10 Reasons to Love GBS
Gingerbread Stout has a very special place in our hearts. As our second beer, it set us on the trajectory to become one of Virginia’s leading craft brewers and helped establish us as a nationally recognized brand. Over the years, the GBS Family has grown to include new variants and be included in both holiday memories. These are some of our favorite reasons to love GBS that come straight from our fans over the years.
“Ever since first tasting GBS, the first weekend in November is a holiday to look forward to. But my favorite memories are of the Friday night pre release lines at Ownby. Some friends and I would get there around dinner time and set up our camp chairs to sit in line. We'd either bring food with us or hit up the food trucks. Usually there was a band that we could hear through the rolled up garage door. We would take turns going in to get beer for the group. I always stuck to my other Fall favorite, Farmhouse Pumpkin, as we waited in line for the magic hour to arrive. 9pm if I recall correctly. Anticipation was high as the minutes counted down until that glorious time when the tap room shutdown to prepare for GBS distribution. Anxiously awaiting our chance to purchase up to whatever the limit was that year. My favorite year was of course when production had reached a point that I could walk away with a case of 750 ml bombers. As the doors opened to allow purchase, the anticipation reached a fever pitch until I could get my grubby little hands on MY GBS! One last joy awaited. The annual picture with Mr Gingerbreadman. Who needs Santa! 🙂 Thank you for all that you do to make the holiday season that much more special!”
“After the panic-inducing minutes of setting up Santa while one of us stands guard at the staircase to watch for prying eyes (we have four sets!), we head to bed and settle our brains with GBS and Christmas movies.”
“I remember attending the inaugural Family Tree reunion party a few years ago. We found ourselves sitting at a picnic table with an older couple enjoying a GBS. Turned out we were talking with Bill Cox, the farmer who sold Hardywood the first ginger for GBS, and his wife, India. Great hearing about his farm and meeting someone who had a role in the GBS legend!!”
“Been getting GBS since the beginning, the early years of waiting in long, cold lines every Saturday. Not a year goes by that I don’t always enjoy GBS and the variants. Hope to keep enjoying them for years to come!”
“I moved here last year in March, couldn't make time to go home for Christmas and I was super bummed out. Well some friends invited me and my girlfriend to spend Christmas with them and their family, when we woke up Christmas morning my friend June took me to the fridge and showed me the Bourbon Barrel GBS she had put in there for us. I had never heard of Hardywood before this but I knew I liked bourbon barrel aged beer. It blew me away, halfway through the bottle I declared it the best damn beer I'd ever had. It was a truly special part of a very special Christmas that made me feel not so homesick and I'll forever treasure it.”
“Standing in line for OG KY Christmas and Apple Brandy, I made friends with some out of towners behind me. We were hanging out and having a good time and talking about beer. When it came time to get the full allotment of KY Christmas and Apple Brandy, I found out I was the last person to get the full allotment. After paying, I met up with the people behind me to wish them safe travels. They were talking about how they needed 2 bottles of each for their friend’s wedding back home. No one was willing to trade them or anything. I grabbed 2 Apple Brandy and KY Christmas's out of my box, said, "Enjoy the wedding!" They were ecstatic to be able to bring the beers back to their friends.”
“My girlfriend and I both have very demanding jobs. As a Physical Therapist's Assistant and a manager of Customer Service at Whole Foods, we barely get time away for ourselves. Her having two young children at home makes it even more difficult. But last year we were able to come down all the way from the Philadelphia area for GBS Fest to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. I introduced her to the Gingerbread Stout and Hardywood in its entirety for the very first time. Now she's hooked! We had an amazing time, and got pictures with Santa too! We bought a few extra bottles and it made Christmas Morning even more special. We even came back a few short weeks later with her kids and they had an amazing time too. We'll be back next week with the kids for an overnight stay. So happy you guys are a part of our new holiday tradition!”
“When my girlfriend (now wife) and I moved to RVA from PA nearly 10 years ago, we learned that you all actually get snow days down here. We see both teachers, so a snow day is extra special. We started a tradition of making a 'snow day box' that could only be opened on the first snow day. The box would contain a movie, some notes to one another, and a fun beer we found called Gingerbread Stout. GBS has made it into every annual snow day box since, even the ones we make to open with our daughters (the stickers are for them, the beer is for mom and dad).”
“Every year since 2018, I have made the 3 hour drive each way from North Carolina to pick up a case of Bourbon Barrel Gingerbread Stout on its release day, to share with friends and family, and to enjoy for myself.”
“I saw GBS stocked up at the Trader Joe’s in Foggy Bottom, making mental note I figured - next time I’m here I’ll snag it. Next time I’m down from NYC for work, the shelves are barren - in despair, I text sis in law in Springfield VA to track her local Trader Joe’s & plot my own trip to the mother ship in RVA. On the same joyous day as I land my stash in Richmond, I receive word of double the fun from her in Springfield. GBS was carefully rationed given my distance, and the Foggy Bottom sadness was forgotten - sort of.”
