It’s no secret that RVA Mag is crazy for craft beer and whenever we get a chance to collaborate with another brewery or local business to create a unique brew, it’s even better.
It’s no secret that RVA Mag is crazy for craft beer and whenever we get a chance to collaborate with another brewery or local business to create a unique brew, it’s even better.
For the last few months, we’ve been working with Garden Grove Brewing Company in Carytown to create a special beer for RVA craft beer lovers.
We’ve been dropping little hints of what’s to come here and there, but now we are proud to announce the official collab, Old Iron Dog, a traditional English Strong Ale aged in red wine barrels. There’s also a pretty awesome event planned for the release next month to help celebrate its release.
RVA Mag had a behind the scenes and hands on approach with Mike Brandt, head brewer over at Garden Grove, when brewing Old Iron Dog.
We had a chance to see all the ingredients and check out the process which you can see in the pictures below.
When originally chatting about the kind of beer we should brew, we wanted to stay away from the traditional fall/holiday flavors that are released all to regularly (looking at you pumpkin beer), but still incorporate some part of the season.
RVA Mag President John Reinhold has a passion for old ales, and from there we were able to build on a unique and tasty brew.
“I have wanted for some time to collab on a old style ale – a strong ale of sorts, something classic that feels big for the holidays,” Reinhold said. “Garden Grove added plenty of knowledge and there own unique twists to help make it happen.”
Brandt, also a fan of the old ale, was immediately on board and able to take our idea and incorporate ingredients and flavors that mesh well together.
“My attraction to old ales is the extended aging in oak barrels,” Brandt said. “The aging process can develop a wine or port like character due to micro-oxidation and an increase in fruity esters that develop over time. To help accent those characteristics in the beer’s final profile I chose to ferment and age the beer in red wine barrels and included raisins and pomegranate molasses in the recipe.”
Besides raisins and pomegranate molasses, this 8.8% old ale had a hefty amounty of hops, barley, English ale yeast, and aronia berries to pull it all together.
To celebrate our inaugural beer collaboration with the brewery, and their 100th beer release, RVA Mag and Garden Grove will host “Iron Dog Fest” on Dec. 4th, an all day event where we will release Old Iron Dog, as well as have live music, food, a raffle, silent auction, a toy and food drive and more!
The best part of the event is it is all to benefit Gracie’s Guardians, an all-volunteer initiative of Richmond Animal League. They work to help pit bull-type dogs in the RVA area through free spay and neuter services, adoption, fostering, and outreach.
Proceeds from the event will help go to support their effort to provide free spay and neuter services, vaccine clinics, free food, collars, leashes, toys, treats, dog houses, spay/neuter coupons and on occasion, basic medical care to dogs in need.
“I am excited that we were able to work with Gracie’s Guardians to tie it all together for a good cause!” added Reinhold speaking on the festival.
To help support this local organization, many local businesses have kindly donated to our raffle and silent auction including Carytown Cupcakes, The Byrd Theatre, The Jefferson Hotel, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Capital Ale House, Sacred Waters Holistic Spa & Boutique, 2SpeakDog, LuLaRoe, Mongrel, Secco Wine Bar, The National, Ellwood Thompson’s, Mod&Soul, Loose Screw Tattoo/Glitch Gallery, Arbonne, Bon Air Med Spa, The Rogue Gentlemen, Garden Grove, For the Love of Pete, Saxon Shoes, Yonique Cosmetics, Ed Trask, Pasture, Southbound, Virginia Commonwealth University, Stir Crazy Cafe and more to come!
Check out the Facebook page for updates as well as sweet prizes you have the chance to snag by purchasing raffle tickets for the event.
So come out to try the new Iron Dog beer and help support Gracie’s Guardians at Iron Dog Fest at Garden Grove Brewing on Sun., Dec. 4th, starting at noon. Cheers!
