Great selection, unique vibes (a little darker/spooky energy), and popular with locals. We stopped…read morein here during its off hours and there were only a few people. However, this place clearly gets packed in the evening. There were lots of brews and ciders. They seem to rotate quite a bit, and there's a mix between local options and options from other states. A huge plus is very LGBTQ+ friendly without explicitly being a queer spot. Rainbows everywhere. The bartender told us that a local podcast offered to make them coasters and he said yes, but only if they make them as queer as possible. They were playing some alt music on a record. Also, locals were super friendly and engaged us tourists in convo. Lastly, there's a limited selection of games- so we played a little trivia game and had fun with it. Overall, I would definitely include this spot when bar hopping again. It is an easy walking distance of a lot of great stuff and it was easy enough to get to, even though it isn't on the main drag. Great spot!

I was in Bristol for a long weekend with my wife and we were looking for breweries and cool spots…read moreto visit during the evening hours. We saw Elserbrew's menu and though we should stop in. It's on a small, one way side street but there was parking nearby. When we approached the front door we instantly noticed they were LGBTQ+ friendly which made it even better. Our stop was early in the evening, probably around 5 so it wasn't busy. We were greeted by a friendly bartender and he gave us time to look over the menu. My first choice was the Limonada Hard Italian Soda. This was absolutely delicious! The tartness from the lemons was noticeable but not over powering and this was a very drinkable beverage. I don't like seltzers at all, yes this wasn't a seltzer but it did have a bit of carbonation that I did not mind. The other customers inside were friendly but not awkward, especially for us being the only 2 women in there at the moment the bartender was super friendly and they had a nice selection of local brews from the area. My wife ordered a peanut butter and jelly beer from the Knoxville TN area as her 2nd drink. PB & J beer doesn't sound so appealing but OMG it was phenomenal. It was the perfect balance and tasted like a PB&J liquid sandwich. Honestly I can wait until I find some in the store nearby. This is a nice, no frills, friendly stop yo grab a drink in Bristol.

Such an amazing place to visit with spectacular views and delicious ciders. Getting here is an…read moreadventure and you will feel as if you are driving through a random neighborhood along a gravel road, which you are, but as soon as you reach the parking lot and take a look out of your window you will see the most beautiful view. There is ample parking. Walking to the building is just a short few feet, and the building looks deceiving. Once you reach the front porch area you will have a better appreciation for this place. There's a building with a porch overhang that has lots of rocking chairs facing the mountain views, then there's poly furniture (one with an umbrella), picnic tables, a covered porch area, an indoor area, and outdoor patio area. The covered outdoor patio has protective sides for bad weather if needed, as well as 3 TVs. This place is absolutely gorgeous. Tons of seating options. They had shaded areas to help you stay cool and comfortable. They do have large heaters and fire pits which would be fantastic for a fall visit and I can only imagine the colorful views at that time of year. There are several options on tap of their coders. You can get a full pour or a flight. The flight was great so that we could try them all. They were tasty. The blood orange was our favorite! They also carry local beers, as well as a case of nonalcoholic beverages. There is a food truck with crab choices that is available for purchase (crab melt, crab pretzel, etc). The prices weren't bad at all. We didn't order anything so can't comment on the quality. They also have chips and suck inside the tap house, as well as shorts and some small merch for sale. The staff is absolutely fantastic and they are very knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive. You can tell that not only their talent is thrown into this place, but also their whole heart. They have intentionally made this place a great place to be and they make sure that everyone feels welcomed. Not sure if you can bring in outside food or not. I did see some people with bags that had kids. Call and ask as this would be a terrific gathering place to meet people or a great place to perch with a book or a podcast/music in your ears. You could even work up on this little nature oasis. It would be a super cool place to have a party, shower, or even a wedding if it was a small one. Such a vibe here.

So if the review was on the view, alone, it is a 5-star venue. What a view! I came because my wife…read morewanted to come (not a big cider fan) so I was going to get a beer. I am not from East Tennessee so when I want an IPA it needs to have some hops and bite. They told me their IPAs were "entry level" and I would say that Michelob Ultra might beat it on flavor. I ended up getting the Blood Orange and it wasn't overly sweet, so I liked it. The service there was outstanding. I really liked my time. I wish they had better beers.

Passing through Damascus and wanted to check out this distillery. It did not disappoint! Fun,…read moreupscale vibe with a friendly bartender named Megan. She told us about the liquors they make and helped us select the perfect drinks. My Elder Collins was made with their floral gin, and had an excellent sweet with a little sour punch to it. My boyfriend got the Appalachian Fashion with their 5 year bourbon and said the bourbon was fantastic!

In the heart of Damascus VA downtown area. Nice walking area all around the location. Ordered the…read moreflight they had available and it was pretty good for a 5 year Bourbon. Will have to come back and sample their beers next time.

