood restaurant and bar, or Tuco's Taqueria, and have it delivered.
If a Questor can't consume his fill at the tap room, beer is available to go in cans, crowlers, or growlers.
Big Lick Brewing means excellent beer and fine bluegrass in Roanoke.

Barking Rose Brewing Company & Farm
8532 Terminal Rd
Lorton, VA 22079
(703) 372-2979

(Formerly Forge Brew Works)

If you make the ride to Barking Rose in the trunk of the car I do not think you will be the first to do so in this area.
You may, however, be the first to live to talk about it. This place is in Lorton's tank farm at the end of an industrial building. I missed it the first time. If you did not have the sense to drive behind the building you would not have seen the entrance.
I was too scared to do that on my own.

Once you find the place, however, you will be treated to a pleasant tap room for a nice brewery few people know anything about.
The bottoms of the walls are corrugated steel paneled, the rest of what amounts to three stories of height comprises cinder block.
The industrial ceiling has a gigantic fan with a boatload of blades.
The seating consists of a couple of beerhall tables and a handful of barrel tables with high chairs.

The beers sold for $2.50 a taste (small snifter), $6 a pour (14 oz snifter), and then growlers and such.
Plan on no food.
Forge does sell something called popcorn for $.75 but it was not recognizable as popcorn. Let's talk beer.
They had a dozen of their beers on tap on our visit and I could have repeated any of the four I had.

Sitobine was a saison and a good first choice.
Billed as a German beer the Empress was a 9.2 ABV black pilsener and I do not believe I have ever had a black pilsenser before. I'd be happier if they called it a Schwarzbier, but whatever they call it, it is a nice smooth creep-up-on-you kinda beer.
Brown Dwarf Star at 11.5% is their big beer and it is a respectable American quad. It aspires to the Belgian style but like many American-made Belgians it misses the Belgian bar.
Because I was driving, I had one more big beer for the road; you have to fortify yourself for a seven hour drive. This was an 8.2% German Kelsenator, a doppelbock that held my interest but may not have leapt the German bar.
My companions stayed at the lighter end of the scale and all presented well.

When I was ready for the men's room I expected to be handed a jar when I asked for the facility.
But, much to my surprise, there it stood in the middle of the taproom.
Note to self, drink lower ABV beers.

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery
42264 Leelynn Farm Ln
Lucketts , Virginia 20176
Phone: 703-779-7407

Located in the town of Lucketts, about 15 minutes north of Leesburg,
Vanish Farmwoods Brewery was a pleasant surprise when we dropped in on a Friday afternoon in mid-August.
Vanish has an enormous taproom situated right in the brewery, in a building both cavernous and sprawling.
The long and winding bar seats at least 20 patrons, and more than 15 picnic-style tables can handle many, many more.
Vanish will usually have 13 or so of their beers on tap at any given time, but they are working on being able to fill all 20 of their tap lines.
Beer can be ordered by the pint or growler.
Flights come in either a 6- or 12-beer size.
I found their IPL to be grainy, crisp, and very easy to drink.
Vanish hosts Vanish Lab on the weekends, where thirsty patrons are offered craft beer cocktails made from beer and fruit juices.
Vanish uses a 10-bbl., 20 vessel brewing system with plans for growth, as they propose to bottle in the near future.
As far as eats go, Vanish has a food truck on the weekend, and always has snack food on hand.

Belly Love Brewing Company
725 E Main St
Purcellville, VA 20132
(540) 441-3159

Belly Love is located in a retail center downtown in the microbrewery mecca of Purcellville, VA.
To quote from Belly Love's mission statement,
"With unwavering attention to detail, batch consistency, and stylistic integrity, every beer is hand crafted from the finest ingredients available."
A large sign on the wall professes their philosophy more concisely..."Beer is Liquid Soul Food."
All the beers that are brewed here with Belly Love's 7-bbl system are created to be sold at this outlet.
A thirsty patron can purchase a pint, try a flight if undecided, or fill a growler.
There were seven Belly Love beers on tap at the time of our visit...including a Helles, Saison, Pale Ale, and Belgian Strong.
I only had time for one pint, the Helles, and I found it outstanding.
The spacious tap room seats about 40 people at tables and in upholstered couches.
Belly Love also offers outdoor seating on a small patio.
Outside guests will not be bothered by cars, as Belly Love sits in a pedestrian-only shopping area.
When you get hungry, you can order from a menu of snacks and sandwiches such as burgers, tacos, wings, and a favorite of mine, Scotch eggs...all provided by a local caterer.
Courtney, our barkeeper, was hopspitable and helpful in learning about the beers and answering our questions in general.
Belly Love is a fun and rewarding stop on a Questor's tour of Purcellville's microbrewery scene.

