Despite the fact that we’ve lived in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for 30+ years now, we still love discovering new hiking trails, roads, mountain towns, and scenic vistas to explore.
We recently discovered a different kind of trail– the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail– which connects craft beer enthusiasts with 19 impressive Shenandoah Valley breweries.
This trail requires no special outdoor gear, but you can grab a passport and collect stamps at each of the Virginia breweries and cideries you visit. Once you collect 8 stamps, you’ll receive a commemorative T-shirt!
Like English pubs, breweries and cideries act as gathering places for the local community.
Our favorites share common attributes – restored old buildings or unique venues, outdoor seating with scenic views, diverse food options, and outstanding Appalachian-style hospitality.
Read on for our guide to our favorite cideries and breweries in Harrisonburg VA, including an overview of their beers, ciders, food trucks, and live music offerings.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Things to Do in Harrisonburg VA & Rockingham County
Harrisonburg VA Breweries & Cideries Guide
- Brothers Craft Brewing
- Cave Hill Brewery
- Elkton Brewing Company
- The Friendly Fermenter
- Old Hill Cidery
- Pale Fire Brewing Company
- Restless Moons Brewing
- Sage Bird Ciderworks
- Stable Craft Brewing
- Three Notch’d Brewing Company
READ MORE: The 10 Best Restaurants in Harrisonburg VA to Visit
1. Brothers Craft Brewing
800 N Main St, Harrisonburg VA • (540)421-6599 • Official Website
HOURS: Mon to Fri 1PM-10PM; Sat Noon-10PM; Sun Noon-8PM
Brothers Craft Brewing is the perfect place to start our Shenandoah Valley pub crawl, because their taproom is a pleasant walk from our house in Downtown Harrisonburg.
As the name implies, the popular Harrisonburg brewery was opened by 3 local brothers in an old Coca-Cola bottling warehouse in 2012.
The cozy Brothers Craft taproom is part bar, part living room hangout, and there always seems to be something going on. You can make yourself at home, watch a game, and sample from 14 rotating seasonal drafts.
Their Virginia Pale Ale is a local favorite, but my personal brew of choice is the Cerveza Hermanos, a Mexican-style lager with loads of flavor.
They have an outdoor patio that’s ideal for listening to live bluegrass music on a summer night. Check the brewery’s website for details on upcoming events.
READ MORE: Visiting the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol TN/VA
2. Cave Hill Farms Brewery
1001 Jacob Burner Dr, McGaheysville VA • (540) 810-7562 • Official Website
HOURS: Wed & Thu 4PM-9PM; Fri 4PM-10PM; Sat 1PM-10PM; Sun 1PM-7PM; Closed Mon & Tue
Our next stop is one of our favorite breweries near Harrisonburg, located about 12 miles east of town.
Housed in a barn on a farm with 180 years of agricultural history, Cave Hill Farms Brewery is Rockingham County’s version of a roadhouse. Expect cowboy boots, dancing, and a mechanical ride-on horse for kids.
With a brewery, B&B, pumpkin patch, and stables on the property, it’s a fun place for a lively evening out.
Their beer options are bold and eclectic. While watching local band The Road Ducks, I chose the Flagpole Porter (which boasts chocolate and coffee notes), while Heather had their refreshing Lemon Zest Seltzer Ale.
Gastropub food is available from an on-site food truck, The Feed Lot, which we enjoyed as a stunning harvest moon rose over the Massanutten Peak outside the open barn doors.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Christmas Tree Farms in Virginia
3. Elkton Brewing Company
100 5th St, Elkton VA • (540) 246-1684 • Official Website
HOURS: Sun to Mon 1PM-6PM; Tue to Thu 1PM-8PM; Fri to Sat 1PM-10PM
Our hops quest continues 9 miles east of Harrisonburg to the Elkton Brewing Company, a family-owned brewery in the Blue Ridge Mountain town of Elkton VA.
Located in an 1890s-built mill less than 10 miles west of Shenandoah National Park, the railroad-side taproom space has been masterfully restored.
In the courtyard, seating faces the stage, where you’ll find live music on most weekend nights. We listened while enjoying New York-style pizza from the Woodfired Co. food truck onsite.
