ardent

RVA ON TAP: Beware the Wampus Cat

Caley Sturgill | February 20, 2019

Topics: ardent, dssolvr, Final Gravity, RVA On Tap, Stone brewing, three notchd

What’s happening, craft beer lovers of RVA?! Welcome to this week’s RVA On Tap, RVA Magazine’s weekly column for all your craft beer-related events, releases, festivals, and all the booze news your hearts desire.

If you missed the last column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing this week with beer releases and festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

This week, we’ve got tons of awesome new releases to bridge this half-spring half-winter weather (and even a little pre-summer!), plus Girl Scout Cookies, double collabs, and even urban legends from crazy mountain folk. Drink up!

Over at Strangeways Brewing, the cat returns! Wampus Cat Triple IPA is on its way back to the brewery this Saturday, dry-hopped with Citra, Palisade, Simcoe, Zythos, and Cascade hops. The name, from the legend of the Wampus Cat down in the country mountains of Appalachia, hails from Native American Cherokee Indian folklore — and “depicts a half-woman, half-mountain lion that reportedly walks on hind legs and has four additional sharp-clawed appendages.” Even more nuts: legend says it had the ability to drive people crazy (just like this beer). Treat it with caution, they say, as this rare fortune to confront a Wampus Cat yourself has presented itself. This carefully-created recipe is a full-bodied IPA with a smooth, easy finish. It’s full of a nice fruity finish, and with its sweet-flavored characteristics make it an extremely drinkable Triple IPA.

In more new-brew-news from Strangeways, Interstellar Ark is on its way this weekend as well. This New England IPA is brewed with flaked oats to deliver a lot of body, and with Murphy & Rude Crystal Wheat for a touch of sweetness. It comes with later additions of Amarillo and El Dorado hops to bring out its fruity-citrus flavor, much unlike its deliciously dessert-flavored counterpart, Gnostic State, which will come out alongside Interstellar Ark and Wampus Cat. Gnostic State is a Nitrogen Coconut and Cocoa Porter, and this semi-sweet brew has a strong flavor of coconut that comes from its 4-pound conditioning of toasted coconut per barrel. It’s also packed with Peruvian cacao nibs, which bring out the baker’s chocolate and deliver a bready background flavor paired with their Epiphany Craft malt, and a biscuity character from Rude’s Belgian Amber malt.

Do you love Girl Scout Cookies? If you answered no, stop reading. Or stop reading forever, because you’re inhuman. Anyway, Stone Brewing Richmond loves them too (as they should), and they’re celebrating this holy season of the year to team up with the organization to bring us the perfect beer and cookie pairings. Oh, girl. Grab a box of Thin Mints — obviously the superior cookie — and head on over to Stone Brewing Richmond this Friday to support the Girl Scouts with the proceeds. Every flight comes with four tasters and four cookies, so don’t forget to grab four boxes this week since the teaser will make you want a whole box in one sitting.

Last night at The Veil Brewing Co., Chubbles made its return to the brewery. This Triple IPA was made as a collaboration between The Veil and Cloudwater Brew Co., and it’s packed with Galaxy, Citra, and El Dorado hops, an English Malt fermented with English yeast and packed full of flaked oats. It’s got a 10.9% ABV, so go easy….or don’t. Your prerogative. Cloudwater is straight out of the UK, so here’s your chance to give a European brew a shot. Tastewise, you can expect a huge flavor with the sweetness and mouthfeel of actual orange juice, without the acidity, so it’s a great way to start off a weekend brunch as well.

Väsen Brewing has a secret: And it’s on its way out tomorrow night. Cashmere Secrets is a velvety-smooth Double IPA, generously dry-hopped with Cashmere, Vic Secret, and Mosaic hops to make “a deliciously-hoppy brew” that has a nice, low bitterness with aromas of pineapple, peach, and raspberry.

Ever wondered how to make wine? What else is there besides getting to run around barefoot in giant grape barrels like they do in the movies? I’m not sure, but I’d love to know! And I bet a lot of you are wondering the same thing. Now’s your chance: Final Gravity Brewing Co. has partnered up with Castle Glen Estates Winery out in Doswell for a Learn How To Make Wine class coming up on Monday. Ed Crowdey, their owner and Head Winemaker, will be showing guests step-by-step how to make wine with the kits sold from the brewery with Original Gravity Homebrew Supplies. Ed and his wife founded their winery in 2008, and planted their first vines the following year after falling in love with wine more than a quarter of a century ago. Learn from the locals’ best and see how it’s made!

