Blue Bee Cider

RVA ON TAP: The Big Release

Caley Sturgill | August 6, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, breweries, Buskey Cider, courthouse creek cider, events, final gravity brewing co, fine creek brewing, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Isley, local beer, Reservoir Distillery, richbrau, RVA On Tap, scotts addition, scotts addition beer, Starr Hill, strangeways, the answer brewpub, the big release, The Veil Brewing Co., three notchd, Väsen

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 some great returns of old favorites, plus a brand-new festival: the Scott’s Addition Big Release. All the brewers in Richmond’s booziest neighborhood are coming together for the first annual collaboration release, so if you’re looking for some new flavors in your life, the beer family of Richmond has you covered.

Summer is slowly coming to an end (thank god for me, and maybe a bummer for some of you), and our pals at Hardywood are dropping one of their early-spring favorites in cans this Friday to bring the season of fruity beers full-circle. The Original Five Flavors came out at Hardywood back in May alongside Dreamlike — which sounded like an actual dream, and incredibly tasty — and it’s making its second debut in cans. Dreamlike made its debut again back on August 2, along with Kiwi Lime Berliner Weisse.

The Original Five Flavors is a candy lover’s delight. This one was made to match the early days of Lifesavers candy, and comes in the classic flavors of cherry, orange, lemon, lime, and pineapple. Dreamlike, on the other hand, is a pillowy-soft DIPA, with nice, fresh hops released with Kiwi Lime Berliner’s hot-day flavors.

“What’s that in the clouds over there?” says Hardywood, “A Dog? A Bunny?” Nah, booze. There’s no rush to wake up from this dream.

Also returning this Friday is Final Gravity Brewing Co.’s Absolute Magnitude Double IPA. This one was brewed with 100 percent Citra hops to really bring out the fresh hop flavor, and focus in on a widely-loved favorite in the brewing process. Citra brings out orange zest, grapefruit, and lemon tastes that bring this Double IPA up to 8% ABV — and according to the brewers, it “radiates” with its astronomical sum of citrus, magically brewed with a velvety finish.

I’m a big fan of a soft finish to an IPA, and the trend of these fruity IPAs with soft finishes is delicious. Final Gravity never disappoints, so this is definitely one on my list to try for the week!

Are you looking for a party where you can brewery hop around the neighborhood and try something brand-new at every single one? Yeah, these don’t come around too often. That’s why you’re going to want to head out to Scott’s Addition this Saturday for The Big Release, a massive collab between the booziest area in town with breweries all cooking up fresh recipes for a full day of new brews.

A few of the new releases I’m most excited about on this list start with Blue Bee Cider’s Hot Honey Gold Rush cider. This barrel-aged cider comes from an apple brandy barrel that started off with jalapeño-infused honey, so you’ll get an awesome kick of spice at the end to round out the brandy and honey flavors. Another I can’t wait to try is Three Notch’d RVA Collab House’s Lush-ious — this one looks SO good, y’all. This Maple Pecan Brown Ale (holy wow, I’m in heaven) was brewed in collaboration with Lush Cupcakes. If you haven’t heard yet, Lush makes alcohol-infused cupcakes, and just celebrated their opening in Scott’s Addition. Their Lush-ious collab with Three Notch’d set off to create something similar in beer form, and landed on maple and pecans added into a Three Notch’d brown ale that started off with biscuit and chocolate undertones to create the best dessert-brew flavors ever.

You’ll catch your favorites like Ardent Craft Ales and Strangeways, plus Starr Hill, Vasen, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Isley Brewing Company, Buskey Cider, Black Heath Meadery, Courthouse Creek Cider, Blue Bee Cider, Reservoir Distillery, and The Veil… who has an extra surprise up their sleeve this week as well.

Last night, The Veil Brewing Co. released four debuts and one return to fill glasses for every taste.

Kicking off the releases, Very Berry Tastee (pictured above) brings the sour and the smoothie to one perfect combination. This thick, fruity ale is the product of combining raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, and strawberries with milk sugar to pull the fruits together in a smoothie-style sour ale that hits in at 5.5% ABV.

Next up comes Steady Incline, a light-orange colored Double IPA with Citra, Galaxy, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops at 8% ABV. Strong Enough follows, and this brand-new IPA release combines some flare with flavors like El Dorado and Vic Secret in addition to its Galaxy, Mosaic, and Citra with a bright color in the glass. Strong Enough is a lighter 6.5% ABV beer, and it comes with Color of Blood’s high 11% ABV for the stronger drinkers out there. Color of Blood is a triple IPA that benefits from hops like Wakatu and BRU-1 to complement Galaxy, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Nelson, and although it pours with a crispy orange juice color, its heavier ABV and bold taste bring out its name.

