By Michael T. Jarvis
John Denver never visited Chilly Hollow Brewing Company in Berryville but it sure feels like it’s almost heaven thanks to the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River.
“Come chill at Chilly Hollow” is not just the brewery’s motto but it’s also a plan. Built on a sprawling working cattle farm, the brewery is an instant decompression zone with exceptional beer, food and fun. Even the mascot on their logo, a bull drinking a bottle of beer, looks like he’s having a blast
Chilly Hollow is definitely rural and it’s growin’ like a breeze. It can get really packed with crowds on weekends, just like its neighbors from the eastern side of the Blue Ridge — Dirt Farm Brewery and Bear Chase Brewing Company and is a great place to people-watch with. Beer or wine
But this 7,500-square-foot brewery feels more like a lodge or resort thanks to the high-end materials hand picked by the owners, longtime builders in the area. The atmosphere and the agricultural setting makes for a nice comfortable respite for large groups and families. Cattle graze in the shade of oak trees beyond the big meadow with the Blue Ridge as a backdrop.
Opened in November 2024, it was built by Shannon Dulaney, and his wife, Stephanie, in partnership with her brother Wayne Warfield and his wife Dee Dee. After building for decades in the housing industry with Warfield Homes, a Berryville construction company founded by the Warfield’s parents in the 1980s, the couples decided to add another piece to their successful cattle and construction businesses.
A cattle farm and a brewery may not sound like it would be a great match but it actually works out quite well. The spent grain from the brewing process is fed to the cattle, which become many foods. The farm’s ground beef, t-bone steaks, porterhouses, ribs, sirloin steak, chuck roast and brisket are all sold in the gift shop. Stephanie even makes hand soaps from rendered beef tallow.
There is a lot of synergy at this laid-back venue which also has some wild animals that sometimes mosey around. On a recent afternoon, almost on cue, two tom turkeys in their full feathered glory came strutting’ their stuff right down the hill from the huge patio. Deer and bear and even bobcats make periodic cameos. “One of our calves got attacked a year ago by a bobcat,” says Wayne. “It literally tore the hide off it. She has a scar to prove it.”
The idea to add beer to the mix materialized like the fog that rolls up from Chilly Hollow. A larger-than-life man who puts the Shannon in the Shenandoah, Shannon is the type of guy that will say, “I’ll tell you one thing” and then proceeds to tell you 20 things. He worked decades as a manufacturing engineer including at Rubber Maid in Winchester before joining the family construction business. After buying an old dairy farm in 1996, they built and lived in homes near the farm.
About 2019 they started thinking about building a brewery. They learned the brewery business by trial and error. “We thought we had to grow all our hops,” says Shannon. “We went to a hops conference in North Carolina. We thought, ‘This sucks.’ We let it go. Then we talked to the guys at Old 690 brewery and other breweries and we kind of got serious. At that point we had our plans, we got the soil tested and permitting. Things started falling into place.”
When it was just cattle in the hollow, it definitely did not seem like a likely place for a brewery, Shannon says.
“We’re in our mid-50s and thought maybe we’d take a pause. We are a strong, faithful family and I believe the Lord put us here. It meshed really good. We all said, ‘Let’s do it!’ We bought the brewing system assets from Rocket Frog, a 15-barrel system in August 2023 and filled the hay barn and other structures with it. They were selling their location and the system was from 2018. So it was pretty new. We asked if they would sell just the assets. We felt this was a better match than an industrial parkway. You need to have good beer and an enjoyable atmosphere. Then we had to build the brewery. We went high-end and quality on everything. Stamped concrete patio, tongue and groove ceiling. We wanted it to be nice. All the posts are from giant white oak trees and were milled onsite.”
The business has not been all smooth sailing even with the huge crowds, says Shannon. “We’ve added a whole ‘nother building. We had no idea how the weather can affect this business. We’ve had been iterating our way. The kitchen and food has been a huge challenge.” In addition to marketing director Madeline Dulaney, about 10 or more family members work the brewery.
The big draw — in addition to the giant patio — at Chilly Hollow is its primo beer. The water filtration system alone was a six-figure investment and is the same type used by the White House. Chris Jacques is a highly talented veteran brewer, formerly with Lost Rhino and Quattro Goombas, who started in August and was on tap just in time for the November 2024 opening. Stouts, blonds, IPAs and even a great sour are available on a rotation. Jacques advises those with Celiac’s or a high gluten intolerance to stay away from the beer even though is gluten reduced.
Dulaney’s Irish Stout should make Guinness nervous. Blue Ridge Fog is fermented with the Hornidal Kveik yeast strain is hopped with some of the “sexiest” hops around, including Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe. Cattle Driver Kolsch is worth the ride
This is a laidback “No bull” environment (despite the cattle, the logo and of course The Winery at Bull Run wines) but also offers a ginormous playground area for children and a massive patio perfect for vegging out. The food at Chilly Hollow is definitely a bright spot, compared to some breweries that run more beer-oriented operations. The farm-to-table burgers served only Saturdays, Sundays, and after 4pm on Fridays are excellent. Another popular item is the Pretzel Charcuterie Board, a steering-wheel size salty pretzel loaded with charcuterie meats, olives, and cheeses.
It’s always open to the public but it’s easy to see why memberships at the brewery sold out in 2025. More memberships will be available in October.
https://chillyhollowbrewingco.com
Chilly Hollow Road, off Virginia State Route 7 aka Harry Byrd Highway, just east of Berryville, VA.
Open 12-9pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 11am-9pm on Saturday, and 11-8pm on Sunday. Closed on Tuesdays.
