Get Your Ale Trail Passport and Visit These 6 Charlottesville Breweries
by PCSgrades Staff - July 13th, 2022
Is there anything better than playing a game and getting rewards for drinking beers? Then you'll love the Charlottesville, Virginia Ale Trail.
Visit each of the six Ale Trail breweries, purchase food or a drink, and they’ll give you a stamp for your digital passport. You can start and finish anywhere you like along the 1 ½ mile pedestrian path in downtown Charlottesville. Complete your passport and get 25% off your merchandise purchase. Cheap merch and cold beers: We’re already in love.
Charlottesville is an easy day trip from Richmond, VA or the D.C. area, including military bases like Fort Lee, Fort Pickett, and MCB Quantico.
Here are the 6 breweries you’ll find along the Ale Trail:
1. Champion Brewing Company
According to their website, Champion Brewing Company is Virginia’s most community-focused brewery, producing a wide variety of ales and lagers in their downtown taproom and joint production facility with Reason Beer. They serve select brews, from constantly rotating taps and one-off beers in both of their tap room locations.
Must-try beer:
True Love. “A party in a can,” this clean and refreshing Mexican-style lager was inspired by classics from south of the border and is a collab with Cockfight Skateboards. Extra tasty with a lime!
2. Random Row Brewing Co.
Random Row has become known for its fresh, small-batch, enjoyable beer and inviting, family-friendly taproom which hosts a regular schedule of events connecting neighbors and businesses. Their super popular Mosaic Pale Ale won a 2020 Great American Beer Festival bronze medal in the hazy/juicy Pale Ale category, a gold medal in the American Pale Ale category at the 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup, and an honorable mention in the American Pale Ale category at the 2020 Virginia Craft Beer Cup.
Must-try beer:
The Mosaic Pale Ale, is of course, award winning. We also love the POG wheat, an American Wheat Ale with Passionfruit, Orange, and Guava (hence POG).
3. Rockfish Brewing Company
This adorable spot shares a space with a plant nursery and has a great vibe to it. Sit at the picnic tables and sip one of their nano brews. Their name was inspired by a drawing from owner Pete McMindes’ son. What’s not to love about that?
Must-try beer:
If you enjoy sours at all, you have to try the Blackberry Gose Sour. This historical German Kettle sour beer is tart and refreshing! Treated with Lactobacillus and fruited with blackberry, it has a robust sour flavor with a crisp carbonated finish.
4. South Street Brewery
Charlottesville’s longest-running brewery and pub had a bit of a rebirth in 2014 when it was purchased by Blue Mountain Brewery, whose owners have a deep connection with this storied brewing establishment. According to their website, two of Blue Mountain’s founders—Mandi and Taylor Smack—both worked for South Street over a decade ago, Taylor having been the brewer from late 2001 until early 2007. The company is committed to maintaining and revitalizing this important Charlottesville landmark and gathering place. South Side has expanded their beer offerings while staying true to some of their originals which helped shape the central Virginia beer scene.
Must-try beer:
Anastasia’s Chocolate Fantasy, A “beer so luxurious it was once reserved for the Tsar's court. And though you don't have to pretend to be royalty to enjoy this imperial delicacy, Anastasia's allure may inspire a flight of fancy.”
5. Three Notch’d
If you like history and beer, you’re in luck. According to their website, originally, the Three Notch’d Road was a colonial-era thoroughfare running east and west through central Virginia. It is believed to have taken its name from a distinctive marking of three notches burnt or axed into trees to blaze the trail. As legend has it, the road was made famous by Jack Jouett’s midnight ride to Charlottesville, VA in June of 1781. After General Benedict Arnold defected to the British, he sacked Richmond and caused a number of our founding fathers--including then Governor Thomas Jefferson--to seek refuge at Jefferson’s home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, VA.
Learning of this, General Cornwallis ordered Banastre Tarleton to ride to Charlottesville and capture the group. Captain Jack Jouett of the Virginia Military heard the sound of Tarleton’s cavalry from his Louisa County home just 40 miles from Charlottesville. Upon witnessing the cavalry pause for an extended rest, he raced the moon-lit Three Notch’d Road to Monticello to warn the Governor and his state legislators to flee Charlottesville. Recognizing their debt to Jouett, the legislature passed a resolution on June 15, 1781 to honor him, and “Jack Jouett’s Ride” became a legendary portion of Virginia’s history.
The original trail runs less than a quarter mile from the location of our brewery. It only makes sense that at Three Notch’d Brewing Company it will be our primary goal to align our products with the rich history of Virginia and lead our patrons down the Three Notch’d Road to great beer.
Must-try beer:
Sour Apple Radler or Watermelon Gose. Both have a great pucker factor and a delicious, crisp taste that will make you want to stay for more.
6. Starr Hill Downtown
Starr Hill is a staple in the Virginia beer scene. As the second oldest craft brewery in Virginia, it has led the way as a pioneer in the industry, helping to lay the groundwork for the growing craft beer community in the region. According to their website, starting out with only a handful of regular employees, kegs of Starr Hill were delivered and sold by hand out of a van, including the milestone first account where C&O Restaurant tapped Amber Ale. We have been pouring our beers and sharing the love at live music festivals since the first Bonnaroo and FloydFest in 2002.
Starr Hill beers have received attention beyond Virginia, including some big awards at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup and Great British Beer Festival.
Must-try beer:
Ramble On, Juicy IPA, with lush, tropical fruit aromas of juicy grapefruit, pineapple, and citrus, this beer has a soft and silky mouthfeel with low bitterness. Cheers!