Ardent Craft Ales has partnered up this week with Dssolvr to double-collab for their Bonds of Understanding + Understanding of Bonds release on Thursday. This release will have two barrel-fermented beers collabed from both breweries, which combines both of their house cultures for a saison base beer that is aged separately in red and white wine barrels.

If you’re curious how much those wine barrels at the end really affects a beer, this is a great chance to find out. Try these American White Ales next to each other for an experience in the aging process — Bonds of Understanding is your red friend, with strong grape must and stone fruit flavors, a restrained acidity, and well-rounded, oaky character. Understanding of Bonds is the white, full of toffee and vanilla notes and the same acidity with a bright, full body.

This Friday over at the Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Unity DDH Mosaic IPA drops at the brewery with Reason Beer and The Market at 25th. The Market at 25th is celebrating their grand opening with their neighbors to bring a new grocery store to the Church Hill community, an area that has been seriously needing one for a very long time. A big congrats to the neighborhood on their new food spot, and congrats to Three Notch’d and Reason for being a part of the big grand opening with their collab beer.

If you’re ready for summer, have no fear! Isley Brewing Co. is ready, too, and they’ve got a great double release coming this Saturday. Island Hopper Pineapple Golden Ale is a 5.9% ABV American 2-Row and English Maris Otter Malt blend, that packs a medium body with malty undertones from the blend. Its German crystal malts add in color and sweetness, and it’s finished with natural pineapple to create a “perfect experience for the summer months to come.”

Archangel IPA is a 6.9% ABV IPA made with 2 row malt, wheat, and whole-rolled oats with an “absurd helping” of Mosaic and Huell Melon hops. This wonderfully-tropical IPA has a unique flavor profile, with a light-straw yellow color and frothy, white head.

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

RVA ON TAP: New Brews, Beer Burlesque, & Boujee Boozey Pups

Caley Sturgill | January 9, 2019

Topics: ardent, Black Heath Meadery, Champion Brewing, Final Gravity, Hardywood, Isley, Potter's Craft Cider, RVA On Tap, shiplock, Stone brewing, strangeways, three notchd, triple crossing

If you missed the last column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing with news this week with beer releases and festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

This week, we’re jumping into the New Year with tons of new brews from all your favorite spots around town, making our way from East to West across Central Virginia with all the new tastes you need to start fresh.

Hallelujah! My favorite Hardywood beer is out for a can release this week. Head out to the brewery on Friday to get a can of White Out, the 8.5% Wheat Double IPA. White Out is the classic white beer that I had too much fun with at the Heroes Run event at Hardywood West Creek last fall, and I am more than stoked to see it in cans. You can definitely bet this baby will be making its way to my fridge this week!

Ardent teamed up with Potter’s Craft Cider and Champion Brewing Company this season to bring back their annual Earl Grey Brown Ale. Earl Grey is such a unique flavor, I’ve never seen it in a beer before but this one is bigtime striking my interest! This 6.5% Brown Ale kicks off with a classic brown color and white, frothy head, according to the brewers — and the tea and citrus flavors give it a nice, easy-drinking feel down the hatch. Mmm, just like Earl Grey. It’s light-bodied smooth, and this perfect cloudy day brew will be debuting for its 2019 round this Saturday at Ardent. It’s also being served up with River City Wood Fire Pizza (yum!), so it’s a great way to start into this freezy week.

Black Heath Meadery is truly something special. Not only are they the only meadery in Central Virginia, they’re right in the heart of Scott’s Addition, and they’re ready to share their smarts with the public! Coming up next month, you can head to Richmond’s self-proclaimed booziest neighborhood and try your hand at brewing meads. Under the wings of Mead Mavericks Bill Cavender and Mike Palese, you’ll get to learn how to make this delicious honey wine straight from the beginning — so more on this soon!

Is it a super cool alien spaceship, or the weird guy at the bar sitting too close to you? Lucky you, it’s super cool aliens! Space Invaders is coming back to Final Gravity Brewing Co. this Friday, and this one sounds delicious. It’s full of 100 percent Mosaic hops, and this Double IPA don’t play. The 8% DIPA is packed with flavor, “blasting your tastebuds with mango, lemon, citrus, earthy pine, tropical fruit, herbal, and stone fruit notes.” What more could you want in an IPA?

Yay, another double release from Strangeways! If you’re looking for fun alongside your booze — and why wouldn’t you? — they’ve got brewery burlesque coming up this Friday! It’s a fundraiser for the 2020 Richmond Burlesque Festival, which already sounds like a blast.

