17 minute read
BREWERIES GET FUNKY WITH THEIR FRUIT BEERS
BREWERIES GET Funky
WITH THEIR FRUIT BEERS
In fact, the app based craft beer retailer Tavour has seen an explosion in fruited styles in the last 12 months — nearly 20% of all products they offered in 2021 were heavily fruited! That represents a massive increase from the previous year, when just over 10% of their total offerings contained significant amounts of fruit. And when the company started back in 2016, these beers were practically unheard of — thick and fruity Milkshake IPAs and Smoothie Sours weren’t even on the national radar yet! While heavily fruited styles have become more popular of late, the practice of adding fruit to beer does have historical precedent. Brews like Framboise and Kriek have long been staples of the Belgian scene, and flavoring beer with various fruits dates back to at least ancient Egypt. But, as Tavour has seen recently, a juicy, puree-blasted arms race among brewers is storming through American craft! It’s not just about who can pack the most fruit into a beer. These days, a brewery has to bring some seriously unusual flavor to stand out from the crowd. North Dakota’s Drekker Brewing is among the most successful purveyors of new-school fruited beers, and it’s transformed their hometown of Fargo into an unlikely craft beer destination. Of the 650+ breweries available through the Tavour App, they’re among the most popular. Their Braaaaaaaains Smoothie Sour series and Chonk Pastry Sour series garner consistently high ratings among users.
Drinkers find plenty of unusual offerings among the cavalcade of fruits the brewery has experimented with, including elderberry, dragon fruit, and prickly pear — a fruit harvested from a cactus that some describe as a cross between raspberry and watermelon. According to Drekker’s co-founder Mark Bjornstad, the more unusual the fruit, the more people want to try it. “The weirder the better,” he explains. “We always work to select the highest quality ingredients and that takes extra effort but it’s so worth it.” Especially for flavors that people haven’t had before. Robert Rivers of Imagine Nation Brewing in Montana agrees. When the brewery released their Chaos Theory Soursop Milkshake IPA in November, it was met with excitement, but also confusion. “No one within about 30 degrees of latitude knows what a soursop is. That’s half the fun. Introducing people to exotic fruits that go well with hop-forward beers is something we love to do!” For the record, the soursop is also known as a paw paw or custard apple, and many tasters describe it as a cross between a pineapple and a strawberry. Some breweries have deeper reasons for seeking atypical fruit flavors, like New Jersey’s Montclair Brewery. Co-founder Leo Sawadogo grew up in Burkina Faso, Africa, where he watched his mother brew beer for his local community, as is common in the region. He often incorporates fruits and flavors from his childhood in offerings like Baobier, the
BREWERIES GET Funky
WITH THEIR FRUIT BEERS
brewery’s Golden Ale flavored with the fruit of the African baobab tree. Other breweries are lucky enough to have rarely seen fruits growing right in their own backyards, like Alaska’s Anchorage Brewing Company. They’ve flavored multiple releases with haskap berries, a wildharvested fruit that only grows in the far northern reaches of the northern hemisphere. Some say it tastes like a hybrid of blueberry, strawberry, and blackberry, meaning the crew at Anchorage gets unparalleled depth of flavor with just one addition. New York’s Evil Twin is also famous for experimenting with bizarre ingredients, and that certainly holds true when it comes to fruit. They recently released a Milkshake IPA made with yuzu and buddha’s hand — a pair of exotic citrus fruits that most people in the U.S. have never even heard of, let alone tried. But, as Imagine Nation’s Robert Rivers is quick to point out, even the most unexpected fruit additions are only as good as the beer they go into: “We try to combine ingredients, however unusual, in a way where [they] play well together and produce a superior product. In other words, we don’t use unusual ingredients just for the sake of using them or to be gimmicky, but because there is a purpose for using them.” What will the future of fruited beer hold? That’s anyone’s guess, but if trends hold it looks like things will get weirder for the foreseeable future. For those in search of a taste, there might be a nearby brewery adding prickly pears to their brew kettle right now. If not, a service like Tavour can bring some of the best fruit-forward breweries in the country right to your door.
Colorful macarons infused with locally grown lavender, BBQ ribs smoked with seasoned wood, and tandoori garlic naan baked in a traditional clay oven…all this and more await you in Virginia’s First Culinary District, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1779, this charming town is located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley and has long been known for its farm-totable fare. Over 50 languages are spoken in Harrisonburg and the blending of cultures contributes to the food, shopping and entertainment offered as well as the welcoming nature of the people.