Another featured release in the bunch is Brenner Pass: Grand Cru, which is returning to commemorate the second anniversary of the beloved local restaurant. This brew is unlike the rest, and drinks more like a fine table wine with textures like Chardonnay coming from its spelt, raw wheat, and floral American hops from the brewing process. The Mixed Fernie is funky and dry with a subtle acidity, and was stowed away and inoculated with The Veil’s house culture to prepare for the anniversary celebration.

All in all, The Veil has a beer for just about every preference out right now, and all of them bring something unique to the table for every kind of drinker. If you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to bring your wine friend or your daiquiri friend to a brewery, now’s your chance!

Summer may be slowly making its way out the door, but the brutal August heat of the River City is still to come before we can lay this hell season to rest and get back to the good stuff: pumpkin picking, hay rides, getting lost in corn mazes, haunted houses, chilly mornings, hot chai, sweaters, bonfires (!!), weekend trips to the mountains, colorful leaves falling on Monument Avenue, SNOW, the good food and fam time of the holidays, and pretty much everything else that makes cold weather good and summer awful. Halle-fucking-lujah.

Anyway, we’re not there just yet, and it’s going to be a rough one for these next few weeks. Thankfully, Väsen Brewing Company is here to take the heat off.

The Watermelon Puffin is on its way to Väsen this Saturday, and this crisp, refreshing American-style Berliner Weisse is the perfect beer for the end-of-summer hear, according to its brewers. The Watermelon Puffin brings out some slight sour flavors in addition to its watermelon puree to give you all the fruity twists you’ll need when the temp gets above 100° — and you know it’s coming, whether we like it or not. Cool down with these blueberry and lychee notes in a watermelon brew, and try to stay out of the heat (lord knows I will).

Out at The Answer Brewpub, a fresh beer made its way in cans right after we got together for RVA On Tap last week. Corporate Headquarters is a Double IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and a touch of Columbus to come together in a nice, pale-orange pour that looks as crisp as it is creamy. Is there any better combination in a beer? I haven’t found one yet, and I don’t plan to as long as these awesome Double IPAs are around.

The Answer also dropped FRESH AF, which is as green as it gets:

This Session IPA was double-dry hopped with Ella, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops, and according to our buds at The Answer, this crusher “bursts with aromas” of mellow mango before its grapefruit finish. If you’re in the mood for one, go grab one while you can, and don’t forget to give The War on Glycol a taste while you’re out there.

PHOTO: Fine Creek Brewing and Väsen Brewing Company

This week, we also saw an awesome beer feature in a collaboration between Fine Creek Brewing and Väsen Brewing Company. The International dropped as a mixed-fermentation Bière de Garde to celebrate the international collaboration with the Farmhouse Ale Appreciation Society, and it came as part of the International Craft Beer Weekend Red Paint hosted in Richmond last week.

This brew came together with Murphy & Rude Pils malt and raw wheat, and was hopped with Saaz and Strisselspalt — but the real kicker on this one is its unique, prolonged 5-hour boil in addition to primary lager fermentation and secondary wooden barrel fermentation that brings out its funky Brett tones and citrus and grape skins. It’s got a mouth-puckering acidity with a dry finish, so if you’re into the sour and the sweet, these breweries have plenty of options to get your week rolling.

For National IPA Day, Richmond’s oldest craft brewery dropped an awesome new Citra-hopped beer. Richbrau released Psychic Horse with the tale of its origin:

“Born in 1924, Lady Wonder was a prophetic horse that lived on the southside of Richmond. Taught to communicate on blocks with letters of the alphabet, Lady Wonder answered questions daily from noon to three, 3 questions for $1, and was visited by more than 150,000 people over 30 years. Her prognostications included Truman’s presidential defeat of Dewey, 28 of 28 winning horses at a Baltimore race track, and she garnered national recognition in 1952 for helping police locate the body of a missing Massachusetts boy. Lady Wonder died in 1957 at the age of 33, three years later than she predicted.”

And the horse girls of the world rejoice. Lady Wonder sounds like she really was a wonder to the residents of Richmond in the last century, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m bummed she’s not around in our time. Thankfully, her legend lives on, and like the horse that came from historic Richmond, the brewers who keep her name alive are a big part of our history as well. Richbrau has been a staple of the River City for decades, and now that it’s back, you can get a taste of history at their brewery (and learn something about Richmond’s legends, too).

