The Local Brews

I didn’t know it at the time, but my search for local – Luray and Page County local, that is – ingredients for my White House Honey Porter wasn’t quite finished after I picked up the honey from Jay and Ryanne.  I’d agreed to meet neighbor Dan (he of Beaver Run Brewery fame) in the afternoon, so he could try my Fingers Crossed IPA and give me some feedback (he liked it).  Once he knew I had a porter planned for the next batch, he shared with me a 2 oz package of dried Fuggles hops, grown in Luray.

I should write a short bit about why he was apprised of the suitability of Fuggles hops for the porter:  it turns out that several of the brewers have porters on the way – the next meeting of the Blue Ridge Brewers Association will feature three of them, as a matter of fact.  After we’d finished off my IPA, Dan shared a pint or two of his “Smokey Tale Porter.”

I’ll digress for a moment – this variety was totally local.  The grain was grown and malted in Sperryville, and the hops are from Luray.  This is a pretty big achievement – and to think that all three of the porters coming up will be substantially local is even more significant.  I’m looking forward to the next meeting and hope that I am out in Luray for it.

Back to my plans…Santa has indeed given me the White House Honey Porter kit.  Although it included a pound of honey (the kit is from Northern Brewer – the honey is from Minnesota), I’m substituting the Luray honey and then will add a dry hop touch with the Fuggles hops (the kit includes a couple of pouches of Willamette).

That will be good.  I may just call it "White House Ferry Honey Porter" after one of our landmarks.

Off to more brewing adventures.