Secluded in a hollow of the Blue Ridge mountains, the Flying Mouse Brewery brings a new craft beer experience to Botetourt County, Virginia. Our brewery is focused on the experience and enjoyment of craft beer as part of an active outdoor lifestyle, whether it be a cold draft after a long hike or a pint over conversation at dinner after a day of cycling. Join us in celebrating Virginia’s spirit of invention and the thirst for adventure. Go beer!
Frank Moeller
OWNER BREWMASTER
Debbie Moeller
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Chris Moeller
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
John Garrett
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Jim Trexel
PROCESS ADVISOR
“Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real”
- Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days
Three quintessential brews to taunt your tastebuds, and a limited edition brew that changes with the season. Like it light and crisp? Or prefer yours dark and sultry? Our beers – Flying Mouse 3, Flying Mouse 5 and Flying Mouse 8, light to dark – use a unique numbering system to help guide your selection. We are constantly adding to our list of brews and invite you to try them all!
Golden, fresh, and simply delicious, this translucent ale has a light, slightly sweet flavor and low hop bitterness. Crafted from a Kolsch style foundation with a broader palate of grains that allows for a more pronounced flavor and mouth feel, the Flying Mouse Three is the go-to brew for the trail or backyard BBQ... or for rolling up your sleeves and inventing a wing pack!
Bright and sunny, this golden ale has a sweet aroma and a clean, fresh finish. Crafted from an India Pale Ale foundation, the Flying Mouse Four greets the palate with a fruity malt character, balanced with a smooth, herbal and floral combination of several hops. Simply Fantastic! Take a sip, be inspired, do great things.
Bartleby's brew of choice. An ale with a tint of crimson, not quite an amber or red, but something all of its own. Crafted from a Pale Ale foundation, the Flying Mouse Five has a defined malt character, hop flavor and finish. It’s the perfect companion to kick back and watch the world go by... also great to take along when time traveling.
Dark and moody, this smoky, full-flavored ale has a creamy head and modest hop bitterness. Crafted from a Porter foundation, though dark in color, the Flying Mouse Eight doesn’t have the heaviness of many dark beers, providing an enjoyable brew that will get the gears turning with each sip. Enjoy after battling giant robots.
ITHE ONLY THING STANDING BETWEEN DREAMS AND REALITY IS ACTION.
SO GRAB A NICE PINT OF BEER TO GET YOU MOTIVATED AND GET GOING.
~ Bartleby Hopsworth
Meet Bartleby Hopsworth, the official mascot of the Flying Mouse Brewery.
Bartleby is the mouse who dreamed of flight. An inventor and adventurer, when Bartleby saw a bat flying overhead one night he pondered flight and all its possibilities. Determined to make his dream a reality, he took up the challenge of inventing his own wings, drawing inspiration from the owner of the house in which he lived: Jules Verne.
One fateful sunny weekend Bartleby tagged along as his landlord paid a visit to his friend H.G. Wells. Bartleby overhead Mr. Wells speaking of a time machine of his own creation and this sparked his journey to flight. While the two men continued their dinner discussion, Bartleby made his way to H.G. Well’s study and took the time machine for a spin, traveling back in time to visit Leonardo Da Vinci to seek his wisdom on manned flight. This conversation gave birth to his wing pack, as well as a thirst for further time-traveling escapades. And thus began the many adventures of Bartleby Hopsworth, the flying mouse!
“I’ve always had a thing for bats (a “flying mouse” as it is called in other languages), and we initially selected a bat as the character around which the brand of the brewery would be developed.” Brewmaster and brewery owner Frank Moeller explains. “As the idea of the brewery grew, along with our thoughts of linking the brewery with the “steampunk” design concepts born out of the books of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, it was decided that the character should be an example of the spirit of invention, and actually be a mouse that invents a set of mechanical wings in order to fly. The idea of a small mouse wanting to become something so much more than it is also embodies the idea we have for the brewery experience, and how a small brewery can be about more than just making beer.”
“I love the idea of this swashbuckling mouse adventurer and wanted to bring Bartleby to life in all his steampunk glory.” Creative Director Chris Moeller says of the mascot. “And it’s not just Bartleby, there is a whole mythology of characters and stories surrounding him. We want the story of Bartleby and his world to be part of the brewery experience.”
You can watch Chris speak more about Bartleby in the Taproom Tales interview on YouTube. Stay tuned for more of Bartleby’s adventures, but for now enjoy these sketches of Bartleby Hopsworth in action…
It's about the spirit of invention
and the thirst for adventure.
~ Bartleby Hopsworth
For news on upcoming events, check out our Events Calendar for the latest on what’s going on at the Brewery and in the area.
Sitting on 15 acres surrounded by forest at the end of a short country road, our 18,000 sq ft building offers ample seating both inside in our Mousetrap tasting room and outside in our beer garden. The brewery is family friendly and a great place to spend an evening or afternoon enjoying the company of family and friends over a cold pint with beautiful views of Tinker Mountain off in the distance. We love talking about our beer and our 20-barrel brewhouse and would be happy to show you around if we’re not busy, just ask for a tour!
Our tasting room is currently open Friday 4:00pm – 8:00pm, Saturday 2:00-8:00pm and Sunday 1:00pm – 5:00pm. Our beers will be available for take away in our Flying Mouse Bullet growlers and packable beer pouches.
AT Hikers, our brewery is easily accessible from the Appalachian Trial (a short distance up the road), so come down off the trail and relax with a pint. You can get full details on how to get to the brewery from the Trail here.
Bicyclists, The TransAmerica 76 Bicycle route rolls just by our driveway, so pedal off the trail and come relax with a cold draft fresh from the kegs.
Click the map below for a Google map to get directions for your visit.
221 Precast Way
Troutville, VA
24175
TEL: 540-992-1288
HOURS:
“There can’t be good living where
there is not good drinking.”
~ Benjamin Franklin
