Weekend Tap Update: Parkway’s Factory Girl And A Couple of Great, New Local Tap Rooms In Which To Enjoy A Beer

Another great warm weather weekend is descending upon us here in Roanoke and with it comes that familiar, growing anticipation for a beer or two to celebrate. Below are a couple beers that have either recently shown up around town, or will this weekend, to consider doing exactly that with.

Local Roots has recently added Stone’s newest collaboration IPA, called Collective Distortion, to its tap list. A double IPA coming in at just over 9%, the beer is brewed with an addition of elderberries and coriander. While the only familiarity I have concerning elderberries doesn’t have anything to do with taste or aroma or beer, but instead seems to be some vague, dusty, long lost association to a song lyric or two about “elderberry wine”, and I’m betting a lot of you out there are the same, we must always consider that Stone rarely produces an IPA that is less than tasty. Also, in keeping with their usual focus on locally produced beer, Local Roots is looking to add Parkway Brewing’s session IPA Factory Girl to the draft list over the weekend as well.

Outside Chaos Mountain Brewing Company

One visit to either Chaos Mountain Brewing Company and Soaring Ridge Craft Brewers and it’s easy to see why both are looking forward to the weekend’s potentially beautiful weather, as both locations feature welcoming tap rooms with plenty of access to the outdoors. At Chaos Mountain, seating is located immediately inside a large roll up door, so much so that you feel like you’re sitting on someone’s front porch. Located in Callaway, that “front porch” also happens to welcome in the quiet countryside and rolling hills that are just across the road from the brewery. Soaring Ridge located their brewery inside an old Flowers Bakery building, which also features large roll up doors all along the front of the structure, giving those inside a similar feeling. If you ride out to Chaos Mountain, definitely check out their newer beer, Toulouse To Trek, an easy to drink and flavorful Biere de Garde style beer. If you head downtown to Soaring Ridge, give the Night Hiker (Black IPA) a try. A slightly charred (wet, smokey wood?) taste typical of the style makes this a beer to check out. From posts on their Facebook pages, both Chaos Mountain Brewing and Soaring Ridge Craft Brewers have listed great sounding food to go along with their beer offerings for tonight and tomorrow.

Martin’s in downtown Roanoke also keeps rolling out some interesting finds on their draft list. Among the recent pleasant surprises have been a beer or two from Perennial Ales from St. Louis, and Allagash’s James Bean, which is the brewery’s always delicious bourbon barrel aged Tripel Curieux, but with an addition of coffee.

Personally, I can’t wait for the weekend to officially start. So get out and enjoy the weather, Roanoke craft folks, and taste some fine beer – especially at our local restaurants and breweries! Cheers!