The next day, they’ve got a double release with Brasetto and Natural Magic. Brasetto is a 9.5% Rye Tripel, brewed with rye and getting great reviews in the field and in the malthouse. This one will bring you a few different things: The complex flavors start off sweet and finish dry, with a “pleasant warmth that hints its ABV.” It’s fruity, spicy, and earthy, with notes of rustic bread crust and rye spice. Natural Magic, on the other hand, is a 6.3% Sour Saison — on the other end of the spectrum, this one hails from Virginia barley, Epiphany Craft Malts, and Virginia wheats from Murphy & Rude. It’s a saison set out to combine acidity with hoppiness, and it’s nice and tart.

The new brewery on the block is certainly starting the year off with a bang. Shiplock Brewing has $2 flights all month (!!!!!) to fill all your “I hate January” needs up with brand-new brews. I’m a big fan of filling the hole in my heart (and stomach) with a good beer, and I love this start from Shiplock. They’re floating our souls through a not-so-fun month and making sure we all enjoy it anyway… My heart’s happy. I’m definitely excited to see what else comes along from them throughout the season.

Earlier this week when we weren’t even looking, Isley Brewing Company went and dropped a banger! Holy wow, do I need to get my hands on this. Choosy Mother (nice), their Peanut Butter Porter, is on tap at the brewery and available to-go, too. It was fresh back to the taps on Sunday, so grab ‘em while you can — special brews like these only last so long before everyone wants a taste!

Another weekend debut-er came from Stone Brewing this week. Liquid Compass, a DIPA, is brewed with orange, juniper, and coriander — and this 8.5% ABV will really get your night going. Stone is known pretty well nationally for their classic brews that taste good in all varieties, and I’m sure Liquid Compass doesn’t disappoint.

*PHOTO: Stephenie Harrington. Miss Wrangler (left) and Miss Tesla (right) enjoying a Tangerine Express IPA after their hike through Dorey Park.*

Bonus points: It looks even better in the paws of two cute pups.

⟁ Our favorite East-Enders have something tasty up their sleeves. Green Dreams is coming back this Friday at Triple Crossing in Fulton, and like most of their brews, it’s been carefully balanced into perfection. It’s made with doses of Denali, El Dorado, and Citra hops, with their ever-rotating hop varieties to give this DIPA “impressions of fresh pineapple, orange citrus zest, and fleshy peach.” Cases are limited, so drink ‘em while you can!

Our buds at Three Notch’d have partnered up this week, too, with Secret Sandwich Society. Their custom brew Smoke & Mirrors is a smoky, robust porter, and it comes out this Friday. Secret Sandwich Society is hosting the release party at their Richmond spot, over on East Grace Street and full of all the sammies your heart could imagine.

Last but most certainly not least, Castleburg Brewery is bringing back their Murder Hole Mango DIPA this Friday! This intensely-hoppy, fairly strong DIPA is brewed with fresh mango to make this IPA very drinkable, according to its brewers. It won’t get too sweet on you, though — with an IBU over 100, it’s got everything you could need from fruits to deep flavor.

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

RVA ON TAP: The Holidays are Here, and The Big Lebowski Meets Boobs

Caley Sturgill | December 26, 2018

Topics: ardent, Castleburg Brewery, Center of the Universe, Ellie Quinn, Hardywood, holidays, Legend Brewing, RVA On Tap, Shiplock Brewing, strangeways, The Big Lebowski, The Veil

Last week, we saw some great releases from local spots and even went Dashing Through The Fan. Krampus made an appearance again, and beer lovers far and wide prepared for the holiday week with the season’s best recipes. This week, we’re checking out some awesome new brews, events, and even brand-new breweries to close out 2018 and kick off the new year.

This week, Richmond welcomed a fresh face to the local brewery family. Shiplock Brewing is the newest addition in town, coming from the same hands behind Southern Railway Taphouse. It found its home in the old 7 Hills Seafood & Brewing, and it just opened its doors this month. We’re excited to start off the new year with a new member of the family, and can’t wait to learn more about what’s on tap as Shiplock gets more familiar with the community.

In contrast to the newest spot in town, our longtime friends at Hardywood have some news this week as well. On Saturday, they’re dropping their Raspberry Stout, and just a few days before New Year’s Eve, it sounds like a great one to sit down with and say goodbye to 2018. This 9.2% ABV stout’s brewed with chocolate malt, cacao nibs, and late-season red raspberries from Agriberry Farm out in Hanover. A lot like fresh beers from our friends at Strangeways, this weekend’s treat hails from local fruits. It’s full-bodied and flavored, “beguiling with notes of rich dark chocolate and raspberry jam.” Mmmmmm. I’m a sucker for a good jam, and Hardywood nailed it with this one. Head over to the brewery this Saturday and let us know how you like it.

