The Quest for the Holy Grain - Best Brew Pubs
Virginia

 

 

 

Willamsburg AleWerks
189-B Ewell Road
Williamsburg, VA 23188
(757) 220-3670

While in Williamsburg I went to the
Williamsburg AleWerks store, at the brewery. This is a microbrewery, not a brew pub. It's only several blocks from the outlet mall. No bigger than your garage, they have beer and paraphanalia for sale. For $3.00, one can get a 4oz sample of each of the 5 beers currently available. On Saturday, one can pay $6.00 and also take the tour.

 

 

Mad Fox Brewing Company
444 West Broad Street Suite I
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 942-6840

Mad Fox is located in the charming yet bustling center of downtown Falls Church. When you enter you are greeted by the hostess, and 6 large stainless steel serving tanks...so you know they are serious about the beer here. The long bar seats 30, and a variety of stools, tables, and booths provide for a total of 300 thirsty patrons. Mad Fox features 18 taps and 6 hand pumps, but at any given time they most likely offer 6-10 draft beers and 1-3 cask beers. They offer exclusively their own brews, crafted by owner/brewer Bill Madden, formerly of Vintage 50 and Capital City. Mad Fox also fills growlers.
The food menu was imaginative as well as provocative, and features many local Virginia products. Our sandwiches were delicious.
As expected, the beer I had was excellent, and I wish I could have stayed for more.

 

Vintage 50
50 Catoctin Circle NE #100
Leesburg , VA 20176
(703) 777-2169

Vintage 50 occupies the space in Leesburg that used to be Thoroughbred's brewpub. The style is modern and somewhat chic, yet very comfortable and friendly. V-50 offers 8 or 9 drafts, all brewed on premise...no bottles or macros. The ones I tried were quenching, and I wish I had gotten the sampler. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable about the beers. There were about 16 seats at the bar, a number of tables, and seating outside. The food was also delicious.


 

Gordon Biersch
7861 L Chain Bridge Rd
McLean, VA 22102
phone: 703-388-5454

Gordon Biersch is a successful chain of brewpubs across the U.S. We visited the McLean, VA location and found their lagers to be crisp, tasty, and true to style. There were 8 beers on tap, and the selection was comprehensive, including marzen, hefeweizen, and Czech lager. The place had a corporate feel to it, and was populated by an upscale crowd. Nevertheless, Matt, the bartender, made us feel at home and was willing and eager to answer a vast range of questions. There is also a location in nearby Washington, DC, as well as in Annapolis, MD.

 

 

 

Hops Grill and Brewery
3625 Jefferson Davis Hwy.
Alexandria, VA
703-837-9107

Located in a suburban shopping center, HOPS offers four standard brews and two seasonals. A few macro bottles are available. The Bold Gold was good and clean as a whistle. At lunchtime, the bar was mostly manned by businessmen eating and drinking their lunch. The bar is rectangular and spacious, and the bar staff helpful. Kristi, the brewster, showed me the seven-barrel system and explained that she is required to brew the four standards, but has more choice in brewing the seasonals. The Fun Zen Bock was tasty with body. HOPS also has a location in Richmond, but I would not hesitate to return to this one.

 

Sweetwater Tavern

45980 Waterview Plaza
Sterling, VA 20166
(571) 434-6500

There was nothing not to like about our visit to Sweetwater Tavern in Sterling, VA. The outside bar afforded a beautiful view of the lake and was a cool place to sip a hand-crafted beer on a very hot day. Brewmaster Nick Funnell has a repertoire of about 35 beers, of which 5 were on tap. The Wild West Fest was possibly the best beer I've had this summer. Inside, the spacious bar area has seating for about 60 Questors, and is surrounded by a large dining area. Their beer is fresh and popular; manager Chris informed us that they fill about 250 growlers per week. Much, but not all, of the talk around the bar was beer-related. Our bartender, Sandi, was a gem...attentive, professional, and personable. Sweetwater has two other locations in Northern Virginia but I see no reason not to return to this one.

 

 

Piccadilly's Brew Pub & Restaurant
(540) 535-1899
125 E Piccadilly Street
Winchester, VA 22601

Piccadilly's is located in scenic, historic Winchester in a beautifully restored warehouse.The beers are extract-brewed in six gleaming tanks that are on display. Four regulars brews are produced, and they feature several that are blends of the other four. They also offer a large selection of bottled beers, mostly of the macro variety. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, and proprietor Gary Rutherford was eager to explain the brewing process and show us around the premises. On site are two spacious dining rooms and an area for banquets and live music.

 

 

 

Shenandoah Brewing Company

652 S. Pickett Street
Alexandria, VA 22304
703.823.9508 - info@shenandoah.com

Shenandoah is the area's first and only brewery, brewpub, and brew-on-premise facility rolled into one. The bar is small, and serves fresh on draft about 8 of Shenandoah's award-winning beers. What is not on draft is likely in a bottle. It's a minimalist menu, providing mainly chile and chips, because most patrons don't come here to eat...they come to drink beer, brew beer, and discuss the same. Drinking a beer at SB is like drinking milk on a dairy farm, or eating potato chips in Hanover...this is where it’s made, this is where they do it for real, and that adds an air of electricity to the place. There is something passionately satisfying about sipping one of SB’s many fresh selections as you wait for your wort to boil. Novices need not worry; brewmaster and proprietor Anning Smith will guide you through the process of making the style you select. The conversation is seriously about beer as well, and the bar serves as a malting pot for locals interested in drinking and brewing. It’s a hoppening place.