PHOTO: Black Heath Meadery and Buskey Cider

Coming up this Saturday at Black Heath Meadery, an awesome new collab with Buskey Cider is making its way to the taps for the Scott’s Addition Big Release.

Buskey Orange Ginger Cyser was crafted between the brewers with local ingredients like Virginia apples and Virginia wildflower honey, plus baby yellow ginger from Casselmonte Farm and orange peels.

According to the brewers, this one’s getting drier by the day, and it’s fermenting in the tank ready to make its way into your glass this weekend.

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: Richmond Hits The Road

Caley Sturgill | April 3, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Blue Bee Cider, castleburg brewery and taproom, Devil's Backbone, fine creek brewing, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Intermission Beer Company, Isley Brewing Company, RVA On Tap, Stone Brewing-Richmond, Strangeways Brewing, vasen brewing

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.

This week, we’re jumping into tons of events, benefits, anniversary celebrations, and more, plus tons of releases to get your juices flowing.

*PHOTO: Imbibe Craft Beer & Arts Festival*

It’s finally here! We’ve been waiting for the Imbibe Craft Beer & Arts Festival to come back for months now, and it’s hitting Fredericksburg this weekend. With tons of our favorite breweries from around the state, the festival packs in more than 100 craft libations, and say they’ve got some special love for the local spots. They’ll have an Artisan Market with handmade wares from regional makers in the area, and awesome bands like the North Mississippi Allstars and the People’s Blues of Richmond.

For a full list of the attendees, hit up their website, but you can expect most of these guys from the Richmond area: Ardent, Blue Bee Cider, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Intermission Beer Company, Legend Brewing Co., Strangeways Brewing, and Väsen Brewing Company. Starr Hill, our Charlottesville sisters who have set a spot in Richmond to open this year, will also be in attendance — along with some of my personal favorites from the rest of the state like Devil’s Backbone.

Happy birthday, Strangeways! Our friends over at the brewery have a huge weekend planned, and this is one you aren’t gonna want to miss. They’re re-releasing not one, but seven old favorites from the vault to celebrate their time with us. Look forward to the nostalgia, and grab a taste of That’s My Jam!, a Berry Sour, Wake Me Up Before You Gose, Apple Sour A Bomb, Wake Me up Before You Gose Hibiscus, and Cloak of Feathers — a Baltic Porter — all on Saturday.

Also starting Saturday, The Atkinsons will be playing live all day with food trucks and Truckle Cheeemonger full of picnic-esque treats. Continuing on into Sunday (for National Drink Beer Day!), LowCo Eatery Brunch is coming out to serve up the goods with the releases of Only Brewed 4 Cuban Linx Wild Ale, Wake Me Up Before You Gose Ghost Pepper, and Oscillate Wildly Blueberry-Wild Sour.

Bring out the fashion, Richmond, because Stone Brewing ain’t just wearing pink on Wednesdays. Tomorrow night, bust out your favorite pink clothes and come celebrate International Women’s Day all over again with Pithy In Pink, a Pink Boots Society White IPA, perfectly-flavored with grapefruit and coriander. On the real IWD, Stone brought out some of Virginia’s best with amazing women from across the state to brew the beer together, and it’s finally here to drink. The Pink Boots Society is a badass organization (with a local chapter here in town) of women in the brewing industry, and it’s got its own brew now to accompany it. Head out tomorrow night and grab a bite from Curry in a Hurry over in the garden, too, and celebrate the ladies in your life.

Isley Brewing Company’s Kiwi Infused Pilsner is fresh to the taps this Friday. If you’re looking for a brew to bring out the best of summertime and forget about how *absolutely freezing* the weather has been this week — after such a long week of warm, too — this might bring your taste buds to a happier place. Full of one of the best summertime fruits of all, this Pilsner ought to bring your brain back to warmer days and out of this long winter.

Fine Creek Brewing is hosting their Make-A-Wish Benefit tomorrow night, so grab a beer and help grant some wishes to local kids. Come out and support their Walk-For-Wishes, the largest community event for the organization in Greater Virginia.

