My husband, kids, dog, and I stopped into Fair Winds to meet with our family whom we haven't seen in a few years as we travel down to Florida from CT. This brewery has a comfortable and welcoming vibe, and the staff was very friendly. Even my dog was treated kindly and offered a treat. I tried the Cherry Limeade Sour, which was awesome! My ONLY complaint was there were no board games or anything "old-fashioned" for the kids to do besides play on their devices. But that could be a COVID thing, too. So, if you're bringing kids, pack some games or bring devices. The place is so comfortable, you'll be there a while! While we didn't try it, Wagon Wheel Food Truck was outside, and they looked busy! Great visit after a long touristy day and for spending time with long-lost family. Thanks, Fair Winds! read more

Another winner for the microbrew business! This one is especially close to me, so it could be dangerous... The tap room is located in an out-of-the-way nook of an industrial park; my car GPS wasn't any help but Google Maps found it situated in the building's corner, facing the road. Fair Winds only opened in March 2015. The tap room is decent; they have a single TV and a few sets of tables/stools in front of the bar. Food trucks are usually available, but if they aren't available you can order from the big binder full of food vendors who deliver. If there is a style that Fair Winds focuses on, it would be 'approachable IPAs'. While the brewmaster is an admitted hop-head, he knows not everyone is a fan of the bitter so there's plenty of others to choose from. A flight of 4 tastings is $10; growlers were going for $15. During my visit they had 8 beers, 4 of which were 'flagship' brews. Being the detail-oriented person I am, I couldn't help but sample all of them (oh, the troubles I go thru for my readers!). In fact, the owner was on hand and was kind enough to talk me thru my tasting and explain what I was drinking. Special note: They had a "Ron Burgundy" theme going on during my visit. Since that's one of my favorite movies, my review might be a bit biased. Flagship brews: Siren's Lure: 7.2% Hoppy Saison, Belgian IPA style; by far my favorite of the day, and one of the favorites of the past several months. It's characteristics changes from the point it hits your tongue to the end of the finish. Little fruity but not overly so. I can see why they won a Gold recently. Sessions Of The Abyss: 4.5% Session IPA. Lower IBUs so I enjoyed it better than most IPAs but I'm not typically an IPA guy. Howling Gale: 7.2% Regular IPA. See above, although I liked the Sessions a little better. Slightly banana nose. Quayside: 4.5% Kolsch. Not bad; I don't see many Kolsch styles in this area so I don't have a good basis for comparison, but I'd drink it again Non-Flagship beers: Blackened Seas: Cherry IPA. I had two versions of this; on Nitro and without. I LOVED the Nitro version; it gave it a much bigger mouthfeel. Oddly enough I didn't get any fruit, despite the name. Red Lead: 6% Red Ale. Pretty good; I didn't catch much of a nose on this one. Sessions Of The Abyss Blackberry: Again, I didn't get any fruit from this beer despite the name. read more

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Fair Winds is a nice brewery with a ton of outdoor seating. The place is ensconced in the beer garden feel, perfect beer aficionados and family alike. They aren't trying to be anything other than a solid brewery, and I like personally like that. Of course, this is not to say that they don't have a varied food truck lineup such as Craft BBQ..yum. However, what pleases me the most about this brewery is that their selection varied and delicious. Today, too many breweries seem to be caught up in the IPA craze and often monopolize their taps for the latest hipster nectar... no thank you. Fair Winds can certainly rock the IPA, but they also serve up some delicious pilsners, lagers, and stouts. In fact, I am certain that any brewery in the area would be happy to claim any of these gems as their own. I strongly suggest that anyone with a love of craft beer put this one on their craft brew dance card as soon as possible. read more

