About Blindhouse
Blindhouse Beer is taken from a little known regional term to describe a windowless cottage or cabin. Historically, these concealed spaces were used as a way to focus and sober the mind of the drunk and disorderly. Somewhat ironically, it represents our single-minded focus on crafting the best possible beer using traditional techniques and regionally-sourced ingredients. We strive to bring together family, friends, and neighbors over a well-crafted beer that represents the spirit of Virginia and greater Appalachia through our eyes.
Blindhouse Beer is taken from a little known regional term to describe a windowless cottage or cabin. Historically, these concealed spaces were used as a way to focus and sober the mind of the drunk and disorderly. Somewhat ironically, it represents our single-minded focus on crafting the best possible beer using traditional techniques and regionally-sourced ingredients. We strive to bring together family, friends, and neighbors over a well-crafted beer that represents the spirit of Virginia and greater Appalachia through our eyes.
Our Beers
Blindhouse beers are focused on mixed-culture fermentation in the Saison tradition. What does this mean? Mixed-culture refers to fermentation with multiple strains of yeast and bacteria. Native yeasts surround us everywhere, from floating in the ambient air to covering the leaves of plants, petals of flowers and skins of various fruits growing in the wild. At Blindhouse, we harness these yeasts and use them to create complex expressions of the microflora Southwest Virginia has to offer. Saison, French for "season" is a notoriously hard-to-define style but to us, it means making every effort to brew with the abundance each season has to offer.
The resulting beers contain layers of classic Belgian Saison esters, floral and fruity aromatics and delicate acidity. They are mostly low to moderate in alcohol and are often refermented with local fruits, such as wine grapes, peaches, cherries and others. These beers are meant to be sessionable; enjoyed over a meal with friends and family. Their beauty is in their nuanced simplicity, which pairs well with food and conversation but are also worth talking about themselves.
The resulting beers contain layers of classic Belgian Saison esters, floral and fruity aromatics and delicate acidity. They are mostly low to moderate in alcohol and are often refermented with local fruits, such as wine grapes, peaches, cherries and others. These beers are meant to be sessionable; enjoyed over a meal with friends and family. Their beauty is in their nuanced simplicity, which pairs well with food and conversation but are also worth talking about themselves.
Meet the Founders
Our head brewer/co-founder Tyler Wert, has brewed professionally for over 5 years, focusing on barrel-aging and mixed culture fermentation. After working at one of the top breweries in the state, he left to focus on his love of Saison, local ingredients and wild yeasts.
Our Co-founder/Head of Operations Nicole moved to Virginia for the mountains but stayed for the beer after she fell in love with Tyler in 2017. She balances the books, gets her hands dirty in the cellar, and just generally keeps us going.