The Elkton Brewing Company staff puts creativity and skill into each of the 14 rotating taps, with several flagship brews always available.
We shared a flight and enjoyed sampling the Crawford Cat, Hobby Robby, Elk Tears and Mercky Water. Be sure to ask about the stories behind the names of the beer: Each brew is named after a local legend or landmark.
READ MORE: Fall in Shenandoah National Park: 10 Places to See Fall Foliage
4. The Friendly Fermenter
20 S Mason St Suite B10, Harrisonburg VA • (540) 217-2614 • Official Website
HOURS: Mon 4PM-8PM; Tue 4PM-9PM; Wed/Thu 3PM-9PM; Fri/Sat 1PM-10PM; Sun 2PM-8PM
As you take a short flight of stairs down to enter the welcoming basement bar at The Friendly Fermenter, you may feel a bit like Norm from the classic ’80s sitcom, Cheers.
If you want a deep dive into all things beer, the Downtown Harrisonburg brewery offers a “3-T” experience for groups of 6 or more. This 90-minute program includes a beer tasting, teaching, and a guided tour of the facility.
After buying $30 worth of education and home brew supplies from their shop, you could be on your way to becoming at-home Brewmeister.
The Fermenter has myriad diverse flavors on tap, from Belgian Dark Strong to Dragon Fruit Sour. Their “Bar Bites” menu also offers lots of options: Don’t miss “Weiner Wednesday,” when you can get an all-beef hot dog for $1!
READ MORE: The 8 Best Breweries in Roanoke VA
5. Old Hill Cidery
17768 Honeyville Rd, Timberville VA • (540) 896-7852 • Official Website
HOURS: Mon to Sat 11AM-5PM; Sun 1PM-5PM
If you like hard apple cider, turn north on U.S. Route 11 and travel 16 miles to the small town of Timberville VA.
The Old Hill Cidery is located at the family-owned Showalter Orchard, which offers expertly crafted hard ciders available. Their team is always coming up with new small-batch ciders, which are only available at the farm location.
This apple orchard also features a fabulous wedding venue that offers amazing hilltop views of the Shenandoah Valley and the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains.
Fall is a magical time to visit Showalter Orchard to sample their hard ciders. I usually go with a glass of Betwixt, a crisp and dry hard cider, while Heather tends to choose a sweeter cider on tap.
We always leave the orchard with a 6-pack of apple cider donuts, a bottle of Betwixt, and a bag of Pink Lady apples.
READ MORE: Apple Picking in Virginia: The 20 Best VA Apple Orchards to Visit
6. Pale Fire Brewing Company
217 S Liberty St #105 Harrisonburg, VA • (540) 217-5452 • Official Website
HOURS: Sun to Thu 12PM-10PM; Fri/Sat 12PM-11PM
Located within walking distance of our house, Pale Fire Brewing Company is essentially our village pub. It’s where we meet friends in Downtown Harrisonburg to watch soccer games.
Pale Fire’s brewhouse is a study in industrial chic. The horseshoe-shaped wooden bar has stools and high-top table seating along with a lounge area complete with a sofa and chairs.
But of course it’s primarily Pale Fire’s brews on tap that keeps everyone coming back.
For a taste of Ireland, try the Red Molly, an authentic Irish malt with mild British hops. If your taste leans towards an IPA, the Negative Boogie delivers loads of flavor and no bitterness!
Their restaurant turns out some of the best Detroit-style pizza we’ve tasted. The Hot Honey Meat Lovers and the White Truffle Pizza with Alfredo sauce are popular choice, as are their fresh sandwiches, salads, and desserts.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Things to Do in Charlottesville VA
7. Restless Moons Brewery
120 W Wolfe St Ste 103 Harrisonburg VA • (540) 217-2726 • Official Website
HOURS: Mon to Thu 4PM-10PM; Fri 3PM-11PM; Sat Noon-11PM; Sun 2PM-8PM
Located a mile north of Pale Fire, Restless Moons Brewery is a small brewery that holds a special place in our hearts because it’s where Heather and I had our first date!
