Style: Pale Lager   
ABV: 5.2%   
IBU: 20  
Package: Draft & 32oz. Crowler Cans to-go!!

Fonio is the oldest cultivated grain in Africa. In addition to being highly nutritious and having a great taste, it also germinates quickly, can be harvested in as little as six weeks, is drought resistant, has minimal resource requirements, and can be stored for longer than most grains. Despite all of this, In recent years it has been heavily underutilized in favor of imported crops that are more expensive, don't grow as well, and don’t provide the same level of food security. By brewing with fonio we help to support small-scale growers and create a more viable market for this ancient grain. Fonio also has great potential as an ingredient in beer, it's easy to work with, and process for brewing, and it contributes to silky rounded mouthfeel as well as a subtle fruity and nutty profile.

In order to showcase this grain we opted to brew a very straightforward pale lager that we hopped with Virginia grown Cascade from Greenmont Hopworks. The aroma is light and floral with notes of white bread, jasmine rice, and lychee. The flavor is a blend of water cracker and straw with subtle white grape and floral tropical fruit. The fonio contributes a pleasant softness to this light bodied lager, but it doesn’t prevent it from having a dry refreshing finish. 

Grains: Pilsner, Fonio, Acid Malt
Hops: Greenmont Cascade
Yeast: House Lager

Style: Norwegian Farmhouse Ale   
ABV: 4.0%   
IBU: 15   
Package: Draft & 32oz. Crowler Cans to-go!

We have done a pretty deep dive into the Farmhouse brewing traditions of Northern Europe. After brewing many beers following these traditions we have finally decided to brew one that isn't an homage to a specific style, but still follows in the footsteps of their brewing ethos. We are calling it a Norwegian Table Beer. We brewed it with hand-gathered local juniper boughs, as well as Virginia grown barley and wheat from Murphy & Rude, before fermenting it with our preferred strain of Norwegian Kveik yeast.

The result is an approachable and refreshing Farmhouse Ale, that still retains many of the elements we love from these brewing traditions. The aroma is herbal and woodsy, thanks to the use of juniper branches, with specific notes of fresh dill, pine wood, and dried lemon. The flavor is floral and citrusy with notes of botanical gin, orange zest, and green tea. This beer has a light body and a dry finish with woody tannins and hint of bitterness.  

Grains: Murphy & Rude Virginia Pils, Murphy & Rude Soft White Wheat, Murphy & Rude Chit
Hops: Chinook
Yeast: Kveik
Other: Juniper Boughs (Juniperus virginiana) A note on this, some people call this Eastern Red Cedar, it is not actually cedar but instead is a variety of juniper native to our region.

Style: Norwegian Farmhouse Ale  
ABV: 5.8% 
IBU: 30   
Package: Draft & 500ml Bottles to-go!!

The sassafras leaves we gathered for this project grow wildly on a forested mountain in Warm Springs Mountain Preserve. Composed of thousands of acres in the western part of Virginia, this preserve is part of the Allegheny Highlands Conservation program, managed by The Nature Conservancy. 

For the first year of this project, we were lucky enough to gather an abundance of chanterelle mushrooms, but this year the mushrooms were less bountiful and we decided to turn to sassafras leaves. These leaves are something we could sustainably collect in a large quantity, and we knew they would contribute a beautiful aroma and flavor to the finished beer. The team from the Nature Conservancy were kind enough to share this magnificent space with our team, teach us about the conservation work being done there, and gather almost 40 pounds of sassafras leaves.

To showcase this ingredient, we chose a Norwegian inspired Farmhouse Ale. We knew that its light refreshing body and mild estery yeast would enhance the fruity characteristics of the leaves, while not masking or competing with their fragrant profile. We worked entirely with Virginia grown, and malted grains, combining Murphy & Rude 6-Row Pale with Greater Richmond Grains Organic Wheat, to produce a malt profile of sun-dried straw and fresh dough. This grist also contributes to a round soft mouthfeel that doesn’t linger, allowing for a dry but mellow finish.

