Center of the Universe

RVA ON TAP: Welcome Back, Dry Januarians!

Caley Sturgill | January 30, 2019

Topics: Black Heath Meadery, Center of the Universe, Final Gravity, fine creek brewing, Hardywood, kruegers cream ale, RVA On Tap, Shiplock Brewing, The Veil, three notchd, Triple Crossing Beer

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 special surprises if you’ve been taking the month off, and tons of great new brews to accompany the fresh new month.

Welcome back, Dry Januarians! Final Gravity Brewing Co. has a surprise for you. After a whole month of being responsible and kind to your bodies post-long summer and holiday season, it’s time to return to the Dark Side with the rest of us. Final Gravity has a message for you:

“We’re proud of you. We really are . . . But…we miss you. And we know you miss us, too.”

They couldn’t be more right. Head over to the brewery this Friday for some first-of-the-month festivities and celebrate a rightful prize for your accomplishments. To add even more to the occasion, Final Gravity is discounting your first beer of the year (even if you cheated a little bit. We all forgive you). So if you’ve been on a month-long La Croix mission, as they say, and you’re seeking salvation, it shall be delivered to you. You’re almost at the finish line.

*PHOTO: Krueger’s Cream Ale, Hardywood – Good Beer Hunting*

Now for a quick history lesson before we resume your regular Booze News content. Back in 1935, Good Ol’ RVA set a record. This legend in a can, Krueger’s Cream Ale, was the very first can of beer in the U.S. to be packaged and sold — right here in Richmond. Nearly a century later, Legend Brewing Company and many others have carried on the trend here in town. As Richmond’s OG craft brewery, Legend has been around creating and canning brews since for a few decades, and other local favorites like Hardywood have kept up the Krueger’s name with Cream Ales and craft brews alike. Learn something new every day, right?

Annnnnnd even more records to break! Center of the Universe Brewing has a Satellite Rewards membership program (PS: it’s free), and their top earning Satellites get to brew whatever beer they choose every year. This Saturday is the first time a Satellite-brewed beer will be released in 16oz cans from COTU, and this 6.5% Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Porter sounds like a dream. It’s brewed with vanilla and cinnamon (YUM) to add the cookie flavor, and brewed with Maris Otter, Flaked Oats and Barley, Carafa 3 Dehusked, Crystal 90, and Double-Roasted Crystal malts — a mouthful, to say the least.

Yesterday, Amun returned to The Veil Brewing Co. for the first time in more than two years! It means “The Hidden One,” and the Oat Milk DIPA comes to us in collaboration with Sweden’s Omnipollo brewery. This deliciously-colorful brew is 8% ABV and oversaturated with Citra, Mosaic, and Nelson hops to pack big flavor into every glass. Amun/The Veil X Omnipollo collab glasses went on sale as well, so swing by and check this one out while they’re around. They are more than adorable.

Tap That is back on at Three Notch’d Brewing Company, one of my personal faves because they cross the bridge and have locations between two places I call home — so whether I’m in RVA or in the mountains of Roanoke, I can always grab something familiar and know this one’s gonna be good!

Over the weekend, they dropped their Spiced Alpaca Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout. This collab with Richmond’s The Camel music venue is a tribute to their name, and “named after one of the greatest animals of all time.” Obviously. Anyway, Spiced Alpaca has a chocolatey, velvet-smooth feel down the hatch and a bit of a chili kick to the tastebuds. It’s rounded out with organic cacao nibs, lactose, and cinnamon, and Three Notch’d says it’s quickly becoming one of their favorites.

The new brewery on the block has some exciting news (besides $2 flights all January — which, if you didn’t try, you seriously missed out). Shiplock Brewing dropped their first-ever Crowler in an early release this past week, a Robust Porter accompanied by New York Islanders Hockey. I’m pretty sure it’s a universal rule to watch aggressive sports with a side of beer, and as big of a hockey town RVA is (go Caps!), this one sounds like a great sidekick to your games. Don’t forget to grab one for the Super Bowl, which is coming up Super Soon. Haha. I’m not a big football guy, ignore me. Either way, Shiplock is a really unique spot, and their location down by the riverwalk couldn’t be more perfect. I might suck at jokes, but check these guys out! They certainly don’t disappoint.

