The Shenandoah Valley is known for its beauty and adventure. The valley’s rolling hills stretch across the western side of Virginia, through towns like Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton and more.

While the Shenandoah Trail brings tourists to these smaller towns, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted the livelihood of these towns and its citizens, as fewer people were visiting local shops, restaurants and breweries. The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail Passport Program encourages people to visit local breweries in the Shenandoah Valley and spend time in these towns exploring shops, museums, historical landmarks and the beauty of the Shenandoah.

The premise of the passport program is simple: drink beer. To participate, all one needs to do is visit any eight of the eighteen participating breweries (found here), drink a craft beer at each location, get your passport stamped, mail it in and you’ll receive a free t-shirt. Each brewery will have different events, such as food trucks and live music, that help other small businesses stay afloat.

Harrisonburg, Va. is home to five breweries participating in the passport program: Brother’s Craft Brewing, The Friendly Fermenter, Pale Fire Brewing Co., Three Notch’d Valley Collab House and Restless Moons Brewing Company. Each brewery provides a unique environment to relax, unwind and enjoy a refreshing craft beer. Restless Moons has an envious collection of board games and corn hole; Pale Fire has a wall of bookshelves and vinyl records; enjoying a beer at Three Notch’d feels like relaxing in a cozy coffee shop; The Friendly Fermenter is a social underground brewery; and Brother’s Craft is rustic and intimate and has private rooms for larger groups.