Sip your way through the towns of Montgomery County
After a stroll through the streets of our local towns, it will dawn on you that it’s five o’clock somewhere. Why not head over to Rising Silo Farm Brewery, one of southwest Virginia’s farm-based breweries? Located on Glade Road Growing Farm, at Rising Silo you’ll find beers brewed with exclusively organic malts and water from the farm's well. Brew master Greg Zielske also sources produce from other local farms to develop creative seasonal options. Additionally, the brewery utilizes green energy through the power of 113 solar panels that provide 31 kW of solar energy, as well as a solar hot water system.
While you’re there, pull up a stool (or chair) at Farm & Forage Kitchen, the farm kitchen at Glade Road Growing. You can’t get more farm-to-table than when the table’s actually on the farm! Featuring produce, meat, poultry and eggs from right there at Glade Road Growing, Farm & Forage also sources nearly all of their grains, cheese and oils from Southern Appalachia farms and mills that prioritize organic growing.
At Eastern Divide Brewing, treat yourself to an array of different beer styles and flavors for all seasons and occasions. Eastern Divide brews with all Virginia grains provided by Murphy and Rude Malting, lending an authentically local taste to all their brews, and supporting local Virginia agriculture in the process. Eastern Divide also has begun fermenting beers in oak barrels previously used for products like bourbon, wine and maple syrup, adding a greater variety of flavor. When you get hungry, Eastern Divide also has their own kitchen serving farm-inspired cuisine that combines both rustic and refined flavors with the best local ingredients.
Another local favorite, Moon Hollow Brewing Company, boasts an inviting venue where people from all walks of life can connect over fresh, local brews. Named for the small plot of land behind the brewery space, the brewery treats patrons to a variety of locally influenced flavors, from a grapefruit ginger sour to a traditional Hefeweizen. They also offer several craft sodas and mocktails visitors of all ages can enjoy. While Moon Hollow does not have its own kitchen, Feather Bone Provisions & Assembly, located right next door, offers a variety of pub fare options and the option to have your food delivered right to your table at the brewery! Local food trucks are often on site as well.
Located in historic Downtown Christiansburg, Iron Tree Brewing Company was founded by three Virginia Tech alumni with a passion for home brewing. Step into Iron Tree's warm, friendly atmosphere and try a classic James Blonde or Virginia Tech-inspired Duck Pond Water Scotch Ale, or go for one of their many unique seasonal flavors such a Gingerbread Brown Ale or Key Lime Pie Sour. A variety of nonalcoholic options are available as well. Like Moon Hollow, Iron Tree does not have its own kitchen, but partners with several local food trucks so patrons can enjoy everything from Jamaican fare to pizza with their beer depending on the day.
From the grapevines
If you’re with a group divided by beer versus wine preferences, be sure to check out Beliveau Farm Winery, where you’ll find both. Beliveau Farm Winery is truly the story of a labor of love.
With a desire to grow grapes and make wine, Yvan and Joyce Beliveau purchased 165-acres of land that had been overgrown with brush, and the 1900’s farmhouse-turned-barn that sat upon it, in 2001. By 2009, the first grapes were planted with the first wine produced in 2011. The winery officially opened in 2012 and a brewery was added in 2019 to produce gluten free beers – currently Virginia’s only gluten-free brewery.
The secret to their delicious wine, according to Joyce Beliveau, is that they’re committed to making Virginia wine. “We don’t try to make California wine. We let our grapes tell us what they are. So, we make Virginia wine.”
And while the variety of wines available, from the “Destiny” vidal blanc to the “Sweet Surrender” concord, are enough to impress any aficionado, even more impressive is the 165 scenic acres of picnic areas, hiking trails and lavender fields that add the perfect touch of ambiance to your glass.