⟁ Triple Crossing Beer is famous for its reliably-delicious recipes, and we’ve got another three to look forward to this weekend! Dawn Chorus is coming out this weekend in Fulton, and the 8% DIPA is returning with Citra, Vic Secret and Galaxy hops to “double down on its layers of fruit-forward hop and yeast-derived character.” There are even more releases to be announced, and you can look forward to a nice mid-winter fruit blast with this one. Your cold weather blues will be soothed by citrusy-melon, pineapple, and a slightly-dank undercurrent to give that Triple Crossing signature-super-soft DIPA body and feel. ⟁

Right outside of town, our buds at Fine Creek Brewing Company have a few special releases this week, but their Wine Barrel-Aged Brett Saison w/ Asian Pears has “hit the ground running.” It comes along after last year’s Saison with Asian Pears from out at the Owl Orchard’s farm in Powhatan, but this year, they swapped over to a Brett Saison that’s been aging in wine barrels over the last year. It’s a bit funky and fruity this time around, and has subtle notes from the Asian Pear finish to give a nice fruity end to each sip.

Oooooooo, this sounds good. The Boysen’s Back in Town Session Mead is fresh back to the tap at Black Heath Meadery, and this deliciously-dark mead is made with boysenberries to give off a really unique taste. I would love to give this one a try!

It’s a Doozie! Or is it? It is. This Imperial Stout is fresh to the taps on Groundhog’s Day from Isley Brewing Company, and it’s a high-gravity flavor brewed with traditional English malts to bring out a perfect taste for the colder weather. It’s thick like your winter jacket, and this inky-black, heavy-bodied stout has a sweetness in its big, malty backbone. It’s a Doozie is balanced with “a heavy dose of hop varietals,” rounding out this super-drinkable, complex and hearty winter ale.

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: Arrogant Bastards Unite!

Caley Sturgill | January 23, 2019

Topics: Black Heath Meadery, Center of the Universe, fire and hops, fire and hops pizza co, Hardywood, Lickinghole Creek, RVA On Tap, Stone brewing, Strangeways Brewing Company

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’ve got a few awesome events, a few tasty releases, and…….drumroll…….TWO Big Lebowski mentions. One: Because the RVA beer scene reminds me of The Dude after a long history obsessing over him, and Two: Because after pondering about that, I stumbled upon another. Of course I did. Richmond, but I love you. Anyway, onward!

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

If you want to get out of town this Saturday, head on over to Mustang Sally Brewing Company in Chantilly for a bigtime brew fest!

Richmond’s very own Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery will be pouring alongside several breweries from around the Commonwealth and up to Maryland, like Dynasty Brewing Co., Union Craft Brewing, Ornery Beer Company, Crooked Run Brewing, and True Respite Brewing Company.

Kegs tap at noon sharp, and live music, delicious foods & desserts, and giveaways will be going on all day long. Bring your pups and kiddos, because everyone’s welcome! I’m stoked on this event for a few reasons: One, we haven’t seen a good beer combo fest in many weeks since the holidays have jammed up everyone’s schedules — and two, I think it’s cool to see a fest with just one of our local breweries at it, and a lot of other names I don’t recognize. I do a lot of traveling, so I’m usually familiar with the out-of-towners, but it’s extra special to learn something new…..or five things new, at that. Excited to get to know them all better!

Ooooooooh, here is something extra-special and neat from Center of the Universe Brewing this week. COTU is offering local homebrewers a share of a batch of the brewery’s wort, so participants can brew their own beer, then have it judged by COTU staff and special guests! How!! Cool!!

Head over to the brewery on Saturday to get your share of the batch, and hopefully you’ll make it to the top: Winner gets their booze produced as a one-off and distributed throughout the greater Richmond area. This is a really awesome opportunity for the little guy to go big, and I’m stoked to see one of my most favorite local spots putting it on. Can’t wait to see who the winner is!