We stopped in here to after a Sunday lunch to celebrate a friend's birthday. We opted to taste all seven beers across two flights. Howling Gale IPA (7.2% ABV) Sessions in the Abyss IPA (4.5% ABV) Quayside Kolsch (4.5% ABV) Following C's Pale Ale (5.5% ABV) Blackened Seas Cherry Porter (6.5% ABV) Red Lead Red Ale (6.0% ABV) Ghost of the Mariner Imperial Stout (9.5% ABV) The Cherry Porter and Ghost of the Mariner are Nitro only brews. I loved all the brews except for the Kolsch and the Red Ale - I was not fond of these two brews. Everything else was excellent! We enjoyed all of our beers and the servers were very nice! I've also had their "Kerri's Cure" Belgium Pale Ale - but not at Fair Winds. A number of Virginia craft breweries banded together to help brew Kerri's Cure at Fair Winds - and then those breweries also got kegs of Kerri's Cure - and they all banded together to release it on the same day. The proceeds from the sale of Kerri's Cure were designated to help Kerri, the wife of the brewer at Forge Works just down the road. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer. The cancer claimed her life before the release of the brew bearing her name. I was fortunate enough to enjoy this pale ale at three Virginia craft breweries: Tin Cannon (Gainesville, VA), Old Bust Head (Vint Hill, VA), and Big Bad Wolf (Manassas, VA). All of the proceeds from the sale of Kerri's cure went to pay the medical bills that accrued during her fight with cancer, and anything left over went into a college fund for her son (who is less than one year old). The work that Fair Winds did in leading the charge to help out a fellow craft brewer and to bring the local craft beer community out to drink and support them was heartwarming! My hats off to the folks at Fair Winds! You are honorable and kick ass folks! read more

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About 3 miles from the Springfield mall so not far at all. They offer 11 beers to taste, a brewery tour and a food truck out front for when the munchies kick in. It's a good size tasting room and don't be alarmed if you see kids floating around. There family friendly. You can tell that they are in a converted over storage facility. It looks like a pop up shop inside but they hAve been at that location for 2 years so I don't think they are going anywhere! read more

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We stopped in here Sunday after checking out another brewery in the area and had the pleasure of tasting along side of beer guru's Bob and Ellie Tupper (http://www.tuppersbeers.com/TuppersBeer/History.html). They currently offer a 4 sample for $10 and had 6 or 7 beers on tap while we were there. I tried the Kolsch, the Pale Ale, the Flemish Stout and the Belgian style red. I absolutely LOVED the Kolsch, I could drink it by the tankard! Still relatively new on the NOVA craft beer scene, Fair Winds Brewing Co is veteran owned and claims the title of Fairfax County's largest packaging brewery. The set up is very industrial with clean lines, simple decor, and wide open space that will lend itself well to being crowded. They have a huge tasting bar, several picnic table type seats, some high tops, big roll-up doors they can open in nice months, and lots of games to play, including a huge Jenga set. They get food trucks and or allow you to bring in your own since they do not serve anything but beer on the premises. They offer tours on Saturdays at 1,3 and 5 pm. Lastly, their website has a great tracking page that allows you to find their beer locally if you can't make it in to the tasting room (http://www.fairwindsbrewing.com/findbeer.html). I can see myself becoming a regular here. read more

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It's my birthday and I'm extremely hoppy tonight... I know bad pun in a brewery. But that's Fair Winds specially, hoppy beers. Warehouse style brewery, great ambience. Only when it gets crowded, it really gets noisy. Tonight for example 6 of their 10 taps are IPAs. There are some Stouts and a couple of Nitros, but their specially is hops. I did a flight (4x 5oz) of their core beers which consisted of two IPAs, a Saison, and a Kölsch; with the exception of the Kölsch all was hoppy. Food vendor on site tonight with scrumptious Chicken and Pork sliders with potatoe salad. Very tasty!!! Military Discount people; even more reason to visit!!! read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Right down the menu: 1,2,3,&4 - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

Awesome beer, friendly staff, and dog friendly. Love coming here for a few drafts and Togo beer!! Hibah is awesome behind the bar too read more

Fair Winds will always be our go to place. The beer is tasty, atmosphere is good and the service is great. The staff was amazing this weekend. We hosted a joint military retirement there, and the staff took fantastic care of us. Many of our guests had never been and loved it. Thank you!!! read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

Delicious beer. My wife had the Very Berry Tart and I had the Blackened Seas. Both are delicious and my wife loved hers even though she's not a beer person usually. Super friendly staff with a great environment. And, they're dog friendly including letting your pup in the tasting room as long as they're behaved. They don't have their own kitchen, but they do food trucks which I think is a great concept because it allows for rotation of cuisine. read more

