The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 14
THE GIST Tasty New Taps BEER DRINKERS WILL HAVE another place to celebrate their love of craft brews this summer. Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery recently announced their plans for a tasting room in downtown Roanoke. Their new space, located at 315 Market Street SE, is tentatively scheduled to open in August. "It's our first brick and mortar location in Roanoke and gives us and the community a sense of tangible progress ahead of the production facility," says Nate Brocious, tours and tasting room manager. "Being in the heart of downtown allows us to expose our culture and brands to locals and visitors alike. Back in 1988 we opened our first location in the heart of downtown in Bend so it only seems fitting that we would open our location in the heart of downtown Roanoke." This new addition to downtown will encourage local craft beer fans to get to know Deschutes as they prepare to break ground in our region for their new facility in 2019. They plan to have more than 15 taps, and drinkers will be able to enjoy in-house as well as fill growlers to take home. Brewerybranded merchandise will also be available. "The role of the tasting room will be to expose our guests to our culture, give them the opportunity to try our brands and for another space for the community to come together over a pint," says Brocious. At time of print, details are still being finalized, but the hope is for the room to have both indoor and outdoor seating. Plans include having food available from surrounding local restaurants. The brewery will also hire staff in early summer. After the surprise announcement, social media was flooded with Roanokers' posts about the news and photos of the space and merchandise. "We are so grateful to be opening a tasting room in such a supportive community," says Brocious. "The enthusiasm of Roanokers is only matched by the level of enthusiasm by all of us at Deschutes Brewery." In addition to their tasting room, the popular Street Pub will take place on July 15 to support local nonprofits such as Roanoke Outside, Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and others. The 2016 event hosted COURTESY OF DESCHUTES BREWERY Deschutes Brewery highly anticipated tasting room prepares to open in downtown Roanoke. A Taste of Deschutes. The tasting room will open in August. 22,000 people and raised $81,000 for the organizations. "The World's Largest Pop-Up Pub" fundraising event showcases several of the vast array of beers Deschutes Brewery offers. -LIZ LONG Sweet Summer Flavors Whether you prefer the classics like chocolate or want a more adventurous flavor like goat cheese, Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. can't wait for you to visit. ICE CREAM LOVERS have a new spot to please their sweet tooth at Blue Cow Ice Cream Co., located at 1115 Piedmont Street, near Walnut Bridge alongside the Roanoke River greenway street. Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. opened in late May. Owners Jason and Carolyn Kiser spent six months renovating the space and perfecting recipes and popular flavors. They make all their ice cream by hand in small 14 | JULY/AUGUST 2017 batches, using the best ingredients and buying local as much as possible to support the economy. While neither owner grew up thinking or dreaming about an ice cream shop, when the opportunity presented itself, they couldn't let the idea go. "Ice cream is something everyone can enjoy," Carolyn Kiser says. "It's considered a treat and often smiles and fun go along with it, making it a joyful thing to sell! It was so exciting to create the flavors, the brand and the experience, and we will continously evolve it to serve our customers and the community." They plan to introduce new flavors each month, as well as use local ingredients depending on season. Kiser adds that they plan to expand their menu to include options without dairy, and are open to suggestions. THEROANOKER.COM