Adroit Theory
Brewing Company
404 Browning Court, Unit C Purcellville, VA 20132
(703) 722-3144

Adroit Theory Brewing Company is a nano-brewery located in Purcellville, VA, a little north of the town's Main Street.
Adroit Theory describes its products as "esoteric beers with an emphasis on barrel aging."
In the tasting room, beers are dispensed in Tastes (3 ounces) or Tulips (10 ounces).
They ain't cheap.
Tastes run from $3.00 to $4.50 and Tulips from $8.00 to $9.50.
Flights are not sold, but growlers can be filled.
A Questor may also take home a variety of Adroit Theory's beers in 375-mL bottles.
These ain't cheap either.
Tasters may sit at the spacious bar, stroll around the tasting room, or relax on the small beer patio out back.
I have consumed Adroit Theory beers at several venues in Loudon County, and find them all to be well-crafted, different, and delicious.
Food-wise, the brewery offers pre-packaged sandwiches and nuts.
At busier times, there may be a food truck present, but at any time, a guest may bring in food or have it delivered.
Adroit Theory is an important stop on Purcellville's craft beer tour.

Dynasty Brewing West
101 Loudon Street SE
Leesburg, VA 20175
571-246-5991

Dynasty Brewing West is located in downtown Leesburg, in the same building that used to house Bike TrAle Brewing.
It is a small, cozy taproom, and most of Dynasty's beer is brewed in their much larger facility in Ashburn.
As our helpful bartender Grant explained, this locale is used for brewing small and experimental batches.
Dynasty usually has 12 different beers on tap and 1 cask.
The styles were varied, including a festbier, west coast IPA, hefeweizen, Pilsner, Imperial Pilsner, and more.
Dynasty West is situated in an old home, so there is not a tremendous amount of space inside. The taproom seats about 12, with room for possibly 10 more in a back room.
There is also a patio in the front of the house, which could seat quite a few more patrons.
The clientele to whom I spoke were local and beer-savvy, and were all here because they love Dynasty's beer. You can't drink Dynasty beer anywhere else in town but here, although you can take any of the beers on tap home in 4-packs of cans.
I availed myself of this feature by taking home some of their festbier, and West Coast IPA, both of which I had on tap...they were great!
Dynasty West is one more stop on your Leesburg Beer Crawl!

Black Walnut Brewery
210 S King St.
Leesburg, VA 20175
(703) 771-9474

I must open by saying that Black Walnut Brewing in Leesburg is one of the most friendly, good-times, dog-loving microbreweries we have ever visited.
The brewery sits on a formerly-residential property on South King Street in an old house in historic Leesburg.
The indoor tap room is located in a mustard-yellow house that you can't miss.
The bar seats about 10 folks, with some additional sitting and standing room.
In addition to the tap room, there is a large covered deck to the rear.
We arrived on a warm summer evening; think Tiki Bar...but without the flames, palms, and rum drinks with tiny umbrellas.
Just good beer.
The crowd consisted of those who appeared to be locals of all ages, and fairly filled the tented outdoor deck.
The bar, too, was outdoors, and was pouring at least six Black Walnut beers, including cream ale, pale ale, IPA, red, hefeweizen and an experimental IPA.
All the action, both human and canine, was on the outside.
Picnic tables on the deck sat about 40 revelers, and there was another area with lawn chairs and benchs.
There was also a long beer shelf for standing and sipping.
Elaine, our barkeep, was friendly and helpful with info about the beer and brewery.
The 1-bbl. brewing system provides just enough beer for the tap room, so to imbibe some Black Walnut beer, you have to visit.
And visit you should.

