Well-inspired and solar-fired, this brewery is authentically ‘farm fresh.’
At Glade Road Growing in Blacksburg, you just might see a cold glass of beer pushing up out of the ground, among the rows of fresh produce. But if that’s the case, you might have had one too many.
Glade Road’s on-site brewery, Rising Silo, is farm brewing at its finest, producing beer made with Glade-grown and other Virginia fruits and vegetables, “with an emphasis on the senses and the seasons.”
Virginia Tech grad Greg Zielske planted the seed for Rising Silo Brewery in 2014. Its catchphrase—“Well Inspired, Solar Fired”—rings true to the operation’s two most vital natural resources: well water straight out of the New River Valley, and 113 solar panels that generate more than 40,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year, about 40 percent of the farm’s annual usage.
On the outside, Rising Silo’s tasting room looks like a humble farm stand, and in fact, it is, offering up fresh eggs, meats, honey, flowers, and produce. Inside, the vibe is rustic, warm, and welcoming. Vintage hops and feed sacks hang like buntings from the ceiling, and a crackling, wood-fired brick pizza oven beckons by the bar.
Rising Silo’s tap rotation changes often, ebbing and flowing depending on which ingredients are ripe. Try Blue Heifer during blueberry season, a German-style hefeweizen brewed with the tiny tart berries. In the fall, a Sasquash Spiced Ale, made with 40 pounds of Glade-raised squash varieties, spices, and orange peel, pairs perfectly with a chilly autumn breeze. RisingSiloBrewery.com
This article originally appeared in the Best of Virginia 2023 issue.
