Capital Ale House is Open

Just under three months since a catastrophic roof collapse, Capital Ale House in Fredericksburg reopened this week. We didn't visit on opening day, but Colleen and I did make it downtown for dinner and a few beers on the day after the reopening. Taking seats at the bar, we were greeted by familiar staff faces, and began perusing the beer menu. After quickly making our beverage selections, it was time to look over the food menu.

Capital Ale House has added some new options to the menu, while keeping many, but not all, of our favorites. A couple of Virginia beers, Blue Mountain Brewery Humpback Oktoberfest and Fair Winds Brewing Siren's Lure Saison, along with a new Crispy Artichoke appetizer occupied us while we perused the menu further.

We eventually decided to try out two new items on the menu. Colleen opted for the Pork Belly Tacos, and I ordered the Hub Cap, a Schnitzel Sandwich, served on a Pretzel Roll with Caramelized Onions and a spicy mayonnaise. To go with the flavorful sandwich I opted for a Great Dismal Black IPA from O'Connor Brewing in Norfolk, VA. The roasted and hoppy flavor comibation of the ale went quite well with the sandwich. As it turned out, there were a few O'Connor pint glasses left over from the previous evening's "Steal the Glass" night so I ended up with a souvenir glass as well — not that I really need anymore beer glasses.

We even opted for a celebratory dessert of the Giant Carrot Cake, while we enjoyed our beverages. It's good to have Capital Ale House open again and back on our list of options to visit when we're heading out in search of good beer.

O'Connor El Guapo IPA

O'Connor Brewing Company is located in Norfolk, VA but their beers haven't made it up our way yet. When I spied their display at a Tidewater grocery store, the El Guapo IPA was an impulse purchase. I've not had any beers from the brewery previously and figured the IPA would make a good end of day treat.

The beer pours a bright and clear copper red with a thick, persistent head. There's a sweet caramel and floral aroma. I found the flavor to favor the sweet malt, with the pine and citrus hops bringing up the rear. The finish is clean and bitter. El Guapo has a "juicy" aspect to it. I'm guessing it's the agave nectar used in the brewing. It reminded me of the mouthfeel of some fresh hopped beers, though less imposing.

I enjoyed my glass while relaxing late one evening after a long drive to the beach. Although I was not eating anything, I had the thought it would be great paired with some fish tacos heaped with fresh pico de gallo. Must be the Blue Agave nectar speaking.

More Bottles From VA Brewers

Many craft breweries start out by distributing their beers in kegs to local restaurants and pubs. As word spreads, folks beyond the local area start clamoring for the beers as well. And that's when bottles, or cans, come in to play. In recent months more Virginia breweries have been expanding their production and shipping out bottles for consumers to take home and enjoy. Not long after expanding their distribution around the state, Devils Backbone began shipping its Eight Point IPA and Vienna Lager to stores.

Less widely known Virginia breweries are getting into the act as well. Norfolk's O'Connor Brewing was featured in a Virginian-Pilot article today.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, Kevin O'Connor has begun bottling his brew.

Local supermarkets and stores this week started selling beer produced by O'Connor Brewing Co., a 2-year-old Norfolk brewery. Until now, O'Connor beer had been available mostly on tap in restaurants and bars.  

"The six-packs are selling fast," said John Bovie, store director of Farm Fresh at Ghent in Norfolk, which started carrying them Tuesday. 

Other stores that began featuring O'Connor beer Tuesday include Total Wine & More in Norfolk and Grape & Gourmet in Virginia Beach. "I've been hearing people ask about it every day, usually multiple times a day," Kate Bates, assistant manager at Total Wine, said Wednesday.

Congratulations to Kevin and crew. Unfortunately I've not been able to try the O'Connor beers, nor the ones from Beach Brewing, also mentioned in the article. But I will be on the lookout in stores the next time I visit the Tidewater area.

See "Norfolk's O'Connor Brewing introduces bottled beer" for the complete article.

More Buzz for Virginia Breweries

Here's a link to an article in The Virginian-Pilot on some local craft brewers. The article focused on four Virginia Beach-area breweries; O'Conner Brewing, Beach Brewing, Gordon Biersch, St. George and Williamsburg AleWerks. Beach Brewing is the newcomer in the group, and is making quite an impression on Virginia Beach craft beer fans.

I thought the last lines of the article were especially telling on why Virginia craft beer is growing :

The craft craze has fostered a spirit of camaraderie, not competition, among the local brewers. O’Connor and Young [of Gordon Biersch], for instance, have borrowed each other’s equipment.

Instead of hurting St. George’s business, O’Connor’s entry into the market increased demand for St. George on the Southside, Halfpenny said.

Likewise, O’Connor said Beach Brewing poses no threat: “It opens people’s eyes and further creates a beer culture.”

See Move over Bud - local craft brews are selling big for the complete article.