#VABreweryChallenge (#64): Chubby Squirrel Brewing Co. Opens in Fairfax City

There are nine craft breweries within Fairfax County with the newest finally populating Fairfax City: Chubby Squirrel Brewing Co.. This facility is located quite close to George Mason University and owners Boyd Harrison and Josh Paine plan to accommodate the thirsts of both age appropriate students and local residents. They also offer an interesting mix of brewpub cuisine such as wings, pierogies, poutine, sliders, and fries as well as wine and cider for those inclined.   Bu craft beer is the main attraction and out of the gate Chubby Squirrel created a diverse and tasty portfolio.  On our visit the lineup consisted of Hefeweizen, WereSquirrel Black IPA,  Squirrel In the Rye, Blonde Squirrel Blonde Ale, Pumpkin Eater (Nitro) Pumpkin - Yam Beer,  Golden Squirrel (Cask) Belgian Tripel.  The blonde, rye, and tripel were our favorites, but in general all were respectful for their styles and worth a taste.  And as always theCompass Craft Beverage Finder will guide you there. Cheers.

Visiting More Loudoun County Breweries #VABreweryChallenge

Loudoun County is the largest and fastest growing craft beer region in the Commonwealth and this past weekend I used theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App to visit four. Dog Money Restaurant & Brewery (#42) opened recently in the old Vintage 50 location by brewer Dean Lake and Tim Regan. The existing 10 barrel system is used to brew a rotating lineup of 6 lagers\ales with the Loudoun Common Golden Lager spot on. The molasses fused Mo’ Porter was also quite nice with the remaining - Dog Money Red Ale, Hostile Extraction IPA, Belgian-style Tripel, and Dog Money Hefeweizen - all up to style.

Black Walnut Brewery (#43) is also located in downtown Leesburg and opened at the same time as Dog Money. owner Patrick Wilt is\was a passionate home brewer and converted a former salon to a cozy brewery.  The patio is a great spot to sip a pint and my favorite was the Black Lab IPA. This black IPA was flavorful with a balanced and smooth finish. I also tried the Yellow Lab IPA and it was a little weaker in both flavor and hop character. I look forward to revisiting when the brewery's production has settled.

Barnhouse Brewery (#44) reopened this Spring in its new barn-brewery, tightly integrated in the Loudoun Wine Trail with The Vineyards & Winery at Lost Creek and Hidden Brook Winery within walking distance.  I sampled through a 4-beer flight and loved three quarters.  The Breakfast Bitter was well made, just not my thing that day. On the other hand, the Piedmont Smoked Porter was outstanding with the smoky flavors integrating with the food truck sausages. The Kittoctin Kolsh was spot on, refreshing and minerally. And finally the Barrel Aged Whiskey Shenandoah Stout, aged in used Catoctin Creek Distilling Company Roundstone Rye barrels, is fantastic. The vanilla and rye blends nicely with the stout's mellowed chocolate malt.  Barnhouse is a must visit.

As is Vanish Farmwoods Brewery (#45), a large brewery and hops farm located just north of Lucketts.  On our visit there were 14 beers on tap which makes filling their massive 12 beer flight a little easier.  And these 14 fulfilled many styles: IPAs, an India Pale Lager, a few tasty sours, a delicious Cabernet Stout, a few Belgiums, and even an Oatmeal Pale Ale. There was not one beer where I thought, "don't like that one". There's also regular live music, cornhole, and plenty of picnic tables inside and out. I hope to return during their Oktoberfest celebration the last weekend in September. Cheers.

#VABreweryChallenge: Old Bust Head Brewing Company (#13) and the Tin Cannon Brewing Co. (#14)

This Sunday we continued the #VABreweryChallenge with a visit to the Gainesville area and Old Bust Head Brewing Company and the Tin Cannon Brewing Co.. I was introduce to Old Bust Head through Jammin Java, where their Chukker Pilsner and Bust Head English Pale Ale are served. The brewery is located adjacent toVint Hill Craft Winery, thus a wine-beer pairing is mandatory; as is a visit to the nearby Cold War Museum. The brewery was founded by Ike and Julie Broaddus and Charles Kling, who converted a former military contractor’s warehouse. They planned big, adding capacity to soon reach 40,000 barrels of beer annually with implemented their plan to distribute widely in the Mid-Atlantic. Master brewer Kling received industry training at Abita Brewing Company and the Diamond Bear Brewing Company to augment his Chemical Engineering degree.  The tasting room is spacious; the beers  solid, mainly traditional styles.

