Local breweries feature seasonal favorites
The last of the summer peaches have fallen, and now pumpkins and apples are ripe for the picking. But, the aroma of autumn is wafting not only from kitchens and orchards; the flavors people tend to associate with the holidays are enjoyed not just in dining rooms and restaurants. Craft breweries across the country are whipping up small batches of their seasonal offerings to be enjoyed by beer enthusiasts far and wide, especially in central Virginia.
“Fall is the biggest season for craft beer,” said Mark Thomson, brew master of Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet, Va. “Each brewery has their own thing.”
Starr Hill Brewery has a very popular “thing:” their Boxcar Pumpkin Porter, a deep brown English-style porter. Boasting flavors of pumpkin and spice and an alcohol content of 4.7 percent, the Boxcar has quickly become a favorite of craft beer connoisseurs across the Piedmont and the East Coast. The Boxcar Pumpkin Porter was released on Aug. 1, and while there were an estimated 3,000 cases produced, it is almost completely out of stock. “People can still find it at some select retail stores, but we’re totally sold out at the brewery itself,” said Thompson.
Those who missed this year’s pumpkin porter need not fear. Starr Hill’s winter brew (The Gift) will be released on Nov. 1 and will be available through Jan. 15.
Only a few miles west of the Starr Hill brewery, in Afton , VA, Taylor Smack, master brewer at Blue Mountain Brewery, is concocting his own craft specialties for the holiday season. Seasonal craft brews are “big-time,” remarked Smack. And though most people tend to drink more beer during the summer months, the cold-weather seasonals are actually more popular than the lighter pilsners and wheat beers offered during the summer.
“Beer always moves in cycles,” said Smack. “Brewers and consumers get a little more amped up for the cold-weather season…everyone gets excited for the special beers they can share with friends or drink around the table with holiday meals.”
Blue Mountain Brewery’s most popular seasonal offering is called “Lights-Out.” Available from October to Christmas on tap and by bottle, “Lights-Out” is a mahogany–brown, malty English-style ale with an alcohol content of 7 percent.
Starr Hill Brewery is open Wednesday though Sunday for tastings and retail sales, and offers tours of the brewery from noon to 5 p.m. (tours begin on the hour); Blue Mountain Brewery is open every day of the year, excluding Christmas and Thanksgiving, and offers tours on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. To find out more about these local breweries, stop by and have a taste, or find them on the web at starrhill.com and bluemountainbrewery.com.