Black Hoof Brewing Company
11 S King St.
Leesburg, VA 20175
(571) 707-8014

Black Hoof Brewing is a microbrewery located on King Street in the heart of historic downtown Leesburg.
The Hoof's tap room is the size of your average barroom, and seats 25-30 patrons at tables.
Both of our bartenders were gregarious and helpful with any questions we had.
The 3-bbl. brew works were visible through a passageway toward the rear of the bar.
Black Hoof sells their beers in pints, flights, and take-home growlers.
I purchased a Falcon's Day IPA, which was true-to-style and a near-perfect IPA. It was also sold in a 20-oz. imperial pint glass which was a plus.
They also offered a Kölsch, hefeweizen, and a few others.
If you desire a Black Hoof beer, you have to get it right here in the tap room; they do not as yet distribute.
But that is not a bad thing...Black Hoof is a comfortable and attractive place in which to enjoy great craft beer.

Barnhouse Brewing Company
43271 Spinks Ferry Rd Leesburg, VA 20176
(703) 675-8480

Barnhouse Brewing Company is a farm brewery located 15 minutes northeast of downtown Leesburg in the beer hotbed of Loudon County.
Barnhouse had 11 different beers on tap at the time of our visit, including a Kölsch, IPA, Scottish ale, hefeweizen, tripel, rauchbier, and others.
Beer is sold in pints, flights, or growlers to go.
I was delighted to find the rauchbier very smoky, much more so that your usual American effort.
Christine, one of the proprietors, was glad to answer our questions, and extol the virtues of the brewing revolution in Loudon County.
Barnhouse's tap room is paneled in knotty pine, is airy and spacious, and has a welcoming feel.
Glass-topped keg tables seat 24 patrons, and there is room for about 15 more at shelves.
There is still space left over for milling around.
Barnhouse usually has a food vendor operating on weekends, thus we were able to fortify ourselves with a delectable chicken and sausage paella.
The 7.5-bbl. brewing system is visible off the tap room.
You can get Barnhouse beer here at the brewery, or at a number of local establishments on tap.

Loudon Brewing Company
310 East Market Street
Leesburg , VA 20176
703-350-8553

Loudon Brewing Company is a nanobrewery and an important addition to Leesburg's brewery scene.
Loudon BC is located in a stand-alone house, just a stones throw east of historic downtown.
Shawn, our barkeep, was welcoming and informative, despite the fact that he was pouring beers at a breakneck pace for the lively crowd on a Thursday summer's evening.
The taproom, which has a cottage-like feel, seats about 20, and there is standing room also.
The atmosphere was vibrant, and the crowd was busy ordering pints, flights, and growlers to aid in their socialization.
Loudon BC had 5 beers on tap at the time of our visit, and we were told that they may have anywhere from 4-10 at any given time.
Loudon is not a production brewery, and their 1.5-bbl system produces beer to be consumed in this taproom only.
Upstairs is an attic-like room with upholstered chairs for relaxing with your beer...there is a TV and a chalkboard for entertainment.
Although the taproom is comfortable and relaxing, it is clear that you are in a working brewery, with fermenters, bright tanks, and bubbling airlocks clearly visible.
Every town ought to have a venue such as Loudon Brewing Company.

Crooked Run Brewing
205 Harrison St SE
Leesburg , VA 20175-3702
phone: (703) 609-9241

You won't spot Crooked Run from Harrison Street.
This "farmhouse nano brewery" is located in Leesburg's Market Station in the famous Beermuda Triangle.
If you're facing Tuscarora Mill, go left and around to the back.
Crooked Run has a small, cozy tasting room with space for about 6 guests at the bar and two picnic tables.
A couple of small tables are also located outside on the deck.
About 4 different beers are usually on tap, brewed in the 1.5 bbl system located just several yards away.
The atmosphere was gregarious, with Steve, the barkeep, and the other patrons eager to talk about Crooked Runs variety of over 20 brews.
Jake Andres, founder of Crooked Run, describes his beer as "special American and Belgian ales" many of which are made with locally-grown ingredients.
Aside from offering pints of their creations, Crooked Run sells flights, and fills growlers.

