The family rented a lodge at Bear Rock in Loudoun County. It’s bear country, near the Appalachian Trail, with plenty of wineries and breweries.

On the way to our lodge (VRBO), we stopped at Dirt Farm Brewing. It sits on top of a ridge looking down on the valley below. We grabbed a table, a couple half pour beers and a bit of lunch from the food truck and enjoyed the view.

Their most popular beer is Tart 31 Cherry Ale. It’s a nice summer sour. It reminded me of a tart cherry soda, light and refreshing. It paired well with a quinoa bowl.

I shared a half pour of Hey Z to finish things off at Dirt Farm. It was a remarkable hazy (get it?) pale ale. I liked the grassy, fresh hop taste. It is an unexpected style and flavor coming from a brewery whose best selling beer doesn’t taste like a beer.

The hot afternoon drove us off the mountain before the music started. I learned later that the entertainment was worth the wait. Overall, Dirt Farm was a real find, with a magnificant view, well made beers and freshly made delicious food.

We headed to the Lodge at Bear Rock to unpack and wait for the gang to arrive. After recharging our human batteries with snacks and some downtime, we headed out to Bear Chase Brewing for some real food and beers.

Bear Chase Brewing is just down the street from our lodge, so we headed there for a nightcap and a late dinner. It was too dark to see the reported spectacular view. The crowd was busy as expected on a Friday night. My Chase N Chill was a mediocre American IPA with a very low ABV of 4.5%. I need to come back during the day to see the view and pick a potentially better beer.

Cheers!

Warren