What’s happening craft beer lovers of RVA?! Welcome to this week’s “Tapped,” RVA Magazine’s go to weekly craft beer column where you can find all your craft beer-related events, releases, festivals and all the booze news your little hearts’ desire.
If you missed last week’s beer news, you can check those out here. Our cup is overflowing with news this week from releases to events, and other cool happenings around town, so hold on to your mugs because we’re getting ready to tap this thing!
The big news this week comes from Ardent Craft Ales. The Scott’s Addition brewery is turning four and celebrating in a major way this Saturday. The brewery will host a block party, shutting down Leigh Street, and pouring brews from 25+ guest breweries, all your favorite Ardent beers, along with live music, and food trucks. Plus, Ardent will release a special anniversary beer to mark the occasion! Bands set to play are The Big Payback: A Tribute to James Brown, Piranha Rama, Spooky Cool, THE FOLLY, and more. Go Go Vegan Go, Intergalactic Tacos, Arroz RVA and more will be serving up delicious eats. You can check out the full beer, music, and food lineup at the above link. Free event, beverage tickets will cost $6 per pour,
This Thursday, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House returns with its weekly collaboration brew. This time, its the official release of Bee Student, a bourbon-barrel imperial milk stout made in partnership with the University of Richmond. We got a little sneak preview a couple of weeks ago, but if you missed out on that release, now is your chance to go taste this rich chocolatey, coffee stout.
This Friday, Hardywood will release its Oyster Stout in cans. Released annual for Father’s Day, the brew is made using Rappahannock River Oysters from Rappahannock Oyster Company. Hardywood boiled up a bushel of oysters in their kettle to create a mild briny brew that is followed by tasty chocolate and roasted malts. Take your dad and buy him one or three of these at the Goochland or Richmond location.
Castleburg Brewery will release Above the Salt Gose this Friday. The brewery’s first sour beer, this light, tart 4.7 percent ale is exactly is crisp and refreshing, without being overly tart, and perfect for summer.
Vasen Brewing will release its new Mexican Lager on Saturday. Head out there and try a glass, enjoy food by our friends at Indo-Tibetan Food Truck and a live music set by Jonathan Meadows.
Tonight, Vasen Brewing, in partnership with Hatch RVA, is also hosting a pretty cool event called Smorgasbord, an RVA food and beverage vendors pop up market. The Lineup:Ninja Kombucha, Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches, AR’s Ames’ Hot Southern Honey, MOTHER shrub, Taylor Made Chocolate, Papa Icky’s Health Drinks, Pulp Fiction RVA, Sammich, Empanadas Market, Back Pocket Provisions, Bright Spot Coffee, Wild Earth Fermentation, Ellwood Thompson’s, and Truckle Cheesemongers.
One Drop DIPA returns to Final Gravity Brewing Co. this Friday. Revisit the refreshing citrus flavors of Lemondrop, Mosaic, and Citra hops and take a few Crowlers to go.
This Saturday, Fine Creek Brewing Company will release its Finca la Guamera Saison, a collaboration with Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting, using their natural process Finca la Guamera from Columbia added to a mixed culture saison. They are also celebrating big for Father’s Day. Local band Dalton Dash will be playing, the brewery will have a cask of Raspberry Milk Stout made with fresh raspberries and a special menu of Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Chicago-Style Hotdogs, Sriracha-Honey Wings, and Brownie Sundaes will be served for the dads.
And next Wednesday, Fine Creek will host a beer dinner with Bryan McClure of Jefferson Hotel’s Lemaire. highlight the transition from spring into summer with global influenced dishes, specifically Japanese, Norwegian, as well as Southern American. Partnering with Head Brewer Gabe Slagle, each of the five courses will have a tasting beer menu.
Center of the Universe will release its Brandt Imperial Milk Stout. A 2018 VA Craft Brewers Cup gold medal winning beer, Brandt is an 11.5% Imperial Milk Stout that is serving as the base beer for the 2019 Jeffrey. Thick and creamy, with loads of chocolate, espresso, and vanilla, this beer is a welcomed treat! The beer will be available on draft and for growlers to go.
To celebrate Father’s Day, Isley will release its Fastidious Father brew, a Banana Peanut Butter Porter. The brewery has taken the Peanut Butter variant of their Oatmeal Porter to another level with the addition of TEN POUNDS of bananas. Get in on that RVA.
Trapezium Brewery returns today with its Small Patch Pie Series. This week its Cherry Pie, an Imperial Cream Ale brewed with fortune cookies and fermented on hundreds of pounds of sweet and sour cherries and conditioned on toasted almonds. The brews in this series have been very popular, so make sure you grab one before they’re gone tonight!
Submissions or ideas for Tapped can be emailed to Amy at amy@rvamag.com. Cheers!
Top Photo By: Ardent Craft Ales
