3 minute read
This Nomad Feels Right at Home in Middleburg
This Nomad Feels Right at Home in Middleburg
By John E. Ross
Cozy and comfortable immediately come to mind for anyone visiting Nomad Beer & Bourbon in Middleburg, about halfway down S. Madison St. between Thomas & Talbot and the Accidental Peacock. Nomad occupies the only setting of its kind in the village. The pub is located about 20 feet below street level. Come spring, its patio will sprout brightly colored umbrellas, more shielding for tables from traffic above.
Entering the tavern, guests are greeted by polished wood bar and tables. Off to the left is small room with overstuffed arm chairs and couch. Many of Nomad’s furnishings are made from recycled or repurposed materials.
With seating for about 50, Nomad’s intimate atmosphere is no coincidence. Co-owner Bob Coonce wanted to create a tavern with an ambiance like Cheers, the 1980s sitcom where everybody knows your name.
Neither brewery nor distillery, Nomad stocks the best bourbons and craftbrewed beers available in Northern Virginia. On the shelves behind the bar you’ll find Stagg, Elijah Craig, and Russell’s.
In addition, there are various varieties of Weller’s “wheated” bourbons. In them, rye is replaced by wheat in the mash from which they are distilled. Wheat was the principal grain grown by the first European settlers of Loudoun and that’s what they used to make their first whiskey.
Among good local bourbons, Nomad serves Catoctin Creek, distilled in Purcellville; Copper Fox, from Sperryville, and Mt. Defiance, from Middleburg.
For those eschewing America’s signature spirits, Nomad also stocks a wide variety of single malt Scotches, dark rums, and dangerously colorless gins and vodkas.
Nomad seems to be a great pub for sampling a number of local beers.
“When you go to a brewery, I think you can only drink beer from that brewery,” Coonce said. “When you come to a pub like this, you have your choice of 11 or 12 high-end beers.”
Among them are Solace, brewed in Sterling; Triple Crossing and Hardywood, Richmond; and Zadie’s Lager, Baltimore. If those don’t wet your whistle, sample a craft-brewed cider from Winchester Cider Works.
Managing the bar is Dillon Baird. With ten years experience, Coonce said Baird is “exceptional” when it comes to customer service and mixing “amazing” drinks.” Multi-talented, when not mixing tipples, Baird plays in a rock band and teaches kids how to play musical instruments.
During cold months you can taste a bit of Coonce’s Cajun heritage in the gumbos, étouffée, and chili complemented by typical bar food on the menu. All are made from family recipes and nothing is fried. As well, you’ll find Bavarian pretzels, humus, guacamole, and similar fare.
Coonce is a little cagey when it comes to his role in the kitchen. He admits he has “contributed to all of them in one way or another.”
Nomad is his second foray as a restauranteur. His first was the Hammerdown BBQ food truck opened with a partner in 2012 shortly after he moved to the Middleburg area. So popular were the barbecues and related sides, it morphed into the restaurant in Aldie.
The name, Nomad, he drew as a description of his journey through a variety of businesses adventures as a builder of homes and owner of a number of air BnBs. For Bob Coonce, this Nomad is staying put in Middleburg.
