Harrisonburg VA is in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. It is a beautiful community that I have come to enjoy and visit over the last few decades. During that time the beer scene has grown there as it has just about everywhere. Harrisonburg now has three breweries or at least an outpost — Pale Fire Brewing, Three Notch'd Brewing and Brothers Brewing. Three Notch'd has a taproom in Harrisonburg VA with the brewery in Charlottesville VA. As I travel there, I'm able to take in a bit more each time. Last year I wondered over the the Brothers Brewing taproom and sampled some of their offerings. This year, while I didn't have time to visit another of the breweries, I did have time to stop by the Midtowne Bottle Shop.

I like a place that recognizes itself as a bottle shop. It is concise, simple and you have a good idea what you're getting.

THE TAKE-AWAY ON MIDTOWNE

If you are a local or James Madison University student (of age) this is probably the place you will want to go to pick up beer. That is, of course, unless you go directly to one of the three breweries already mentions. If you are a visitor to the area and looking for some good local beers, this is a one-stop-shop to get some of the Harrisonburg beer but also some of the other regional beer that doesn't have a supply chain that reaches to your neck of the woods. Some that I brought home were from Hardywood Brewing (Richmond VA), Adroit Theory (Purcellville VA) and Champion Brewing (Charlottesville VA).

THE DEPOT

That evening we had a great dinner in Staunton VA at The Depot. The food was great and the beer selection was good with a healthy mix of local, regional and nationally distributed craft beers. I tried the Goodwood Brewing Bourbon Barrel Stout. The menu was one that required reading a few times to decide what you were going to have. One of the specials that caught my eye was the Polyface Farm burger. I'm not one to usually order a burger, more like seafood or something chicken. I'd read Michael Pollen's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals a few years ago and the Polyface Farm was highlighted. It was delicious and I had accomplished my burger goal for the year.