Earning Night-time Driving Hours to Backroom Brewery

One night this week my soon-to-be-driving son asked if we could drive for a couple hours so that he could earn night-time driving hours. Of course, I replied, as long as it includes a stop at Backroom Brewery - over an hour away as shown by theCompass Craft Beverage Finder.  I had been targetting the brewery after several trips to visit the Sip Shenandoah Trail and learning that the brewery was Virginia's first farm brewery.  The operation is an outgrowth of the Sunflower Cottage herb farm where they planted hops in 2012; helped Warren County pass an ordinance to allow farm breweries in 2013;  built out a brewery that following year; and finally, opened an expanded brewery, event center, and tasting room in 2019. 

With that expanded capability BackRoom offers almost two dozen beers in their tasting room, many brewed with homegrown herbs. The perfect example is their flagship Lemon Basil Wheat Ale,  brewed with fresh lemon zest & sweet basil -- and a remembrance of the days twisting lemon juice into Pyramid Hefeweisen.  The Kiss Me Kolsch and Regions Pilsner are solid thirst quenchers and the Backpacker Pale Ale a reminder of the old school pale ales without the hop punch.  However, the two favorites were the Shenandoah Sunset Hazy IPA and the Farmwork  Rosemary Rye Saison -- both just delicious versions of what you would expect from the styles and the ingredients. 

We hope to visit again soon on a weekday to savor more of these beers and try the kitchen. Cheers. 

#VABreweryChallenge: #58 - Ono Brewing Company

Chantilly now has its second craft brewery as Ono Brewing Company joins Mustang Sally's to offer craft beer near the intersection of Route 18 and Route 50. Ono means "delicious" or "tasty" in Hawaiian which is one of many ways the winery honors owners Scott and Cyndi Hoffman's ties to the Aloha State. Another link back to Hawaii are several beer styles such as the top seller Manako Wheat Ale brewed with mangoes and the Paradise IPA infused with pineapple juice. There's also the Pau Hana Pale Ale, a solid ale balanced with Motueka, Rakau, Kazbek, Kohatu, and Saphir New Zealand hops. Finally the brwery offers the Haole White Ale infused with cherry juices. This is a refreshing summer beer, neither tart nor sour, just flavorful. Two more I enjoyed were the Hellyes Lager and Hunker Down Brown both excellent examples of their respective styles.

Ono also utilizes the Pour My Beer system allowing customers "to take control of their own beer tasting experience". This works by visitors obtaining a RFID card which they then use to pour themselves up to a pint of beer and being charged by the ounce. There are many benefits to this system. First, consumers can experiment with multiple small pours of different beers so as not to purchase a pint or sampler that they eventually dislike. It also eliminates choke points at the bar where a handful of staff are attempting to service a large crowd. Finally it gives customers freedom to create their own samples or even blend beers to develop a new style. And as always, theCompass Craft Beverage Finder will guide you to Ono Brewing and other craft beverage destinations. Cheers.