The Shenandoah Valley is known as a wine destination; now we’re making headway in the craft brewing realm.
Enter Winchester’s first (so far) brewery: Escutcheon Brewing Co., housed in an “industrial maritime” atmosphere just north of the Old Town pedestrian mall. You’ll walk right into the large, high-ceilinged tasting room where there is a bar and plenty of seating. A large window to the right of the bar provides a glimpse into where the magic happens (and yes, they do offer tours).
Right now, they have five beers for you to enjoy:
The Plimsoll India Pale Ale is their flagship IPA. Foreign and domestic malts build the backbone of this copper colored elixir while copious additions of three hop varieties leave it with clean crisp citrusy aroma. Tried-and-true, it’s the perfect beer to end the day.
The Growler Kölsch is a twist on the classic Kölsch from Cologne, having a crisp malty flavor and subtle refreshing notes of German hops. But don’t let it’s light color fool you – the flavor runs deep and is more complex than meets the eye. As a lagered ale, this beer maintains the flavor of an ale, but also has a clean refreshing lager finish.
The Bowditch American Pale Ale is well balanced by using U.S. malts and hops. The malted barley provides a caramel biscuity aroma and slightly sweet taste, while a combination of three different hops balance the flavor and aroma off with smooth bitterness and hints of citrus and pine.
Their Agonic Line is a true to style Vienna Lager. Malty aroma and sweetness are achieved with a combination of domestic and imported malts, with subtle bitterness from noble hop strikes in the kettle. A smooth and unwavering brew, this perfect combination of ingredients is sure to lead you in the right direction.
Finally, their Berliner Weisse is light, refreshing and crisp. Their version is soured naturally and lightly hopped to balance the flavor. Enjoy by itself or sweeten by adding Waldmeister Sirup {Woodruff syrup} or Himbeer Sirup {Raspberry syrup}. Traditionally a balance of tart and sweet, it was created to make the unbearable Berlin summer bearable.
Escutcheon Brewing is open Wednesday through Friday, 4pm – 8pm, and Saturday noon – 8pm. Learn more about them, (and what Escutcheon means) here.