Happy holidays from Legend Brewing Co.! Richmond’s true OG’s are getting festive this week, and they just brought back their Bourbon Barrel Brown Ale at their spot over the bridge. Brown ales are both my favorite kind of beer, and for some reason, one of the hardest for me to find at a lot of places — and everyone knows you can’t go wrong with Legend, so I’ll definitely be giving this one a try! Also on tap this week is Dopplebock, Tripel, and a Tiramisu-inspired porter cask (two tiramisu beers in two weeks! Lucky me). Head on over and show Legend some love, and if you’re feeling lucky too, maybe you’ll even run into ol’ Saint Nick.

Hats off to some lucky princess out there, because her horse is here: The return of the Black Knight is coming up this Friday at Castleburg Brewery and Taproom. This earthy IPA has a pine-like profile, according to its tasters, and its floral and citrus flavors fit with its English and German dark malts. It’s an extra-dark Black IPA with chocolate and coffee tastes, and at 6.7% ABV, it’s a nice way to get that dark beer taste without the high content of most stouts.

Today’s the first-ever release of Never Calm³ over at The Veil Brewing Co., and this triple-fruited version of their original Never Calm gives the passionfruit-pineapple gose an extra oomph. The Veil is celebrating Koelschip season right now — their favorite time of year, and also their fourth in a row brewing the Lambic-inspired and “spontaneously fermented” beers. Every release from The Veil seems to be an awesome one, and it’s no surprise that they’re the talk of the town so often for new folks visiting Richmond. Never Calm’s fruity goodness is making its debut appearance tonight at the brewery, and the triple-fruit beer sounds like the perfect summery escape to cheers Christmas goodbye this week.

Speaking of triples, Strangeways is dropping three brand-new brews this Saturday. Sleeps with Angels is a chocolate imperial stout, and it’s accompanied by Geomancy and Bohemian Grove. Geomancy is a refreshing and fruity Belgian table beer, according to the brewers, and it’s brewed with grown barley from Epiphany Craft Malt and more local goodies, as always — Virginia malted wheat from Murphy and Rude. They also note that it has subtle notes of fruity and spicy yeast, “alongside a more aggressive berry character from boysenberries, that lend both acidity and sweetness.” Its triplet sibling, Bohemian Grove, brings a great earthy flavor to the family with tropical fruit, black currant, pine and gooseberry to complement its citrusy, dank hop profile. Also coming up this weekend at Strangeways is their fourth annual “Out of the Darkness: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Fundraiser” event, so be sure to swing by and give what you can.

Looking for fun on the first day of the year? Well, I hope you don’t go too hard on New Beer’s Eve, because there’s even more good stuff coming up after it. Mean Bird, Richmond’s fried chicken and vegan fried chicken faves is heading over to Ardent at the top of 2019 to serve up chicken and gingerbread waffles (YUM) on top of all their other delicious goodies. If you’re moving slow from the night before, have no fears, they say, because Mean Bird’s coming out at noon and they’ll be around all day. Mean Bird’s got your recovery covered. Whether you’re feeling fresh from crashing before the ball drops, or desperately trying to get past the night’s festivities, Ardent and Mean Bird are your guys.

Y’all, I really can’t with Richmond and The Big Lebowski. I’ve speculated about this many times before in this column, and our city’s Lebowski-Love is truly a gift that keeps on giving: Happy holidays, because it’s back, AGAIN, and we have Center Of The Universe to thank. I really do love this weird town and its weird love for this weird movie, and I only joke because it’s confusing — in the best kind of way. The Dude rules, and RVA knows it. Head on over to their event with Ellie Quinn for The Big Burleski, a Big-Lebowski themed burlesque show with BL costumes and tons of surprises in store. If you go, please let us know what kind of “surprises” a Big Lebowski burlesque show entails, because I’m imagining so many things.. Wow. Anyway, this sounds like a total blast, so don’t miss it!

RVA ON TAP: Snow Law, Winter Warmers & Furry Fundraisers

Caley Sturgill | December 12, 2018

Topics: ardent, Final Gravity, Hardywood, Isley Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, RVA On Tap, strangeways, The Answer, three notchd

Snow week! I hope you’re all staying warm out there, and I’m sure a good bit of you are participating in Richmond’s honorary Snow Law tradition: Which means, in effect, that snow means no rules and we all pause the city to hang (and drink) at home. It’s the perfect opportunity to whip out that special-occasion craft brew you’ve been saving.

Another triple release is coming up this Saturday at Strangeways, and girl, do they look good. Atoms for Peace, a 6.5% India Pale Lager, is named for a speech: The original Atoms for Peace program was set by Eisenhower to show the public how scientific endeavors could be used for peace. Ditch the war, hello to peace. This lager got its name for taking its regular process and turning it into something new, as well — Atoms for Peace utilizes some of the traditional techniques from macro breweries and shows how they can be used in craft brewing. With that comes a crisp, refreshing lager made with Strata Hops, one of Indie Hops’ newest varieties.

