Summer Brewery and Distillery Tours

Members of the National Capital & Tidewater Virginia Local Sections of AIChE and the Fredericksburg Area Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association are invited to tour the Blue & Gray Brewing Company facility and learn the basics of the brewing process from start to finish. Participants will have the opportunity to sample the four year-round beers as well as seasonal beers. Sample beers straight from the tanks as you learn how to brew!

A short walk will take you to the A. Smith Bowman Distillery (website) where a guide will describe the processing and distilling operations. A recent addition to the processing equipment is George, a 500-gallon still named after the patriarch of the Bowman family. It takes its place next to Mary, the existing whiskey still, which was named after Mary Hite Bowman, George’s wife. After completing both tours, attendees may enjoy a lunch (self-pay) at Lee’s Retreat Brewpub back at the site of the Blue & Gray Brewing Co. Individuals may order from the menu.

Registration This event is FREE to all attendees. To secure your spot, please RSVP by June 24, 2015.

Locations and Directions

The Blue & Gray Brewing Co. is located in the Bowman Center across from the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds. Lee's Retreat Brewpub is also at this location. From the North (I-95): Take Exit 130A, Rt. 3 east. Exit right onto Rt. 2 & 17 South toward Bowling Green. Make a left at the 3rd light into Spotsylvania County Business Park (Bowman Center). Follow signs.

From the South (I-95): Take Exit 126 onto Rt. 1 North. Make a right onto Mine Rd. Go 3 miles to the 3-way stop and make a left on to Lansdowne Rd. Make a right on to Rt. 2, then a quick left into Spotsylvania County Business Park (Bowman Center). Follow signs. From Downtown Fredericksburg: Follow Princess Anne St. under the railroad tracks to the stop sign. Make a right and then a left at light onto Rt. 2 & 17 South. Travel through 5 lights (.85 mile) and make a left into Spotsylvania County Business Park (Bowman Center). Follow signs.

From King George and South Stafford: Take Rt. 3 west to the Rt. 3 bypass. Cross the river and exit right for Rt. 2 & 17 South. Make a left at the light. Then a left at the 4th light into Spotsylvania County Business Park (Bowman Center). Follow signs.

The A. Smith Bowman Distillery is just a short walk from the Blue & Gray Brewing Company. We will walk over as a group.