Did you know that our late neighbor, Thomas Jefferson, not only cultivated grapevines for wine, but brewed his own beer as well? It seems appropriate that the Charlottesville, VA area is known for craft breweries as well as wineries. You don’t need to be a zythologist (beer connoisseur) to enjoy our local brews. Plan a day to sip your way through craft breweries in Charlottesville, VA, or stop by while you are hiking or touring other sites.
If you prefer to tour versus drive the Brew Ridge Trail, plan ahead and make a reservation with Hop on Cville Tours. They can take you to the brewery of your choice and give you plenty of time to taste and enjoy. There is even an evening tour starting at 5:30pm.
Make sure you check out individual websites for information about live music and other events. Many of the locations have outdoor areas including biergartens, fishing, and games.
Here is a quick summary of the craft breweries around us to help you make your choices:
Starr Hill Brewery
Founded in the 1990s, the original location was once home to Virginia’s first ever craft brewery. Now with several locations and dozens of awards under their belts, Starr Hill continues to brew seasonal and popular varieties.
Pro Re Nata Farm Brewery
The translation for this latin name is “for a thing born.” For this brewery it means making their brews using ingredients from folks that they know, and a brewmaster with more than 15 years of experience. There is a large outdoor area and always at least five beers on tap.
Blue Mountain Brewery
(Plus their Sister Brewery, Blue Mountain Barrel House)
Started in 2007, Blue Mountain maintains its roots in rural Nelson County with two locations. Both have hop-growing facilities, which are used in their beers. The Barrel House features one of the largest temperature-controlled barrel-aging facilities on the East Coast.
Brewing Tree Beer Company
Brewing Tree is celebrating its 3rd anniversary this year! Their setting has a meadow with room for games and fishing. You can enjoy live music several times a week, with five core beers and others on rotation.
Three Notch’d Brewing Company
Three Notch’d is named after a colonial era road that ran east-west through Virginia. It was named after the three marks etched or burned into trees to signify the original trail. They have a variety of styles of beers, and are currently open for tours (with reservations). The main production facility is located in downtown Charlottesville.
Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company
Devil’s Backbone was started in 2008 by Steve and Heidi Crandall. After winning numerous awards and building a state of the art facility in neighboring Lexington, the company was acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2016. Although they specialize in lagers, there are many more styles available.
Wild Wolf Brewery
Wild Wolf calls itself “Virginia’s Green Brewery” based on its sustainability practices, not only in the brewery, but in all aspects of its business. They opened in 2011 in a renovated county schoolhouse, and offer a variety of options, including award-winning stouts.
South Street Brewery
South Street is a brewpub located in downtown Charlottesville with more than a dozen beers on tap, and a great informal menu. They are housed in a converted brick warehouse, specializing in ales and lagers.
With so many places to visit, you will certainly need more than one day! Plan a weekend or several days to make sure you can savor the full flavor of the Charlottesville area. And what better home base to use than Foxfield Inn! Make your reservations now, and be sure to call if you need help planning your itinerary.