Sing With Dier is next for this weekend’s release, a milk stout that starts with the same base as Sing With Animals but brings in Dier House Coffee Roasters’ Tobosi coffee instead. It shares the graham cracker, molasses, coffee, and baker’s chocolate background of its predecessor, but brings in some milk chocolate notes with almond and raspberry. Pyrus drops this Saturday as well, and this Foraged Pear Saison gets its name from the pears that were foraged directly from Strangeways’ brewery grounds in Fredericksburg. How much more authentic can you get? This one’s got a dry but round body, delivered by Virginia malted wheat and with a touch of fruity notes.

If you’re in the market for events this week, be sure to check out the Strangeways Gingerbread House Competition tomorrow night. Bring your creativity, and tacky Christmas sweaters are strongly encouraged!

Ardent is championing the chilly-weather brews this week, with Winter Warmer fresh at the brewery. Winter Warmer dropped over last weekend, and this perfectly-spiced beer is truly made for the season. With nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and honey malt with brown sugar, it couldn’t be more “December.” The sweetness from the spices is balanced out with the addition of East Kent Golding, an English hop, and it comes in at 7.5% ABV. According to its brewers, it tastes like Christmas in a glass — and you’ll definitely find it on my to-try list this holiday.

Let the shopping continue! Craft shows in December are the best — full of all the best handmade goods from makers around the region. The tradition continues at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery this Saturday, and the festivities will be rolling all day at the farm. It’ll be catered by Wooded’s Pulled Pork Plus (one of my all-time favorites), and you can catch live music by Pat Russell in the afternoon. Swing by the farm to see their giant Keg Christmas Tree and see how big it really is.

Out at the brewery, Eric stands about 6’6” next to this monster keg tree… so my best guess is I’d come up about halfway short. If you make it out, drop your photos with the keg tree in the comments on this article — I’d love to see how you all measure up!

Our friends at Hardywood have jumped in this week on the national trend of helping Butte County’s Camp Fire fund, with 100 percent of the profits from their Resilience IPA releasing this Friday going toward the fund. We first learned about this one in a previous column, and since it’s coming up this week, it’s time to get excited! Go use the opportunity to drink for a good cause, and enjoy Hardywood’s craft IPA while knowing you’re helping out the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund.

Following up on Saturday, Hardywood’s releasing their Double Barrel GBS + Mega GBS. The Gingerbread Stout season is one of Richmond’s favorites with Hardywood, and it feels like all over Virginia, these beers are in the fridge when I travel. Who doesn’t love a Hardywood GBS? The season is coming to an end with a bang this week, with a double release of two latest variations. Their Double Barrel GBS is aged in Bowman’s bourbon barrels for “eight glorious months,” then in grape brandy for a few more to top it off. Mega GBS is a perfect blend of ginger, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla all wrapped up into one tasty milk stout to make those cold winter nights a little more cozy.

Oooooh, Final Gravity Brewing Co. has something good up their sleeves. The Return of 12 Parsecs is back and as spacey as ever, with this Star-Wars inspired brew. This one’s a fan favorite, according to the brewers, and it’s made with the hops from Falconers Flight to make this DIPA “burst with citrus and pine aroma, while tasting ever-so-smooth.” It sounds like the perfect weekend blend, and it’ll be ready just in time for this week’s when it debuts on Friday. It’s available in Crowlers, and they’re expecting it to go fast… so get your hands on it while you can!

For this week’s Tap That Friday, Three Notch’d Brewing Company is coming out with their Lip Service New England IPA, at 6.3% AMV and collaborated with David Hunter and friends. It’s named after the “epic lip-sync battle that took place after the first keg was tapped,” and wow, I wish we had a video to accompany it. According to the brewers, it’s a little more bitter with less ABV than a typical NEIPA, so it’s more approachable, and lets you pack that deep taste in without such a high alcohol content. It’s still got the super-smooth feel going down the hatch that “regular NEIPA-drinkers have fallen in love with,” and with its Amarillo and Mosaic hops, it’s perfect for providing a nice fruity finish with a blend of citrus, melon, and tropical flavors. It sounds like a nice break from the holiday brews (which, no shade, we all know they’re my *favorite*), and a good way to get some of those all-year flavors in your fridge.

