Tidewater Fest, the Rogue's session notes.

Tidewater travel time...making the Hampton Roads channel crossing. Willoughby Spit, 10/8/2022.

     A return after three years. Virginia's tidewater region. Williamsburg specifically. No water time. Yet, we traveled over and under the Chesapeake and it's tributaries to get to the food and beer. Nice. Weekend getaway. Gotta love this area. Like, the Washington-Baltimore corridor, Annapolis, and Maryland's Eastern Sho', Virginia's southern passage, and Tidewater region full of seafood and brews. No wonder we feel in our element whenever we cruise around the Old Dominion state.

       "Men and women who moved to the Chesapeake saw themselves... 

       as participants in a vibrant and interconnected transatlantic world." 

       -James Horn, historian.

Plenty to chose from.

Williamsburg's first big hitter.

     Day one, Alewerks Brewing. Been a beat since we were last here... bout ten years. A full selection board of beers. A pretzel that was hard to avoid. As my wife said, I couldn't get to the bar fast enough. Pretzels and beer. Nice. This has been the year of the Oktoberfest Bier, and Alewerks had theirs ready to go on tap.  A 5.6% ABV Marzen. Poured an orange-amber with a finger thick, off-white head. Smelled of bready grains with a touch of sweet. Smooth taste. Little spice, Good balance of sweet and hoppy bitterness. Rated a B. Then there was the Jubilee. Alewerks Bourbon Oak Barrel aged brew.  A dark Strong Ale. Their 15th anniversary edition- also on tap. Opaque brown body with a beige finger+ head. Light bourbon scent. Vanilla. Cherries. Flavors of oaky bourbon, coffee, sweet stone fruit. More malty than hoppy. Smooth. Heavy, but not too syrupy. At 10% ABV not overly boozy, but definitely a sipper. Rated an B+. Alewerks proved itself as the pillar of Williamsburg's beer scene. 

Hard to avoid.

Dinner after the flight. More brews. Good food.
Oceans & Ale, 10/8/2022.

Seafood Spring Rolls:
Shrimp, crab, and veggies.

'Course, in addition to the culinary- got to get our fix of the colonial. Williamsburg was the destination. Big surprise. Been fans for some time. A combination of the historic, eclectic, and natural esthetic. This time of year, add the autumn spray of color in the lineup. Sweet.

Day's beginnings: Eggs, bacon, Va. ham, homemade
biscuits, and pumpkin pancakes. Tasty!
Colonial Pancake House

Elkanah Deane stable.

George Wythe house.

Wythe privy dwelling.

Peyton Randolph house.

Magazine Guardhouse.

Market Square Tavern.

The Red Lion tavern & Ludwell-Paradise House

Masonic Lodge

Cooper home.

Precarious Beer Project. Henry Street, 10/9/2022.

     Our last fuel stop of the trip. Precarious Beer Project. Former brewery fraction (and still a part) of the Amber Ox Public House. Now, pretty much a beer hall in it's own right. Complete with Taco and Smashburger bars. Did samplings, a pint, and a couple tacos. Precarious came up with Oktarious. Their own Oktoberfest brew. Probably one of the best Oktoberfests I have ever had. 5.6% ABV meant crushable... i.e. more than one- very doable. Golden amber pour with a finger and a half, white, foamy head. Scents of grain, and herbal hops on the nose. Bready malts and sweet toffee in the flavor. Refreshing hop bite in the finish. Rated an A. Stoked close to day trippin' in Williamsburg. Yeah, that's it. Stoked.

The Rooski. 

Norfolk Naval Base...on the way out. 10/9/2022