The profile of this beer is an expressive display of fruity sassafras leaves. The aroma is a combination of fresh ginger, lemongrass, and citrus peel. The flavor is earthy and fruity, with a profile reminiscent of candied ginger, mountain mint, and lemon candy. Throughout the profile there is a unique spice-like quality and a robust fruitiness that the sassafras leaves deliver. They bring a brightness to the beer as well as a welcomed rustic earthiness that balances the intensity of their aroma. 

Grains: Murphy & Rude 6-Row Pale, Greater Richmond Grains Organic Raw Wheat, Murphy & Rude Cimmerian Wheat
Hops: Elixir, El Dorado
Yeast: Kveik 
Other: Sassafras Leaves Gathered From Warm Springs Mountain Preserve 

Style: Schwarzbier     
ABV: 5.0%    
IBU: 25    
Package: Draft & 32oz. Crowler Cans to-go!!

Our Schwarzbier combines the refreshing and smooth profile of a lager with dark roasted malt tones. Its toasty and nutty aroma has highlights of baker’s chocolate and cocoa nibs, while its flavor combines toast pumpernickel with cold brewed coffee and rich dark chocolate. The combination produces a beer that has characteristics of dark malt but with medium body, mild bitterness, and smooth finish.

Grains: Vienna, Munich, Pilsner, Murphy & Rude Chocolate Wheat, Speciality Roasted Malt, Acid Malt
Hops: American Noble Citra, Nugget
Yeast: House Lager

Style: Graf    
ABV: 4.4%    
IBU: 12    
Package: Draft & 500ml Bottles to-go!!

Anytime we get to collaborate on a beer we try to do our best to incorporate elements from all the partners involved. So when we started talking with Blue Bee Cider about a collaboration, we knew we wanted to produce something that had elements of both beer and cider. Which is why we chose to make a Graf, a hybrid of both fermented beverages. This particular Graf is modeled off an English Mild Ale, but in addition to a blend of some of our favorite Murphy & Rude Malts we also added, almost equal parts, apple pomace to the mash. 

Pomace is what remains from apples after they have been pressed for cider. The pomace we used for this project was from Hewe's Crab and Cox's Orange Pippin Apples, grown by Stony Creek Orchard, and pressed by Blue Bee Cider. Mashing the pomace with the grains this way allowed us to extract some of the remaining sugar from the apples as well as much of their flavor and aroma. The resulting beer is lighter bodied and drier than a typical English Mild, but still has plenty of toasty malt tones, accompanied by fruity apple and cider notes throughout.     

Grains: Murphy & Rude English Pale, Murphy & Rude Honey Light, Murphy & Rude Brown, Murphy & Rude Crystal 260
Hops: American Noble Simcoe
Yeast: House Ale
Other: Hewe's Crab & Cox's Orange Pippin Apple Pomace from Blue Bee Cider

Style: Extra Pale Ale    
ABV: 6.0%    
IBU: 45    
Package: Draft & 32oz. Crowler Cans to-go!!

The term Extra Pale Ale has been used to mean a few different things over the years, but in our case, we use it to mean a Pale Ale that has a little extra ABV, and a bit more aggressive hopping. We aimed for a light-colored Pale Ale that we wanted to be crisp, hoppy, and quaffable. To do this we used an extra light colored German base malt and layered in Murphy & Rude Soft Red Wheat, for a bit of body, before hopping it aggressively with Mosaic and Chinook.

Pouring a beautiful light gold hue this Pale has an aroma that leads with notes of balsam pine, pomelo, and orange blossom. The flavor has some sweetness at first, but notes of pine resin, grapefruit peel, and subtle hop spice help to produce a pleasant pithy bitterness that accents its dry finish.

Grains: Heidelberger, Murphy & Rude Soft Red Wheat, Acid Malt
Hops: Mosaic, Chinook
Yeast: House Ale

… full notes coming soon …

Style: West Coast IPA
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 50
Package: Draft & 32oz. Crowler Cans to-go!!