I don't personally drink beer, but we did come here to meet with friends. There is a yelp check in offer so be sure to use that when you visit. This is a dog friendly venue so expect to see lots of dogs in the area. They had music playing and lots of tables. I also saw people brought games from home and food so this seems like a great place to meet friends. Our group liked the beer flights except they did not like the pineapple one. read more

Nice little spot close to Springfield/Lorton. Quite for the time we went (around 6pm). Beers were good. I got a flight if the Sirens, bourbon one, red ale and the brown ale? I don't really remember the names of beers. No food. There was a pizza food truck outside. You're allowed to bring outside food while drinking. read more

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Great spot for a Saturday night hangout. lots of beer choices, coming from your average beer consumer. I'm not a huge fan of dogs and didn't expect so many of them to be there. I would have appreciated a section where dogs were not permitted, since i have allergies. Would have loved for an opportunity to tour. Also would like other available means of entertainment like live music, games on the table... something to spice up the Saturday night. Would have entice my party to stay longer rather than search for another place to drink. The parking was easy, the place wasn't too hard to locate in the dark. I liked the stack of cups next to the water fountains by the bathrooms. Very handy. read more

Tasty affordable beers served by bartenders who know their beer. They can help you decide which one(s) you will like. Better yet, try a flight - you won't go wrong. Fair Winds makes good beer in variety of styles and they name them after nautical or weather events: Howling Gale IPA, Blackened sea , Hells Navigator, Dank & Stormy, Three Buoy's ESB - you get the idea. They are all good. Fair Winds has a large tasting room and they encourage you to come with your friends, play board games, or just visit. Typically families with kids are also there. Limited parking in the strip mall, but you will find a space if you search a bit and go further afield. Food Trucks or food stands available on popular days/times. read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

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Fair Winds is a nice spot for a beer. The location isn't great as there isn't much reason to be in Lorton, but its worth a trip to here and the other brewery in town. The thing I like the most about Fair Winds is the bar. It is big and actually has stools. I'm assuming they remove them when it is crowded to make it easier to order, but I like when it isn't crowded I can just sit at the bar. The 4 for $10 flight makes it expensive to sample the large selection they have in 1 visit. I guess the location makes it so it can't be like a real country brewery. The beer is good, but nothing stood out the few times i've been there. They have an imperial IPA that is 9.5% abv but not overpowering like other high alcohol content beers. Thats a nice one out of the selection of 8-10 they have. If you are in the Springfield area it is worth a stop in for sure. read more

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IS THIS PLACE REAL! yes, yes it is! I say that because it was fully of the most hopeful, friendly, funny and kind employees and customers! My fiancé and I were in town for a cookout and we checked to see if there was a brewery near by. Got there around 8 and they closed at 9. We had one hell of an hour, learned a lot about different types of brews that we never knew before. Employees are knowledgeable on not just their beers but different brews in total. Felt like we've been there before. The decor and vibe is spot on. 100 Stars! Thanks for a great night! read more

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I came here with the family. My mom and dad both really enjoyed the #7, Red Lead (American Red Ale). I loved all the beers I tried, however if you're new to beer or just looking for a all-day drink beer, try the #3 Sirens Lure Update: Came again 7/14/17 Everything was just as good the second time around! read more

My wife and I are new to the area and decided to give Fair Winds a try - LOVED IT! The gentlemen that were serving the amazing beers could not be any nicer. They were friendly and inviting not just to us but also our fur baby. She was immediately greeted with a warm hello, treat and huge bowl of water. We tried several of the beers and the new release MIZZON MOSAIC was so good I bought a case of cans to enjoy at home. This place will be a definite weekly go-to for the three of us. Thank you Fair Winds read more

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Brandon was a knowledgeable bartender, he make sure we were satisfied with our tasting as I was our fist time there. We both have different taste of beer as I'm mostly wine drinker. After ordering out beer flight he still gave us a few of his favorite tastings after discussing our preferences and he was right on que. My favorite is the anniversary ale 2018 and my girlfriend the Vienna lager. Of course we went home with a growler!!! The ambient was so chill, we are planing on coming back with more friend to enjoy this chill brewer read more

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Beer was good. Nice place to go for a nice date night without the kids although it is a kid friendly atmosphere.