In new-brew-news this week, our pals at Hardywood have another badass can release coming out. Autocorrect drops on Friday, and this 7.5% ABV is a solid IPA. It’s brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and Mandarina Bavaria (yum), then dry-hopped with El Dorado hops.

El Dorado hops will always remind me of El Duderino (S/O COTU again), and consequently, this city’s weird love for The Big Lebowski — so it always is a pleasure to see it pop up in other local brews. Hardywood has a reputation around town (and in my heart) for making some of the best versions of every kind of beer, so I’m sure they’ll kill it with this one too.

Autocorrect is “as hazy as our head brewer’s unique approach to spelling,” says Hardywood (lol), and when you need a quick fix, you can always rely on it. Perfectly punny. 10/10, Hardywood!

Aaaaaaand I wasn’t even planning to have The Dude included in this column when I wrote the above paragraph, then I stumbled on this. Jesus, Richmond. Anywho — I’m still a major Big Lebowski fan, and so is everyone else in this town — so in BL news, Black Heath Meadery has some Dudemas glasses left over! If you want to pick one up on the cheap, run by the meadery and get five bucks off a Dude glass when you buy a bottle of mead. If you haven’t ever tried mead before, now’s your chance at the first time for everything, with a double bonus of a super sick glass!

Coming up next Tuesday, head on over to Industrial Taphouse for a big tap takeover by Stone Brewing Richmond. All the local breweries are becoming more active again rolling into the new year, and Stone’s got some great brews on deck to try at this one. Swing by to give their Tangerine Express IPA a try, alongside their Tropical Thunder Lager, Scorpion Bowl IPA, and probably one of the most well-known craft beers to drinkers of the norm: Arrogant Bastard Ale.

I remember my mother bringing a case of Arrogant Bastard to a family Christmas years ago, and I think it may have actually been my first experience with craft beer. Look how far we’ve come! Thanks, Stone. Arrogant Bastards Unite!

Yum, there are a couple brand-new things brewing with our friends over at Strangeways! Strangeways is special around here for always promising a few new brews at least every week or two. I love all the options here. Hazlet is first on the list this week, a 9.5% ABV Sweet Rye Triple. This one’s named after the rye it’s brewed with, known for its winter hardiness and high rate of winter survival. Put this one in your hiking pack, friends, it sounds like it’s made for nature. Hazlet starts off with the same base as Brasetto, but gets flavors of ripe melon, bright citrus, and floral tones thanks to its dry hops with Huell Melon, Galena, and Centennial.

After Hazlet comes Gallows Humor, and this one sounds intense! Gallows Humor is a dry-hopped black lager — similar to a traditional German black lager, but with a “distinctly American approach” this time around. It’s filled with Virginia barley and wheat from Epiphany Craft Malt and Murphy & Rude Malting Company, which gives it a toasty, bready, malt taste to complement its fruity aromas from its Strata and Mosaic hops.

Woohoo, more new kids in town! Fire & Hops Pizza Co. is coming soon to the Museum District, in the old Stuzzi building right outside Carytown. It’s on its way at the end of this month, and it looks super tasty. It’s fresh to Richmond thanks to the same hands behind Arianna’s Italian Grill, and Sergio’s Pizza, Pasta & Craft Beer out in Chesterfield. As far as I’m concerned, no city can ever have enough pizza in it, so I can’t wait to give these guys a try!

RVA ON TAP: Have Your Fun, and Drink It, Too

Caley Sturgill | January 16, 2019

Topics: Center of the Universe, Final Gravity, fonta flora, Garden Grove Brewing, Hardywood, intermission beer, Legend, RVA On Tap, The Veil, Väsen

This week is a bit lighter than lately on new beer releases since the holidays had so many special recipes, but we’ve still got a few great ones (that are extra special), and plenty of events to keep you busy in the cold weather all week.

Happy birthday, Legend Brewing Company! Legend is Richmond’s OG craft brewery, and we’d like to wish a big, big congrats to our close friends across the bridge for 25 trips around the sun together. They started the celebration over the weekend, so if you want to celebrate with them, fear not: A big birthday party is certainly in order with a series of craft DIPA’s to commemorate the occasion.