The bar and seating area shares space with the brewery equipment, giving the place a cozy, laid-back vibe. Patrons often play board games inside, or enjoy a large outdoor area complete with picnic tables, Corn hole, and giant Jenga.
This neighborhood gathering place hosts regular events such as live music and standup comedy. Meals are available from various food trucks, so you can sample many different menus, depending on your mood.
Restless Moons Brewery grew out of a love of beer and a homebrew kit, and that passion is obvious in the creative flavors of their small batch brews (which change seasonally).
On our latest visit we sampled the appropriately-named Sweater Weather Bock, a Strange Magic New England IPA, and the Space Winnebago Lager. All were winners.
READ MORE: Exploring the Crooked Road, Virginia’s Appalachian Music Trail
8. Sage Bird Ciderworks
325 N Liberty St, Harrisonburg VA • (540) 607-8084 • Official Website
HOURS: Wed to Fri 4PM-11PM; Sat 11AM-11PM; Sun 11AM-9PM; Closed Mon & Tue
Sage Bird Ciderworks is a short walk from Restless Moons, and is our choice for hard cider in Downtown Harrisonburg.
Using local fruit and flavors, they produce hand-crafted, small batch hard cider in a welcoming atmosphere.
Their line-up of standard, seasonal, and specialty ciders are delicious all year-round, and their special events have garnered them a loyal local following.
Food is available from the Outskirts Food Truck, with a menu that includes highlights such as hot dogs, fries, coleslaw, pancakes, and vegetarian chili.
Our hard cider favorites here include the Dry River Reserve and the Sweet Shenandoah, but we try to sample new flavors as they come out. They also offer activities such as Wednesday game night, Thursday night trivia, and Sunday yoga.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Things to Do in Staunton VA
9. Stable Craft Brewing
75 Madrid Rd, Waynesboro VA • (540) 490-2609 • Official Website
HOURS: Wed/Thu 4PM-9:30PM; Fri 4PM-10PM; Sat Noon-10PM; Sun Noon-9PM; Closed Mon & Tue
Located about 30 minutes south of town, this is another one of the best breweries near Harrisonburg. Stable Craft Brewing is a destination farm, brewery, and cidery located near the town of Waynesboro VA.
In addition to hand-crafted beers, ciders, and wines, this brewery also offers lodging, an outdoor bar, indoor and outdoor dining areas (complete with heated igloos!), fire pits, and a brew-your-own beer experience.
A large stable of elegant horses adds to the property’s ambiance.
They’re highlighted at a myriad of events, including a Kentucky Derby Party, Pints & Ponies throughout the fall in Virginia, and horse-drawn carriage rides during their Old Fashioned Christmas.
The Stable Craft kitchen boasts the sort of swanky menu you’d find at a fine dining restaurant. Our recent meal included delicious Baked Salmon and delicate Paprika Butter Shrimp, paired with a sweet Apple Cider and Amber Lager.
With all Stable Craft has to offer, you may want to reserve a Stable Craft Suite for a romantic getaway in Virginia.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Things to Do in Waynesboro VA (Augusta County)
10. Three Notch’d Brewing Company
241 E. Market Street, Harrisonburg VA • (540) 801-2800 • Official Website
HOURS: Mon to Fri 3PM-10PM; Sat Noon-10; Sun Noon-8PM
The last stop on our tour of Harrisonburg breweries and cideries ends at the Three Notch’d Brewing Company’s Valley Collab House & Brewery.
Three Notch’d in Harrisonburg is known for its bright, open taproom with games, TVs, and comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. Their team brews and taps a new beer every single week.
They offer lots of engaging events, such as Sunday Pups & Pints (bring your dog and get $2 off a draft). There are also fun board game nights, live music, and singalongs to bring the community together.
Their beer menu is a huge draw, with brews including a limited release Bourbon Barrel Biggie S’mores Stout, a Mango Wheat, and a sour Passion Fruit Gose. The King of Clouds Juicy IPA is a flagship draft.
Whether you choose to visit at the end of a date night or as part of a Harrisonburg VA bar crawl, the Three Notch’d Collab House is a superb way to finish your evening! –text & photos by Heather Taylor & Jon Weaver