Decent beers but they have way too many ipa's that all essentially taste the same. They have a bunch 6% abv ipa's that all might as well be the same thing. Wish brewers would focus more on getting on beer perfect instead of pumping out a bunch of clones of each other w no discernible taste difference. read more

Brewery stop number two! After our visit to New District, we headed here for more beer. This is a really beautiful space in an otherwise nondescript office park. Unfortunately, my group isn't into hoppy beers. This place is heavy on IPAs. We settled on a kolsch and a hop forward saison, which happened to win an illustrious award in the NoVa craft beer scene recently. You can purchase popcorn here as well. There was a food truck outside, which I assume is normal on weekends due to the big crowds. I love the Yelp 20% off in first visits. The staff was friendly, and celebrities like Jay Cutler have visited Fair Winds. Pretty cool! read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Jay Cutler is a fan - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

Awesome microbrew and much closer to home to other breweries (not knocking the other places, just making a statement). We went to Fair Winds Brewing on a whim and were pleasantly surprised with what we found. The brewery is located in an industrial park with plenty of parking. Inside, the brewery is big spacious with seating at the bar and tables. My husband and I decided to do a tasting. A tasting comes with four pours of your choice. One the day we went, there were 9 beers on tap. Their beers are a mix of IPAs, stouts, and ales. They even have 1 or 2 on nitro. I opted for the Quayside Kolsch, Siren's Lure, Red Lead III, and Barrel Aged Ghost of the Mariner. My husband chose Howling Gale IPA, Home Port Stout, Sessions in the Abyss, and another IPA. This way we could try most of the beers. The beers had good flavor. My favorites were the red ale and the Barrel Aged Ghost of the Mariner which is a barrel aged stout. My husband was pleasantly surprised by their IPAs. I'm not too much of an IPA fan but even I didn't mind them. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed. They had a food truck on site and they seemed open to bringing in your own food. They also sell popcorn for a local organization that promotes jobs for people with disabilities. Win! read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Beer flight - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

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Great place to meet friends and catch up. Great beer selections. No food offerings, so check which food truck is scheduled if you want to eat. read more

Super chill, low overhead, exactly what you want in a microbrew joint. The beers were very good and the flight is the way to go! No food but they did have a good truck out front which looked and smelled amazing! Next time! Definitely be back! read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Two flights! $20 - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

Fair Winds is a great brewery! They have ~12 beers on tap at any given time, and when I went, I would have tried them all! An interesting saison, a nitro, an IPA, a stout, a barley wine..something-for-everyone selection! Prices are very reasonable-- $10 for a flight of 4 $6 for a full glass $15 for a growler fill $10 for a 6 pack The atmosphere is lively, inviting, and comfortable. There are lots of tables as well as seats at the bar. When it's nice outside, the garage door walls open up so you can enjoy your brews with the wind in your hair. A few TVs show local sports games. We went on a Saturday. When we arrived around 3pm there was plenty of space. By the time we left around 5pm, almost every seat was taken, but still not overly packed. For food, there was a food truck (called Savory) parked outside, serving up BBQ/meat sandwiches. We got a corned beef pastrami sandwich on Rye with homemade pickles and a side of duck fat fries. What else would you want while you're drinking beer??? Really good!! And so close to the city (about 25 minutes away). I will definitely be back. Cheers! read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Flight = $10 - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

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Review for beer only: Came by to do a tasting, it's awesome that they allow pups inside (reserving the right to kick out any bad ones). They could stand to put some sound dampeners in there though, because even without it being full it was way way way too loud. I got a flight, and I'm sad to say, I only liked one of the beers. Hubs loved ghost of the mariner, but I tried it as I was drinking the mango-guava tart so I don't think those two jive well together. That said, I LOVED the mango-guava tart. I'd be interested in trying the Siren given its gold medal, the kolsh and accotink alt were a pass for me. read more

