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.
Our cup is overflowing with news this week, but first head over here to check out what awesome brews were released in Richmond last weekend.
So 2017 started off pretty crazy and it seems it’s just getting crazier by the day, but one thing you can count on is RVA Mag will always have the scoop on where you can go to get the finest craft beer in town! This week we have new beer releases, events, and other cool happenings around town, so hold on to your mugs because we’re getting ready to tap this thing!
So RVA Beer Madness 2017 has wrapped up, a huge congrats again to Garden Grove Brewing Company for taking the Championship title! Great competition and can’t wait for next year!
Now, On to this week’s news!
The Kickers, in partnership with the Carytown Merchants Association, will host the second annual I Heart Carytown Craft Beer Festival at City Stadium on Saturday, April 8.
The party starts at 3:00 p.m. with live music by Stonebrook Moonshine, a mini-Carytown marketplace featuring locally-owned restaurants, food trucks and handcrafted items from Carytown boutiques, 25+ craft beers on tap and the Kickers pro game versus Louisville City FC at 5:00 p.m. to showcase Carytown. Spoken4 Pedicabs will be running continuously from City Stadium to Carytown from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m for festivalgoers.
Tickets to the I Heart Carytown Craft Beer Festival are $15 per person and includes festival admission, a ticket to the Kickers game and a drink ticket that can be redeemed for any of the craft beers on tap, a selection of wines from James River Cellars, or lemonade. The first 200 fans through the gate will also receive an exclusive sampling of small plates from some of Carytown’s eclectic restaurants.
A portion of every I Heart Carytown Craft Beer Festival ticket purchased will directly benefit the Carytown Merchants Association.
So this event is a big one and one near and dear to my heart. Strangeways Brewing is hosting their annual benefit for Richmond Animal Care and Control this Sunday from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. The BOW WOW MEOW LUAU is a FREE EVENT that’s family and dog-friendly. There will be mutliple food vendors, dog-related vendors such as Canine Advenure, Dog Park Bones, vetXpress and more. Live music and a pet parade led by RACC adoptable pups, contests, a silent auction and $6 beers all day. A suggested donation of $5+ will get you a sweet RACC koozie while supplies last. All donations go directly to Richmond Animal Care & Control Foundation.
Buskey Cider in Scott’s Addition will host a fundraiser this Saturday, making a special batch of their Strawberry Rhubarb cider dedicated to Eric and Liza at Courthouse Creek Cider. The couple was forced to close their tasting room until later in April, after their house burned down last week. $3 of each pint of this delicious cider will be donated to them.
Ardent Craft Ales will host their annual Swine & Brine fest this Saturday. Enjoy a killer lineup of oysters, pork dishes, and homemade sides from Rappahannock River Oysters, Northern Neck Oysters, ZZQ, The Roosevelt, Amuse, Saison, Sabai, and Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches. There will be plenty of Ardent beers, as well as prosecco and local cider on tap. Food and drink tickets will be available for purchase by cash or card at festival check-in and inside the event. Tickets are $6 each; one ticket can be exchanged for one beverage or one dish; please note, some larger dishes will cost two tickets.FREE event.
Photo credit: Courage & Co Photography
Hardywood has a ton of cool events going on this weekend. The brewery’s Food Truck Court returns this Thursday with a mix of 16 new and favorite local gourmet mobile food vendors, with many more carts on rotation in the weeks to come. The Richmond Taproom opens at 4pm, food trucks begin service at 5:30pm.
In celebration of National Beer Day, Hardwood will release Mamaw’s Peach Cobbler on Friday, April 7. The brew is a variation of their Peach Tripel with vanilla, cinnamon and lactose additions.
Finally on Sunday, Hardywood will host BARK & Brew Fest to benefit Ashland dog shelter, Bandit’s Adoption and Rescue of K-9s (BARK).Its a free, family and dog friendly event featuring dog-centric vendors, doggie kissing and photo booths, adoptable BARK dogs and more! Enjoy live music all day, craft beer, and delicious food truck grub. Proceeds from the event’s sales will benefit BARK.
To celebrate National Beer Day, Castleburg Brewery has one new craft beer for you, and two re-releases of your favorites! On Friday, 4/7 @ 4pm – The 4th Pale Ale in the “Run The Gauntlet Series” returns and on Saturday, the return of Murder Hole Mango DIPA and Kings, Crime and Punishment Scottish Strong Ale.
Lickinghole Creek will host their “Party for the Glorious People” with the release of The Great Commander and Supreme Leader.
On Thursday, Triple Crossing’s Fulton location will host a happy hour benefit for project:Homes presented by Dominion. 10% of proceeds from draft sales will go to benefit the organization.
Isley Brewing has two cool releases for us this week. Starting Wednesday though Friday, the brewery will have The Fifth Circle IPA, a 7% brew and newest in their 7 Deadly Sins series.
On Friday, the brewery returns with its weekly infusuion, this time a Cucumber Melon variant of their Plain Jane brew.
Final Gravity Brewing Co. will release two beers in honor of National beer day on Friday. The brewery will have Sunspots IPA: 7% ABV with Citra, Amarillo, and El Dorado & Deep Space a 10% ABV Bourbon Barrel Aged Coconut Imperial Stout.
Garden Grove Brewing Company (Congrats Beer Madness champs!) have a couple of cool things going on this weekend. They are bringing back CARYTOWN BROWN ALE, a British style brown with an American twist.
The Carytown brewery will also release STICKY ICKY DIPA, a dank Double IPA with Hop Hash. Finally, GG will host the official Richmond Kickers game and Catyotwn Craft Beeer Festival after party. Players and coaches will be here to meet fans, sign autographs, and hang out over a beer or two. Wear your red & white Kickers gear, or bring in a ticket stub from Saturday’s game, for a special Carytown discount!
Send all craft beer-related submissions to Amy at amy@rvamag.com. Cheers!
