Summertime Spirits
The days are growing warmer, and the afternoons are stretching in a way that begs you to grab a friend and have a lingering conversation over a drink. While summer in Virginia may call to mind a picnic at a local winery, or lunch at one of our many alehouses, we’re lucky enough to have a selection of craft drinks in town that are a little out of the ordinary.
First up, we have the Silver Hand Meadery. Mead, a fermented drink made from honey, is one of the oldest-known beverages in the world–stores of mead have even been found in ancient Egyptian tombs–and you can experience it right here in Williamsburg! Stop by the cozy meadery for educational tastings. As a bonus, they have honey tastings separately from the mead itself–so it’s a family friendly activity to boot!
Next, there’s the 8 Shires distillery. Perhaps the most unique to our area, this distillery focuses on preserving and sharing historical distillation techniques and recipes from the 17th and 18th centuries–so go prepared to learn a lot, and budget slightly more time than you might usually for a standard tasting. Also be aware that they are only open Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays–you won’t regret working out the time!
Last, but not least, the most summery option–Larry’s Hard Lemonade. While Larry’s is sold at multiple locations around town, a new brick and mortar location is opening just down the parkway in Yorktown, and we can’t wait to check it out! The parkway is a beautiful drive, and most of our guests don’t realize that the beachfront is as accessible a part of their vacation as the palace green.
Whether sipping something as familiar as a lemonade or as new-to-you as a 17th century rum, we hope you’ll experience the specialties of what the area has to offer. And who knows…maybe you’ll learn a little something while you sip!
Where will we find you wiling away the afternoon?