Healthier pets, happier people, better world. If you’re looking to show your support for your four-legged friends, check out Isley Brewing Company’s Furry Fundraiser this Saturday to raise money for local animals in need of homes. A percentage of sales all day will benefit the sweet residents of the Richmond SPCA, and even has a tacky sweater contest for your pups! What more could you want? Every year, the Richmond SPCA saves more than 4,000 pets, and with its life-saving programs in adoptions and through the SPCA’s Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital affordable healthcare, the Richmond SPCA truly does do its part — and as a former resident herself, my pup can vouch for that 100 percent.

RVA ON TAP: Winter Brews, 90’s Video Games, Axe-Throwing & Juicy IPAs

Caley Sturgill | November 7, 2018

Topics: ardent, Final Gravity, Hardywood, intermission beer, kindred spirit, Lickinghole Creek, midnight brewery, strangeways, The Answer

If you missed last week’s column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing with news this week, from beer releases to festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

Last time we caught up was on Halloween, and even though it’s only been a few days, the holiday season is already upon us (apparently). I’m not ready to let go of fall anytime soon, but three cheers for holiday beers! At least the year’s best month coming to an end means its best eats are on their way.

In new-brew-news, Midnight Brewery skipped Thanksgiving and went straight to the big one: Christmas At Midnight returns this Saturday, ringing in the season at their Rockville spot. The English mild ale is packed with winter’s best Christmas spices, and tastes a lot like “a liquid Snickerdoodle in a cup.”

Getting so bored in the woods that you start throwing axes at stumps: few things are so unapologetically southern. This rural tradition is one of the South’s best, in my humble opinion — and if you’re looking to try your hand at it, head out to Midnight Brewery tonight in Goochland to jump in on their axe-throwing night. It’s harder than it looks.

The event is 21+, which is probably a good thing, as long as you get your slinging-heavy-weapons fix in before your beers. Halloween might be over, but the scare of axes rebounding at crowds post-beer is very real in these games (been there, trust).

I hit up Hardywood again this week and fell for White Out all over again, but the new-news from the brewery is their Bourbon and Port Barrel Gingerbread Stout release this Saturday.

Gingerbread Stout is “freagin’ Christmas in a bottle,” according to BeerAdvocate. The imperial milk stout is drool-worthy like several of last week’s brews, and it’s made with vanilla beans, cinnamon, fresh Casselmonte Farm baby ginger, and Bearer Farms wildflower honey. Mmmmmm. This one matures in Virginia bourbon barrels with oak, caramel, and bourbon undertones, for a rich, chocolately stout that “warms the palate and the soul.” I….need it.

The stout is available aged in bourbon or port barrels, and available at both locations. If you’re looking to hit the downtown spot on Friday, you can also check out their #freshcanfriday release of Citraweisse, a Hefeweizen ale dry-hopped with Citra hops.

Calling all gamers: The Answer Brewpub gets it. Chasing Rings dropped this Sunday, and the 90’s-Sonic homage features “Golden Promise in the grain bill” for deep, golden-ring hues. Its Supersonic amounts (nice) of tropical aromas are made to burst out of the excessively dry-hopped pour, according to its brewers. The Answer is famous for its glasses, and this is one worth getting: especially with this 100% Mosaic DIPA from one of Richmond’s favorite spots to fill it.

Speaking of games, Final Gravity Brewing Co. is bringing back their game-themed Asteroids double IPA this week. On Friday, swing by Lakeside to give it a try for the release. This one will “send you into hyperspace,” with a triple-hit of hops and crowlers for the high score. Its Columbus, Mosaic, and Citra hops are full of stone fruits, florals, and citrus tones to bring this IPA full-circle (and full-flavor). Yum!

Over at Ardent, Dark Rye is returning tomorrow. The American imperial stout is 9.8%, and balances its rye spiciness with roasted notes for a deep black stout with a long-lasting tan head. It’s full bodied with a chocolatey finish, and you can try it out with a side (or three) of Continental Divide tacos in Ardent’s beer garden during the release. Reviewers have noted this one is “pretty dang black” with a nice, subtle aroma of malt, chocolate, hops, and rye — and a hint of licorice and espresso. Dark Rye is on draft and comes in 4-packs of bottles, so you can drink it as you please.

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery has been working on their Juicy IPA series for a while now, and this Friday marks number 7 in the bunch. Something Loyal is their newest addition on the farm, with a Huell-Melon hop profile. The release is this Friday, with the Sandtopia food truck to accompany the new brew. Past releases include Something Better, Something Royal, Something Sneaky and more, and tasters have sung the praises of most beers in this series.

