Shenandoah Valley - Appalachian Highlands Road Trip Stop 5: Bacova Beer

Recently I spent a couple days traveling the backroads of the Shenandoah Valley into the Appalachian Highlands visiting as many craft beverage establishments as possible. This endeavor included four wineries in the Shenandoah Valley, two breweries in the Appalachian Highlands, and a couple cider houses within both regions. Here's the story. 

Hot Springs was our fist destination on day two, and like many towns in Bath County its development is tied to the long history of tourism centered around the region’s mineral springs. Visitors began arriving in the eighteenth century, and by the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Homestead Resort and surrounding businesses formed a small commercial district that served travelers seeking the springs and the mountain climate. The town today maintains a mix of long‑standing service establishments and newer small businesses that support both residents and visitors to the Allegheny Highlands.

After traveling from Clifton Forge and through the scenic views of Alleghany Highlands and Bath County, we arrived in Hot Springs just in time for Bacova Beer to open for lunch. The brewery initially opened in 2017 and is owned and operated by Seth and Emily Ellis -- both having ties to Bath County’s community and outdoor culture. The name references the historic Bacova community and woodcraft enterprise that operated in the county during the mid‑twentieth century and known for producing handmade household goods. The brewery operates a five barrel brewhouse, a taproom offering a rotating lineup of beers, plus a kitchen serving pub fare and sandwiches. 

One of these sandwiches that immediately caught our attention was their Avocado BLT. Seemed like a great option to pair with their six beer flight.  The first selection was the 180 Kölsch. The name derives from Seth doing a "180" regarding Emily's suggestion to brew this German style beer which their version follows the traditional approach: presenting a pale, restrained malt profile and a dry finish.  Love it and have been sipping cans at home since our return. 

The Furious George is hybrid ale crossing an English Bitter with an American IPA, in other words, biscuity malt background as English Bitters pronounced dry hop character of an IPA.  I'm not sure how I felt about this hybrid - would be interested in their version of a strict English Bitter. 

The Sally Amber is an amber ale -- a style traditionally defined by moderate malt sweetness, caramel notes, and a balanced hop presence. Yet the brewery augments this into a West-Coast style with a  prominent supply of hops.  Another where I would rather try a true Amber Ale 

The Harris Porter is a traditional English porter emphasizing roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee notes, with moderate bitterness and a fuller body than lighter ales. Love this beer - imagine sipping in Autumn among the mountain leaves. 

Bacova brews a year round Irish‑style red ale in the Conner O’Malley. This style typically shows moderate malt sweetness, light caramel notes, and a subtle toasted character, with a reddish hue derived from specialty malts.  Nicely done and named for the family dog - a Siberian Huskey with red fur. 

The final offering in our flight was the seasonal Hay Fever wheat beer. Another very drinkable beer that matches the expected character of  soft grain and subtle fruit with spice notes.  Probably the best pairing choice with the Avocado BLT. Cheers.

Finding Craft Beer on Las Vegas Blvd: Sin City Brewing Company

After spending a few days in Las Vegas we found that most casinos craft beer menu is solely defined as Ballast Point Sculpin, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and Lagunitas IPA. And on occasion you can spot the Joseph James Brewing Company Citra Rye from nearby Henderson and a very decent offering. But obviously not a diverse selection and not necessarily small and independent either. Fortunately there are a number of actual craft breweries in Sin City - 14 according to theCompass Craft Beverage Finder. And one of these offers four satellite tasting facilities directly on Las Vegas Blvd: Sin City Brewing Company. This craft brewery was launched by long-time Gordon Biersch Director of Brewing Operations Richard Johnson. 

Two different times we visited their Bally's location, a narrow bar with outside seating tucked in the far corner of the Grand Bazaar Shops fronting Bally’s. Just follow the smell of hot dogs. Not unexpectedly the styles follow what you would expect at Gordon Biersch with a Blonde, Weisse, Amber Ale, Irish Stout, and IPA. The beers were well made and clean with the Miller Lite and InBev drinkers moving seamlessly to the Never Pass Up A Blonde. The Dark Side of Sin Irish Stout passes as a Guinness and the Say Hello to Amber was a contrast to the sweet and malty amber ales that I try to avoid. Although The Ale With A Tale was a decent IPA, I stronger preferred the slightly heavier seasonal Imperial IPA which was big but providing a balanced mouth feel and soft finish.

• Sin City Brewing Co. - Bally’s

• Sin City Brewing Co. - Harmon Corner

• Sin City Brewing Co. - Planet Hollywood

• Sin City Brewing Co. - The Venetian

#VABreweryChallenge #36 - Arlington's Sehkraft Brewing

Saturday I made my second visit to Sehkraft Brewing and this time they had five of their house brewed beer. This brewery, restaurant, butcher shop, and music venue also carries an impressive list of Virginia and National beers to augment their house brews. First though, the food is unique and outstanding as Chef Jay Jenc melds Eastern Europe and Piedmont/Low Country cuisine - at very reasonable prices. On both my visits I went with the wild burger, the first bison, the second camel. And there's plenty of sausage and kielbasa straight from the butcher shop. Actually, all the meats come from the adjacent butcher shop.

As for the beer I was quite satisfied with four out of five. Their Amber Ale had a nice balance of malt to hops and not overly sweet as tends the style. It also was the best to pair with the camel burger.  The Good To Go Session IPA was both flavorful and aromatic; a low abv session without tasting watery. The Hoptastic IPA was fuller, hoppier, and not over the top. Then there's the Wicked Weiss, a fresh and mildly tart Berliner Weisse - seems like a great beer for their patio and post bike ride. (And Sehkraft isn't too far from the W&OD Trail)  The final beer was the Uber-Awesome IPL which just didn't suit me. I liked the individual aspects of the lager and IPA, but they just didn't seem to meld together and were fighting each other. Otherwise a talented lineup. Go visit soon - theCompass Winery Brewery Distillery Locator app will help. Cheers.

#VABreweryChallenge #35 - Reston's Lake Anne Brew House

 I've lived in northern Virginia for almost two decades but I never knew to visit Reston's Lake Anne Plaza until the Lake Anne Brew House opened two weeks ago. It seems like the nanobrewery and taproom have been on verge of opening for a year now, but they finally navigated the winding and waving state and local regulations to open April 16th.   Jason and Melissa Romano are the proprietors with Jason transitioning from home brewer to professional brewer and Melissa responsible for the architecture. The best drinking spot is on the patio overlooking the plaza and lake tributary. There were only three beers available on my visit because the brewery ran dry on opening weekend. My favorite was the Simon's Stout (toffee focused dry stout with mellow creamy finish). The Reston Red Ale is a nice dry hopped amber ale and thankfully not malt heavy. Finally IPA lovers will be satisfied with the Live-Work-Play IPA (citrus and clean; hop heavy) and a tribute to Reston's founder Robert E. Simon. Looking forward to visiting when their expanding portfolio comes online in the coming weeks. Cheers.