4 stars for the fruit wines. But if you're not a fruit wine aficionado - this place is not for you!…read moreOpen by appointment only. No home page - check their Facebook. This place is definitely a 'farm' winery - they grow nearly all the fruit that they use in their wines. And the lineup is impressive - over a dozen distinctive fruit wines were available. Apparently even tropical fruit was grown here, which I found quite shocking. Since I have a palate for spice, I focused on an assortment of jalapeno wines, plus some apple and blueberry concoctions. The jalapeno wines were too spicy even for me, but I did walk away with an apple wine that tasted just like apple pie. As much as I wanted to love it, "Dragon's Fire" was just too much for me to handle!

A great little place to sip some terrific cider concoctions and listen to live music. We were there…read morewhen they had live music (Irv Sargent and the Early Times (super good music). You can get a flight of ciders to try them all. They even have slushy cider - even a non alcoholic one! Great spot to try some fabulous and fresh ciders. They have merch, vinegar and some snacks. They are located in Abingdon Commons so there are other good options as well. Super terrific place!! They have outdoor seating and even a bar to order from out there. Very friendly workers and just a great vibe all around.

Recently checked out this place while I was in Abingdon. This was the very first place I checked…read moreout and I was actually impressed with my time here. There wasn't anyone here really but the staff here was very friendly and accommodating. Inside, it's like you're inside of a cozy Den. They have nice seating and couches nearby they have games as well. Great selection of hard ciders to choose from though I highly recommend trying to flight first. Prices here were pretty fair! Thankfully this place was open on a Monday where a lot of places happened to be closed. This place also features some outer seating as well. Great recommendation!

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 ...

What a fun brewery! I met friends here and it was awesome guessing at stories told by Appalachian…read moretrail hikers as they shared their adventures around us! The beer was delicious! I tried an IPA and a fruity sour that made my face curl up. So fantastic! The bartender was helpful in expanding the various beers available and helping our party of four make our selections. It was fun to be in a small brewery that was connected to a sense of community and sharing that fits the hiking/backpacker vibe!

Great selections with also a great staff. Inside and outside seating area with cornhole outside as…read morewell. Darts and a small pool table inside. Hats and shirts available for purchase.

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.

A hidden gem! This is a terrific local museum that's associated with the Smithsonian. Located in…read morethe center of Bristol with plenty of parking. The people that work in this museum are absolutely incredible. They are beyond helpful, friendly, and attentive. Super knowledgeable as well. You can tell they love their city and enjoy their job. Come to. Wet some super nice people and see an awesome collection from the Bristol Sessions. The museum is very informative and has some interesting history and some great displays. There's a 15 minute video in a super comfortable theater that gives you the background of the museum. There was a gentleman that works there that was chatting before the film and he was a wealth of knowledge. There's a great store with some treasures and a special exhibit area. Super fun day and super cheap to come. Check them out!!

We're in town for the 2026 Bristol rhythm and roots reunion. This museum was amazing. He must see…read moreif you're in Bristol. And an absolute must see if you come in for the rhythm and roots reunion. Easy to find handy parking. The museum is on two floors. There were plenty of volunteers present to answer questions. Many had their own personal stories, which was great. The entire collection is well curated and very well produced. I found it to be absolutely fantastic. I grew up on Bluegrass and country music and knew a lot of the history already, but it was really interesting to see the instruments and hear the first recordings of the Bristol sessions. Just a fantastic place. They do have a small gift shop downstairs that sells various items a lot made by local artisans. Everything was pretty appropriately priced. If you were coming in the Bristol, this is a must see.

I stopped by the William King Museum of Art today while driving from Pittsburgh to Naples via…read moreAsheville and Savannah. The volunteer at the desk, a former psychiatric nurse, and I bonded over a shared history of Pittsburgh and nursing. All of the four exhibits, three temporary and one permanent, were interesting. I especially enjoyed the Quilt National '19 exhibit. I congratulate each of the quilters on bringing a fresh and novel approach to an old art form.

This museum is surrounded by roads of dubious quality and construction was going on in the area…read more The building itself seemed rather tired as well, so perhaps a needed refresh is coming. However, you can't complain too much when it's free. The current facility offers a couple of floors with small but interesting galleries. Some of the exhibitions are in collaboration with VMFA in Richmond. The collections I saw offered a mix of folksy history and contemporary perspectives. There is also a nice view of the valley as this building is on a hill. I received a rather disinterested welcome, and the collections weren't substantial enough to spend even an hour in total for me. I wouldn't come any great distance to see the place, but it seemed to offer some nice educational opportunities for the community and perhaps if renovated and expanded it will become more of a destination for non-locals. I would certainly be happy to see that happen.