Shenandoah Valley Brewing Co.

I liked the vibe in here-a bit of everything hanging around nice and eclectic. Different national flags hanging up, book shelves along a wall, nice old timey bar feel to it. I tried a black IPA and a Belgian Dark or Double-both were no better than a first batch of homebrew. The Belgian the worse of the 2. Something really off with both. Service was ok-they were only 3 other people in there but she was just sort of going thru the motions. Only 6 beers on tap this day. There is better out there and better in Staunton by far. MIGHT try again for a tasting, have to see how much shopping time the wife needs.

 

Small facility across from City Hall with a bar and some tables. About 8 beers on tap with some variety. Beer quality is way inferior to beer at the nearby Red Beard Brewing and, based on 4 beers, too poor to be recommended.

Friendly service. Five beers on tap. I had a flight to sample the beers. Very average with out any standing out.

 

I was served quickly after I walked in, and the server was friendly and attentive. The vibe was pretty standard; it was a weekend and things seemed a bit busy with touristy types perhaps outnumbering locals on this visit and I try to talk that into consideration. I tried two of the available beers (an IPA and a stout) and hope to return to try others. I did not visit the store on the level below the pub.

Fresh beer on tap. A wide selection of styles to choose from, and you can customize your own flight(s). Classic rock and roll on the speakers, and a laid back vibe with tasty pretzels to snack on while having a pint. Off street parking and easy to find.

A very mixed bag here at Shenandoah Valley. The taproom itself is very clean and well decorated. The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. All wins there.

The problem is the beer. It was all pretty bad. We had a 14-beer flight and didn't find one thing redeeming on any beer. Some were downright awful and between 3 of us trying their beers I don't believe we finished off a single 4oz. glass.

The owner, Chappy, tried to chat with us but we just wanted to settle up and move on. Between the 3 of us we've visited 90-95% of the breweries in the state of Va and all agree this one may be brewing the worst beer of all. I'd love to give SVBC another chance down the road, but I'm not sure I'd even stop by again even when I'm in town. The beer is that bad.

 

 

 

A group of friends and I dropped in here after lunch simply to check it out and maybe have a taste. That was about 1:45 on a Friday, so it was early, and not surprisinglyy, we were the only ones to grace the place at that hour, which was perfectly fine with us. This made for great conversation with the proprietor, Chappy, a personable guy with a military background, but definitely, one of the guys.

SVBC is nestled in a quaint area in Staunton, VA, an easy walk from the Stonewall Jackson Hotel where we stayed. Make no mistake, this is not a big bar; I would call it an large taproom among the brewing area and the shelves of supplies for sale to the home brew crowd, but I liked that atmosphere. For the four of us, it allowed for several hours of frank, open, but private conversation with each other and our host. As the afternoon progressed and it got closer to the normal Friday serving crowd, the 8-10 seat bar filled and Chappy's wife Mary joined to help with the growing number of customers, which undoubtedly would spill in the table top area as the evening progressd.

For only being open since February 2014, Chappy had a great selection to choose from, 11 beers in total in a wide range of styles. But for now, this is the only place to have their beer...not bottling or in restaurants yet, but that is sure to come.

Our quick stop ended about 4-5 hours later, if that tells you how much we enjoyed the beer, company and the seclusion away from a crowded noisy bar.

I imagine we will return when we are back for the next conference.