The legacy of Alesatian flows from the mountains and farms of the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, along the German border, where tastes emerge from a bold mix of cultures and traditions. It is the ancestral homeland of the Ritenour family of Stephens City Virginia, brewers of Alesatian.

Much has changed in Europe since the Ritenours lived there in the 1500’s, but the brewers of Alsace still cherish the distinctive heritage of their art. So it is today: respect for purity and authenticity guide every ingredient and every decision at the Virginia brewery.

In windswept Alsace, sunlight burns through a grey sky and seems to set a farmer’s field on fire. Flowers on a mountaintop dance under racing clouds. In an old stone brew-house, men and women descended from generations of brasseurs discuss a slight variation on a traditional recipe. Emotions may rise, but never voices: everyone knows the winning argument can only be flavor.

To hear these voices, to breathe the crisp mountain air, to see the fields of hops and barley shine in the sun is to understand the bold, quiet heart of the brew. Sometimes dark, sometimes exuberant, there is a purity and simplicity to every element of the landscape, but true character emerges in layers.

Many of the greatest battles ever known were fought over Alsace. Now so peaceful as to be almost dream-like, history still seems to whisper in the constant breeze. It is an awareness of the past, of heritage, that is familiar to all of us in the Shenandoah Valley.

Respect. Depth. Gratitude. Purity.

Taste gathers itself from a field of emotions, beauty, and history.

Wishing you enjoyment,

The Ritenours
Brewers,
ALESATIAN