While we all know how awesome the Make-A-Wish foundation is, here’s something you might not have known: The excitement of these Wishes have actually proven to possess some physical and emotional benefits — which actually can give these kids a higher chance of survival. The impact of real Wishes on the families, and communities, of the sweet kids who pick them is far-reaching and positive across their loved ones. So all around, if you’re in the mood for a drink tomorrow, please keep Fine Creek high up on your list. With a beautiful farm to host it on, you’ll be very glad you did!

Does it make sense? I mean, when does anything? Hardywood’s in the spirit of confusion this week and I’d be lying if I said the artwork doesn’t appropriately suit the cause. Who is she? She’s beautiful, is who she is. This New England-Style IPA is heading to the cans this week, But Does It Make Sense?, and it’s citrus-forward with Mosaic, Galaxy, and Hallertau Blanc hops. Swing by Hardywood and grab a bite from Hog Haven too, which looks just as mouthwatering as it sounds.

Intermission Beer Company is dropping a new brew this Friday. Tight Pantaloons is another New England IPA, and it’s also one whose name I can’t seem to read without a British accent in my head. I think it’s unfair not to, honestly. It just sounds so good. Anywho, ol’ pantalones hits in at 7.5% ABV and it’s a hazy, non-bitter tasting IPA that was dry-hopped with Galaxy, Mosaic, and Citra hops.

As far as the IBU goes, they say:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So I’m glad we’re all on the same page with how we’re feeling this week. Me too, guys, me too. But either way, they’ve done a really solid job on this one!

Lust for Glory: Even the name sounds romantic. This Guava Sour is making its way over to Castleburg Brewery and Taproom this Friday, and Castleburg says they were having a strong desire to “feed your sensual appetite.” Nice. With the pink, juicy flesh and strong, sweet aromas of guava in this one, the sour is just the thing to make you pucker up, according to the brewers.

Glory be!

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

Lickinghole Creek is throwing their Despot Day this Saturday, with live music and tons of variants from their favorite recipes coming out every hour during the day. Look forward to a nice big list of brews, plus live music from Mighty Joshua, Calvin Presents, and more and a ton of awesome food trucks — like Papa V’s Backyard Grill, Silence of the Hamms BBQ (nice), SandTopia and more.

For beers, you’ll get to try ENLIGHTENED Despot (14yr), HIDE the Despot (23yr), HUG the Despot (Vanilla), AWAKEN the Despot (Coffee), and VIBE the Despot (a new variant, Coconut)!

RVA On Tap: Collab Season & Burlesque Beer

Caley Sturgill | March 6, 2019

Topics: Blue Bee Cider, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, king easy brewery, Steam Bell Beer Works, Stone brewing, strangeways, Väsen

This week, we’ve got plenty of new releases, and more notably, events! Spring is on its way, and the fun times of warm weather are coming with it soon, so get out there and drink, y’all.

On Saturday, Väsen Brewing Company sent their Savvon into the wild for its first bottle release. This 9.2% ABV farmhouse ale is packed with cherry pie and ripe pineapple from its dry-hopped Brettanomyces. The “funky flavors” come together with some more subtle flavors of passion fruit, raspberry, and white wine from its Galaxy and enigma hops from Australia, and it was aged over a year and a half in American white oak foeder with four additional months of bottle conditioning. Savvon came out alongside The Herbaceous Otter, a tart Otter Gose spiced with fresh lemongrass, ginger, and dried hibiscus calyces.

Two of our favorite Scott’s Addition brewers are coming together this Saturday for a collab release. Isley Brewing Company and Blue Bee Cider are dropping their Apple Brandy Barrel Betty, an apple-brandy, barrel-aged Spiced Brown Ale. Isley brewed the first batch in their original spiced brown, then dumped it into the freshly-emptied Apple Brandy Barrels from their neighbors over at Blue Bee. According to Isley, what emerged is an “audaciously strong beer,” and full of awesome flavors like oak and vanilla blending in with the sweetness of their fresh-pressed juice. I’m extra excited for this one, since all these flavors of fall are long-gone after the holiday beers and long-to-come with the summer ahead. If you’re a fall fanatic like me, go grab some while you can, and hold on to the tastes of the best season a little longer!

Over at Steam Bell Beer Works, the glory of the 80s and 90s’ rock and roll is alive and well. The Here and Now this weekend is headed back to the brewery, and it’s a big celebration for everyone who’s not ready to let go of rock’s golden age. With a large group of musically-inclined individuals, they’ll bring back the best songs of 90s alt-rock and 80s new waver covers — albeit “beefed up” — with some other decade hits sprinkled in. Get your groove on, Richmond.

