Perfect Getaway in the Mountains

Deep Creek was just as wonderful as I remembered. My husband and I arrived in town around 2 PM Friday afternoon. The temperature was nearly 65*, so the ski resort was not officially open and they hadn't started producing the snow for winter sports. We stayed at a log cabin style inn off of the main road - The Inn at Deep Creek.

Inn and Deep Creek 

The Inn had miles of hiking trails behind the treeline which lead to a lake. After taking the puppy for a nice long walk it was time to head to dinner and try some of the local beers.

Mountain State - West Virginia Born and Brewed

When I entered the brewery I was greeted by two young men, Tom and Dave) working behind the bar. I explained to Tom and Dave  that I had been to Mountain State previously and that I had come back to write about my experience for my beer blog. They poured me a free flight of their flagship beers and asked me if I knew their story. I said I was vaguely familiar, as I wanted to hear about the brewery from their perspective.

Brian & Willie - The Founders

Brain and Willie are brothers and the owners and founders of the brewery. Dave described them as ' the most laid back people you could hope to work for'. He insisted we needed to stop by the Thomas, WVA location on our way home as the beer is from water straight off of the mountain. The initial brewery in Thomas doesn't serve food as the two locations do. They are strictly a brewery. He said to mention he sent us and they would provide us with another complementary flight. Unfortunately, that location didn't open until after 4 PM and we couldn't make in Saturday. I plan on going there this fall/winter to see if I can still take him up on the offer.

Brews and Pizza

The flight included the four main beers listed on their website (they were out of the seasonal brews):

• Cold Trail Ale - Light and buttery, this is absolutely delicious. We took 2 growlers home!
• Almost Heaven Amber Ale - Heavier ale with a spicy finish, this is pretty close to heaven.
• Seneca IPA- Hoppy and dry, but so very good. One of the best IPAs I've ever had.
• Miner's Daughter Oatmeal Stout - A light chocolate flavored stout. It is very good.

Mountain State Flight

Hands down this is the best beer I've ever had. I highly recommend taking the trip to Deep Creek. If that trip is too far, here is a Mountain State distribution site (I may have to order some of these if they become for sale online).

Pizza Brick Oven

The brick oven warms the entire restaurant and fills the air with the scent of warm delicious baking pizzas. The Kickin Chicken pizza had sriracha sauce with grilled chicken, pineapple, and lots of sweet and hot peppers. Easily their best pizza (IMO). Although, they have everything from the typical Meat Lover's Pizza to a Camp Fire Pizza with cranberries and spinach (so literally something for everyone).

Sweet Kickin' Chicken Pizza

Mountain State Interior

The Atmosphere

The brewery is had a rustic vibe and everything is crafted from wood, as they described in their video. The men who worked at the Deep Creek location were very friendly, and seemed to share the owner's passion for great beers. This place is relaxing, laid-back, and friendly to non-locals. 

I left the brewery with two growlers and a new Mountain State tank top - I will continue to support this brewery and I plan to visit it again in the near future.

Mountain State Brewery

Heading up North for a Winter Wonderland Weekend

This weekend for a change of pace I will be staying in Deep Creek, MD. Deep Creek is home to Deep Creek lake, which is the largest inland body of water in the state. Deep Creek attracts people from all over; it's known for a great boating season in the summer and its exquisite skiing lodge/resort in the winter. Wisp Resort is located in the heart of the town. It overlooks the lake and provides beautiful mountain ranges as a back drop. I would highly recommend a visit to Deep Creek anytime, but during the winter months it is breathtaking.

The view from the bottom - Wisp Resort

The Brewery

About 1.2 miles from the resort lies this hidden gem, where locals love to come relax and enjoy come brews by the fire after a day on the slopes

Mountain State Brewery

I may be biased, as I have obviously been to Mountain State Brewery more than once, but this place is immaculate. The owners, Brian and Willie, built their initial location in Thomas, WV. They hand picked the stones for the bar, the brick oven, and they used saw horses for their initial bar stools. The beer is served in mason jars- completing the West VA/ country feeling all around. Today they have three locations - Thomas, WV, Morgantown, WV, and Deep Creek, MD. Their impressive story can be found here.

