Cooperative Living July 2018 - 33

ways that village businesses support each
other. Sherri and Kevin worked with Central
Coffee Roasters, located just outside
Sperryville on Route 211, to create a custom
coffee blend, available only at the Hopkins
Ordinary. In addition, they serve a special
French toast made with whiskey from
Sperryville's own Copper Fox Distillery.
Kevin uses another Copper Fox product,
malted barley, in their newest venture, the
Hopkins Ordinary Aleworks. A few years
after they opened the B&B, Kevin started
making cheese. He began experimenting
with other types of fermentation, including
curing meats, before starting to brew his own
beer. Initially, he and Sherri couldn't share
the beer with their guests under Virginia law,
even with a brewery license. However, the
state law that prohibited breweries from
serving alcohol without also serving food
changed several years ago. They opened the
brewery in December 2014, becoming
Virginia's first " BB&A " - bed, breakfast
and aleworks.
Over the course of a year, Kevin will brew
up to 25 different beers. His beers are brewed
" true to style " using malted barley from
Copper Fox as the base. His specialties are
Saisons, Belgian-style farmhouse beers made
with local, seasonal ingredients. While B&B
guests are mostly from the D.C. area, the
Aleworks has a strong local following.
Sherri and Kevin continue to be active
hikers. They love that they can drive just
15 minutes and go for a great hike in the
middle of the day, before coming back to
take care of their guests.
Kevin Kraditor and Sherri Fickel, owners of the Hopkins Ordinary, in the beer garden
behind the B&B.
" We've been here so long, we've seen
Sperryville evolve several times, " notes
Sherri. " Right now, Sperryville is all about
being good neighbors. We can't go to the
post office without spending at least 15
minutes talking to people. "
Kevin adds, " The business owners are
very welcoming of newcomers. There's lots
of cooperation, but everyone does their
own thing, too. "
" It's very chill, " Sherri says.
One of those newcomers is Kerry Sutten,
who opened Before & After, an espresso café
and wine bar, just down the street, with his
niece Jess two-and-a-half years ago. Like
Sherri and Kevin, Kerry frequently traveled
to Sperryville from D.C., where he worked
for a member of Congress, to go hiking.
About seven years ago, he bought a
weekend house nearby. As he spent more
time in Sperryville, he realized that the village
needed a place for people to hang out.
On a family trip to Italy, he says a
" lightbulb went off " while they drank espresso
each morning and wine each evening. He and
Jess named their new business " Before &
After " for " before hiking " and " after hiking. "
" The goal was to fit into the community, "
Kerry says, " to be Rappahannock's living
room. " Kerry gives much of the credit for
their success to Jess, who managed the
day-to-day operations for two years, before
Kerry moved to Sperryville full time. For
example, it was Jess' idea to feature art by
local artists for sale at the café. The café
also offers free Wi-Fi service.
According to Kerry, they " stumbled " into
the food business, as they couldn't serve wine
without serving food as well. Now, though,
Kerry's favorite part of the business is creating
Above, L-R:, Lucy Van Ness, Madison Stevens and Kerry Sutten at Before &
After espresso café and wine bar. Above right: Before & After espresso café
and wine bar is located on Sperryville's Main Street. Right: Serving espresso
in the morning and wine in the evening, along with a locally sourced menu,
Before & After is Sperryville's only internet café.
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Cooperative Living July 2018

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