Yesterday, The Veil Brewing Co. debuted their Henok From Omnipollo…brewed for their friend Henok, who works at Omnipollo. That’s good stuff, man. Henok must have good taste, too, because there is *nothing better in this god-forsaken world than chocolatey, blueberry pancakes* (and my boyfriend, friends, and family will attest to the severity of that statement from me), and this brew has it all. Drool. With blueberries, double chocolate chips, maple (!!), marshmallow mocha, and triple-stack pancake flavors in this imperial stout, I might just roll over and die. Fortunately for you, you can drink this all up in a beer and probably save a little on the diabetes front. Fortunately for me, I can eat all that with the beer to wash it down, and I can die happy. Win win!

Stone Brewing dropped a special stout over the weekend, too, in addition to two IPA releases on Friday — and even though Stone is known across the nation, this brew is special to good ol’ RVA. Their Stone Triple Espresso Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout may be a mouthful when you say it, but I’m betting it’s an even bigger mouthful to drink. Made from the original Totalian Imperial Russian, this Triple packs in even more espresso flavors, and according to Stone, it may be the perfect brew for the cold, rainy weather that Virginia can’t seem to give us enough of these days. While it looks like the clouds have parted for now, be wary, VA friends. The rain is on its way back this weekend, and so is our need to give this one a try!

Over the weekend, Hardywood dropped their None Of This Makes Sense can release for #freshcanfriday. Highly-rated by its drinkers, it’s named appropriately: “This beer blows my mind every time. Fluffy, not bitter, but so tasty! It truly doesn’t make any sense,” according to one. This New-England style Double IPA was brewed with Mosaic and Wai Iti Lupulin Powder, and at 7.5%, it’s on the higher ABV side without crossing over the one-and-done threshold, so it’s a great way to start off your weekend or finish off a long day at work.

Final Gravity has something similar brewing this week as well, with their Morning Glory Double IPA. This brand-new release is not only a fresh brew from Final Gravity, but their debut of using “the elusive Cashmere hops,” too. With flavors of cantaloupe, candied orange slices, and subtly coconut with creamy peach, tropical fruits, and sweet lime, its dry-hop process came out deliciously-fruity with an 8% ABV to top it off. Grab yours this Friday over at Final Gravity.

Our friends at Strangeways are throwing a show: this Friday, don’t miss a ticket to Burlesque Right Meow. The event’s back with a brand-new cast full of burlesque, circus arts, and comedy that’s “sure to leave you teased and pleased all night long.”

Next up at Strangeways is the release of two new beers on Saturday, Gaia Hypothesis and Martian Spring. The Belgian IPA Gaia Hypothesis is halfway between an American IPA and a Double IPA, often considered too hoppy by Belgian beer drinkers. Belgian IPA’s generally have a cleaner bitterness versus American, according to Strangeways, and they’re made with various malts but finished with bottle-conditioned Belgian yeast strains.

Martian Spring, on the other hand…….

“Gather ye Martians while ye may,

Saucers are still a-flying;

And this same Alien that brews today,

Tomorrow will be imbibing.”

Packed with Columbus, Simcoe, Citra, Galena, and Centennial hops, the flavors land with the light, fruity esters of its Bière de Garde yeast. The invasion begins, they say, as you embark on a thrilling wonder story with this Bière de Mars made in oak wine barrels.

Coming up this Friday, Castleburg has a tasty awaited release. His Majesty’s New Groove is a Jamaican-themed brew, back just in time for their Reggae Sunday events, they say, and the collab beer with King Easy is back on tap — with the idea to create a blazin’ beer, this IPA was put together and loaded all the way up with dank and resinous hops… sure to please even the headiest of hop heads.

“Jah bless.”

RVA ON TAP: Party Time! Excellent! Scott’s Addition Booz Crawl, and Richmond’s Best-In-Nation Brews

Caley Sturgill | October 17, 2018

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer crawl, Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, booz crawl, Buskey Cider, Castleburg, courthouse creek, Isley, Reservoir Distillery, RVA On Tap, Scott's Addition, Steam Bell, stone, the beer travel guide, The Veil, three notchd, Väsen, waynes world

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!

Last week, we checked out a few awesome beer events and even found a boozy haunted house for Halloween. We’ve got even more exciting stuff coming up, and RVA made the news once again for being one of America’s top beer destinations (surprise, surprise).

