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.
Apologies for our missed column last week, I had to take a short little vacay myself. BUt not to worry, I’m back and 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!
Some big news on the brewery front! The long-awaited Vasen Brewing Company in Scott’s Addition will open this Saturday, July 29. Five beers will be on tap, live Music with New Madrid starting around 2pm. Food provided by Goatocado and Rappahannock Oysters 12 pm-10pm. 3331 Moore Street. Stay tuned for more on this brewery! 
This Saturday and Sunday, Strangeways Brewing celebrates its 4th Anniversary. Come celebrate ‘Year Four of the Curious Pour” with the brewery with the highly anticipated bottle and draft release of Wake Me Up Before You Gose, plus two variants; Wake Me Up Before You Gose Hibiscus, aged in VA red wine barrels and Wake Me Up Before You Gose Ghost Pepper, aged in Caribbean rum barrels.
FOOD:
Northern Neck Seafood serving crab cakes, oysters. Cheezilla Food Truck, Trunkle Cheese Mongers Pop Up, and Gelati Celesti Ice Cream Truck with beer floats! There will also be yoga, face painting, corn hole and more. 11am-11pm. Check out Day 2’s details on Sunday here. 
Strangeways is also hosting a Cheers for Charity event tonight for the Children’s Home Society. From 4-9pm the brewery will donate 10 percent of all sales to the organization which works to find permanent homes for all children and provide related services to birth families, adoptive families and adoptees. You’ll also have a chance to buy a raffle ticket to win a Strangeways Swag Bag valued at $350 and includes a FREE private event!
On Friday, Hardywood will release its Road to Idaho in cans. Notes of orange peel, lemon and apricot shine through on a foundation of wheat malt in this single hop IPA. 15 minute Quick Pickup parking spaces will be reserved in front of their production building.
The brewery will also host the 2nd annual HeArt & SOUL Brew Fest this Saturday, featuring some of RVA’s hottest urban DJs, bands, soul food vendors and artists. Free to attend and open to all ages. For the full food and entertainment lineup see the link above. The brewery will also release its Cuvee Gold, a white-wine barrel aged Belgian-style Golden Ale.
Ardent Craft Ales will release its Reservoir Distilled Ardent IPA in bottles this Thursday. This is the brewery’s first collaboration with their Scott’s Addition neighbors Reservoir Distillery.375 mL bottles of whiskey distilled from Ardent’s IPA will be available exclusively at the Reservoir Distillery tasting room for $65.
On Sunday, Ardent will also co-host a pop up dinner in collaboration with Steve DeRaffele of Lunch.SUPPER! and Chef Mike Ledesma in the new Urban Roost event space at the Lunch/Supper location on Summit Avenue. the crew will be serving up a 6 course dinner paired with local craft brews from Ardent and a cocktail and appetizer hour to get things kicked off at 5pm. Each course is the chefs take on a surf or turf, and finished with a collaborative dessert course. Tickets are $59 and can be purchased here.
On Saturday, Lickinghole Creek will release its Nasty Woman brew, a tequila-barrel aged tripel. Food trucks, cornhole and all the sunflowers you can pick!
It’s Carnival Day at Midnight Brewery this Saturday, head out to Rockville for food, games, treats, cotton candy, live music and food trucks. Also: Discounts on growler and crowler fills of 25-30%!!
On Thursday, Three Notch’d Brewing Company RVA Collab House is back with their weekly collaboration. This time, its “Brew England”, a brewed with the folks at Brewville. DIPA. Collab release taps at 5pm, Brewer’s Toast after 6pm and we’ve got pint specials on the 1st keg until it kicks or until 9pm.
On Sunday, The Veil Brewing Co. will host another seafood pop up featuring Northern Neck Oyster Co. and Chef Andrew Manning and Steve Farr. Expect Raw Oysters and Crabs from the Chesapeake Bay, Brasa (wood and coal grilled) Monkfish, Spicy Octopus, and more. 
On Friday, Final Gravity will release its Ill Technique Double IPA, a hazy, fresh 8% DIPA brewed with Jarrylo and Citra hops. 
On Sunday, Center of the Universe will host BarkHappy Richmond: Pups and Pints. Grab your pups and friends and head to the brewery for a party to benefit Richmond Animal Rescue League! All ticket holders will receive great swag, giveaways, goodies and entry into our raffle for exciting prizes! Pups in attendance will have a great time showing off their skills in our doggie trick talent show where everyone is a winner!
Early Bird Tickets start at $12 per person and include:
– FREE Goody Bags stuffed with Premium Dog Biscuits and Sample Dog Food from Fido Park Avenue Dog Boutique
– FREE Doggie Bandanas and Collapsible Water Bowls from Dogwood Vetinerary Emergency & Specialty Center
– FREE Self-Wash Dog Wash Voucher from PetValu ($10 value)
– FUN Doggy Trick Talent Show
– EXCITING Door Prize Drawings
NOTE: $12 Early Bird Tickets are limited in quantity. Once they sell out, General Admission is $15. Purchase tickets here. BarkHappy App users Get 10% off your ticket price by using the promo code found inside the BarkHappy app.
Any submissions or releases can be emailed to Amy at amy@rvamag.com. Cheers!!
