Brian York Brewery Name: Dirt Farm Brewing Type of Brewery: Retail Brewery Location: Bluemont, VA Website: http://dirtfarmbrewing.com/ Facebook: Dirt Farm Brewing Twitter: @DirtFarmBrewing Instagram: @dirtfarmbrewing Background: My time in Washington, DC, had previously been limited mainly to city proper. While that includes some great spots like Bluejacket, it’s certainly not the oasis of craft breweries that I let myself get accustomed to in San Francisco. I’m back in the Capital City for a time, so I felt it prudent to expand the radius a bit and see what the greater area had to offer. First stop: Dirt Farm! I'll admit, I’ve always been a sucker for drinks with a view. Dirt farm has by FAR the best backdrop I've ever experienced. It’s reminiscent of the setting you'd find at a nice vineyard in Sonoma, which makes sense since the property is shared by their sister winery, a small market, a hop farm, and an apple orchard. Taking advantage of the view with a giant stone patio provides the opportunity to completely and entirely disconnect from city life--a feeling I always forget is so nice until it happens. Of course, the beer has to be good to make a brewery worth visiting (especially at what is essentially a destination location in a rural area), and Dirt Farm checks that box with flying colors. They source as much as possible from their own property and add that hyper-local vibe to all they offer. Great beer, excellent branding, and wonderful service make this a hell of a first impression for what the State for (beer) Lovers has to offer! Growlers: Yes, and they are AWESOME. Stainless steel growlers that look like they could survive the apocalypse are available for purchase in several colors. Another nod to the branding: Dirt Farm has a simple but impressive logo, combined with good-looking merch and swag. The retail beers, in addition to growler fills, are all of the 32-ounce can variety. Not ideal for my personal preference, but certainly not something I’m upset about. The Beers: Dirt Farm had eight beers on tap when I visited (convenient for flights of four!), and as you may have been able to guess by now, all were sampled. Here are a few of the highlights:
Vibe: Serene. I went on a weekend afternoon and, thanks to the amount of space available, it was busy but not crowded. The outdoor area alone is larger than many entire venues, and the inside can hold a good amount, too. It’s impossible to sit here with a beer and look out over the Virginia countryside without letting out a nice healthy exhale and sinking comfortably into your chair. It’s high up on a hill and far from any street noise, plane traffic, or anything else that would take you anywhere but that exact moment in time. There was a pretty large workforce on while I was there, and every single person was as upbeat as the next. The first beertender I spoke with on arrival offered up his thoughts on splitting the menu into a hoppy and non-hoppy flight, which is something I recommend to everyone whenever possible. Others provided what seemed like real, genuine opinions on their favorites, what was new, what was flagship, and what they’d recommend in pint format. There was not a single moment of being rushed or annoyed, and every encounter was high energy. Well done team--it’s a feat that seems increasingly rare these days. The buildings on site are all incredibly fitting for the rustic farm setting without feeling old or dingy. Lots of stonework and some modern touches make for a great combo. There are also a lot of options for seating, allowing for everything from huge groups to a discreet date night table. Dogs: Encouraged, which I am pretty sure will be a theme as I trek through the outer 'burbs. Tons of space and lots of dog lovers at this one. Price ($ to $$$$$): $$$. Perhaps it's just a product of my own bias towards city life, but I expected something this far into the country to be notably cheaper. Flights are on the high end of fair at around $12 for four beers, and full pours are consistent with what you’d see in more populous areas. Higher than I expected, but well within my overall preference. It’s also worthwhile to just consider that some of that beer price goes to the incredible property you can drink it on. Food: On-premises offerings include flatbreads and pretzel bites. No outside food allowed at this one, which came as a bit of a surprise since it’s got such a picnic-here-for-the-whole-day kind of vibe. I didn’t partake in the food, but what I saw looked pretty super. Final Thoughts: I truly enjoyed this one. The tremendous venue combined with more than a few great beers makes it undeniably noteworthy. The hours are understandably a bit limited due to its location, but I highly recommend checking it out during an afternoon while the weather is nice. -- Brian Don't forget to follow us on social media! Facebook: Together We Drink Twitter: @TogetherWeDrink Instagram: @TogetherWeDrink Untappd: Together We Drink Photo credits include: VisitLoudon.org, @notoriousvisa, and the Dirt Farm Facebook and Instagram pages
3 Comments
11/1/2019 12:53:14 am
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1/19/2020 06:09:52 am
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5/23/2022 04:38:40 am
Dirt Farm Brewing is a Farm Brewery on 100 acres in Loudoun region. We are adequately burrowed in the Blue Ridge Mountains 1 mile extreme of the village of Bluemont. Once a weekend retreat created in the 1940’s is now the rural home of our tasting room with lot of outdoor seating. The Brewery is a natural expansion of our 400-acre farm. The Zurschmeide family has been farming in Loudoun Region for more than 40 years. We are thankful to be encompassed by our own families and several friends. We cherished you to bring yours and have a gala time with a brew in the Country. We are devoted to get some fresh and local components to craft beer. Our 3-acre hop lawn of Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, and Nugget is set on and about 10 acres of 6 row full-blooded barley. We keep on planting a force to forge the best Loudoun VA malt. This former fall we netted Dirt Farm’s own yeast strain.
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