While visiting your favorite brewery can be a relaxing solo experience, Virginia’s Cultural Region invites you and your crew to share some high-quality beer and high-quality company. Here are a few of the Region’s latest local craft-brew experiences that are just too good to keep to yourself:
Prince William County:
Farm Brew Live
With warm weather on the rise, Virginia’s Cultural Region is rapidly approaching the summer unveiling of the latest colossus in the craft beer community. In addition to an overwhelmingly enthusiastic local response, the Farm Brew Live campus is quickly generating international excitement, becoming one of the region’s most exciting beer destinations. As an all-in-one craft beer destination, Farm Brew Live features 5 massive venues, each expressing a unique celebration of craft-culture.
2 Silos Brewing Co.
With an estimated production rate of over 3.5 million farm-to-fist, quality-crafted pints per year, 2 Silos Brewing Company is essentially the beating heart of the Farm Brew Live operation. The 14,000 square foot facility welcomes eager guests from around the globe to enjoy daily brewery tours along with a few flights in the taste room or open-air patio.
Farm to City Brew Trail
Prince William boasts over 10 craft breweries sprawling from the foot hills of the Bull Run Mountain to the shoreline of the Potomac River. Spend a long weekend sampling brews at The Farm Brewery at Broad Run and take in the scenic countryside of Virginia’s Cultural Region.
Loudoun County:
LoCo Ale Trail
Ready for a taste trek? Lace up, and grab a growler. Thanks to the rapid and continuous growth of its craft beer scene, Loudoun County is hailed as a trailblazer in the local craft community. Featuring seven new breweries on the map, the LoCo Ale Trail now boasts a craft collection of dozens of breweries, brewpubs, taverns, and tap houses for beer lovers to explore. If you’re feeling the need for speed, choose a route from one of the LoCo Ale Trail’s bikeable brew tours.
Dirt Farm Brewing
Tucked along the winding roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Loudoun County’s Dirt Farm Brewing originally began as a 400-acre family farm. After the addition of a 13-acre hops and barley extension, Dirt Farm Brewing was born. Guests can indulge in variety of homegrown seasonal and staple beers, ranging from the award-winning Red Merl Irish Red Ale to the Som Peach Summer Seasonal, a fruity marriage of freshly farmed peaches and carefully selected hops.
Vanish Farmworks Brewery
With a name like Vanish, you might not expect this brewery to be so visible; however, it is actually an extension of the largest fresh hops production that Virginia has to offer. Vanish Farmworks Brewery resides on Loudoun County’s Black Hops Farm, an impressive, 53-acre slice of Loudoun’s scenic countryside, dedicated to handpicked hops and home to Virginia’s very first hops processing facility. Visitors to Vanish can enjoy one-of-a-kind brews, weekend offerings of smoked-on-site barbecue, and a diverse line-up of live music.
Fairfax County:
Living Large: Mustang Sally and Fair Winds Brewing Company
Among the 9 craft breweries based in Fairfax County, Mustang Sally Brewing Company and Fair Winds Brewing Company hold local titles as the two largest craft-beer production breweries in the county. Both breweries offer award-winning beer, expansive taprooms, and regular tours of their impressive production facilities. Whether you’re filling your sails with the fresh flavors of Fair Winds or exploring the art and science behind Mustang Sally’s classically sophisticated craft-culture, these two breweries promise hops with heart and brews that shine with expertly considered detail— down to the last drop.
Seasonal Showcase: The Workhouse BrewFest and Fairfax County Brewfest
Each August, Lorton’s Workhouse Arts Center hosts the Workhouse Brewfest. This annual festival spotlights craft brews, artisan spirits, and fine wine from Northern Virginia, throughout the Commonwealth, and from the mid-Atlantic region, including DC, Maryland, and West Virginia. And then in September, Mustang Sally Brewing Company hosts the Fairfax County Brewfest, which features limited release beers from all the craft breweries in Fairfax County.
Board the Brew Bus
Not feeling the footwork of an ale trail? Reston Limousine is more than happy to give brew-bound visitors a luxury lift. Board the Fairfax County Brew Bus for a tour of breweries across the Cultural Region and throughout DC’s Metropolitan Area. Brew Bus tours vary regularly, but each itinerary promises an even mix of up-and-coming breweries and local staples. If you’re feeling especially crafty, customize your cruise for a personal route that includes each of your favorite destinations.
Arlington:
New District Brewing Company
In 2016, Arlington welcomed its first full distribution brewery since 1916. Today, New District Brewing Company is in full swing, crafting a variety of staple and seasonal beers from carefully selected, locally-sourced ingredients. With weekly trivia nights and growler discounts that are too good to ignore, New District Brewing Company is quickly becoming a local staple in Arlington. The recommendation? Try the 1821; a Belgian-style Saison that comes with its own, very loyal group of fans.
Heritage Brew Pub and Roastery
Thanks to overwhelming support from Arlington’s craftbeer community, Heritage Brewing Company’s project, Heritage Brew Pub and Roastery, has opened its doors for all to enjoy. From an initial offering of 12 varieties of beer. Heritage has since produced over 400 different beers, distributed 20 different package beers, and grown our reach across the eastern seaboard. With greatly improved brewing operations, fresh and delightful new offerings and a full team of seasoned brewers. We have come from family duo, to a brotherhood and band of talented and passionate crafters.
Alexandria:
#ALXBrewTour
Alexandria has squarely cemented itself as a prominent player in Northern Virginia’s craft beer community, and invites visitors to share its spotlight with a new walking tour of its beer history. The ALXBrewTour showcases 15 of the city’s select pubs and taverns—each complete with its own unique character and charm. Whichever direction you choose, Alexandria’s Historic Brew Tour promises something new down every path, and boasts a satisfying collection of the tried and true tastes of the city’s past.
Port City Brewing
If you are looking for pints with prestige, perhaps you’ll stop at Port City Brewing, Alexandria’s international claim to fame. Receiving over 50 awards, including 2015’s Small Brewery of the Year and 2016’s European Beer Star Silver Medal, Port City Brewing offers visitors craft beer and bragging rights with a welcome side of tastings and tours. True to their tagline, Port City Brewing “puts the ‘Ale’ in Alexandria.”
Whether you’re discovering new breweries or returning to your favorite flavors, Virginia’s Cultural Region welcomes beer lovers of all kinds to experience the adventures within its internationally coveted craft brew community.