Back in town so I had to return. In addition to having a flight I had a butter beer. Interesting and delicious. read more

The Friendly Fermenter - Green Jacket - Irish Multi Grain Ale - Breweries Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

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Why is this little place the best bar? 1-Fantastic beer- I enjoyed a wonderful Big Bear Hug stout. There were three others that were tempting to me! 2- friendly staff and patrons. Almost Cheers! Like! 3- the music- just the right volume and genre(s)for the 58 year old Valley boy. 4- games available and tables to play em on in a cozy atmosphere Downside? Well, it's not fancy, but if you're a brewer it may be right up your alley. And, the parking. Yep, parking is not terribly close. read more

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Best beer in the area by far. They have some good snacks and the pizza place a few doors away has ready to go giant slices. I wish they had lower alcohol beers and stouts more often, but that's apparently not what sells best at local micro-breweries. Irish and English pubs have low enough alcohol beer that you can stay around and have a few with friends and not stagger out, but that has yet to catch on here. It's the friendliest bar I've been to and a good place to sip some very good beer. read more

Happened upon this place while exploring Harrisonburg. At first parking kind of confused us, but it looks like right now you can park across the street and there's also a lot maybe a block away that's easy to get to. Initially we thought we would grab a flight, a snack, then head to dinner. Then we tried the Italian pretzel and had to try even more. I cannot stress how amazing this pretzel was and everyone needs to try it. I'm also kicking myself for not leaving with some "Cream of the Crop" to take home. Everyone was so friendly, Shawn was a great host and even though he was alone made sure everyone had what they needed, prices were great for both beer and food, good selection of beers, small and intimate without feeling cramped. Will definitely be back our next time through. read more

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Loved this little brewery. Nothing fancy inside, but cozy and nice. The staff is super nice. They have beer making kits that you can buy which I thought was cool. They only have a small amount of beer on tap (5 selections when I went) but still have enough to cater to a wide variety of palettes. Very low key inside with small games you can play. read more

This brewery and beer making store is right downtown. The staff is very friendly and wants to make sure the customers are happy. They will let you try a sample of a beer for free before you commit to it. You can get half pours or full pours here as well which I love so I can try more beer. I would definitely return. read more

Great, small, local brewery. Continuously rotating beers, with a good variety. Nice vibes, and friendly staff.

Nice small brewery. Good selection, tried a flight of all on -tap options. Greatly enjoyed the atmosphere and service! read more

The Friendly Fermenter - Flight of 6 on-tap brews. The Lil' Fuzzy tastes like summer in a glass. Great vibes, great service. - Breweries Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

Something for everyone in our group at this stop. We had wine drinkers, plain jane beer drinkers (think blonde ale), hopheads, and those that enjoy barrel aged selections. This is a nanobrewery and is constantly producing small batches, which go very quickly. If you see something you like, stop by for a pint and grab a crowler to go, it won't be there long. But that's also what makes it fun; you know they will have something on tap you haven't had before. It also doubles as a homebrew shop for those needing supplies. read more

The Friendly Fermenter - Tap selection - Breweries Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

Great hole in the wall brewery! Came in for the start of our bachelorette festivities :) we had a great time chatting up the owner and the bartender there. I got this amazing coffee blonde stout. One of the best beers I've had in a long time! read more

The Friendly Fermenter - Breweries Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

What can I say this is one of my favorites we visited. Shawn is an amazing brewer and really engages with his customers and makes you feel welcomed and really loves what he does in the brewing process. My husband and I really enjoyed learning about how he has built his taste in beer as well as his brewery. If you are looking for a spot to stop with kids or even you furry kids they are all welcomed. My husband enjoyed the flight and I was able to try a few as well. read more

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Come here for the best beer & atmosphere In Harrisonburg!! You won't be sorry

If you're looking for a cozy space to have a good beer this is it. The beer tender was friendly and attentive and wore a mask. Tables and seats were spaced well. The music was good and restrooms were clean. Nice selection of home brew supplies. read more

The Friendly Fermenter - a man sitting at a bar - Breweries Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

I went to the Friendly Fermenter on 8/17/19. It is a true testament to this place that the other breweries I visited in the area recommended it. Although the brewery is located in a basement with no windows, it is surprisingly comfortable. Our bartender and one of their regular patrons were great conversationalists. If I didn't have an agenda, I could have easily spent another hour at the Friendly Fermenter. The beer was good. In my flight nothing stood out to me but nothing was bad either. In a nutshell, if I come back to this area I will definitely make a second visit. read more

4/5 August 2019. We stopped here while visiting Harrisonburg. This place is a strange amalgam of bar, brewery, and home brew store which contributes to an interesting vibe. It's also in a basement so you have to keep your eyes open. The beer was good but the atmosphere and service were excellent. The trail mate was my favorite. I would definitely recommend stopping by if you find yourself in the area. read more