Interior Layout

Everything inside is wooden - the walls, beams, tables, and even part of the bar. It feels like walking inside a log cabin with a big, roaring fire and the scent of melting pizza. At the center of the floor is a large brick oven where they cook a variety of pizzas, and they are delicious. 

The Brews

The four brews shown above are always on tap and I can attest they are all very good.The year round beers include:

• Cold Trail Ale
• Almost Heaven Amber Ale
• Seneca IPA
• Miner's Daughter Oatmeal Stout

 They will be offering 2 new seasonal beers this weekend, so I will have the chance to experience some new flavors. Surprisingly, none of these brews are considered 'lite', but (from what I recall) none of them are overpowering or extremely hoppy.

Needless to say I am excited for my weekend away! Skiing, hiking, and plenty of beer and pizza.

Old Ox Brewery

Old Ox - a must visit in Ashburn, VA!!!

I was blown away by this brewery experience for a multitude of reasons, but the atmosphere is exactly how a brewery be.

Upon entering the brewery I was asked if I wanted to join in on their weekly corn hole tournament (this is a Wednesday, mind you). Unfortunately, I showed up at 8:30, they closed at 9, and work (beer tastings) had to be accomplished. But, I do foresee an upcoming Wednesday evening here in my near future.

Daily Entertainment

They not only do corn hole Wednesdays, but tap take over Thursdays and live music Friday and Saturday evenings. You can even bring your dog! The relaxed environment and the laid back patrons make this place unique from all of the other bars/breweries I've visited in this area. Below is their weekly activity schedule (I apologize the picture quality is not superb).

The Facility

Old Ox offers scheduled brewery tours over the weekend. However, even if you miss a tour the brewery vats, yeast, and instructions are in plain sight during operational hours. I conducted my own tour

  Beer Tour (photos in order):

1. Maltz used for the beers
2. The brewing schedule
3. The vats where the magic happens (beer is created)

Drum Roll Please....The Beers!!

Wow. Old OX has dark IPAs, heavy ales, Stouts, and Porters...And I liked them all!!! With the exception of their Bourbon Stout (too strong for me) I would order any of there beers again. This was a highly successful visit.  Here is the tasting list:

 They actually had 8 beers total, as the Black Ox was also available on nitro (which essentially makes the beer creamier). I have ranked the beers in order below:

1. Golden OX - I took home a growler of this sweet brew. It probably was their 'litest' beer as a golden ale. It has a buttery taste, and as a pilsner, I'm not surprised it was my favorite
2. Alpha Ox - A surprisingly strong but not bitter IPA. Smooth and refreshing.
3. Black Ox - I didn't notice the difference between the one on  nitro vs. the regular. This is a chocolate porter and although a darker beer it is surprisingly sweet. 
4. Hoppy Place IPA - The name says it all, But for being a bitter beer it was nicely balanced with citris. 
5. Betty- A sweet brown ale that also tastes like caramel/chocolate. Too sweet to be my favorite - but I didn't dislike it.
6. Big Tasty- This is a strong overpowering stout. It finishes smooth, although the first sip is deadly
7. Bourbon Barrel Black Ox- I didn't like this at all. Too strong and heavy .

The Merchandise

I cut my visit close by only giving myself 30 minutes to sample the brews, so I didn't get a chance to purchase any of their apparel. However, I plan on frequenting this establishment and I will buy something during my next visit. I personally love the shirt with the beer holder and mile marker for the bike trail...

If you ever happen to pass through Loudoun County then you must stop in off Smith Switch Road in Ashburn, VA and grab a beer at Old Ox brewery. This is a place you will not want to miss!

OLD OX

 

History

Old Ox Brewery is named after one of the oldest roads running through Loudoun County. Old Ox Rd. connects Loudoun and Fairfax counties and runs through the major cities inbetween. Old Ox Brewery opened its doors in June, 2014 in Ashburn, VA. Located right off of the W& OD bike trail, it's fairly common to see bikers wandering in for a growler fill or two and riding off into the distance with the beer secured to their cycle. Their current facility is a 30 barrel brew house, and they produce approximately 930 gallons of beer, or 9.920 12 oz servings. Here is an introductory video featuring the president of Old OX, Chris Burns .