Center of the Universe Brewing Company
11293 Air Park Rd.
Ashland, VA 23005

Center of the Universe, or COTU as it is known, is a microbrewery in Ashland, Virginia, about 20 minutes north of Richmond.
The name of the brewery is explained in their mission statement:

"COTU wants to be a company that truly embraces the local community. 'Center of the Universe,' to COTU, is taking pride in where you live and respecting the people with whom you interact."

The proprietors of COTU, are ex-major league pitcher Chris Ray and his brother Phil, who started out as home brewers back in 2009.
Their 15-bbl brewery has a spacious tasting room where pints are sold, growlers are filled, and six-packs can be taken home.
It looks like a great place to gather with your friends, drink fresh crafted beer, and obtain a meal from the food truck that is often available.
COTU is just a few minutes off of I-95, and a great place to stop if you are enjoying the burgeoning beer scene in the greater Richmond area.

Strangeways Brewing
2277A Dabney Road
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 303-4336

Strangeways Brewing is a microbrewery located in an industrial park in Richmond, VA.
The tasting room is colorful, and the bartenders were busy giving samples, selling pints, and filling growlers.
Upon our visit there were 5 beers on tap...4 flagship beers and one seasonal.
The tasting room features a stand-up bar with plenty of tables and stools, and plenty of standing room.
The crowd was predominantly young, and drinkers could patronize the food truck parked outside.
Our barkeep, Cheyenne, was extremely helpful in explaining about the brewery and their 20-bbl system.
Strangeways is just plain fun, as it features plenty of people talking with one another and drinking fresh craft beer.
Strangeways also has a location in Frredericksburg.

Pleasure House Brewing
3025 Shore Dr
Virginia Beach, VA 23451 (757) 496-0916

Pleasure House Brewing is a micro brewery far from the tourist area of VA Beach.
The building appears to be a repurposed convenience store, so you can picture it's size.
The bar on the right side of the room seats about a dozen, and there are several tables scattered about. The brewing operation is not in sight.
Pleasure House has 11 beers on tap, each a different style.
At any given time, expect to find both flagship and experimental beers on tap.
Activities include darts, Foosball, talking with friends, and of course, drinking beer.
All we tasted were very good.
No food is served, but the Chinese restaurant next door delivers.

Young Veterans Brewing Company
2505 Horse Pasture Rd #104
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
(757) 689-4021

The Young Veterans Brewing Company is a new microbrewery in the same industrial complex as the Beach Brewing Company, also on this page.
In their mission statement, Young Veterans says, "For us, the answer is simple:
We love beer . We love to brew it;
we love to drink it, we love to teach others about it."
Ahhh... so many beers, so little time.
Anyway, the tasting room is typical of a small micro brewery. The front room is as large as a large living room and seats about 20 on mis-matched furniture.
The service area is in an alcove off the hall that leads to the brewing operation. The bar there seats 3.
We noted that the beers were of a hoppy nature.
The barmaid seemed a bit disappointed when she said, "that's what they like." Young Vets has a hefeweizen, porter, pale ale and three IPA's on tap.
All were very good.
Being so close to the other brewery, one can easily compare and contrast.

Reaver Beach Brewing Company
1505 Taylor Farm Rd
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
(757) 563-2337

The Reaver Beach Brewing Company is a microbrewery well off the beaten path in an industrial complex in Virginia Beach, VA.
The tasting room is open most afternoons and evenings.
The tasting room is large, with a large bar that seats about 15 drinkers.
Plenty of room is available for standing around. Besides pints of all their products, they do a good walk-in business with growlers and kegs.
The prices are good and there is no limit; it's a convenient place to get all of the Beach Brewing products.
This is the same brewery that used to be known as simply Beach Brewing Company.

Alewerks Brewing Company
189-B Ewell Road
Williamsburg, VA 23188
(757) 220-3670

While in Williamsburg I went to the
Alewerks store, at the brewery.
This is a microbrewery, not a brew pub. It's only several blocks from the outlet mall.
No bigger than your garage, they have beer and paraphanalia for sale. For $3.00, one can get a 4oz sample of each of the 5 beers currently available. On Saturday, one can pay $6.00 and also take the tour.
This brewery used to be known as Williamsburg AleWerks.