Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2013 - 71

wild, wonderful West Virginia provides the biggest challenge for Blue Ridge Mountain brewery
hopping. With only five breweries, the state ranks
39th in the U.S. per capita, according to the Brewers
Association, an industry trade group. The well-established Mountain State Brewing Co. began selling
beer in 2005, distributes locally, and has three brewpubs. However, they describe their beers as drawing
upon the state’s “American light beer” tradition – not
an enticing description for craft beer geeks. On this
trip, I instead visited a new Mountain State brewpub,
Lost River Brewing, an easy drive from Northern
Virginia and on the thruway for skiers, outdoors
sports enthusiasts, bikers and travelers.
As a restaurant, Lost River is bringing expertise
and fresh seafood from Irvington, Virginia’s Trick
Dog Café, owned by the same family in Chesapeake
Bay country. The menu choices are diverse, from
burgers to lump crab cakes, and the food is fresh and
tasty.
As a brewery, however, Lost River’s potential is
yet to be realized. I tried a flight of the three Lost
River beers on tap. Of the rotating selections, I was
in town for the amber, black ale, and a cask ale aged
in a bourbon barrel. Although I’d like to tell you
more about the beers, that’s all I know – except, of
course, for how they tasted. There was an unusual
dearth of information about the beer: no write-ups

flights and growlers : talkin’ craft beer lingo

ABV: Alcohol by volume. You can look for “sessionable” beers (coming in under 5% ABV, several
can be enjoyed in a “session”) or for more potent beers, from 8% up.
IBU: International Bitterness Units typically range from a low of 10 to a very bitter 75. As an
example, the Devil’s Backbone flagship lager is 18 IBUs while their IPA is 60. Bitterness is mostly
influenced by hops. For some craft beer lovers, the higher the IBUs the better.
Imperials: These styles are usually “more” of what matters in a beer, especially flavor and ABV.
Flights: Small samples of several beers. These are ideal if you’re still trying to determine your
favorite style.
Growler: A large refillable bottle for taking draft beer home.

or knowledgeable wait staff, and the brewer was too
busy doing double duty as the chef to greet the
customers.
The Lost River amber had a sweet, caramel flavor
and a slight hoppiness, with a touch of the yeast
peeking through. The black ale was pleasantly complex, obviously made with highly roasted malts. The
cask ale was dark in color, and very heavy on the
bourbon, which overpowered the underlying beer
notes.
Though the visit was a bit disappointing, that’s a
philosophical aspect of any culinary tour: the relative
duds may be so only when compared to the winners.
I had a great meal and three beers that were much
better than any mass-produced macrobrew. In the
grand scheme, that’s a success.
With dozens of breweries in the Blue Ridge
Mountains and more beer varieties than high peaks,
brewery hopping can provide endless exploration.
And, like your favorite hike or parkway drive, once
is never enough. Sip, enjoy, repeat. 

From pale yellow to rich
brown, the hues of these
beers at Devil’s
Backbone are merely a
sample of the wide
variety of craft beer
styles.

JULY/AUGUST 2013 | 71

courtesy of virginia tourism corporation

I also enjoyed visiting with co-owner John
Washburn while I was there, who was merrily engaged
in greeting visitors. He was happy to tell how he
acquired this beautiful Blue Ridge property back in
1985 and how he lured Brian Shanks, award-winning
New Zealand cider maker, by showing him pictures
of the mountains in the fall.

Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2013

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