• Graffiti House (7.5%) - West coast styled IPA. Powerful citrus aroma and finishes very clean.
• Bust Head English Pale Ale (5.6%) -Flavorful pale pale, decent bite at finish.
• Wildcat IPA (6.7%) - Hoppy aromas, without the painful over-hopped finish. Very nice.
• Chukker Pilsner (4.4%) - Bready,  caramel, with steely hop finish.
• Goldvein American Wheat (3.9%) -Where's the wheat? But enjoy nevertheless.
• Sumerduck Saison (5.9%) - Solid Saison, spices evident but not overwhelming.
• Gold Cup Russian Imperial Stout (10%) - Favorite beer; big, malty with chocolate tones and a little bite at the tail.
• Chinquapin Chestnut Porter (5.1%) -Subtle mocha and nuts, solid offering.

The Tin Cannon Brewing Co is a smaller and newer brewery located minutes away from the Route 29 and Route 66 interchange in Gainesville. The brewery opened in November 2014 and uses a 2 barrel system which means lots of small batches. When we arrived co-founder Aaron Ludwig noticed us admiring their setup and kid-friendly brewhouse (ping pong and cornhole games in progress), stopped work, and introduced himself. We learned that Aaron and John Hilkert were home brewers who's kids were friends so they planned joint brew sessions. Eventually the two thought of grander plans and thus, the brewery. It's smaller size and seated tasting bar gives it a more intimate feel and the staff was talkative and playful. They also produce several really cool beers: 

• Breakfast of Champions (6.5%) - Amber ale brewed with chipotle peppers and bacon. The flavor profile oscillates between the two. Very drinkable.
• Gilligan's Island Ginger (5.8%) - Pale ale infused with mild ginger spice from ginger root. A taste of Bermuda.
• Tin Cannon Double IPA (8.8%) - High IBU (84) but meshes with excess malt to blend seamlessly.
• Virginia Blonde Ale (5.0%) - Easy drinking ale with flavor.
• Vaughn's Peanut Butter Porter (7.0%) - Not at all sweet like the Sweet Baby Jesus and the PB lingers long with the finish. Also served with vanilla ice cream.
  
  

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Christmas in New York City - Brooklyn Brewery on the Itinerary

As tradition has it, my family once again asked for a trip to New York City to partake in the Christmas lights and festivities throughout Manhattan and the other boroughs. This year I agreed, with one stipulation; we allocate enough time to visit Brooklyn Brewery - located in the now trendy Williamsburg industrial area. And this visit was easily handled with the Prospect Park Zoo on the itinerary.

I've been a big fan of the brewery ever since my first Double Chocolate Stout many years ago - perhaps close to their 1988 opening. Since that time the brewery has expanded its portfolio from their famous Lager to many different styles. And the brewery itself has expanded with demand to double its capacity and eventually triple it next year.  And anyone who follows beer culture knows the influence of Brewmaster Garrett Oliver as he is  editor-in-chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer and author of The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food. One day we need to feature him on MyJoogTV.

We arrived at the brewery to find a swelling crowd even though the tasting room had just opened. As it was Sunday we were welcomed to SmorgasBrewery; where local "underground" chefs provide gourmet food to pair with your beer. And what a selection of beer - maybe a dozen options - and not just the perennials augmented with some seasonals. I noticed only two - the Brooklyn Brown Ale and Brooklyn Lager, surrounded by the single hop Sorachi Ace, Radius, Winter Ale, Brooklyn Monster Ale, and There Will Be Black - among others. After sampling a few, my favorites were the Brewmaster's Reserve There Will Be Black and Sorachi Ace. The former is a Black IPA that satisfies my craving for chocolate transitioning into a bitter finish. The latter is a Single-hop Farmhouse Saison where the rare “Sorachi Ace” hops (developed in Japan by crossing the British “Brewer’s Gold” with the Czech “Saaz”) is sourced from a single hop farm in Washington state. The beer is cloudy but light; lemony but very clean - with a refreshing, almost acidic finish. Love the style and ingenuity using a single hop variety.

With the family keeping a tight schedule there wasn't time for a tour or more tasting, but with the renaissance in Williamsburg, I see a destination trip in my future. Beer and live music seem to pair well in Brooklyn. Cheers.

Note: Brooklyn Brewery is open to the public Monday-Thursday from 5-7pm for reservation-only Small Batch tours, Friday evening for Happy Hour, and Saturdays and Sundays for Tours and Tastings.