With Harrisonburg’s proximity to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive to the east and the George Washington National Forest to the west, outdoor enthusiasts are able to hike, bike and climb in the surrounding woods and enjoy spectacular views. Take a dip in the swimming hole at Riven Rock Park, hike to a waterfall at Hone Quarry Campground, or journey to the summit of Massanutten Mountain for sweeping views of the Shenandoah Valley. Harrisonburg holds the distinction of being an IMBA bronze level ride center. Throughout the year cyclists are drawn to races in the area including the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo which features 107 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing. Local shops offer all the gear and advice a cyclist or hiker might need to navigate the area.
Although only 17 square miles, the town has an abundance of beautiful parks and wooded areas. Grab a picnic basket of goodies from Heritage Bakery and Café or sandwiches from Lola’s Delicatessen and stop by Hillandale Park, offering over 74 acres of walking paths, and biking trails for all levels. Hikers, cyclists and birders also enjoy the paths through Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, a woodland sanctuary and public urban garden.
Home to award-winning breweries, Harrisonburg has six craft breweries all within walking distance and each with a different character. Choose the small intimate Friendly Fermenter to learn more about microbrewing from their owner or catch a live band at Restless Moons’ backyard patio. Consider visiting Pale Fire Brewing Company, located in an old Ice House complex which now houses modern condos, a coffee shop, restaurants, and jewelry store. Sage Bird Ciderworks offers alcoholic and non-alcoholic ciders using only Virginia apples and locally grown fruits. Just outside the town are five vineyards offering award-winning wines.
This penchant for high-quality locally made items continues in the artisan shops that line Main Street from Lineage handmade leather and canvas heirloom bags to Oasis artisan gallery. withSimplicity, a purveyor of natural beauty products made locally use only the purest of ingredients. A few blocks from Main Street, exquisite jewelry is designed and crafted from vintage hubs at Hugo Kohl Jewelry Boutique.
Visitors enjoy Harrisonburg’s over 200 restaurants, many shops and quaint museums and attractions, including Virginia’s Quilt Museum, the Valley Turnpike Museum and the Brethren and Mennonite Heritage Center among others. Download the
Traipse app to enjoy free self-guided walking tours featuring local African American History and notable architecture or scavenger hunts with clues.
Harrisonburg offers a wide variety of entertainment. For evening entertainment, enjoy a local band at the Golden Pony or an art film at Court Square Theater. The town celebrates First Fridays Art Walks each month with 20 – 30 locations showcasing the finest local art. For a thrilling experience, try your hand at axe throwing at Beards & Broads.
Harrisonburg has been welcoming people with warm hospitality for over 200 years as an important stop in the Shenandoah Valley just two hours from Washington, D.C. and Richmond. Visit and discover why Harrisonburg is Friendly by Nature.
DESTINATION: Harrisonburg, VA Breweries
Sip, sit back and relax at The Friendly Fermenter, a small microbrewery with an intimate gathering space in the heart of Harrisonburg, VA. Settle into a sofa by the fireside at Pale Fire Brewing Company, where you can browse their lending library or tune into the rich tones of vinyl records. Climb into an igloo at Restless Moons Brewing to watch a live band play under twinkling lights. Try inventive releases at Brothers Craft Brewing, a popular brewery located within a renovated Coca-Cola bottling plant or enjoy the work of local artists at Three Notch’d Valley Collab House. Harrisonburg’s craft breweries have a strong reputation for friendly service, great events and award-winning libations.
Each of Harrisonburg’s six craft breweries are within walking distance of each other, making it easy to begin your journey on the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail. Simply pick up a Beerwerks Trail passport at one of participating breweries, obtain eight passport stamps, and receive a free Beerwerks t-shirt.
From home brew inspired beers to meticulously crafted mainstays, these craft breweries offer some of the best brews in the nation. Sample award-winning flagships or savor small batch seasonal varieties made fresh on site. A continually changing tap list and locally sourced ingredients add variety to the flavors you will experience here. As you explore Harrisonburg’s craft brewing scene, add variety to your experience with a flight of hard apple cider at Sage Bird Ciderworks, made exclusively from Virginia-grown apples and locally sourced fruit.
Add some excitement to your beercation by attending events at these breweries. Each of Harrisonburg’s craft breweries has a willingness to share their passion for beer with others and frequently host food trucks, live bands, and exciting festivals at their locations, allowing you to eat, drink and savor the best that Harrisonburg has to offer.