Red Bull Vs. Old OX

In February, 2015, Red Bull filed a complaint against Old OX Brewery demanding they change their logo. Apparently, " attorneys for the energy drink assert some consumers might confuse the brands because “An ‘ox’ and a ‘bull’ both fall within the same class of ‘bovine’ animals and are virtually indistinguishable to most consumers. In addition, an ox is a castrated bull.” (allaboutbeer.com) Now, I'm not a great artist, but I fail to see any resemblance between the two. Unfortunately for Red Bull, this little stunt caused a lot of publicity - for Old OX. People were suddenly swarming in across the state to visit the little brewery who had beef with the major energy drink corporation.  You can read Old OX Brewery's response to Red Bull's complaint here.

The Beer

4 of the 11 beers showcased on their website are IPAs. While this isn't a deal breaker, this does mean their beers will most likely be bitter, hoppy, and far from lite-tasting. But with blends like the Golden OX and Saison, I am confident I will find an enjoyable beer. And if I don't, the brewery always has a wide assortment of entertainment to keep customers happy. They provide everything from trivia nights to live music, so if you aren't a beer drinker there's still plenty of reasons to stop in and visit this Ashburn hangout. 

Get Lost...

Lost Rhino Brewing Company/Retreat

Unfortunately, when I went to my planned brewery visit for this week (Ocelot) on Wednesday, they were hosting a private event and I couldn't come in for a tasting. But, as I mentioned, there are several breweries in the immediate area, so I decided to stop by Lost Rhino Retreat. 

Overview

Lost Rhino Brewing Company was founded in 2011 by  Matt Hagerman and Favio Garcia, who previously were associated with  Dominion Brewery in Ashburn, VA. Over the last four years Lost Rhino has enjoyed tremendous success - they brew over 5,000 barrels per annum, they have been distributed in local stores (such as Harris Teeter and Wegmans), and this past spring they opened a second location - Lost Rhino Retreat (just miles away from the Lost Rhino Brewing Company). Here is the map which shows their proximity to one another.

Beer Jargon

Here are some terms that I will refer to when I give the review of my tasting:

*Alcohol by Volume (ABV): Amount of alcohol in beer in terms of percentage volume of alcohol per volume of beer
*Hefe- A German word meaning "yeast". Used mostly in conjunction with wheat (weiss) beers to denote that the beer is bottled or kegged with the yeast in suspension (hefe-weiss). 
*Hoppy- Aroma of hops

* IPA - Indian Pale Ale. This is generally a hoppy/bitter beer. 

*Lager- Beers produced with bottom fermenting yeast strains, Saccharomyces uvarum (or carlsbergensis) at colder fermentation temperatures than ales.

Tasting

As you can see, they have an extensive beer menu - ranging from lighter/mid flavors, hoppy IPAs, and yeast/fruity options. For my tasting I chose the following:

Dawn Patrol - This was a lighter IPA with a smooth taste. Unlike may IPAs I've had this was not bitter or overpowering. Only containing 3.8% ABV, this beer is definitely something I would order again.

Megafauna - This was not for me. It was also an IPA, but it tasted like a mix between grapefruit and diesel fuel. I gave this sample to my husband. 

* this concludes my review of IPAs (I only picked two). Here is more information on IPAs and how the beer is made. 

Oatmeal Brown Ale - Hands down my favorite beer at this brewery. This was pumpkin pie heaven! I would suggest adding a pumpkin spice rim to the glass to complete the experience, but I ended up taking a growler of this home.

Kolsch - I assumed this would be my favorite. It's described as a light, easy drinking beer. And it is. Light and fruity, with a hint of bitterness. However this isn't something regularly drink. It turns out I don't like fruity tastes in my beer.

New River Pale Ale - This is one of their main staple, local's favorite beer. My first reaction: YUCK. It was dry, heavy, and bitter enough to make me shudder. It made me wonder why the brewery favorite tasted like a combination of mothballs and formaldehyde. Again, my husband received this taster.

Final Glide (Hefeweizen)- The initial scent I detect with this brew is a mix of cotton candy and cough syrup. Luckily, it tastes slightly better. It's still too heavy/fruity for me.

