One of the great things about out of state vacations is the promise of a whole new array of beers to try. Take a trip to a beer town like Portland, OR and you’ll drive yourself silly trying to map out a way to take in the City’s 30+ breweries. With more than 1,500 breweries now fanned out across America, it is no longer a big surprise to find a good craft brewery near wherever you may be. Even out-of-the-way spots often lend themselves to unexpectedly good adventures.
Such was the case during my recent trip to visit family in the New River Valley of southwest Virginia. Seventeen years ago when I moved to Montana I remember friends and family asking, perhaps a bit too seriously, whether mail was still delivered by pony express. I’ll admit it took me a little while to get past the stereotyped notion that a place like Montana must be well behind everyone else in everything from culture to modern conveniences to . . . well . . . beer.
Not true. Well, for most things.
Southwest Virginia is an interesting mix. Largely rural in settlement, it is home to small towns, great outdoor amenities, agriculture and some of the best bluegrass musicians you’ll find anywhere. It is also home to Virginia Tech, my alma mater, an incredible research institution spanning subjects from engineering and architecture to agriculture and veterinary medicine to bioinformatics (what?), natural resources, theater and arts and medicine. The university lends an international flavor to what otherwise feels just like the rural, southern area that is southwestern Virginia. But unlike Montana, until recently the area didn’t have much in the way of beer. Or coffee. Step in to any restaurant and you’d find the same macro-taps. And espresso? Didn’t even know it wasn’t spelled with an “x.”
In many ways, western Montana’s culture tends to be tied to Portland and Seattle, known respectively for their beer and coffee. Both craft beer and craft coffee have been around Montana since well before I moved out in 1993. Each exploded during the mid to late 1990s. Montana now boasts 25 breweries, a pretty impressive number for a spread-out state with fewer than 1,000,000 people. Check out any busy corner in Montana’s cities and you’ll spot a small shack dispensing drive-through espresso. They’re not always good, but at least you don’t have to go far to get your fix. Sit-down coffee shops remain busy throughout the day. Montana’s tap rooms are frequently standing room only. Some of Montana’s breweries even use locally roasted coffee in their brews.
Switch to southwest Virginia and it is still a struggle to find good coffee, but craft breweries are starting to pop up, following a similar pattern with wineries. When I left Virginia, there were only a handful of wineries around the state. Now there are more than 150 turning out some fantastic wines. I don’t think there was a single brewery in the state, but the number has risen steadily during the past few years to more than 30 (I’m having trouble getting an accurate number, which I’ve seen as high as 56). For craft brewing fans, that’s something to celebrate. And taste.
I wasn’t in Virginia long enough this trip to get out and explore many breweries, but I did have a chance to try a few local brews. I also stopped by Blacksburg, VA’s Vintage Cellar and picked up several other east-coast beers I can’t easily get out west. Vintage Cellar is one of the best beer and wine stores you’ll find anywhere. Over the next week or so I’ll post some reviews and info from my trip. It was a great reminder that craft brewing is alive and well, even in places you might not expect.