The best bar in the area! The quality of the beer is fantastic. I brought my boyfriend here for his birthday and he loved it. We attempted to book a "brew your own beer" session but it was discontinued due to the pandemic. The owner was incredibly kind when explaining this and even bought my boyfriend a beer since we couldn't take the beer making course! It was such a great experience, filled with delicious beer and fantastic service. I highly recommend it! read more

We love the friendly fermenter. These brews don't stay on tap for long (especially if they are good) so it's always a surprise going in and seeing what they have. There's always a good variety of different types of beers - some of our favorites have been a blonde coffee stout and a cream soda ale. This is a small watering hole with only 4 main tables, so there are rarely more than 15-20 people in there. The bartenders are extremely amicable and will let you sample the beers before buying (or you can buy a taster!). No food is sold here, but you can bring your own. If you order from Latin Flavor down the street, they'll even deliver to the brewery! There are restrooms inside. The place is downstairs and can be intimidating to walk into, but the staff is so friendly and welcoming. If you are a brew master, this is the place in Harrisonburg to come to! Tons and tons of selection. If you're not a brew master but want to be, the staff is great at getting you the bare necessities so you can work your way up. For the COVID-conscious, all staff wear masks properly. Tables are disinfected between guests. There is no lingering at the bar allowed so very few people walk between tables without masks. Overall, we feel very safe here despite only indoor seating. Growlers and crowlers are available to go if you are nervous to sit in. read more

The best of the breweries we went to in Harrisonburg! Beers were good, people friendly, and they even had some snack foods available. Would be cool to do the make your own brew option if you had the time. Other breweries nearby on the Brewerks trail should take notes from this place! read more

Friendly fermenter is tiny but mighty. The place is super clean and very well decorated. Their beers are FANTASTIC, super clean and crispy. I tried the dark side of the moo and the hazy minds and both were excellent. I highly recommend this place... Oh wait! And the staff specially Alec were really friendly and fun. read more

Aptly named!! Super fun spot and the beers were amazing!! Loved the Plethora brew while the rest of our crew ordered multiples of the In Your Breast Interest. read more

Really enjoyed these beers and hanging out with what seemed to be "the locals". We don't do home brewing, but if we did this seems like the place to go to get all your supplies and maybe some brew tips. Everyone was very friendly and easy going, we went to several breweries while in Harrisonburg and this was one of my favorites. Definitely recommend stopping in for a few! read more

This is the worst beer I have ever tasted. I got a flight of 5 beers. They charged me 13 bucks, and I left 12 dollars worth of it behind. There are better beers to be had. Any one of them come in forty ouncers from the local mini mart. read more

Great beer that you won't find anywhere else. I decided on a flight of all their available beers. Spoke with Shawn (nice guy, laidback). If you're close to Harrisonburg and like beer you should stop by - you won't be disappointed. read more

The Friendly Fermenter - Breweries Near Me - Harrisonburg, Virginia

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Have heard great things about this place and looking forward to my first visit. Not only an opportunity to try great craft beers but I hear they will teach you how to make your own brew! They even sell the supplies you need. The place looks like it has a cool vibe to boot. read more

Quite the find! Located in the lower level it was roomy lots of tables and had space. Sean was a great teacher for us to learn more about the way to pick a beer. There are board games to play also. Sean also sells brewing items and teaches those interested in the brewing process. If we ever come in town again we will stop in. read more

Tony was phenomenal, good conversation and very hospitable. The beer was really good too!

Great nano brews and good selection of homebrew ingredients and equipment. The proprietor is friendly as the name implies. Get yer homebrew suppliws amd grab a beer...or several.... While youre here. read more

This is the like the friendly neigborhood bars of many years ago -- but has has much better beer. I'd rate it as having the best micro-brewery beer in the area, and occasionally one of their experiments is truly outstanding. I also am fond of Pale Fire and Stablecraft micro-breweries, but this is my favorite. read more

After a dismal visit to another business in Harrisonburg, I took my chances and visited this place. I was very impressed with the volume of supplies for the home brewer. The 2 gentlemen who helped me could not have been easier to work with! I was able to find what I needed quickly, and although one product I wanted 2 of, they only had 1, they said they were placing an order the next day and would include more of that specific item. They even helped carry my purchases to my car! The parking is pretty nonexistent at the building, but there is plenty of parking right across the street. This is a fairly new business, but with the service and volume of supplies, I think they will be around for a long time! read more

Great nano-brewery and really nice staff :) met the owner and he's very knowledgeable. Highly recommend to try out!

Good beer....very expensive for a growler! Ask the price before filling. I just got a 2L growler of good beer, Far Out Man Galaxy Session IPA, but it was $26! Wow that's a lot for a bit over 5 beers that I am drinking at home. Don't get me wrong, it's good beer.... but that's a very high price for it! I may go back, but for $10 less I can fill my growler with pretty darn good beer elsewhere! read more

Excellent beer! Not your typical brewery where all the homemade brews taste like a slight variation of each other, Friendly's beers actually taste true to their names. read more