Credit: Andrew Cothern

Earlier today Governor McAuliffe named Virginia as the oyster capital of the east coast with seven flavors of oysters found in seven different regions.  These regions make up the newly named Virginia Oyster Trail along the Chesapeake Bay.  The trail will serve as a major tourism development project to connect travelers to Virginia oyster purveyors, raw bars, and restaurants, and the watermen culture throughout Coastal Virginia, the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula and Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

“Virginia produces the best oysters in the world and as the oyster industry continues to grow, we want to let it be known that Virginia is also the Oyster Capital of the East Coast,” said Governor McAuliffe.  “In addition to growing, harvesting and selling the best oysters, our watermen are providing good jobs in their communities, generating revenue and tax dollars throughout their region, and helping improve the environment of the Chesapeake Bay as their oysters filter millions of gallons of water each day.”

Credit: Virginia Tourism

Rappahannock River Oyster Co farms four different varieties of oysters, each from a different region:

• Rappahannocks (the 1899 original) from Topping, VA — sweet, buttery full bodied taste with a refreshingly clean, crisp finish
• Stingrays from Ware Neck, VA — sweet and mildly briny with a clean, crisp finish
• Olde Salts from Chincoteague Bay, VA — bold sea-side brininess with a smooth, clean follow-through
• Yorks from the York River — sweet and buttery with a mild brininess

McAuliffe also declared November as Virginia Oyster Month.

Announcement of the brand new #vaoyster trail and November is officially declared as VA Oyster Month. @vagovernor pic.twitter.com/2uFeg0OyLG

— Kendra Bailey Morris (@fatbackandfoie) August 19, 2014

If you are like me, you can’t wait over two months to celebrate (read: devour) Virginia oysters. And you won’t have to!

Head over to Rappahannock Restaurant Thursday August 21st starting at 4pm as they tap some Virginia farmhouse and wild ales.

Here are a few of the beers to be tapped:

• Ardent Craft Ales Saison
• Lickinghole Creek Rosemary Saison
• Strangeways Wild Wallonian Dawn Saison
• Three Brothers Virginia Wild Blend
• Triple Crossing Single Hop Saison

There will be some other surprises in store so grab a beer and down a dozen oysters or two.