Go Local

If and when possible, I’m all about finding local sources of food and drink. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely become easier in the past couple of years around where we live. Local businesses of all sorts have been cropping up in the DC metro area and when I find them, I definitely make an effort to go to them before hitting up chains (when I can’t find what I need).

This of course extends to alcohol. While this may not be California or France, Virginia does have some local wineries that are pretty damn delicious. They are not far and offer a break from the everyday humdrum of life.

Over the weekend, Matt and I headed out west on 66 and visited Narmada Winery and two local breweries – Bad Wolf Brewing Company and Tin Cannon Brewing Company.

The staff at Narmada Winery were super friendly and sweet. If you like red wine, this is a place to check out. It was quite warm the day we visited so I mainly opted for their sangria (even though we did a tasting when we first got there) and it definitely hit the spot.

If you like bitter beers, then Bad Wolf is the place to go. They are a no fuss, small, local brewery that provide a variety of mainly bitter type beers. I’m not a fan of bitter beers, but Matt will go for it more so and he rather enjoyed the different flights we tried out. Since I prefer more crisp beers (especially in the summer), I really liked their Ruth’s Ginger Pear Kolsch style ale.

Lastly we went to Tin Cannon and tried some of their beer, which I found to be super delicious. They even had one that is peanut butter flavored. Of course my personal favorite is their Hefe-Weizen, but that’s only because it’s usually my go-to type of beer.

We are hopefully hitting up a few local Maryland breweries in the coming weeks (not Maryland wine – I’ve been told it is not something one should ever try) so that should be just as fun (especially since it’ll be with a group of friends).

*None of the above mentioned places paid me to go to their business or write this up. Just doing it because I like to share thoughts and pictures. And all photos taken with my iPhone 5.