Native Son-  My tongue might have been in shock by then, but I couldn't really taste much of this beer. It was dry with a light flavor. Neither good or bad, really. 

Overall it was a pleasant experience, and I was exposed to some unique flavors. I took a growler of the Pumpkin (Oatmeal Ale) beer home. But, I'm not ready to start coming to the Lost Rhino as one of my regular hang outs. I'm still in search of a new favorite beer... 

First Stop - Ocelot Brewery!

"Craft Beer is a passion, an obsession and a journey" (Ocelot philosophy)

Ocelot Brewery, located in Sterling, VA, opened in April, 2015. The brewery is nestled off the main road in what look like server/warehouse style buildings (if you were't aware of its existence, it would be possible to drive right past it).


What makes this brewery unique is that the owners have diverse backgrounds; Adrien is a former banker and Eric is and engineer. The third owner, Sebastian, currently spends half of his time here in Northern VA, the other half in San Diego (one of the craft beer capitols in the U.S.). That already gives me a down to earth feeling about this establishment - the people are not beer connoisseurs. They are just regular folks who enjoy beer and decided to give this a go.

From looking at the reviews, people seem fairly impressed with what Ocelot is brewing. 41 beers are listed on beeradvocate.com, none of which fall below a 3.71 (out of 5, that seems pretty impressive). The names of their beers are also gaining popularity, as they are right out of well-known songs, including names such as "Lemon Yellow Sun" and "Tangerine Trees". Their current offerings include a West Coast style IPA (rated 3.94), a Hoppy Wheat (rated 3.82) and a Russian Stout (rated 4.16).



The brewery is know for their bold tasting beers. They claim that their IPAs will constantly change based on hop variety and inspiration. They also have the following description on their website:

"We like big beers and we cannot lie! From the biggest Russian Imperial Stouts aged in spirit barrels to malty Double Reds, Smooth Porters, and velvety Wee Heavies, we just can’t get enough of these complex beauties. Thick mouthfeel, high gravity, and rich flavors suitable for aging to be shared with family and friends"

Given my preference for lite beers, I'm not particularly optimistic I'm going to love these beers. But I love their attitude, and I think I will enjoy my visit to their establishment this week.

And for anyone who is curious - here is a look inside of the brewery.

" Of Course I Drink - I Just Said I was a Writer"

So many beers...so little time

Who doesn't enjoy a nice tasty beverage after a long work week? Unless I have a looming race on Saturday morning, I know I do (and if I'm racing Saturday, you can bet there is cold beer waiting at the finish line). It became even more of a career staple when I started working in government contracting. When you spend nearly 4 days without sleep to put together a 200 page document and ship it out on time, there is definitely celebratory beer involved. That being said, I'm pretty stable with my beverage choices. I like lite beer, preferably Miller. What can I say, if something tastes good than why switch it up? My taste for beer has been amusing for co-workers and friends,and I've been asked when I plan to start drinking REAL BEER (and not 'cancer water', as my friend Mark calls Miller Lite).

The Beauty of Loudoun County

Recently, it seems like Loudoun County has been springing up new wineries and breweries every week. Don't get me wrong, I like wine too. But given the choice about 95% of the time I am going to drink beer. The recent opening of the Ocelot Brewery in Sterling piqued my interest; if i cut through the surrounding tree line it is approximately 1/3 of a mile behind my house. This means I can walk to the bar (no Uber/cab ride necessary) in less than 10 minutes and I can also bring a growler home. The dilemma of course being they do not serve Miller Lite and they only have 3-4 micro brews on tap. So,  this is the perfect time to experiment. Maybe I could like other brews after all. I won't know until I give it a fair shot.


There are several other breweries within the immediate area I haven't explored yet, either. Starting this blog will give me an opportunity to go out and learn about local brewery businesses, discuss the history of the breweries, and hopefully develop a taste for new drinks. My husband has (so generously) agreed to accompany on all of my brewery stops, tours, and tastings. I also have friends in the area who are curious about the local attractions, and they also want to know which places are the best to go around here. So, while this blog will be both informative and engaging, it also gives me a great reason to have a beer with old friends. And I can't wait to write about something that could promote great local businesses.