This week, Richmond was named the “Ultimate craft beer destination in Southeast America” by The Beer Travel Guide, with a note that good ol’ RVA has the best craft beer east of the Mississippi (can’t argue with that). According to the travel guide, we not only have a rich number of breweries, but also have some of the nation’s most elite right here in the city limits. They report:

“Any serious beer trader has a few Richmond breweries on his or her ‘In Search Of’ list. One could easily spend a weekend in Richmond doing nothing but drink craft beer and *still* feel like there wasn’t enough time to get everything done.”

Ain’t that the truth. Since RVA is just so-damn-great, we actually get two parts to our chunk of the country’s guide, all to ourselves. They released Part 1 this week, and some of our favorites made the list.

Final Gravity Brewing Company came in at #3 for its world-class IPAs (with The Doppler Effect recently ranking as the 12th-best IPA in the country). Up next was The Answer Brewpub at #2, where the travel guide remarked, “If the question is ‘Where can you find some of the best beer in the country?’ the answer is…well, The Answer.” #1 on the list is the entire neighborhood of Scott’s Addition (lol) and honestly, they’re totally right.

I’ve been saying forever that RVA is one of the most unique beer cities for its ability to go brewery-hopping (Seriously, where else is that a thing?) and our friends at The Beer Travel Guide found the same to be true.

Speaking of Scott’s Addition, one of the neighborhood’s best beer events of the year is next! weekend!

Once in a blue moon, we get an opportunity for the whole city to day-drink together, and nobody gets to judge us for it. Richmond’s self-proclaimed Booziest Neighborhood has brought that opportunity back this Saturday, for a full day of adult Trick-Or-Treating in the Scott’s Addition Halloween Booz Crawl.

The crawl this weekend hits 10 different spots in a day, full of beers, ciders, meads, and whiskeys. On your way, make sure to pick up Booz Crawl cards anywhere that’s participating. If you get three unique stamps, you’re entered to win a $25 gift card for each location.

They’ve also included a Lyft voucher for 25 percent off rides, so Trick-Or-Treat responsibly. Participating spots include: Ardent Craft Ales, Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, Buskey Cider, Courthouse Creek Cider, Isley Brewing Company, Reservoir Distillery, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Väsen Brewing Company, and The Veil Brewing Co.

Party time! Excellent! Yesterday, The Veil Brewing Co. brought Crucial Taunt back at the taproom, and it won’t last long. Straight from Wayne’s World, Crucial Taunt is Wayne’s girlfriend Cassandra’s band, known for their impressive Jimi Hendrix and “Ballroom Blitz” covers that really jam. The New England-style double IPA is extremely hoppy, dank, and has a low bitterness to accompany its juicy, small-malt taste. As a longtime WW fan, I’m extra stoked on this one — and the brewers have warned it may be gone by Thursday, so hop on it, Richmond.

Castleburg Brewery dropped their Above the Salt Gose this week on a berry-blend randall. The Leipzig-style brew is light and tart, and according to Castleburg, it’s the perfect poolside drink as a 50 percent wheat beer that’s crisp and refreshing. It’s Castleburg’s first sour beer, and it hits at a nice medium with a 4.7 ABV. A reminder from the brewers: “Just don’t call us Salt Bae.”

The first full-time brewed and bottled West coast double IPA on the planet is back at Stone Brewing. Ruination 2.0 is the second round of the groundbreaking pale ale, dry-hopped and hop-bursted to get “every last drop of piney, citrusy, tropical essence” that gives this beer its character. It’s also the second stanza in the brewery’s Liquid Poem to the Glory of the Hop.

Stone’s also got their Bikes and Beers event coming up this Saturday for all the athletes out there. Gear up for 15- and 30-mile rides leaving the brewery (rest stops included, thank god) and circle back to Stone to get a glass, koozie, and two free beers! It’s similar to Hardywood’s motorcycle event last weekend, but for analog motorcycles (bicycles), and it’s got a raffle just the same. If you participate in the ride, you get a free raffle ticket — and if you’re anything like me, you might have so much fun you win back your own day-beer lost-belongings in the raffle.

Proceeds go to Bike Walk RVA to improve cycling conditions in RVA, so even if you don’t ride, swing by for a beer and make sure to check this one out!

Out in Midlothian, Steam Bell Beer Works just brought back Dueling Hops. The American-style IPA, brewed with Mosaic and Amarillo hops, has notes of mango and stone fruit for an easy-drinking fruit bomb.

The brewery’s also a stop on the Richmond Beer Trail (with more than 30 craft breweries — no wonder we’re top in the country). Pick up a map and hit five RVA breweries for stamps, and get one of these sweet trucker hats fo’ free!