Legend’s 25th Anniversary DIPA dropped on Friday, the first in their triple-series of Double IPA’s with different hop combinations. The first round, fresh at the taps now, is brewed with Centennial and Amarillo hops — according to Legend (nice), both dual-purpose and with clean-bittering, rich, aromatic properties. These give off a nice and deep, layered hop profile, backed with a “sturdy supporting malt base.”

This 8.3% ABV beer is packed with fruity citrus and stone fruit notes with some herbal flavors as well, and its warming back end finishes off nice and dry. Get ‘em while you can, because this one’s a rarity!

Hardywood has not one, but two(!!) releases this week. First off is a new tap release, Ruse, which hails from red wine barrels aged over a nice, long time. Ruse has some other flavors up its sleeve, too: Chocolate, the best one of all, obviously. This beer’s port-like qualities blend into its dark chocolate and molasses flavors, and has a strong smell of oak and leather. Altogether, this one couldn’t sound more suited for the dead of winter, and I think it’s the perfect hibernating beer to curl up inside with and embrace all the good that comes out of this freezy season. Winter is my favorite! If you want to grab a taste of Ruse, head over to Hardywood this Saturday for its release. I can’t wait to give this one a try.

Next up this week from Hardywood… confusing you, or trying to. But Does It Make Sense? drops on Friday in a new can release. This 7.5% ABV New England Double IPA is brewed with Mosaic Lupulin Powder and Galaxy hops, to bring in plenty of flavor to mix in with this special brew. Yum!

Ooooooooh, am I excited about this one. Final Gravity Brewing Co. is releasing their Foggy Mountain Breakdown this Friday, which makes me even more sad that I won’t be in town to try it. As a big-time enthusiast of both foggy mountains and IPA’s myself, this sounds like a dream!

Foggy Mountain Breakdown is brewed with their classic Citra-Mosaic hop combination, with nice fruity flavors like grapefruit, lemon, and tropical fruits “that will get stuck in your head like a favorite old tune”…… and man, if that ain’t the same feeling I get in the mountains. A favorite old tune, indeed. I hope this one sticks around long enough for me to grab one when I make it back to town — it’s said to hit you with flavors that glow right from the glass.

*PHOTO: Fonta Flora Brewery, The Veil Brewing Co.*

A new name to much of Richmond’s drinkers, I’m sure, Fonta Flora Brewery isn’t actually too new to our brewers. The North-Carolina based brewery dropped a collab with our very own The Veil over the weekend, and even if I didn’t know anything more about it, the artwork on the can is enough to get me to grab one off the shelf.

But lucky for me (and you), I do know anything more about it! In fact, I know many things more about it. YA YA KNOW KNOW is a complex, hoppy DIKA Double-India Kvoss Ale. Fonta Flora learned from the best, and took The Veil’s hop skills to create this beautiful, unique brew. It’s dry-hopped in the whirlpool with Citra and Mosaic hops, then double-dry hopped with Galaxy and Citra. As far as they’re concerned — it’s the most complex hoppy beer they’ve ever made.

YA YA KNOW KNOW has a mind-bending amount of aroma according to its tasters, and it’s mashed with local grains and bread loaves from North Carolina. It comes as no surprise to Richmond that The Veil’s fingers were dipped in the making of such a special beer, and I’m sure NC knows it, too.

Did you resolve to spend more days out in the fresh Virginia air, and less afternoons stuffed up in your house? Good! So did Väsen Brewing Co. — and this year, they’re offering up their know-how to help you do it right. With Vagabonds leading mentoring sessions to craft your very own New Year’s resolutions, they’re opening up their hearts (and minds) to help folks craft new skills in outdoor adventures.

Session 1 went down yesterday, but not to worry if you missed it: Three more are on their way over the next week or so, and Session 2 is coming up on Sunday. Come with an open mind and the desire to explore, and Väsen will take care of the rest. No prior skills are needed, so save the excuses and go experience the beautiful state we’re so lucky to call home.