BY MEGAN HILL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIMI WERNER
THE POPULARITY OF THE HIT NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY MY OCTOPUS TEACHER PUT FREEDIVING ON A WORLDWIDE RADAR. THE SPORT INVOLVES HOLDING YOUR BREATH WHILE SWIMMING UNDER WATER. THE SPORT CAN CERTAINLY BE EXTREME, WITH PARTICIPANTS SWIMMING TO IMPROBABLE DEPTHS, BUT IT’S ALSO POSSIBLE TO EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF THIS EXPERIENCE AS A NEWCOMER.
The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii recently started offering a two-day package involving a rare opportunity to freedive in Hawaii with champion freediver Kimi Werner. The experience takes participants on a once-ina-lifetime adventure in the famously clear waters amid the colorful and abundant sea life of Kona-Kohala.
Werner, a renowned freediver and spearfisher, grew up on the island and started catching spearfishing at a young age with her father, to provide food for her family. Now, she’s a United States National Spearfishing Champion and incredible ambassador for the ocean.
“Connecting to the underwater world gives me a sense of presence that is absolutely invigorating. Immersing myself in this environment on a single breath of air awakens something deep within me that guides my way in life on land,” says Werner.
Swimmers receive other perks as part of the package: photos from Werner’s husband, accomplished photographer Justin Turkowski; a freediving basics lesson at the newly renovated King’s Pond; a thrilling trip aboard the resort’s Ribcraft inflatable boat; and a four-course private dinner with local ingredients and wine pairings to cap it all off. Guests who participate in the two-day package will receive shoes from OluKai, a digital folder of the photos from Turkowski, and an eight-by-ten print in a local wood frame.
The resort has promised to donate a portion of the proceeds from each package sale to a local nonprofit working to protect and enhance the cultural and natural landscape of the Hawaii coastline.
The Five-Star, Five-Diamond Resort prides itself on its cultural experiences packages, which give guests a richer experience of island culture than they might receive at other resorts. Other offerings include: •Neil Kamimura Blacksmith Experience: Take a trip to an island coffee farm with Hawaii Island-born blacksmith Neil Kamimura and work with him to forge a personalized knife, followed by lunch from Neil’s wife, chef Flora Kamimura. Back at the resort, guests participate in a knifeskills cooking class with a resort chef. •‘Iliahi (Sandalwood): Journey to the native Hawaiian ‘Iliahi forest on the slopes of Mauna Loa for brunch, a sandalwood farm tour, and a spa experience back at the resort. The ‘Iliahi spa experience includes a vibrational forest essence session focusing on energy work with a sound bath, a moisturizing coconut oil body cocoon, and a massage with highly emollient sandalwood oil. •Dave Scott Triathlon Experience: This five-day triathlon clinic is run by Ironman champion Dave Scott and includes video analysis, a pre-camp phone consultation and a post-camp tailored training prescription, group meals and a welcome gift of triathlon apparel and gear. •Hawaiian Kanpachi: After a private tour of Blue Ocean Mariculture’s kanpachi hatchery with a marine biologist, you’ll zip back to the resort on the Ribcraft, visit the open-ocean pens to see fish feeding, and snorkel with spinner dolphins, tropical fish, and honu. The day caps off with a fivecourse kanpachi dinner customized to your preferences, including wine pairings.
GREENBRIER VALLEY, WEST VIRGINIA
CRAFTED CONNECTIONS
If you ask anyone who lives in the Greenbrier Valley, food is engrained deep in its Appalachian roots. Foraging for wild ramps, morels, blackberries and other native delicacies are a favorite family pastime. And growing the table’s staple menu remains a common practice. It’s a place where gathering around a meal, sharing stories and good company are part of every day.
The typical chain restaurants are few and far between in this corner of West Virginia. Instead, you’re more likely to find a downtown, two-story walk-up, converted historic residence, even the old hardware store housing the local dining venues.
The Greenbrier’s culinary excellence, a 250-year-old American icon, has played a large part in the region’s discerning preferences on fresh ingredients and innovative dining experiences. The first stop for any foodie connoisseur—Lewisburg’s five-block historic district, where the options are nearly endless and deliciously unexpected.