In more new-beer news this week, the cold weather is back, and so is stout season! Swing by Ardent tomorrow for the release of their Imperial Milk Stout. This bold, rich chocolatey-sweet stout is balanced with a roasty base and has a silky smooth finish — unlike “the boozy burn” that often comes with a 10 percent brew like this.

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!

TAPPED: Cheers to Independence at Strangeways, Castleburg’s Prepare to DIePA, & Väsen’s Smoked Blood Peach Sour

RVA Staff | June 27, 2018

Topics: Blue Bee Cider, Castleburg Brewery, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Hardywood, RVA beer, rva beer news, tapped, triple crossing, Vasen Brewing Company

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!

Breweries all around town are gearing up for Independence Day, and Strangeways Brewing is no exception. This Saturday is their “Cheers to Independence” Beer Release. They’ll be releasing a whopping four beers for the event, starting with the Everlasting Light Lime Kolsch, a light, crisp ale made with Mandarina Bavaria hops and boiled with lime and kaffir lime leaf. They’ll also feature a new IPA, the Work Jorts IPA, a new sour ale, the Comfortably Plum American Sour, and the Cantilever Dark Ale, a hybrid of several beer styles with a malty backbone, some character of hops, and the crispness of a blonde ale.

The event starts 11 a.m. Saturday and lasts all day, and teachers receive 20 percent off all in-house beer.

Tonight, Castleburg Brewery and Taproom will release their latest IPA: You Killed My Father, Prepare to DIePA. An homage to our favorite vengeful Spaniard from the popular film ‘The Princess Bride,’ it’s a beer even Inigo Montoya could enjoy after a long day of sword training. It will slice through your tastebuds with citra, comet, mandaria bavaria, and flavors of nuget–and for the bloodthirsty avenger in you, don’t be surprised to find notes of blood orange.

Back by popular demand, Väsen Brewing will be re-releasing their Smoked Blood Peach Sour brew tonight. The beer’s summery vibes of citrus and peach combine with a light smokiness and hints of toffee make it a fan favorite. Be sure to stop by their Paint Party starting at 6 p.m., as local artist Shay Wilson will guide you through painting on reclaimed wood canvas as you sip away.

Triple Crossing has teamed up with Foam Brewers to create a few new juicy brews, one of which will release this Friday. The Distance DDH IPA perfectly combines the new brewers’ techniques and makes an interesting combination of yeast and hops. Bold notes of ripe mango, key lime pie, orange rind, and pineapple make it a great summer treat, and will be released alongside the Falcon Smash IPA.

Recreating a historical beer that originated in Berlin, Hardywood is releasing Cucumber Berliner Weisse–a light, refreshing, and tart beer that the Germans of old sipped to beat the heat. Hardywood uses traditional German ingredients along with a kettle souring method and will be releasing their newest canned beer this Friday.

Looking for a place to watch the fireworks on the 4th, but don’t want the crowd? Blue Bee Cider has the perfect solution. Join them next Wednesday for the release of their Firecracker New Vintage small batch cider, a ginger-infused eau de vie fortified apple brandy with plenty of pineapple aroma, a rich, smooth sweetness, and ginger zing on the finish. Kids and dogs are welcome, and the event kicks off at 1 p.m.

Submissions or ideas for Tapped can be emailed to Amy at [email protected] Cheers!

Featured Image: Strangeways Brewing

Tapped: Midnight Brewery turns five, Garden Grove’s One Trick Pony IPA, & Mother’s Day celebrations

Amy David | May 10, 2017

Topics: Blue Bee Cider, Buskey Cider, Center of the Universe, Garden Grove Brewing Company, Hardywood Brewery, Isley Brewing Company, midnight brewery, RVA, RVA beer, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, Strangeways Brewing, The Veil Brewing Co., Three Notch'd Brewing Company

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!

Midnight Brewery is celebrating five years this Saturday, May 13 with live music, food, and a new beer release. The brewery will be pouring Summer Down Under, a new Pale Ale that has a twist with the fruit of Guava.

This Friday, Isley is back with their weekly infusion, this time its a Bloody Mary version of their Fifth Circle IPA.

Isley Brewing is also celebrating mothers all month long with specials and events all around the Choosy Mother Peanut Butter Porter! Regular glasses of their signature porter will be priced $1 for the entire month, and customers will receive $5 off the purchase of three 32oz. crowlers to go!

