In short – we’re privileged to have great beer in our neck of the woods.

- Blue Mountain Brewery

- Devil’s Backbone Brewery

- Starr Hill Brewery

Blue Mountain Brewery’s and Starr Hill Bewery’s press releases are after the jump.

NELSON COUNTY (AFTON), VA –October 2, 2011­?

Blue Mountain Brewery, of Afton (Nelson County) was awarded the Gold medal at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, in the English-­?style summer ale category for their end-­? of-­?summer seasonal beer, “Summer Lovin”; the brewery also took the Silver medal in the highly coveted American-­?Belgo-­?style ale category for their hop-­?harvest beer, “Blue Reserve” made solely from the Cascade and Centennial hops grown onsite at Blue Mountain Brewery. Taylor Smack, brewmaster for Blue Mountain, said he is proud of his brewing team and especially honored to be recognized for the Blue Reserve. “This has to be the first time a beer made solely with Virginia hops has taken a medal in the largest beer competition in the world.”

The 2011 Great American Beer Festival was held this past weekend in Denver, Colorado and the competition drew an impressive field of competitors, with this year topping 2010’s entries by 11 percent. GABF remains the largest commercial beer competition in the world, with 3,930 beers vying for medals in 2011. Beers representing 516 breweries were featured in the competition. Award-­?winning brewers received prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals in 83 beer categories covering 134 beer styles (encompassing subcategories), establishing the best examples of each style in the U.S. Unlike other beverage competitions, only three medals are awarded for each category. Competition entries were received from 526 breweries from 48 states plus Puerto Rico.

Both the Gold medal Summer Lovin’ and Silver medal Blue Reserve beers are still available on tap at the Blue Mountain Brewery and Restaurant, in Afton.

STARR HILL WINS GOLD AND TWO SILVER MEDALS AT THE 2011 GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL

Charlottesville, Virginia—October 3, 2011—Starr Hill Brewery recently claimed a gold and two silver medals in the Brewer Association (BA) Great American Beer Festival 2011, a national beer competition that evaluates beers from around the country and recognizes the most outstanding beers being produced in America today.

The GABF remains the largest commercial beer competition in the world, with 3,930 beers competing for medals in 2011.  Beers representing 526 breweries were featured in the competition.  Award-winning brewers received highly esteemed gold, silver and bronze medals in 83 beer categories.

Starr Hill was awarded the Gold medal in the Vienna Lager category for its Jomo Lager, a light-bodied amber lager.  Starr Hill also won two Silver medals.  The first was for Monticello Reserve Ale in the Indigenous Beer category, and the second was for Smoke Out in the Smoke Beer category.

“We are honored to receive three prestigious awards from the Great American Beer Festival.  Each of these awards is special in its own way.  Jomo Lager is one of the first beers we ever brewed 11 years ago, and it has won gold, silver and bronze already.  The Monticello Reserve is a brand new beer that brings an old style back to life, and we have only brewed Smoke Out twice, and each time it has won the silver medal,” states Mark Thompson, Founder & Master Brewer of Starr Hill Brewery.

Starr Hill Brewery was founded in September of 1999 at 709 West Main Street in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Since its inception, the brewery has won 16 Great American Beer Festival Medals and two World Beer Cup awards.  Starr Hill’s mission statement is to share the Gift of Great Beer.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

Thanks to Emily Harper for the comment:

This is an update from Nelson County, the owners of the Blue Ridge Tunnel. The Tunnel is closed to the public at this time and any unauthorized persons entering at this time are trespassing. The Tunnel walls are not stable at this time. It is disappointing that some trespassers have been leaving trash and defacing the walls with graffiti.

It is the County’s objective to restore the Tunnel and convert it to a pedestrian trail. Woolpert Inc, our architectural & engineering firm is in the process of determining the most feasible, cost effective methods for rehabilitation and design of the Tunnel and related trails. Once that is complete construction will begin as funds are made available.

We appreciate your interest in the Tunnel, are working to make it safe for your enjoyment, and ask that you stay away until it’s completed.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

You’ve heard of (and probably had) Starr Hill – Crozet

Hopefully you’ve been to Blue Mountain Brewery – 12-13 minutes west of Crozet in Afton.

Introducing Devils’ Backbone Brewery – Google says they’re 52 minutes away … I might make the trip this weekend – for journalistic purposes, of course.

Read more at C-Ville and cVillain.

Could this dream come to fruition? (from the C-Ville article)

Devil’s’ General Manager Chris Trotter tells us that Crandall and friends granted a portion of the site back to Nelson County for the possible purpose of building a skate park. “The plan is to make this area the Virginia Jackson Hole,” says Trotter, who is referring, of course, to über cool resort town Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which is beloved almost as much for its dining, entertaining and non-skiing recreations as it is for its amazing slopes and powder.

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.