Hopped with Simcoe, Citra, and Strata, this West Coast style IPA features pungent aromas of citrus, tropical fruit, and pine. Its round mouthfeel is balanced by a dry, crisp, finish and an assertive but pleasant bitterness.

Grains: Pilsner, Malted Wheat, Chit Malt, Acid Malt
Hops: Citra, Strata, Cryopop
Yeast: House Ale

Style: Danish Old Ale    
ABV: 9.2%   
IBU: 40    
Package: Draft & 500ml Bottles

Our Danish Old Ale is modeled on a historic Danish tradition of brewing strong beers in March or April, conditioning them over the summer, and then serving them in fall and winter. This history is similar to the German tradition of Märzen, meaning March, and the English tradition of "March Beer," sometimes known as "October Beer," both of which were stronger beers brewed in spring conditioned over the summer and served in autumn.   

Our homage to this tradition is a big, 9.2% ABV, Farmhouse ale brewed with a blend of Murphy & Rude malts and fermented with a fruit forward yeast, before being conditioned on second use oak spirals for a subtle addition of oak. The aroma is fruity with notes of black currants and blackberries, that mingle with earthy notes of black walnuts, dried leaves, and fall mushrooms. The flavor is sweet up front, with notes of crushed red apples and toasted malt that gives way to a drier finish, accented by tones of almond skin, subtle oaky vanilla, and a hint of alcohol warmth.  

Grains: Murphy & Rude Pale, Murphy & Rude Belgian Amber, Murphy & Rude Crystal Malt
Hops: Hallertauer Tradition
Yeast: Kveik
Other: Belgian Extra Dark Candi Syrup, Oak Spirals

Style: American Sour Ale  
ABV: 5.4%  
IBU: 10  
Package: Draft & 500ml Bottles to-go!!

This beer is a blend of two different barrels of Norwegian Farmhouse Ale that were both brewed entirely with Murphy & Rude 6-Row Pale, and fermented with Kviek yeast, before being barrel aged for just over two years, with two unique cultures. Our “Slashes” wild culture, caught in Ashland VA, dominates the aroma, leading with a tart profile of peach skin, red currants, and fresh cranberries. The flavor, on the other hand, displays more of our “Resettle” culture with a sour profile of gooseberry, lemon juice, and green plum. This blend is light bodied, and its tart profile gives it a refreshing character that is accented by subtle tannins and a dry finish.

Grains: Murphy & Rude 6-Row Pale
Hops: Nugget
Yeast: Kviek, “Slashes” Wild Culture from Ashland, VA, Resettle Culture
Other: Foraged Virginia Pine Tips, Foraged Loblolly Pine Tips

…full notes coming soon…

Style: Mixed Fermentation Saison    
ABV: 7.2%    
IBU: 16      
Package: Draft & 500ml Bottles to-go!!

This project began by blending the acidity of an all stainless fermented Sour Gold with a Brett forward Saison that had been aged in Blenheim Petit Verdot Barrels for two years. This blend was then conditioned on freshly pressed Chardonnay grape skins from Blenheim Vineyards for six months. The resulting beer is an expressive display of white wine notes with a delicate light tartness and a pleasant fruit forward Brett character.

The aroma leads with juicy white grapes followed by fresh apple blossoms, and fruity tones of dried pear. The flavor has a restrained acidity and Brett character that allow for a more white wine forward profile, with specific notes of lemon zest, ripe cantaloupe, and tart apple. The body of this beer is light, with minimal bitterness, and a pleasant dry finish, with a hint of lingering fruit.  

Grains: Murphy & Rude Virginia Pils, Murphy & Rude 6-Row Pale, Epiphany Malted Triticale, Murphy & Rude Biscuit
Hops: Taiheke, Motueka, Southern Cross, Kohatu, Moutere, House Aged Hersbrucker
Yeast: House Saison, “Slashes” Wild Culture from Ashland, VA, Brett Blend
Other: Blenheim Vineyards Chardonnay Grape Skins