FOOD & DRINK GUIDE Brewing With so much fertile farmland producing fresh fruit and grain, it’s no surprise Loudoun has become a vibrant craft beer destination. More than 30 breweries make up the county’s LoCo Ale Trail, in a variety of locales – trendy urban taprooms, Piedmont farm beer gardens, mountaintop tasting rooms – few regions can match. While many breweries incorporate local ingredients, some are inspired by the old European "land beer" ethos requiring beer be made solely with regional ingredients. Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery in Waterford leads the way producing, in 2021, the first all-Loudoun grown beer – the crisp, citrusy Loudoun Grown Farmhouse Ale – in which every ingredient came from the farm or county. Vanish Farmwoods Brewery in Lucketts uses hops from its five-acre hops field, while Dirt Farm Brewing in the Blue Ridge makes fruit-forward seasonal IPAs using peaches, strawberries and cherries from their own orchards. As with all creative subcultures, Loudoun brewmasters constantly innovate. You’ll find everything from crisp lagers and hoppy ales to malty barrel-aged stouts fused with herbs, honey, flower petals, coffee, wine or whiskey, many made with obscure yeast strains at Sterling science lab Jasper Yeast. Just as the scene gets more refined, restaurants add local craft beers to menus, notably 1836 Kitchen & Taproom i n Lovettsville and Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg, the latter of which hosts beer pairing dinners. TASTE WHAT'S Don’t miss Virginia Craft Beer Month in August! Check out the events calendar at VisitLoudoun.org 36 | VisitLoudoun.org
2021 Explore Loudoun Visitors Guide 2021 Explore Loudoun Visitors Guide: Page 36
