Occoquan & Oakton

I didn't have to venture far to taste some great beers this week. On Wednesday my mom and I went to Occoquan with some family friends of ours, Fran and Michelle.  We ate lunch at a little garden café:

then headed to the wine shops for some wine and beer tastings. At the first shop (I can't for the life of me remember the name- if it comes to me, I will post it!), we tasted five or six wines, then headed into their beer room for a tasting. I had already had everything in the line-up, but it was a tasty selection nonetheless.
1. Weihenstephaner Original (Munich Helles)
2. Bell's Oberon
3. Anderson Valley Summer Solstice Cervez Crema
4. Founders Cerise
Then we went downstairs to their little luncheonette area, where they have two taps. The selections that day (which I also already have had, but definitely did not turn down a tasting) were
1. North Coast Pranqster
2. DuClaw Devil's Milk
I would like to go back someday soon and sit out on the porch with one of the beers on draft, it was a cute shop with a great little beer (and food) selection. Below is a picture of Michelle and I sampling the Cerise.

The second shop, Olde Dominion Wine Shop features Virginia wines, and a small selection of craft beer. We tasted a red and white wine (the red was from Chrysalis, but I can't remember what the white was).

Today, Justin and I sat out on the deck and split a Bayou Teche LA 31 (Pale Ale). It is a nice "deck" beer, but nothing too remarkable about it. Then I had a glass of our English Pale Ale. :) 

Oh, I almost forgot. This afternoon, Justin and I also went to the new Oakton Wine Shop that recently opened, about a mile from our house. Port City Brewing was doing a tasting of their four beers: Optimal Wit, Essential Pale Ale, Monumental IPA, and Porter. All very delicious beers, and all very true to style. Justin and I bought a six pack of the IPA and also bought a Sinebrychoff Porter (Finland). The store has a nice beer selection, not to mention some nice wines, cheeses, and cupcakes!

Tonight Justin and I are going to Dogfish Head in Chantilly with a group of our neighbors for some beers and dinner. I am hoping to try something new- I actually haven't tried their My Antonia yet, so I might order that, along with the Black and Red...and maybe my old standby favorites, the 90 min IPA, Alehouse75, or Indian Brown..decisions, decisions.