The Next Spot For Finding A Virginia Based Craft Beer On Tap In Roanoke? Oh, About 350 Yards.

As it turns out, it’s an even bigger weekend for Virginia craft beer than originally thought. Not long after Blue 5 added a third and fourth beer from an in state craft brewery (check out that write up below), just down the street, Lucky Restaurant placed Williamsburg AleWerks’ Washington’s Porter on draft. Here’s what Williamsburg’s AleWerks website briefly says about this particular porter…. “Very dark brown/black in color with and aroma of chocolate and malt and flavors of caramel, sweet chocolate and a touch roasted grain. Big malt finish…”. The beer’s listing on beeradvocate.com find well scored after 92 reviews.

Now, perhaps over the years, there have been instances where this many Virginia produced brews have been available around town. But with the current craze of interest in craft beers nationally, and with the growth of restaurants here in my own city dedicating themselves to making such beer available, having this many around town at one time is nothing short of one very wonderful snapshot in time. A quick run-down finds four at Blue 5, the Washington’s Porter at Lucky Restaurant, Starr Hill’s Northern Lights at Martin’s, and if you want to go for seven, include the Devils Backbone Vienna Lager (one of the ones counted at Blue 5) at Local Roots Restaurant. And these are primarily just the new additions. Add in several more which were already on draft around town, like some of Richmond based Legend’s beers, Roanoke based Big Daddy’s Brewing, featured at Awful Arthur’s downtown and Growlers at Towers Mall, and Roanoke Railhouse beers, which you can find just about everywhere around town, and the list simply continues to grow. At this rate, another Virginia craft brew may be going up on tap right around the corner. In the downtown area, those words can be taken, it seems, quite literally!

Well done, Roanoke.

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