Calhoun's Main

One might not think that Louis Pasteur, President Jimmy Carter, Maytag washers and dryers and Harrisonburg native Eric Plowman have anything in common, but they do.

Beer.

The chain of events goes something like this:

Louis Pasteur invented pasteurization — the process of heating something above 180 degrees, thus killing microbes that could destroy beer, and then allowing it to cool down. President Jimmy Carter legalized home brewing in 1978, and Fritz Maytag, the great-grandson of Maytag Corporation founder F.L. Maytag, bought the Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco in 1965, which played a large role in the growth of microbreweries in the U.S.

And that’s where Eric Plowman enters the picture — from a corner brewpub located in Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg. The 35-year-old award-winning brewmaster has been living his dream and brewing beer at Calhoun’s Restaurant and Brewing Co. since its opening in 1998.

Full Story

From the Author:
From growlers to taps to brewing, Eric Plowman is the king of Happy Hour at Calhoun’s, Harrisonburg’s local microbrewery.

The 35-year old brewmaster has been brewing beer at Calhoun’s since he and co-owner Mike Comfort opened the microbrewery/restaurant in 1998. The brewery offers a variety of authentically brewed beers, and Plowman prides himself on using ingredients from all over the world.

In addition to the full-length story, Curio online features additional information on brewing and beer in general. Find out the true story behind the origin of the growler, how to pour the perfect beer and learn the ins and outs of the brewing process.