At The French Goat, Chef Masters prepares classic French bistro dishes, often enhanced with his own diverse repertoire. Right around the corner, The Livery Tavern is an intimate venue of American fusion cuisine. Guests are drawn to its warm interior, complete with stone fireplace, rustic bar and intimate booth seating. For classic Italian dishes and pizza with a twist, The Humble Tomato has taken up residence in one of the oldest homes in Lewisburg. The meatballs are a signature family recipe and a must-try.
Many of the valley’s restaurants practice farm-to-table, but at Stardust Cafe, it’s a mantra. The restaurant features fresh, Mediterranean fare, sourcing locally-grown produce and meats whenever possible, using the region’s bread and pastry artisans and relying on fair trade. The Historic General Lewis Inn is a stately lodging residence with charming rooms, farm-to-table dining and a well-stocked bar. If you want to experience a traditional West Virginia dish, the mountain trout is prepared grilled, sautéed or broiled.
In downtown White Sulphur Springs, only fifteen minutes from Lewisburg, Big Draft Brewing corners the market on Appalachian-style cuisine blended with artful panache. The house nachos are a meal to themselves and wellpaired with a flight of the brewmaster’s finest creations.
EASY NIGHTS
In the Greenbrier Valley, a fine meal is often topped off by a live performance or nightcap at one of the local watering holes.
Art goes from page to stage at Greenbrier Valley Theatre. As the state professional theatre of West Virginia, GVT produces Shakespeare classics, captivating dramas and Broadway blockbusters. With only four remaining in the world, Carnegie Hall (yes, that Carnegie) is a pillar of culture and creativity in the region. The Hamilton Auditorium fills with sounds of well-known headliners and upand-coming artists.
Hill and Holler’s flavorful wood-fired pizzas and wings are complemented by a mix of colorful acts that regularly set up for evening jam sessions. Cross Creek on Main’s rustic venue sets the stage for a night of dancing to live music. And Lewisburg’s quirky vegetarian coffee shop, The Wild Bean, transforms into a music venue on select weekend nights. Tap into local brews and enjoy the tunes of highly sought-after artists passing through town.
For the perfect evening wrap-up, The Washington Street Pub and The Asylum are notable mainstays featuring full bars, while a taste of Europe is never far away at The Briergarten. It’s a West Virginia take on the German beer garden—17 taps with beer from West Virginia, Italy, Germany and Japan. Prost!
The Greenbrier Valley is blazing its own trail, merging the rich Appalachian culture of the region with a melting pot of diverse perspectives and tastes. It’s welcoming and laidback… and favors the simple pleasures of a great meal. So when you’re ready to “simply get away,” consider the Greenbrier Valley for your next escape.
GREENBRIER VALLEY-CRAFTED SPIRITS, CIDER & BREWS
GREENBRIER VALLEY-CRAFTED SPIRITS, CIDER & BREWS
Mountaineers take pride in handcrafting high-quality products, and artisanal beverage-making is no exception. Whether partaking of a pint made from local hops or savoring bourbon aged in West Virginia oak barrels, you’re sure to taste the spirit of the Greenbrier Valley in every sip.
Hawk Knob Hard Cider & Mead crafts Appalachian heritage into every bottle they deliver. They’ve embraced traditional methods of old-time cider-making, harvesting regional heirloom apples and aging in old whiskey and bourbon barrels. Drop by the tasting room to enjoy a crisp hard cider or one of their signature cyser meads. For a picnic of sorts, “retire” to the pond-side porch—a la carte cheeses and charcuterie are also available.
Use the best of everything – that’s Smooth Ambler Spirits’ commitment. Visit the distillery to sample their fine selection of bourbons and ryes, including the house-made whiskey, Big Level. If your curiosity is piqued, take the production tour from fermentation to barrel aging and see their philosophy in action.
Fans of cryptids and myths should head to the Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company taproom. These beer lovers maintain six flagship brews and roll out several small batches that pair with the flavors of each season. Fancy a Mothman IPA or a Batboy Lager? Order a flight of these tried-and-true legends. Or check out the test batch “kitchen”—the team reserves their creative experimentations for the taproom bar.
Big Draft Brewing subscribes to the mantra, making beer is art—drinking beer is an event. Brewmaster J.W. Groseclose leads his team in pursuit of worldclass beer. You’ll find easy-drinking beer on the menu—like the Forman American Lager—as well as more complex flavor profiles (J.W.’s favorites). But don’t take his word for it. Sit down for a drink and a bite to eat. Big Draft’s dining menu is as inventive as its beer.
