Virginia is for {Craft Beer} Lovers - Devil's Backbone, Bold Rock Cidery & Blue Mountain Brewery

Let's just call this what it is -- a Thirsty Thursday post. 

Recently, I mentioned visiting a few of Virginia's breweries -- it's only fair to share my day with you! 

It's no secret that Virginia is my place -- my roots, my home, what I love, where I'll always be (maybe). I may have mentioned it once or twice -- especially the mountain areas. 

We chose a Sunday to venture on up to Charlottesville to visit Devil's Backbone Brewing Company and Blue Mountain Brewery. It turned out to be beautiful day. Seriously. I was drunk on the weather that day. 

Devil's Backbone is pretty well known, but their brews aren't really my thang. That's ok. My company -- we'll call him Truman -- is pretty into their beer. I didn't really know what to expect from a beer tasting. I just assumed it was kinda like a wine tasting (I've had my fair share of those) or similar to Hardywood's setup. From what I gather, once breweries become established they throw food/restaurant biz into the mix. Kinda makes sense, you just gotta have someone good manning your menu/kitchen. 

Devil's Backbone is in Roseland, VA -- read: no cell phone service. Just you, your brews, and the great beautiful outdoors. A media fast is kinda freeing sometimes. Try it. As you're headed down 151, roll your windows down and clean your lungs out with that deliciously clean air. Thank me later. 

So we get there. I was expecting a tasting room. I got a bar/small tables on one side and a restaurant-type setting on the other. Not what I was expecting, but it was different. What I really didn't expect was feeling like I was in an Applebee's. For real -- this place was gorgeous on the inside, yet no one seemed to care that they were working in a pretty cool awesome place. I don't know - I was shocked really and it kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. 

We ordered a couple flights and Truman enjoyed most of them because like I said, not really my thing. Before we knew it, a few hours had passed so we decided to head out. 

While on our way down 151, I had mentioned Bold Rock Cidery. The evening before, we had gone to Bellytimber and a friend of ours (a bartender at Capital Ale House) was drinking Bold Rock. A few Googles later (before losing service), I found that they were in Nellysford, VA. Low and behold, we passed it minutes after Googling it. 

We decided to stop there for a few before heading to Blue Mountain. I've pretty much decided that 151 is a road lined with beauty and breweries, thus making it my favorite road :) Can I just say, this was the best stop of the day {in my opinion}! Their operation is extremely small, but everyone there was so friendly. We tasted their Virginia Draft (my favorite - a mix of different apples), the Virginia Apple (a sweeter version of the draft), and their Crimson Ridge versions, which I could totally make mimosas out of and be a happy girl (these are more bubbly, kinda like champagne). 

After getting a little tour of their operation, we bought some Virginia Draft to-go and headed to Blue Mountain Brewery. 

The day started winding down and this was a perfect last stop for the day. Their view is awesome, the bartender was very sweet, and they have a brew for just about everyone! 

Again, we ordered a flight and ranked our favorites (their springtime ale was pretty spectacular). I can pretty much always guarantee that the first couple (in this case, 4-5) will be my favorites and the latter Truman will take care of. Just not a darker beer kinda girl. 

All in all, we had an awesome time drinking in the fresh, spring air and delicious brews. 

-Sue

Bratwurst Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Balsamic Reduction - BMB Knockoff

Hey there! 

Been a little off the grid lately -- super busy doesn't begin to explain the past month or so of my life. Mostly involved things like exams, Easter, family time, the Monument Avenue 10k, brewery visits, cooking a few yummy meals here and there, trying not to cut jerk my nose off my face because of the pollen that decided to finally make its appearance this year, andddd a whole lot of other boring stuff for the in between moments -- ya know, like sleeping, driving, etc. 

So I mentioned breweries (a whole post to come with deets). Last weekend I paid a visit to Devil's Backbone Brewing Company, Bold Rock Cidery (officially in love -- cider is about to be the new craft beer -- mark my words), and Blue Mountain Brewery. If you're not familiar with these, that's ok. Their beverages are yummy, but their views are even better! Seriously -- this part of Virginia is one of, if not my absolute favorite (mountain momma at heart, remember?). 

From what I gather, once breweries have been around for a little bit, it's only natural to introduce food/restaurant flare into the mix of things. This can be good and bad, depending on the person in charge of your menu/kitchen. I didn't taste anything at Devil's Backbone {besides beer}, but by the time I made it to BMB my tummy was ready for some yummy. I got the crab dip and it was pretty decent. I definitely want to feel a fierce presence of crab in my crab dip and I didn't with this dip -- nonetheless, still good. 

After finishing off the crab dip, I continued to peruse their whole menu and stumbled across a pizza (Bratwurst w/Apples and Onions) that kept me coming back -- I seriously considered ordering it over and over. I didn't order it but I did snap a pic of the description so that I could make it at home. 

Monday evening came and here's the result:

Bratwurst Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Balsamic Reduction - BMB Knockoff

What You'll Need

• Pizza crust -- I bought mine from Whole Foods because I needed easy, not hard (work smarter, not harder).
• Sauce -- also purchased from Whole Foods -- ditto on the easy.
• Two bratwursts (or a package) -- I bought two from the case at WF becuase I cannot control my actions when I buy bratwurst, and would put them all on the pizza if I were forced to buy an entire package.
• 1 package of mozzarella
• 1-2 oz. of cream cheese
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Pepper
• 2-3 tbsp.vinegar (white or white balsamic)
• 1/2 - 1 C regular balsamic vinegar
• 1 yellow onion
• Olive oil

How To Make It 

• Rub olive oil on a pizza stone and roll out your pizza crust on the stone.
• Slice yellow onion and sautee in a bit of olive oil until caramelized.
• Preheat your oven to 400F.
• Next, you'll make a blue cheese whip. That's right. I said whipped blue cheese. Mine was more of a sauce than a whip becuase I didn't want to pull out a food processor for just a little bit of whip (if you do want to go all out, then follow this recipe for the whip). 
• So for my whip/sauce -- Just put an ounce or two of cream cheese in a bowl and melt it in timed increments in the microwave. Then add blue cheese crumbles to the warm cream cheese (however much you want) -- stir to melt/distribute. Add a dash of black pepper and white vinegar (about 2 tbsp to the mixture). Stir and heat again if needed. Honestly, just make this to taste and to the consistency of your choosing . . . or not at all if you're not a blue cheese lover addict. 
• Squeeze your brats out of their casing into a skillet, separate into crumbles and brown until almost cooked through (kinda like ground beef for spaghetti).
• While you're cooking your brats, pop your pizza crust in the oven for about 8 minutes.
• Next, put ~1/2 C of balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan and heat over medium heat (don't boil) to make a reduction (like this).
• Once crust has cooked for about 8 minutes, take her out and dress her up! 
• Spread sauce over somewhat cooked crust, sprinkle mozzarella over sauce, sprinkle brat crumbles over mozz, add dabs/drizzle blue cheese whip, place onions all over pizza, then finish with balsamic reduction drizzle.
• Pop her back in the oven for about 20 minutes, broil for 1 minute before taking her out.
• Enjoy!

I don't know how BMB's pizza is, but I'll have to order it next time so that I have something to compare my own to. 

I promise -- deets to come about the breweries.

-Sue