August is Virginia Craft Beer Month and we are happy to have our second Virginia brewery of the month in this week! The Virginia craft beer scene has exploded over the last decade, creating social spots across the state for people to gather, tell stories, and soak in local flavor. It has helped propel small businesses to national prominence and has piqued the interest of larger national craft breweries, a couple of which have setup shop in VA.
Yet, it is not just beer that has blossomed in locally. Cider has historically been Virginia’s calling card: Thomas Jefferson had it as his “table drink” and colonists in the 17th and 18th centuries drank it like water! Today, there are roughly 20 cideries in the states, spread out from Downtown Richmond to the deepest parts of the mountains. They make a huge variety of styles, everything from clean, crisp wine-like ciders to funky, earthy barrel fermented and aged ciders. Then, over in Maryland, we have a handful of cideries that are doing their thing, including Millstone Cellars, who make their ciders to traditional way with a winemaker’s aesthetic, using oak barrels and wild yeasts.
Finally, we have Virginia Wine, which has been a source of mystery to many and joy to thousands since Thomas Jefferson tried to plant grapes at Monticello. Today, grapes are planted across the state and it is home to seven American Viticultural Areas that cover dramatically different terrior from the ocean to the Shenandoah!
This Week’s Schedule:
- Cider Tuesday, 5-7p:Â Local Cider with Kysela!
- Beer Thursday, 5-7p:Â Ardent Craft Ales
- Wine Friday, 5-7p: Explore the World with RVWC!
- Community Event, 5-9p:Â Fridays at the Fountain
- Staff Pick Saturday, 2-6p:Â Staff Pick Tasting