Local distillery and small family business. We got a tour and were impressed that our guide was…read morewilling to do the tour with just the two of us. Two other people did arrive just a minute after we started and they were able to get integrated into our group. Our guide gave us fantastic info and even let us smell what they were currently working on. He also answered my many, many questions about the complexities of working so close to the state boarder (I was so curious!). The people who were also on our tour really tried to stir the pot by asking questions about local brewery drama. However, our guide was incredibly gracious and spoke kindly about all his local competitors. I could definitiely see the grit it takes to be a small local producer. We got to see the barrel room and the amount of work it takes to produce and manage all that inventory seems like a lot. After we took our tour, we sampled some of the offerings. They had whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, brandy, and perhaps something else. Much of what they had was quite strong, and really nice quality. I ended up getting some of the golden rum and a couple of other smaller things. This is definitely worth a stop in. The tour and tasting was free and family owners/operators were really nice.

Stopped in to see what local distillery was up to. Glad we did! Got a tour and tasting and some…read moregreat info and conversation! We were greeted as soon as we came in. They took us right back into store room for tour. Staff was very informative and answered any questions we had. Got to see how process works and how the barrels are stored and for how long. Then it was into tasting g room up front. Could try anything and everything they offered. Staff was great and it's not as big as other distilleries but they have plans to expand ...

Our second visit to Nicewonder. This time we came directly to their wine tasting building. Same…read moredelicious wines but in a casual outdoor atmosphere. Come inside and seat yourself either at the inside bar or out on the patio. We didn't know that they don't do formal wine tastings on the weekends. Our anniversary fell on a Saturday. We tried a Petit Verdot (hubby), Virginian, and ended with our favorite Merlot. Try their pizza as it's very good. We ordered their flavor of the day, meatball! The crust is chewy and very flavorful. Quick, friendly service at noon on a rainy Saturday at noon. We sat at a high top round table and watched the rain.

Tri Cities isn't known for sophisticated dining but Nicewonder changes that. We came to celebrate…read morean anniversary and we wanted to do something different. They have a wine tasting, which is very good. Our favorite is their Merlot; we had the Virginian (a bit tart), and the Petit Verdot (delicious), but the Merlot is fantastic for our palate. We, also, got a pizza for lunch. Their crust is really good. Our waitress, Kristy, was superb and she made us feel at home. It was raining, and my wife expected a different atmosphere, but Kristy stuck with it and we settled in fine. It was a wonderful lunch, we tasted some delicious wines, and we, highly, recommend it.

They are permanently closed. I always enjoyed sitting outside by the water so I will miss it.read more

Nice small vineyard, if the prices were more reasonable it would be much better but $20 for 4, 3…read moreSip glasses.

Absolutely one of my favorite spots to pop into when I'm in Abingdon. Beautifully decorated, lots…read moreof wine varieties, scrumptious cheeses, snacks and specialty gifts. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful with making recommendations. I always like to try a local variety when I stop in. They were so wonderful when I wanted to send a gift basket to my GF that was celebrating her birthday in town. They created a beautiful and bountiful basket, that she enjoyed, and even delivered it to her hotel.

We had a great experience at Katbird's. After a hard day of riding the Virginia Creeper trail we…read morewere ready for a latte. Katbird had this and more. She had some excellent pastries to satisfy our mid afternoon sugar craving, as well as a sampling of cheeses. We didn't explore the wine collection, which seems surprisingly extensive. The gifts for sale did not fit any of our needs, but the service was great, friendly and courteous.

We came in close to closing for a quick snack. Reclaimed older home with a lot of local art-…read morereminded me of restaurants in Charleston. The coffee we had was very good- latte and flat white. They had run out of cold brew. Cinnamon bun was very sweet but good. The gluten free brownie was ok and chocolate chip cookie was airy (interesting) and enjoyed. If we had more time would have liked to have a full lunch.

If Michelin star talent, incredible food, and a side of Native American folklore sound like an odd…read morecombination, trust me..:it works. The Girl & The Raven has such a cool story behind it, and learning about the meaning of the raven in Native American folklore made the experience feel even more special. Then the food arrived... and suddenly conversation stopped because everyone was too busy saying, "You have to try this!" We ordered the breakfast bowl with sweet potatoes, arugula, and the famous hippy sauce, a gooey cinnamon bun, and the homemade daily biscuit sandwiches. Every single bite was phenomenal. The hippy sauce deserves its own fan club, the biscuit was flaky perfection, and the cinnamon bun disappeared so fast it should probably qualify as magic. Every dish was cooked to absolute perfection. You can tell it's crafted by Michelin trained chefs who know exactly what they're doing. Sarah Grace took amazing care of us. She was friendly, attentive, and somehow managed to make us feel like regulars even though we were just passing through. The restaurant itself is adorable, and the artwork covering the walls is stunning. We seriously considered playing a game of "How much luggage can we leave behind to make room for a painting?" If we hadn't packed the car for vacation, one of those paintings would have been riding shotgun all the way home. Come hungry, stay curious about the story, and don't be surprised if you leave wishing your vehicle had just a little more cargo space.