Moonshine and More in Central Virginia

Recently, we were down in central Virginia for the Virginia Renaissance Faire. We love going to the Faire, but it happened to be an especially warm and sunny day, so we decided to cool off in the best way possible: a little weekend day drinking with some cider and moonshine.

Coyote Hole Ciderworks

Lately we’ve been on a bit of a cider kick. That’s probably my fault since I’m not into beer the way Dan is, and I am pretty picky about wine. Located about an hour northwest of Richmond, Coyote Hole Ciderworks is one of the many cideries, wineries, and distilleries in the Lake Anna, Virginia area.

Coyote Hole had an amazing 8 ciders on tap, and they offered a tasting of all of them plus a sangria mix that they had that day. The ciders were arranged from driest to sweetest, and about half were made with green apples, giving them a tart bite. A few of the highlights for me, personally, included the HPA, which stands for Hopped Pressed Apple. I also enjoyed the Bel-Hole, a cider aged inside of a whiskey barrel (giving it a lovely smooth, smoky flavor) and Citris Spring, a cider with hints of strawberry and lemon that was one of their sweetest ciders — and quite refreshing on a hot day!

Coyote Hole sells 4-can packs of the HPA, so we bought some to take home with us. Their ciders can be enjoyed or bought to take home all over central Virgina, from Stafford to Richmond, and even as far south as Norfolk.

It’s also worth noting that, unlike many cider tasting rooms across Virginia, Coyote Hole is open 7 days a week!

Courthouse Creek Cider

I personally tend to be more of a fan of sweeter, more summery ciders, but I enjoyed the dry, barrel-aged ciders that Courthouse Creek had to offer. Located in Maidens, about half an hour outside of Richmond, this dry cidery currently offers 9 different ciders to choose from. You can order a flight or a tasting, purchase bottles, or pick your favorite and enjoy a glass or two. You can do a tasting in the barn tasting room or bring your glasses outside to enjoy the weather. We made friends with their chicken (they also sell fresh eggs) and enjoyed a cheese board with our cider. Two of my favorites were the Samurai Sour, fermented in the spirit of a gose-style beer with Asian pears, coriander, and hibiscus, and the Bella Vita, infused with ginger and raspberry.

Courthouse Creek  is also dog-friendly, as long as your pooches promise to leave the hen and the geese alone!

Sleepy Fox Distillery

I have to be honest: when I think of moonshine, I think of stereotypical hillbillies making booze in their bathtubs. That’s why I was a little hesitant when our friend Dustin invited us to come try moonshine at Sleepy Fox Distillery. After visiting Sleepy Fox Distillery in Ashland, just north of Richmond, I have a completely new outlook on this particular type of distilled spirit!

Sleepy Fox has a variety of moonshine: two clears at 90 and 150 proof, Apple Pie, Cherry, Peach, and Cinnamon. They also have a bourbon, a maple whiskey, and a vodka. We did a tasting with the Apple Pie, Cherry, Peach, and Cinnamon moonshines, and the maple whiskey and the bourbon. Bourbon is not really my thing, but Dan said it was really good. I enjoyed all of the flavors, especially the Apple Pie and Cherry. They also have a changing board of mixed drink specials. I tried a lavender lemonade made with clear 90 proof moonshine, and Dan had a “butterbeer” made with bourbon, root beer, and butter rum. Both were delicious!

Exploring Central Virginia and Beyond

If you’re like us, this taste of cider and moonshine only whet your appetite for more. There are a variety of cider producers and distilleries (as well as breweries and wineries!) all over Virginia — and throughout the country! Here are a few resources you can use to map your own delicious tasting adventure:

• Cider Guide: This site includes an interactive maps of cider producers in the United States and Canada. There is also a world map, but it is out of date.
• CraftBeer.com: Another interactive map with a list of craft breweries all across the US.
• American Distillery Institute: This site has a lot of information about distilling, and has yet another interactive map where you can find distilleries all over the world!
• At Wineries: This site has an extremely customizable and searchable map for different wine producers across the world.