What’s happening craft beer lovers of RVA?! Welcome to this week’s “Tapped,” RVA Magazine’s go to weekly beer column.
What’s happening craft beer lovers of RVA?! Welcome to this week’s “Tapped,” RVA Magazine’s go to weekly beer column.
We’ve brewed up quite a bit of news so all you beer thirsty folks can be in the know about recent news and actually have something fun to do with your weekend other sitting on the couch stuffing your face with doritos and binging on Netflix.
We just had our last day of summer over the weekend, and already breweries seem to be rolling out the fall brews. Get everything for pumpkin-spiced everything! So hold on to your mugs because we’re ready to tap this thing!
First check out last week’s full roundup here.
Here are some fun events you missed last weekend:
Stangeways partied it up right for Labor Day with Steal the Vessel and refill specials. Drool over this delicious looking brew if you missed out on that. (Don’t worry read on, because they have some exciting things going on this weekend!)
Lickinghole Creek released its Darjeeling Tripel and I didn’t get a chance to get out there and try it, but it looks delicious! Just look at Head Brewer David Achkio toasting the people of RVA with their new creation. He looks so enthused. They are also in this week’s roundup so don’t worry if you missed out on that!
This week there ar a ton of beer releases all on the same day, so its going to be a tough one to pick which brewery to head to, or you could be like me and hit them all up and fall on your face at the end of the day. I mean, what are we quitters RVA? I think not. Anyway, on to this week’s news!
Growlers to Go opened in Short Pump Sept. 8. growler fill station. We offer 56 taps of fresh craft beer and over 150 different bottled and canned beer. Our lineup is the best representation of local and regional breweries in the surrounding area.
Strangeways is throwing their always fabulous Brews & Burlesque this Friday, September 11. See Moxie LaBouche, Dante the Inferno, and special guests in all their silly, sexy glory! It’s campy, it’s sexy, and it’ so much fun! Tickets are available on their website.
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Strangeways will also re-release its new beer Gourd of Thunder Imperial Pumpkin Porter Sept 12. The brew is a “dark and gnarly Imperial Pumpkin Porter brewed with freshly picked local pumpkins that were ripened on the vine while continuously listening to heavy metal. The malty pumpkin backbone fuses robustly with a milky sugar creaminess. Bourbon vanilla beans lay down a rock-steady foundation that drives the cinnamon, ginger and clove spices through your skull.” I dig it.
On Sunday, the brewery will host an event to benefit American Heart Association. “heart beat.” The “Heart Beat” event will feature the band Elana Lisa and the Hot Mess and opening guest performer. The event is FREE but donations are encouraged. There will also be cornhole tournaments with prizes.
The Answer is…ONE! Can you believe it? It doesn’t seem like the brewpub that grew out ouf Mekong’s success is already one but its happening and they’re throwing down big from Sept. 12-13. Its a free event and they will have a bunch of limited beer releases including AleWerks Cafe Royale, Firestone Walker Helldorado, Hardywood Gingerbread Stout, Hardywood Milkman, Ardent Bourbon Barrel Honey Ginger and many more! Check the Facebook page for all the beers. Live music from the SLEEPWALKERS, Dance Candy and a few others and just a good time! so head on down there and celebrate with them! Also, look for a interview with the head brewer from the Answer on our site on Thursday!
An, the owner of Mekong and The Answer Brewpub will also help the brewpub celebrate its birthday. And how will hedo it? “Andall style” of course. Andall, is a play on the word Randall which for those not in the know (including myself before this post) is basically a sophisticated filter system that allows the user to run draft beer through a chamber of whole leaf hops, spices, herbs, fruit, orwhatever ingredients you please so that the alcohol in the beer strips the flavor from whatever you add and puts it in the beer. It’s credited to Dogfish Head. Pretty neat! Here’s Andall Line up: Pooprietors 14% Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Good Nightmare Mekong 12% Imperial Stout, Chad Roberts 12% Imperial Stout and Cornelius Mechiavelli 10% Imperial Porter. Yummy stuff!
Ardent Craft Ales will release a Sweet Potato & Sage brew this Saturday, Sept. 12. The brewery is getting into the spirit of autumn with this brew and eats from the Sausage Fest food truck! All day from 12 to 10 p.m.
As I will mention all this month, Star Hill has turned 16 and they are celebrating all of September. This week, fall seasonal Boxcarr Pumpkin Porter and Debut #5 Maple Brown Ale will become available on tap. Crozet neighbors, Chiles Peach Orchard, will be on hand with apples, cider and donuts to ring in the autumn harvest season.
This isn’t until next week but it will happen before the next Tapped column so I thought I’d include it. Triple Crossing is hosting a beer dinner on Tuesday, Sept 15 at the Urban Tavern. Menu is still in the works, but check out the beers: Element 79 – Golden Ale, Demon Days – Hoppy Red Ale, Paranoid Aledroid Wheat Pale Ale, Clever Girl – IPA and Double Falcon Smash – DIPA.
Hardywood’s Cover to Cover series is back again and this Saturday where they take a famous performer and have someone cover it and of course bring the craft beer. This week, its Paul Simon’s Graceland. Graceland will be performed by Matt Shofner & Maggie Roop with special guests Scott Wichmann, Stephanie Hill, Jessi Johnson, Katrinah Lewis, Keydron Dunn, Todd Patterson, and Anthony Smithtwith. Hardywood will also release a 2015 RVA IPA and Farmhouse Pumpkin!
Isley Brewing will release Wolf man’s Brother IPA release Sept 12. his IPA was brewed so we could introduce our drinkers to the Jarrylo Hop, a slavic term for god of fertility.
Lickinghole Creek will release Maidens Adventure Sept 12, a Wild Blackberry & Apricot Virginia Farmhouse Ale. Maidens Landing is fermented in oak barrels with Apricots and Wild Blackberries with their house Saison yeast.
Midnight Brewery will put on a fundraiser this Saturday to raise money and awareness to put an end to Type 1 Diabetes. Food will be available all day from River City Wood Fired Pizza, and What’s On Tap will be playing from 4 – 7 PM.
Be on the lookout for Oktoberfest posts folks because its just around the corner. And of course, if you have any submissions for Tapped, which runs every Wednesday, please email them to amy@rvamag.com. Cheers!