Have your fun, and drink it too. It’s been a while since we’ve had a lot of fun events in Richmond, which is so uncharacteristic of us. Everyone’s been so busy with the traveling and the festivities of holiday season that we haven’t had time for our favorite pastimes: celebrating for no reason at all just because our city’s awesome.

Thankfully now that we’ve made it into the new year, that trend is starting to turn itself around. We’re getting back to all the fun weekly happenings of the beer scene in Richmond, and Center of the Universe is here for a good time. Back by popular demand, their Beer, Bingo and Bloodies events are starting back up, giving us all the pick-me-up we’ve been needing. If you win their hourly bingo game on Sundays, you’ll get a big chance to win COTU swag and free prizes, all while you sit back and enjoy a beer bloody. I’m in serious need of some beer swag, so you’ll definitely catch me at these this season!

RVAMag beer column meets RVAmag Comics X-Change column: Intermission Beer Company is hosting DC Comic Trivia at the brewery tomorrow night! Head on over for all things DC Universe, from comic books to movies, and TV shows to pop culture. Grab a few friends, too — you can team up in groups of 4 (or split for more) to test your knowledge in one of the best trivia themes ever.

Thanks to Garden Grove Brewing, you can enjoy your favorite local beers with your favorite local eats at the same time! And not in food trucks!! Once a month, Garden Grove hosts their Taproom Dinner Series, and this month’s a good one. Sabai and Temple RVA are both teaming up with the brewery to match up five courses of mouth-watering meals with five of Garden Grove’s brews, wines, ciders, or honey wines. If you’re interested in going, I’d suggest heading over to their site and getting a ticket soon — these guys sell out fast!

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 Dogs, Krampus, & Dashing Through The Fan

Caley Sturgill | December 19, 2018

Topics: Black Heath Meadery, Canon And Draw, Center of the Universe, Intermission Beer Company, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, strangeways, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Company, Three Notch'd Brewing, Triple Crossing Beer, Vasen Brewing Company, VinePair

Last week, we saw some great collabs with local breweries and tons of awesome events and releases in the area. We’ve got plenty more brews to warm you up this winter as we get ready to hit the holidays, and even a surprise snow pup at the end.

First, before we dive into Richmond’s brew news this week, I can’t get started without showing this video from Black Heath Meadery. Black Heath is hopping in on Richmond’s Krampus festivities, celebrating the evil alter-ego of Saint Nicholas. It’s no surprise in this town that the locals are into Krampus (especially with events like Carytown’s Krampus Walk, which went down last week) — Krampus is half-goat, half-demon, and he lures children into the depths of the underworld instead of hopping down their chimneys to deliver gifts. In case the world didn’t already know, Germany doesn’t mess around… In the U.S., we scare our kids into shape each December with Elf On The Shelf. In Central Europe, bad kids get dragged to hell. I kinda like Europe’s plan better.

Is it even possible for The Answer Brewpub to win more awards in a year? Richmond’s sweethearts have, once again, put the River City on the map for its stellar brews. This time around, The Answer was named one of the 10 Best Breweries in the Nation (!!) by Vinepair. Starting off to say there’s no need to question where to begin a Richmond brewery tour, Vinepair are big fans of The Answer (and how could they not be?) — they noted owner An Bui’s standing as a 2018 James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist, as well as Bui’s restaurant and the brewery’s neighbor, Mekong, for its pho. “The jovial vibe at the brewpub and restaurant are visible and palpable, making it a must for any Virginia-bound beer lover,” they said, and we’re 100 percent behind it.

“Come All Ye Scavengers!” It’s time to get freaky in the Fan with Canon And Draw and all your favorite Fan restaurants. Dashing Thru The Fan is a scavenger hunt that hides a $25 gift card every day at a participating restaurant/bar in the neighborhood. Every day at 5pm, head out to your favorite spots around the area and try your luck. The catch: Gift cards for a certain location will never be hidden at that actual location — so if you want to get some free bucks at your favorite spot, you’ve got to get out and support other local businesses to up your chances. Richmond locals always do a great job of lifting each other up around town, and this is a perfect opportunity to give your love to a few places at once and keep local business thriving.

