Brothers Craft Brewing hosts their seventh annual Resolute Weekend this weekend, November 8-10—and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever! Supported in part by HDR’s Destination Downtown Grant, #TapintoResolute Weekend will be jam-packed with unique opportunities to shop till you drop, knock back a few brews, and celebrate well into the night with live music and entertainment. In fact, Brothers Craft Brewing has partnered with 30+ downtown businesses to offer exclusive discounts and promotions for Resolute Guide holders.
Harrisonburg residents get first dibs on the titular Resolute beer, Brothers’ flagship high ABV Russian Imperial Stout, plus a wristband that marks their place in line and allows for first-come-first-serve basis sales. But what’s the story behind Resolute Beer and Resolute Weekend? On a Saturday in 2014, Brothers’ invited folks in the community to try a new bourbon barrel-aged stout, which had taken the better part of the year to make and made it a novelty for customers. This beer was called Resolute, and it was a big hit. The success of the one-day event gave rise to a weekend-long event the next year, and an opportunity for collaboration with other Downtown businesses. Seeing the potential for growth, they joined forces with HDR in 2019 to apply for their Destination Downtown Grant program — and used the grant money they were awarded to expand the event to incorporate more businesses Downtown. This allowed Resolute Weekend to expand its footprint and bring visitors across the historic district to experience everything Downtown Harrisonburg has to offer.
Resolute Weekend’s success is further proof that the founders, Adam, Jason and Tyler Shifflet, are attracting visitors and residents alike to gather downtown and cheers to good beer and great fun. This comradery was part of the reason the three brothers founded their brewery back in 2013, after pursuing their interests in divergent fields. After receiving an engineering degree from NC State and serving 10 years in the Navy, Adam spent his leave home-brewing and enjoyed it so much, he’d often tell his friends how he aspired to take it to production scale one day. Meanwhile, Jason earned a degree in business, and Tyler finished a degree chemical engineering from Bridgewater College—creating a well-rounded field of expertise perfectly suited for the task of opening their own family brewery.
At the time, Virginia laws for taprooms were changing in their favor – winery tasting rooms could now sell by the glass, rather than only offering samples and closed bottles. Soon enough, regulations for breweries followed the same course. Brothers Craft Brewing (originally Three Brothers Brewing) took that as their cue to enter the market. The brothers built the brewery in an old Coca Cola bottling factory from scratch, without help from investors or external partners. The brewery has since specialized in both production and retail, all the while prioritizing their connection to the community with events like Casks for a Cause, which benefits a different local nonprofit every month through the sale of a custom-infused cask of beer designed by the nonprofit themselves. Brothers is also known for their festive Christmas in July celebration that collects school supplies for the United Way’s Stuff the Bus supply drive, their Souper Bowl Food Drive benefiting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank each February, and partnership events like Run, Sweat and Beers with VA Momentum. Brothers’ Taproom Manager Josh Harold is always coming up with new family-friendly, free to attend events that bring the community together and give back to a good cause.
How does Resolute Weekend work?
When you check in for the weekend at Brothers, you will be given a Resolute Guide – your all-inclusive guide to everything happening during the weekend. This allows you to not only take advantage of discounts and specials just for Resolute Guide holders, but also encourages visitors to explore Downtown in new ways. Suggested activities include a movie or performance at Court Square Theatre, learning a dance at Friendly City Dance Room, or admiring the work of local artisans at OASIS Fine Art & Craft or Virginia Quilt Museum. Getting around will be a breeze with Friendly City Pedicab, and once your evening comes to a close, you can unwind at Hotel Madison, which offers reduced rates for guide-holders all weekend long.
Learn more about Resolute Weekend on Brothers Craft Brewing’s website and Facebook. The event is FREE to participate in – check into the Taproom on Friday or Saturday to receive your guide and your wristband that will hold your place in line to purchase this year’s Resolute release.