The weekend of May 20th will be jam packed with events for the whole family to enjoy. Saturday, May 20th they will have Strawberry Fields florist on site (since Mom enjoys flowers this week as well), and will feature music from 2:00-9:30 from Zack Artis, The Royal We and more! On Sunday, May 21st, local bakers will compete for the title of Choosy Mother Bake-Off Champion with a judged competition to see who can create the best recipe using the Choosy Mother as an ingredient. For more info or to reserve a spot in the contest, please contact [email protected].

Center of the Universe is celebrating moms on Sunday with a special brunch. Moms are invited to sip on MOMosas and beer bloody marys, sample cheeses from Truckle Cheesemongers, dine off of the menu provided by The Grapevine, and walk away with a special limited edition stemless wine glass.

On Thursday, Strangeways Brewing will release three Totally Tublar Radler variants including Apfelsine (Orange, Pampelmuse (Grapefruit), and Kirsche (Cherry) go try them all!

On Mother’s Day, Strangeways is also treating moms to a Southern-Fried Drag & Variety Brunch. Hosted by the one and only, Magnolia Jackson Pickett Burnside, this fun, campy, raunchy DRAG & Variety show is not for those fancy, tea-sippin’ mamas out there. Add some fresh chicken n’ waffles from Mama J’s, a side of beermosa specials, and a sprinkling of raffle prizes throughout the show, and you’ve got a recipe for one fabulously fun feast! Advanced tickets are $25 and include admission to the show, a reserved seat for your party, a beermosa ticket, chicken n’ waffles, a your first raffle ticket, beermosa specials, and mor

Hardywood has quite a few events and releases happening this weekend. On Friday, the brewery will do a small batch can release of Road to Idaho, a citrusy IPA.

On Saturday, Hardywood will release a Boysenberry Berliner Weisse, a new fruited variation of of of their warm weather brews.

On Sunday for Mother’s Day, Hardywood will host a market with Studio Two Three To Go. They will have vendors on site with handmade gifts for the special Mama in your life! The S23 To-Go truck will be on site live-printing small prints/mom inspired cards, totes, and koozies! Bikini Panini will be here serving up good eats for the whole family! Live music by Lemon Sky starts at 3pm.

Garden Grove Brewing Company has two special releases for you this weekend. First up is One Trick Pony, a 6.4% juicy, tropical IPA. The Carytown brewery will also release Virginia Pale Ale, a 4.6% brew highlighting Meridian and Calypso Hops.

On Monday, May 29 GG will host their next great meal in their ongoing Taproom Dinner Series featuring Wild Ginger Asian Fusion & Sushi! Five courses of mouth-watering cuisine will be matched with five of their beers. $39 plus tax & tip, Reservations Required.

The Veil Brewing Co. is celebrating Mother’s Day teamed up with Commune RVA to provide a vendor market with plenty of gift ideas to shop with or for mom.

From 2p-6p Indigo Therapeutic Massage and Healing Arts will have two chairs set up offering free 10-minute massages. Sign up sheets available on-site. Goatocado will be slinging food all day starting at Noon and we will have some amazing treats from Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt starting at 2p.

Three Notch’d Brewing Company RVA Collab House returns with their weekly beer collaboration on Thursday. This time, they’ve partnered with Joey Johnson who has spent years in the beer industry and as an accomplished homebrewer to make the “Juicy J” IPA.

Steam Bell Beer Works recently announced they planned to open a 5,000 square foot brewery and taproom called Canon & Draw Brewing Co. in the Fan on West Main Street. Check out our interview here.

Taste and check out over 30 Craft Beers from some of the best breweries in Virginia at the Virginia Hops & Barley Festival this Saturday at Westchester Commons. 1 pm-7 pm. Tickets $10-$50 which can be purchased here.

Blue Bee Cider is celebrating Mother’s Day with their in-house sangria, made with raspberries and blackberries soaked in their Harvest Ration dessert cider, plus delicious eats from Continental Divide Richmond taco truck.

Today, Buskey Cider will release their mouth-watering collaboration with Sugar Shack, a Jalapeño Lime Randall’d Cider. Get their donuts specially made with Buskey’s Jalapeño Lime Cider at this event served off their gluten free donut truck and pair this dessert with a pint of Buskey

On Mother’s Day, Buskey Cider will have sangria pints and produce from Ellwood Thompson’s! Details here.

Send all craft beer-related submissions to Amy at [email protected]. Cheers!

Words by Amy David. Top Photo credit: Midnight Brewery