Governor’s Saturday Front Royal visit cancelled – beer will still be celebrated

A perhaps now sadder proprietor David Downes on the front porch of his Virginia Beer Museum. Photo/Roger Bianchini

David Downes has announced that Governor Terry McAuliffe’s scheduled Saturday (Sept. 23) stop at his Virginia Beer Museum in Historic Downtown Front Royal has been cancelled.  Downes announced last week that the governor would stop at his Chester Street museum to help celebrate its first anniversary as a nod to the governor’s craft beer economic initiative.

The governor was to have been greeted at the beer museum by a phalanx of local officials, including Front Royal Mayor Hollis Tharpe and Warren County Board Chair Linda Glavis, at about 3:30 p.m.  After about a half hour there, McAuliffe was scheduled to cross Chester Street to the Gazebo-Village Commons area where the Brews & Blues Festival would be in full swing (noon-7 p.m.), before leaving town about 4:30 p.m.

As our reporter Malcolm Barr Sr. pointed out in announcing the governor’s scheduled stop here, “During his four-year term as governor, McAuliffe helped close a deal that brought the world-famous Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, Calif., to Richmond, Virginia as part of a major economic development initiative benefiting the state.”

A state economic report released this summer indicated that Virginia’s beer industry now contributes over $9.34 billion annually to Virginia’s economy.  In June the governor announced that 206 licensed breweries were now located in the commonwealth – that reflects a doubling of the number of breweries in Virginia during McAuliffe’s term in office.  And two more large west coast breweries have followed the Stone company to Virginia.

The Virginia Beer Museum’s Helltown Saloon is ground zero for exploring the history of craft beer in the commonwealth – several of the nation’s Founding Fathers were involved in distilling spirits, and not just beer; as “flat” George Washington is positioned in an adjacent room to explain to local stained-glass artist Dubby White, foreground, and other patrons. Photo/Roger Bianchini

Attempts to reach the governor’s public information department prior to publication for an explanation of the cancellation were unsuccessful – but will be added if received.

In the governor’s absence Saturday I guess we’ll all just have to have a toast to missing friends – or enemies as the case may be in this volatile political environment.  But in his absence, we will cite a quote of Governor McAuliffe that may have mirrored what he would have said to the crowd gathered to celebrate Brews & Blues in Front Royal Saturday afternoon:

“The beer industry is a significant economic driver that spans several sectors including manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.  I am proud of the success we have had making Virginia a premier destination for craft brewers and consumers from all over the world.

Here’s to missing friends – Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a friend to beer is a friend to all. – Photo/Wikipedia

I commend our Virginia breweries for their hard work in making world-class beer, and for playing a key role in building the new Virginia economy.”

Here, here – bottoms up, kids.