Mountain State Brewing Co. is an established brewery that was first located in Thomas and has since expanded to pubs in the North Central West Virginia area. Most recently, MSBC opened its newest pub in Star City. This is their second location in Morgantown; the first of which is in the Wharf District. I worked in that area for years, so I was a regular at that location. And one of my absolute favorite dishes anywhere is their hummus. It is garlicky and bright - and literally the best hummus I've ever had. So I decided to get a sampler of dips. Spinach Dip - A cheesy blend of spinach and artichokes, topped with cheddar jack cheese. Served with tortilla chips. Pretty good. Pretty standard. Garlic Hummus - Our original garlicky hummus garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of black pepper. Add a side of house made tapenade. Served with pita. The best hummus to ever exist. The only hummus I will eat. Buffalo chicken dip - fine. The thick congealed layer of cheddar was not easy to eat, but you can't really go wrong with buffalo chicken dip. Beer cheese - Housemade Amber Ale Queso served with tortilla chips. This was a solid selection. Velvety smooth and cheesy. Grade: A

Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. - and the brewpub in Gilbert that serves it - are unique for a few different reasoms. But here's the coolest background I've seen in quite some time:



"This Beer Saves Water. We don't know if you've heard, but the water supply in the Southwest is not doing well. Ongoing drought, increased demand, and the effects of climate change have reduced the amount of water in our largest reservoirs - like Lake Mead, which supplies much of the water Arizonans use - to crisis levels. In January, federal restrictions will limit water use in Arizona for the first time ever. So we set out to create a beer that both brought attention to the water crisis and offered a possible solution: This Beer Saves Water. How can beer help save water, you ask? This Beer Saves Water is made using barley from Sinagua Malt. Based in Arizona's Verde Valley, Sinagua works with local farmers to shift from traditional summer crops like corn and alfalfa to barley, a late winter/spring crop. This crop-switching results in less water diverted from the Verde River during high-demand, low streamflow periods, leaving more water for people and wildlife. Since 2019, Sinagua's efforts have kept more than 425 million gallons of water in the Verde River. Every Arizona Wilderness beer uses Sinagua Malt as a base; This Beer Saves Water is made with 100% Sinagua. To drive the water-conservation point home, This Beer Saves Water is also made with Sabro and Zappa hops, both of which are relatively drought-resistant. We actually sat down and did the math: Every pint of This Beer Saves Water—and, in fact, every Wilderness beer - helps offset more than 50 gallons of water for Arizona's waterways. Our hope is that the beer inspires people to start thinking about how they can save water and support the businesses that are being proactive about sustainability. As the water crisis in the Southwest worsens, it's only going to become more important."



I tried several of the beers - all of which I found to be easily drinkable and fairly mild. No major flavor profiles that are off-putting or discernible. But easy, straight-forward and fair.



For my entree, I ordered a burger: Bacon n' Bleu - thick-cut bacon, bleu cheese, braised onions, arugula. All burgers served on a Noble bakery bun with side of duck fat fries.



Honestly, all of the burgers looked great. But sometimes that bleu cheese burger speaks to me when I'm in a funky mood. I like mine to be crumbles that have been melted, as well as something sweet to round it all out. This was tasty nonetheless and the duck fat fries always add the cherry on top. Figuratively.



Grade: B

You may have heard the story about how West Virginia flooded the town of Gad to make the Summersville Dam. The funny part of this story is that had the dam been named after the town - it would've been called Gad Dam.



So Gad Dam Brewing is named in this same theme - though they often go by G.D.B. And the name be a big deceiving. While it sounds like they are a brewery, they actually haven't created any of their own beer (at least not yet).



They do, however, serve coffee and other beer on tap. So, I made a trip to check it out!



The location is really unique. It's almost hidden just back off the main roads. It;'s like a little bit of a wooden oasis in a more busy downtown area.
 


There is a bar area and then a nice more open area with some seating. So, in today's world, there is plenty of space for social distancing. There is also a good bit of space outside for games, relaxation, etc.



OKAY so let's talk food. I was just trying to get something to go, so no beer on this visit. If they were producing their own, though, I definitely would've tried some. Instead, I went with a smoothie. This was a thick, sweet, tasty smoothie. Strawberry/raspberry was key.



And they have pepperoni rolls. I have to say, this is one of the best pepperoni rolls I've had in a LONG time. They warmed it up for me. So, it was warm, moist, cheesy and just really, really good. I wish I would've bought more than one.



Also, how funny is this sign in the restroom?



Have you been?



Grade: A

The Eastern Panhandle is one of my favorite spots. I love the sense of community and local art and local beer.

The Bavarian Inn is home to incredible meals, but it recently added a brewery to the offerings. Bavarian Brothers Brewing is one of the newest breweries to enter the West Virginia craft beer scene.

Experience the newest edition to our European Inspired Boutique Resort. Sample seasonal beers made on site matched with intelligent, yet comfortable cuisine and small bites by Executive Chef Jeffrey Ault. Relax and enjoy our brews in the Brew Pub, Brew Lounge or outdoor Beer Garden. 

Our Brew Pub and Lounge were designed by highly acclaimed “Industrial Design” of Frederick, Maryland. The Brew Pub features a dining area with wooden tables and chairs that can be set up flexibly for individual dining tables or to mimic a German style beer hall. Beautiful high A-frame type ceilings with exposed wooded beams, huge glass doors that access our new Garden Patio and views of the brewery and its stainless steel tanks make this an impressive space. 

Our Brew Lounge is designed to give our guest an all day soft seating lounge and bar. Wood floors, leather sofas, high back chairs and a stone fireplace make this a great space to relax with friends. A state of the art wine preservation machine offers wine flights and 8 premium wines by the glass. The bar doubles as a quick service coffee counter in the morning featuring coffee drinks by local roaster, Black Dog Coffee and small pastries and breakfast bites. 

The coolest part of our outdoor Beer Garden is the new fire pit. Enjoy after dinner drinks around the fire or families are invited to roast marshmallows with our S’more kits.

The Beers: Our beers are a representation of what we try to do throughout our resort, "Remember our European Roots, and Embrace our West Virginia Location". We constantly rotate and showcase different flavors from our onsite Boutique Brewery. While the selection may change, our promise is that the beer will always be of the utmost quality and consistently made.  Below is a sample of what you may find on your next visit.

I did a flight so I could try a few. These are the ones I tried:

Sozial, Session Ale - ABV 4.4% 

The former Blackwater Brewing Company space is now the 912 Brew Pub.

They weren't making beer yet when I visited, but I'll have to go back when they do.

Instead, they are serving a full lunch and dinner menu with items like steaks, sandwiches and shrimp.

I started with a salad, which was served with a unique orange-y dressing.

For my main meal, I went with the Zesty Crab Cake Dinner, which was two 4 oz. broiled crab cakes.

Plus a nice side of veggies. Tasty! What's your favorite thing here?

I've been to Screech Owl Brewing many moons ago.

Since my last visit, they expanded to include a restaurant.

That restaurant is called Spent Grain Cafe.

It's such a neat concept that they're using spent grain from brewing for their pizzas and sandwiches - and pepperoni rolls!

Of course, their main star here is the beer.

So, we ordered a sampler to try a bit of everything.

I couldn't get enough of the Wild & Wonderful Strawberry Ale.

We tried a pizza - and it's neat that the crust is almost a little sweet.

And the pepperoni roll!

We ended up getting them to go, but they were fresh and warm.

This is definitely one of the more unique pepperoni rolls I've had!

Have you been here yet?