So there we were, on the way to Harrah’s (fairly) new casino in Murphy, North Carolina when we saw the sign for Valley River Brewery. It’s hard to go anywhere these days without finding a brewery nearby, and this one is only 3 miles from the casino. That visit was a daytrip, so I didn’t get to stop by the brewery. Worry not though, dear reader, a few weeks later we were back in Murphy and Valley River Brewery was my first target.

Valley River Brewery is a brewpub in downtown Murphy, tucked away on a side street amidst several restaurants and shops. I got there around 7PM on a Wednesday night, and they were one of the few businesses open. Valley River Brewery offers pub fare at reasonable prices, beer for on premises consumption, and beer to go in growlers. They now have a second location in Hayesville, North Carolina.

All the prices were reasonable and the beers very enjoyable with an old-world English flare. The atmosphere was small-town southern, homey and welcoming. The bar staff was knowledgeable and offered up suggestions (I chose not to betray my familiarity with beer just to see what they would recommend). I chose the nachos to munch on as I had not had dinner but also didn’t want anything too heavy.

For $7.95, you can get corn tortilla chips or homemade wheat tortilla chips topped with burger, cheese sauce, onion, tomato, sour cream, salsa, and jalapeno. The portion was large and I could only eat about half, taking the rest back to the hotel for later. My daughter asked me to bring her back a soft pretzel for $3.95, which came with a tub of tasty pub cheese.

I enjoyed a sampler of four beers ($5) and a fifth sample that was on the house. That fifth sample may well have been the best beer that I tried here: Salted Caramel Barleywine. I had asked my server if I could buy a fifth sample to try this one, but she comped it for me.

I had forgotten my growler at home unfortunately, and they were out of them or I would have got a fill of this. At 11.25% alcohol by volume, this would have been better to sip back at the hotel than to drink at the brewery. Still, a wee sample couldn't hurt?

As with all the beers here, Valley River Salted Caramel Barleywine was fairly priced. This one ran $5 for a 10-ounce glass, but a 64-ounce growler fill was only $18.95, just four bucks more than the standard $14.95 price.

My sample of Valley River Brewery Salted Caramel Barleywine arrived a deep orange amber in color with a minimal head formation and an inviting bready and caramelly nose. Taking a sip, there were abundant notes of fresh baked bread and caramel candy in the palate, salt and warming alcohol in the finish. Just delightful!

I very much enjoyed this beer and my visit to Valley River Brewery. I know I’ll be back, and if you’re in the area, you definitely should check them out. It's a nice break from the limited beer choices at the casino. Be sure to tell them the Bruguru sent you.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

(G)=Growler

 

 

 



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