If you’re down with The Answer Brewpub’s Chasing Rings gamer-beer, but you didn’t master Sonic in the 90’s, Intermission Beer Co.’s got you covered. The Glen Allen Brewery has board games every Sunday now for us analog-gamers (I’m right there with you), and you can bring your own game or try something new when you get there. No friends needed: Intermission will provide them. Or bring your own of those, too. It’s fine either way. Old friends are the best friends, but new friends also rule. You can never have too many!

Also at Intermission this Friday is Stitch & Bitch, in case you need to vent about your life and want to get creative with it. Every two weeks, you can bring your projects and your woes for Hooks & Hops at the brewery along with your appetite for some delicious beer. Between board games, crafting, and trivia, Intermission is killing it at the fun-game lately.

Along with Gourd of Thunder came Crystalis at Strangeways Brewing Co., and a big congrats to their Fredericksburg head brewer, Brian, because it’s his first official personalized release. This classic American IPA is packed with citrus, pine, dank earth, and subtle floral notes to pull it together with a spicy, earthy flavor. Crystalis is primarily hopped with Columbus, and has supporting tones from Citra and Centennial hops as well. The 7.2% IPA is great for anytime — so drink up!

Strangeways also has a few exciting events coming up next week, so stay tuned for our next go-around for some awesome news.

For everyone feeling generous (btw it’s the holidays, so you should be), head to Kindred Spirit and join in on their goal: to feed 300+ families this year for Thanksgiving. The West End spot is partnering up with Goochland Cares this year to do their part, and it’s a great way to do yours, too. There are plenty of ways to get involved in the Richmond community with so many locals involved, and Kindred Spirit wants to make it easy (and tasty).

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your new weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

RVA ON TAP: Heavy Metal Pumpkins, Big Lebowski Bar Crawl, & New Fall Brews This Weekend

Caley Sturgill | October 31, 2018

Topics: ardent, carytown bar crawl, Castleburg, Center of the Universe, covenant beer fest, craft beer and brewing magazine, Halloween, novemberfest, oregon hill parade, strangeways, The Answer, The Big Lebowski, the cask, The Veil, triple crossing, Väsen

If you missed the last column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing with news this week, from beer releases to festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

IT’S HALLOWEEN! Hallelujah! It’s Lucky Number 13 for the Richmond Halloween Parade, which is going down in Oregon Hill tonight. Meet up in Monroe Park at 7, and bring your puppets, bring your props, dress to impress: the citizens are the parade for this RVA Halloween tradition. Once you’re done at the parade, the city’s got a ton of great beer releases, bar crawls, and events to keep your juices flowing through the week and say hello to November.

Does playing music at plants really affect how they grow? Does blasting metal at pumpkins change how they taste? Strangeways set out to find the answer. Porter season is the best season, and these guys know it. This Saturday, Gourd of Thunder returns, made with freshly-picked local pumpkins that were ripened on the vine “while continuously listening to heavy metal.” It was created to cataclysmically blow your mind with its face-melting, high-voltage attitude (not unlike myself as a kid, S/O to my mother for her troubles).

This malty-pumpkin fuses with a milky sugar creaminess, packed with bourbon vanilla beans to drive the cinnamon, ginger, and clove spices right through your skull (sweet!) and aged in oak barrels. Headbangers Unite!

My fav is back, and there’s a whole bar crawl to drink it at! “Pull out that bathrobe grandma gave you last Christmas, and strut your stuff in Carytown” for the Big LeBYRDski Fest in honor of 1998’s best movie. Grab a Center of the Universe (COTU) El Duderino, the famous White Russian milk stout (yum!), featured at this weekend’s Carytown Bathrobe Bar Crawl because “It’s how the Dude would want you to roll.” The crawl hits Citizen Burger Bar, Burger Bach, NY deli, Mellow Mushroom, and RVA Draft Room, and it’s topped off at the end with a showing of The Big Lebowski at the Byrd Theatre. I can’t imagine a more perfect day.

Speaking of COTU, a brand-new brew is on its way from the Ashland spot this Saturday for the Donny Coffee Brown Ale release. This whole week is full of brews right up my alley, and Donny doesn’t disappoint. This Southern-English style brown is brewed with Lamplighter Coffee’s cold brew, and its smooth, velvety flavor is topped off with toffee and caramelized sugar notes. COTU says it’ll remind you of carefree coffee dates with your closest nihilist buddies — truly a pastime at Lamplighter. Donny is brewed with Maris Otter, Crystal 120, Crystal 77, Flaked Barley and Flaked Oats, and balanced with Perle hops and Richmond’s favorite coffee company.