I've visited this place half a dozen times or so, but today's visit absolutely earned this (only my second ever on this site) review. Here are my 5 reasons for 5 stars: 1. Service: I've never been on a Thursday before, and it was packed. I didn't count or anything, and may not be the best judge, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were ~ 200 people in there. A little while after sitting down, I realized that only 2 guys -- Matt and Jack -- were handling everything, and I don't think I ever saw a line build up more than 3 deep, and certainly never found myself waiting for anything. It was amazing, and when I asked Matt to confirm that it was really just them his reply, which could sound arrogant, but was really just matter of fact: "the right two guys, no problem," or something to that effect. All the other staff I've interacted with on other days are great as well. 2. Beer: It's good. I won't try to pass myself off as some knowledgeable critic, because I'm not, but I know what I like, and that includes many of the varied and rotating offerings. 3. Atmosphere: Just an easy, comfortable space, indoors and out, which is as welcoming to a couple of friends who want a beer, as it is to families and their 4-legged friends. No matter who you are, this is your place. 4. Food Trucks: I don't eat often while I'm here, and this is really about external business partners, but they bring in an impressive and tempting array of food options, every time that I've seen, at least. 5. Veteran Owned: As a Vet myself, even if I'm not a Navy guy (which obviously the owners are/were, given the nautical theme, which I enjoy anyway), I'm more than happy to patronize a business that proudly displays this designation. I could go on... I'm not sure why all these reviews aren't 5-stars. read more

Went there to get my Fairfax Brewery Field Guide book stamped for the Fairfax county brew fest. I was nicely surprised by the beer they had available. They had a Kolsch which was spot on and I think rivaled what you can get in Germany. While I was there, I met a family and as things go the lady was actually from Cologne Germany and agreed that the Kolsch was really good and as close as you can get without actually being in Germany. They also had BBQ available, which I didn't try, but it looked good at any rate. So the Kolsch was definitely worth the trip. read more

Excellent brews, good food (a weekend thing?). Howling Wind IPA rocks. Good crew. Well worth visiting. read more

First time visitor, long time drinker. Came to Fairwinds based on the good Yelp! reviews. The Savory Delicatessen food truck was strategically positioned in the parking lot and the live music greeted us as we walked through the door on a Friday evening. The music was just a tad too loud for intimate conversation and the building isn't an amphitheater, but the music was really well done so I didn't mind speaking a little louder. The craft selection was solid with a good mix of the usual suspects. The Siren's Lure was a Gold GABF Medal winner and I enjoyed it immensely. I also enjoyed the Barleywine offering. Wifey stuck to her standard fare - the Stout and we both appreciated the smokiness and gentle follow through. The 20% off Yelp! deal didn't seem too well received by the guy running the register but perhaps he wasn't having a happy Friday. All in all, this is a very good rendition of a craft brewery. There's lots of board games and a very cool Battleship game made with beer flight boards and kegs as seats. Parking was good. Proximity to I-395 was a plus. No reason for you not to come visit. Cheers! read more

Fair Winds Brewing - You sank my Battleship! And I got drunk! - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

What a great find. New to the area and this is my go to watering hole. I thoroughly enjoy the beers. Staff are super friendly. Military discount. Food trucks are cool. Bust almost all the time. Lots of couples with kids, which to me us the only negative. Some parents turn off and let their rug rats run wild. Love that they allow dogs. Hell, they are better behaved than the kids. Overall love this place and highly recommend. read more

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Fair Winds is new to the scene, but they're already cranking out excellent beer. This doesn't always happen, and it certainly doesn't happen by accident. I've been here 3 times so far, and have always had a good time. Recently they had a "BRUTALITY AT THE BREWERY" metal night, which was awesome. Food trucks are frequently parked out front to serve up grub to patrons. There are plenty of tables, board games and even giant "jenga" to keep you occupied with your friends as you knock back flights or go ham and drink pints. The pale ales and IPAs really shine here. Bulkhead Brown ale is also very good, especially if you happen to catch it on cask! read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Bulkhead Brown (Nitro) - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

