Labor Day weekend. The unofficial end of summer. When school is back in session and Southerners are preparing for their annual religious awakening to begin………. College football. Catherine, the kids and I decided to head up to Southwest Virginia to visit family for the long weekend. That Sunday my bother in law suggested we visit Nelson 151. Nelson 151 is a stretch of highway in Nelson County, Va, that is littered with breweries, wineries, and a cidery. Lucky us.
Our first stop was Blue Mountain’s Barrel House Brewery in Arrington. We were the first visitors of the day. They had a cornhole board outside along with plenty of room for the kids to run around. The brewery is by itself nestled next to a vineyard in the mountains. We both ordered their offerings on a flight. We walked upstairs where they had a comfortable seating area. The kids enjoyed the games – they had a foosball table and TV. Every beer was better than the next. Stand outs include Local Species Belgian Pale Ale, Brew Ridge Trail Earth Double IPA (a collaboration with several Va breweries), Brew Ridge Trail Moon India Pale Lager, A Hopwork Orange IPA, and Dark Hollow Imperial Stout. I wish this place was closer to home.
We finished and headed to our next destination, Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company in Roseland. We got there at lunch time and saw that it was already pretty crowded. It was obvious that this was a local favorite. We put our name on the list and waited for a table. After being seated we ordered a flight and waited for our food to arrive. We’ve had their Eight Point IPA before but never on draft. I was happily reminded why I love this beer. The food arrived and no one was disappointed – the fish and chips were a big hit as were the burgers! The only thing I would suggest is to come early or wait. Either way you will enjoy this place.
We jumped back in the car and headed up the road for our next stop, Bold Rock Hard Cidery in Nellysford. Most of the people in our group aren’t fans of the ole cider (Catherine and I included) but when in Rome. We sampled some offerings that were pretty tasty but I was ready for the next brewery.
Wild Wolf Brewing Company, which is also in Nellysford was our last stop. We had already eaten but they do serve food at this brewery. We grabbed a flight and sat down to enjoy. There were several families scattered amongst the crowd enjoying themselves, in and outside. It was a really great stop with lots of cool space to explore. The beers were good with the stand out being Kick it Hunny Belgian Pale Ale. By this time everyone was ready to get back home so we headed that direction. We enjoyed Nelson 151 and would highly recommend! It is a beautiful, scenic area with plenty to offer – and with a lot of really great beer!
Cheers!
Jason
Leave a Reply