The Buzz at Parkway Brewing Co. ~ Salem, VA

We passed through Roanoke Valley on our way back to Charlotte after our week long Virginia Brewery trek.  Along the way folks told us we could leave Virginia with at least popping by the Parkway Brewing Company at 739 Kessler Mill Rd in Salem, VA.  We had already visited half a dozen or so breweries that day and Parkway wasn’t so far off the beaten path to cause any consternation. So we twisted our arms and took a detour to check it out.

Parkway is a rather large brewery with a very large brewing area, taproom, and area to chill out. They don’t serve food in-house, but had a great food truck just outside so we could get a bite and enjoy the variety of brews a little longer.  We knew we weren’t going to be able to get the full experience so having a quick bite made all the difference.

We were only able to choose two brews to sample, so the choice was simple:  Higher ABV. Fortunately Parkway has a few beers that fall into that parameter so we dove in and tried the 9.5% ABV Four Damn Fights to a Pint DIPA.

Four Damn Fights has a tangerine / grapefruit taste with some caramel. It’s a cloudy amber with a thin head and good lacing and a grass finish. It’s Medium body, softly carbonation, balanced, and complex.  All in all it’s a delicious fruit Double IPA.

Like I mentioned earlier, we were only able to treat the stop at Parkway as a drive-by.  We didn’t get the full experience, but one thing left its mark.  I was especially impressed with their beer artwork.  Of all the Virginia breweries we visited, Parkway was hands down the most creative with its names and labels.

I like this place and recommend it if your visiting southwestern Virginia or simply want to sample a good Virginia Craft Beer establishment.

Kudos!