Is everyone this into fall beers, or is it just me? Here’s another drool-worthy brew this week, Castleburg’s mOatmeal Stout. For a stout, it’s light, creamy, and pretty low in ABV — at 5.5%, it’s suitable anytime and sounds like an English dream. Dark, rich, malty, and full of chocolate, coffee, and fruit. This stout is brewed with Cascade and Willamette hops, dark roasted malts, and traditional English yeast to round it out, according to the brewers. It’s also gluten-reduced, so all of you watching your waistlines can enjoy it before America eats its weight in food for good ol’ Thanksgiving tradition a few weeks from now.

Vasen is ahead of the winter game, with a full-on Stout Month called Walrus Series. The heavy beers are certainly comparable to this monster of the animal kingdom, and they’re paired at Vasen with Intergalactic Tacos and trivia from Geeks Who Drink for the release party tomorrow night. These beers come in four varieties: the Wired Walrus, the Imperial Walrus, the Whiskery Walrus, and the Sour Cherry Walrus. Vasen’s also partnered with Mustaches for Kids Richmond, and brewed a special Cancer Gose Bye Bye with the organization. The benefit-collab beer will also be on tap tomorrow evening, and the brewery is donating 20 percent of its sales to the nonprofit: so go drink for a good cause!

Everyone’s favorite south Robinson Street spot paired up with Ardent to come up with the Barrel Aged Defenestrator. The Cask had a hand in this doppelbock-collab, which is lagered for 10 months in bourbon barrels. Its 10.4% ABV has the same malty base and stone fruit as the beer’s original version, but with some extra bourbon and oaky flavor, according to the brewers. Come out to The Cask Thursday night to give it a try with The German Snack Shack on-deck.

Never Dead returned at The Veil Brewing Co. last night, so get ‘em while they’re hot (cold)! This All Hallow’s Gose Ale with sour candy has “Pillowcase after pillowcase of Sour Patch Kids and Sour Gummy Worms.” Its brewers say it tastes like a sugar-filled night of mischief and mayhem, and we all know The Veil’s best brews don’t last long — so swing by while they’ve got them. You can also buy this one in cases, and there’s a one-case or six 4-packs per person limit on purchase (so if you’ve got a sweet tooth, don’t expect to go snatching them all up from the rest of us).

PHOTO: Triple Crossing Covenant Beer Fest

Triple Crossing is opening its doors once again for its ⟁Covenant Beer Fest⟁ in Fulton. The brewery is hosting 19 world-class brewers and separate can release event the night before on Friday. At the festival, the entire Fulton Brewpub will be open and tickets can be purchased beer-by-beer during the event.

⟁At Friday’s Covenant release, all the triangle variants have increased hops. Interstellar returns in addition to Falcon Smash coming out of hibernation in 16oz cans. Next up is Galaxy Triangles, a 6% IPA brewed with flaked wheat, flaked oats, and malted wheat — on top of crushed pineapple tropical passion fruit and threaded into the house ale’s trademark citrus. Galaxy Triangles has a softer-than-10-ply plushiness. Light that Never Goes Out is the fourth release, and the golden sour has a refreshing tart acidity along with its deep fruit tones. According to the brewers, it’s “just as easily consuming all the attention in the room, and then forgotten about when shared with good company.” This Light is well-done among friends. The final can release of the night comes with Nectar and Knife, which has a bright, grapefruit-pulpy zest softness brewed with “Simcoe and her daughter Mosaic.”⟁

Richmond’s on the national beer map for being awesome again. Feels like every week we win something new: Congrats to The Answer Brewpub for being that marker this time around, hitting the list for Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine’s Best 18 Beers of 2018. The Answer’s 3 Scoops is one of the brewery’s “in-your-face sour” fruit beers that push the legal limits of fruit content, and according to Beer and Brewing, the intensity of flavor is undeniable. The magazine noted that for brewers in 2018, it’s been hard to talk beer without a conversation about using unfermented fruit: a conversation, they say, that was primarily started by The Answer — “so unapologetic in their approach that they’ve even designed ticking time bomb labels to stress the meaning of ‘drink fresh, keep cold.’”

3 Scoops is a fruit smoothie beer with a daiquiri consistency, and comes in flavors like Passionfruit/Lemonade/Mango and Raspberry/Strawberry/Rhubarb. With these fruit blends, The Answer has “expanded the idea of what beer can be” to Beer and Brewing Magazine.

If you’re traveling this weekend, be sure to hit up Novemberfest in NOVA. The Alexandria event features a ton of Virginia brewers, with RVA favorites like Ardent, Blue Bee Cider, Final Gravity, Hardywood, The Answer, Triple Crossing, Väsen, and The Veil — plus a bunch of other great ones throughout the state. The outdoor block party has more than 80 local beers and ciders total and sounds like a blast, so check it out if you make your way up north.