Virginia is for (Beer) Lovers | Purcellville, VA
- crazyonbrew
- Jul 7, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 26, 2019
Adroit Theory Brewing
Having grown up near the Maryland/Virginia border, I was pleasantly surprised to find a whole slew of breweries opening and thriving in Loudoun County, Virginia.
, in Purcellvile, has made a name for itself outside of the area by not being afraid to brew big, loud, and heavy, much like the music the taproom employees prefer. Their can and bottle art is a big focus, and reflects their intense devotion to their beer as an art. Most of their menu consists of big, high ABV beers, such as imperial IPAs, stouts, and Belgian tripels. I enjoyed their Dia De Los Muertos (Ghost 712), which is a version of their Russian imperial stout aged in gin barrels. There really were notes of juniper on the front of this one, and they surprisingly accentuated the stout taste. Shannon enjoyed a flight consisting of their standard Dia De Los Muertos (Ghost 725), Illusion of Safety (their cherry limeade, a little too tart and sweet for my taste), Antithesis: Somnambulist (an excellent farmhouse), and Death of Civilization [angharad edition] (an imperial IPA). You don’t have to have an extensive vocabulary or a knowledge of Welsh names (or is it Mad Max: Fury Road?), but as you can tell, it may help when ordering. All of the beer was delicious though, and should you find yourself in Northern Virginia, it’s definitely worth a trip.
Dragon Hops Brewing
Our next stop in Purcellville was a spot called
. This is a very large space, with lots of parking and outdoor seating as well as a very spacious beer interior. The inside has a hint of a Bavarian beer hall, while doubling as a sports bar with a number of large TVs. We went on July 5th, and appropriately, “Independence Day” (ID4 to those who remember its release), was playing on the large projection screen in the back. The place was sparsely packed in the afternoon, but we were able to order drinks and food. They did serve an excellent soft pretzel with some great mustard. A perfect afternoon snack for day drinking. As for the beer, I ordered a pint of their Daily Bread. It’s a Belgian pale ale that follows the style nicely, but otherwise didn’t stand out. The beer had good yeast character, which is a plus, but otherwise didn’t reinvent the wheel. One could always consider this to be not a bad thing though. Shannon had their Hoppy Honey wheat beer. It’s a good beer, slight hop kick to a nice wheat beer with a hint of pineapple. Not a bad detour, and I'd be very interested to see how full and hopping they get on a weekend night.
Belly Love Brewing
Our final stop on our July 5th mini tour was
. The taproom is in the back of a strip mall, so unless you know where you’re going or have a good GPS, it may be difficult to find. There’s a small, outdoor patio area in front of the entrance, and the interior is spacious and low lit, with lots of wood carved tables and chairs. The ambience is that of a yoga studio, making it a perfect place to chill and drink beer. The taproom has about eight beers on tap at any given time, and many of them are the brewery’s flagship offerings. Of note about Belly Love is the fact that they brew many reduced gluten beers. While anyone with a gluten sensitivity should take it slow and make sure they don’t have a reaction, this is a good offering. Between the two of us, we were able to sample all of them. Standouts included their IBS Strawberry. Belly Love’s IBS (Insatiable Bread Substitute) is a cream ale, and this one had just a hint a strawberry. While I may not gravitate towards fruit beers, this stayed firmly in cream ale territory, with just a hint of sweetness. I also really loved their Shut The Fook Up, which is a really great and drinkable APA that is on tap year round. If you’re in the area, this is a good stop to make, as they also feature live music or trivia nights.
Purcellville is very close to family and good friends, we look forward to checking in on these breweries in the future.
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