Hops are becoming the new vines in Virginia’s liquid tourism industry. Reston Limousine will launch NoVA Brew Bus on Feb. 1, and continue the series every first of the month.
“I see it developing the same as the wine tours,” says Tony Simon, the chief operating officer of Reston Limo, of the newly established beer loop including Mad Fox Brewing Company, Port City Brewing Company and Beltway Brewing Company. In 2002, when Reston Limo started wine tours in Virginia, “people were not used to going out to these wineries,” says Simon.
Simon sees beer following the same slow-growth path of wine tourism. “It’s in the infant stages,” says Simon, but with “a resurgence of these microbreweries and their approach of doing tastings, and making it an event, we felt that it was going to take on the same excitement and feel.”
Out of the three breweries on the tour, Beltway is the newest to the beer scene and differs because it operates as a contract brewer. Beltway offers two house beers—Batch One Amber Ale and Suite Dee Session IPA—in its tasting room and for this tour, will also showcase beers developed for Adroit Theory Brewing Brewing Company, a brewery aiming for “boundary-pushing” beers. A black triple, Shadow of Truth, brewed for Leesburg‘s Crooked Run Brewing Company will be available on the tour. Beltway also brews for Wooden Skiff Brewing Company from Hilton Head, S.C.
The tour starts at Mad Fox with a lunch of pizza and sandwiches (with vegetarian options) served with: Mad Fox Kolsch Ale, Dingo India Pale Ale, H Street Belgo IPA and Wee Heavy Ale. Port City’s offerings include: Optimal Wit, Essential Pale Ale, Monumental IPA, Maniacal IPA, Porter and Revival Stout, made with local oysters.
The tour costs $55—not including tasting fees, which have been discounted at 20-percent off at Port City and Beltway Brewing—with departures from Dulles Town Center Mall or the East Falls Church Metro. Full details below and at NoVA Brew Bus.
SCHEDULE
11:00 A.M. – Depart Dulles Town Center Mall – lower level area between JC Penney and Lord & Taylor.
11:35 A.M. – Depart East Falls Church Metro station (Washington Boulevard side)
Please make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow time for boarding the vehicle.
11:45 P.M. – Lunch & Tastings Mad Fox Brewing, Falls Church
1:40 P.M. – Port City Brewing, Alexandria
3:45 P.M. – Beltway Brewing, Sterling
5:00 P.M. – Depart Beltway
5:10 P.M. – Arrive Dulles Town Center
5:45 P.M. – Arrive East Falls Church Metro station
*This post has been updated
