The Woodbridge / Lake Ridge VA Beer Scene

More and more I am seeing local breweries opening in my area and around the state. Grocery stores have increased their inventory of micro brews to include regional beers and other beers that were once just local but have grown their distribution to other states.  They are competing more and more with the local dive bars that many of us grew up hanging out where they are slinging out Budweiser or PBR for $3-$4 a pitcher while these local brewery upstarts serve single pours of beer that can be $8 for a 14oz pour.  So… what’s the deal?? Is it worth it?

For me… YES!  Now, I am not some professional wine or beer connoisseur with an educated and refined pallet that can pick out the difference between Amarillo Hops and Cascade Hops… or the type of citrus used in some beer that I taste… or the subtle hint of vanilla and the backend of coffee found in a stout.  I just have my own taste buds and I can appreciate when I am able to fully discern some of the variety of flavors in these local brews. From that… I can tell what I like and what I don’t like.  It is as simple as that. 

These local craft breweries are also more “upscale” than the dive bars I grew to love.  At times I just want to quaff down a Miller Lite or a “Bud” while playing some pool and watching my choice of 15 different sports events on a plethora of TV’s mounted on walls and poles while some local band is killing (or butchering) their rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird” and a low fog of cigar or cigarette smoke that lingers around…. So, for me I hope these local dive bars stick around.  However, I am glad I also have another choice!!

These next few Blog entries I will be doing will be over some of the breweries that have popped up in my area of Woodbridge / Lake Ridge VA.  I will introduce you to them and give you my view of them…and PLEASE remember… it is MY view and opinion and I recommend you read the very first post in this Blog that explains this and what this Blog is all about.  If you have a totally different view and opinion, that is awesome.  Maybe if you see me in one of these breweries we can sit and discuss over a beer!

One of the main things I will also be discussing and crunching numbers on are on what I will generalize as a “Brew Club Membership”.  These ‘clubs’ (generally speaking) are a perk that the breweries have established and to become a member a fee must be paid to join and receive perks above what the guy off the street gets when they come in to buy a beer.  I am going to break each club membership down and in my final post give you what I think is the club that has the best-bang-for-the-buck… they say, “Membership has its privileges” but are the privileges worth the price of membership? 

If folks like what I say here… who knows… maybe I will move on and review the breweries in the next town over, which would be Manassas VA and go from there.  But for now… I am going to focus on the ones closest to me, which would be:

Heroic Aleworks

Brew Republic Bierwerks

Ornery Beer Company & Public House

Growling Bear Beer Company

Water’s End Brewery

(NOTE: Listed in order from East to West from the Potomac River)

I hope you check back as I begin to place my own thoughts about these establishments. What I like, what I don’t like and as I break down the club memberships.  Send me your feedback, feel free to leave comments.  Now… go have a beer!