If for one reason alone, you should attend Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery’s Grand Opening because it is absolutely gorgeous!

I mean just look at this view from my visit back in June.  Go ahead and click the photo to see the full breathtaking image.

Oh but you want to know about the beer.

When owner Sean Thomas-Pumphrey took me on a tour of the farm, he mentioned they would be brewing mostly Belgian style beers naming out a saison, tripel, and pale ale to start.

Seeing as it was their first brew, I’m guessing Three Chopt Tripel will be available in bottles Saturday

If you made it over to St Benedict’s Oktoberfest last Saturday, you’ve probably had Short Pump Saison:

Short Pump Saison Virginia Farmhouse Ale, 6.8 % ABV, 35 IBU. Our ode to Belgian Farmhouse Ale. The Short Pump name comes from the colonial era Short Pump Tavern, a famous mid-way point between Richmond and Charlottesville. Lickinghole Creek’s Saison matches Premium Imported Belgian Pilsner Malt with two types of Rye. First Wort Hopped (an old German brewing technique) with American Grown Galena Hops and Hop Bursted (a newer American technique) with large amounts of Columbus and Nugget hops. The combination of the malt, rye and hops creates a beer with a distinguished hop aroma, a more undeviating bitterness and a more balanced beer. Limited quantities of this one!

I hear those three kegs went very quickly.

Now for the rest of the beers, here’s what LCCB has outlined:

Estate Series:

Gentleman Farmer Estate Hop Ale: 7.5% ABV, ??? IBU The concept for this beer is the reason LCCB exists. We wanted to create a beer with ingredients that we grew on our family farm. Gentleman Farmer was made with hops grown on the farm the brewery is housed on. One of the only of its kind in the Commonwealth, Gentleman Farmer is LCCB’s foray into adding terroir into the world of Craft Beer. Very limited release.

We will also be debuting our flagship beer:

Magic Beaver Belgian Style Pale Ale: 5.5% ABV, 35 IBU LCCB’s flagship is named after the nearby Magic Beaver pond on the farm’s property. Premium Belgian Pilsner Malt and Authentic Belgian Yeast are combined with American Grown Galena, Columbus and New Zealand Pacific Jade hops. Magic Beaver is a hop-forward beer that mixes the mystery of Belgium with the flavors of North American and New Zealand hops.

2 Special Release Beers: Descriptions and types to be released later.

Our entire lineup will be available on draft, in growlers, and some will be available in bottles beginning at 2pm. Special Release Beers will be dispersed in different variations throughout the day.

I am most interested in the concept of terroir in the Gentleman Farmer series.  I know one of these will be a pumpkin beer using pumpkins grown on the farm.  These pumpkins were just sprouting at the time of my visit.  Another aspect of this principle will be seen in the planting of boysenberries, blueberries, and blackberries as well as wild blackberries on the farm.  These berries could easily find their way into the saison or tripel and who knows maybe even the pale.

Right now only four food trucks are listed for the opening:

Chupacabra
Paris Creperie
Haywood Grill
Piedmont Smokehouse

So how about this? Bring the family and a picnic.  It is sure to be a perfect day for it. Maybe take a stroll through the hopyards.

Head over to the Facebook event for more information.  Music will be provided by Barrelhouse and Three Sheets to the Wind.