So it may seem odd that I am writing a review for a brewery and not reviewing their actual beer selection. But I don't like beer. I am reviewing the business itself. My husband's running club (plug for the Kingstowne Striders) has stopped here after some of their weeknight runs. We have seen them have trivia (it seemed pretty hard, we didn't play), and music, and beer. You can bring your own food, and people seem to like it there. So, when I needed a place to throw my husband's 30th birthday party, I made an arrangement to have a portion of the brewery sectioned off on a Friday night. It was perfect, we had the whole section behind the bar to ourselves, we ordered pizza, brought chips and cupcakes, and my husband got his fair share of beer out of it. The staff I emailed with and the staff that was there that night were really all very helpful, grateful for the business, and really flexible. The room is big, and it was a fun night. My husband likes their beer, all the people at the party seemed to like their beer, and you can bring in soda or water or whatever for people in your party who don't want beer. So, if you need a venue for a casual group- it's really an easy way to do it. read more

The beer is great, but I felt like I was at a dog shelter. Uncontrolled barking all over the place. I love dogs, I have four of them myself, but the kennel effect at a bar is ridiculous. read more

I've started and saved a draft for this review about a dozen times. That's also the same amount of times I've been here since they opened. The 1st time I came here I was immediately impressed by how finished the space was. Now, we enjoy seeing all the different growlers for all over that look down on the taproom. They host some great food trucks and events here. I personally love some to their beer yoga taught by Erin Sonn. Now for the most important part, their beer! Right out of the gate their Bulkhead Brown and Quayside Kolsch were really solid beers (I think my very 1st visit was 2 weeks after they opened). And they still are. Their brown is one of my faves, an underrated style. My husband loves their kolsch and they can it now which is awesome. Their Ghost of the Mariner, an imperial stout, is another face of mine. If you like saisons, you can't go wrong with their Sirens Lure. This is their beer that took gold in its category at the Great American Beer Festival before they were even a year old! I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the staff here. Both new and old have been awesome. Really looking forward to what Charlie and Casey do next! read more

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If this brewery was located at the Washington Navy Yard, they'd be killing it...like fishing with dynamite. Seriously though, I hope they consider opening up a location there. Anyway, I'm glad they are near Fort Belvoir. 1/2 priced growlers on Wednesdays is enough to keep me coming back. I really like their Hells Navigator. read more

I went to Fair Winds with my husband and another couple on 5/30/15 on the recommendation of some friends and Yelpers. I am happy to report neither my friends nor the other Yelpers let me down. I really enjoyed the flights of beer at Fair Winds. The price was also very reasonable for a flight. My only suggestion is perhaps instead of having to skip 2 beers on their list for a flight, Fair Winds should offer a flight with all the beers for a little more money. I loved how clean and relaxed (we arrived early on a Saturday evening) Fair Winds is. My group came prepared and brought some sandwiches and snacks to enjoy with our beer. (I also saw when we arrived a grilled cheese food truck and that somebody was having a pizza delivered.) The "bartenders" are very cordial, knowledgeable and really seem to enjoy their job. (I find going to a brewery like this is a nice change of pace from waiting in long lines at traditional bar.) I wanted to thank the owners for putting in ample seating for people to enjoy their product. I have been to similar places and although have always been able to eventually find a seat have had to wait (or have felt rushed to move along) if the brewery was crowded. In a nutshell I really enjoyed my experience and would not hesitate to go back and invite friends to relax. read more

Stopped in here on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon. The place was busy but we were able to get a place to sit. Quite a few toddlers running around but they were well supervised and having fun. I'm learning that it is quite normal these days to take the kids to the brewery for the afternoon. Still seems a bit odd to me... I enjoy a hoppy IPA or pale ale in the 5-7% ABV range, and there were a couple of solid offerings in this range. I especially liked the Following C Pale Ale. There was no food truck available. Overall a friendly place to enjoy a craft beer or two. read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia

Excellent beer selections and staff is always super knowledgeable and generous with the pours. I'm always torn on getting one beer over another so I usually get the flight option and can always find great tasting craft beer. You have got to try this place out. read more

Fair Winds Brewing - Platter - Breweries Near Me - Lorton, Virginia