#VABreweryChallenge #49 - Sweetwater Tavern Centreville

We've been off the #VABreweryChallenge for too long and stopped of at local brewpub chain Sweetwater Tavern Centreville for an early Sunday dinner. There are two other Sweetwater Taverns, one in Merrifield and the other in Sterling, with the trio sharing the same beer menus. The food is quite nice and reliable across all three with the beer decent, but not exceptional. The Naked River Light is a lightly hopped Pilsner suitable as a lawnmower beer. On the other hand their Iron Horse Lager has more flavor and hop profile and more satisfying on my palate. The Great American Restaurants Pale Ale was my favorite - a solid offering. The Great American Restaurants Oktoberfest was as expected with suitable maltiness - I just don't care for the style. And finally, their Ghost Town Pumpkin Ale is not bad, spices added to the glass rim not the brew. I like that serving method. Cheers.

Paradox Brewery - Another Beauty Among the Adirondacks

Before beginning the ascent into the Adirondack Mountains, theCompass Winery Brewery Distiller Locator alerted us to a small brewery off Schroon Lake (northeast of Lake George): Paradox Brewery. And after visiting I strongly recommend their beers; they were fantastic - starting with the Paradox Fest Lager. This version of an Oktoberfest is drier than most while still retaining malty flavor and an even keel of hops. I think my favorite Oktoberfest beer ever. Their Paradox Pumpkin Lager was similar, dry with subtle pumpkin and spices - not a sweet pie bomb. The Black Fly Porter was a solid porter with toasted chocolate and a rather bigger hoppy finish. And finally their Beaver Bite IPA is a dry hopped IPA with big citrus aromas and a delicious pale malt profile. Less than two years old, this microbrewery is making some beers to rival more established operations. Nicely done.

W&OD Bike Trail: South Arlington -> Where the Sidewalk Begins

In my commute to work, I veer off the W&OD Trail around mile marker 4 to join the Custis Trail as detailed in my W&OD post on North Arlington. This past weekend, I remained on the W&OD to ride where the sidewalk begins - in South Arlington. This stretch of the trail is flat and scenic, even along Four Mile Run Drive which is aligned with community gardens. When the trail ends, hang a right on Shirlington Drive, catch a bite at the Weenie Beenie Sandwich Shop or head into Shirlington and Capitol City Brewing Co. Cap City produces decent beers - particularly their Signature beers - try the Capitol Kolsch during a ride. They also produce several seasonals - even a Farmhouse Saison so expand your palette.

Now, for the adventurous, Alexandria's Port City Brewing Company is only four miles away. There are multiple routes you can take, so I highly recommend using theCompass Winery Brewery Distillery locator to integrate into your device's navigation feature. I selected the Quaker Lane route which entailed a steep hill on my return, but it did pass a Civil War historical marker.  I arrived to a packed brewery, even with the second bar and the seating area in the brewing area. Today was their Oktoberfest release day, and despite usually trying to avoid this style (many are too sweet and malty), the beer-tender talked me into one. Glad he did. This beer was far from overly sweet and had a bit of smoke at the tail. I saved room for the Ways & Means, a rye beer that is funky, spicy, and a session beer. Perfect for cycling - except when you have 17 miles to home. Safe travels.