Yuuuuum, dessert in beer! Steam Bell Beer Works is dropping their Maple Tiramisu Stout this Friday, marrying of my favorite things in the whole world together in one beautiful, chocolatey goodness. Maple Tiramisu Stout is packed with notes of vanilla, chocolate, roasted coffee, and…. “Maple, eh!” I can’t imagine a better combination than tiramisu and a bit of maple syrup, but my sweet tooth is off the charts — I grew up watching my mother eat Tiramisu for breakfast (not a joke), in case you wondered why. This stout batch is blended with organic maple, adding a little extra oomph to the breweries signature Tiramisu Stout. Also fresh to the Steam Bell family this Friday is their Bourbon Barrel Tiramisu Stout, bringing back last year’s delicious batch. A year ago, the brewers poured the rest of their beloved beer into A. Smith Bowman Distillery bourbon barrels straight from the distillery, and the oak and bourbon flavors bring a warm richness to the recipe with its whole vanilla beans.

Way Down South is playing live at the brewery the same night, so head over to Steam Bell for all your wintery-country needs. I know it’s right up my alley!

Intermission Beer Company is keeping it toasty this week with the release of their Winter Warmer. This one’s a great mid-season brew to have on deck, with a stronger alcohol content as the days get colder, and a nice combination of winter spices to roll through the season. The 9.3% ABV spiced-holiday ale is inspired by Kate, a friend of the brewery’s, Ginger Molasses cookie — so Winter Warmer is truly made with love. You’ll find vanilla, clove, and ginger notes in this recipe, and you can give it a try at the brewery in Glen Allen.

Right after we got together last week, Väsen Brewing Company dropped their Strawberry Kiwi Puffin beer. If you’re looking for a way to beat the winter weather, Väsen’s got you covered. Strawberry Kiwi Puffin is a classic, slightly tart German wheat brew that’s conditioned with kiwi and strawberry. It’s got the perfect blend of fruity flavor to bring you back to that warm place in your long-lost summer memories, and it’s even got malty notes of biscuit and honey to tie it all together. Strawberry Kiwi sounds like it was born to go with sunshine, and it’s a refreshing flavor profile to see this time of year.

⟁ If you find yourself in Fulton Hill over the weekend, be sure to swing by Triple Crossing Beer for another triple release from the East End favorites. First on the agenda this Friday is Clever Girl. This 6% APA is an American IPA, keeping up the fruity flavors into the winter with a light-bodied texture and green tropical citrus notes. It comes out this weekend alongside Battle Creek, a 100 percent Mosaic DIPA fermented with their house ale strain, and “a serious amount of malted white wheat,” according to the brewers. They also report its opening with a dank orange zest, melon-like vanilla cream — which leads into Triple Crossing’s “perpetual and constant state of refinement in softer feel.” They are the masters of the mouthfeel, and this one sounds like a dream.

Over at Strangeways, a brand-new brew dropped over last weekend. Pyrus is a Foraged Pear Saison, made from Callery pears on their Fredericksburg property. Strangeways is killing the local game, growing their own fruits and making their beer straight from their land. Pyrus is full of impart tart and tannic notes from its pears, rounded out by malted wheat from Murphy & Rude Malting Co. in Charlottesville. This one’s a light beer, which makes it awesome for “food pearing” (nice) and not filling up too hard during the chilly weather.

Koelschip season is back at The Veil! And boy, are they excited about it. The local brewers are big on this type of brew, a series of Lambic-inspired beers that go through a pretty extensive process to make it to your mug. Each brew is turbid-mashed and boiled with aged hops to begin, then inoculated with The Veil’s Koelschip with “natural micro-flora from the cool night’s air.” They’re fermented one more time in oak barrels for up to four years, then blended and sent to the taps to make it into your glass. The Veil notes that these are their favorite beers to make, and with so many tasty options already, if this one’s their favorite, I know it’s on my list.

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, Can’t you see? Sometimes your stouts just hypnotize me.

Three Notch’d Brewing Company takes the cake this week for best beer name. Big Poppa Biggie S’mores Imperial Stout is one you won’t want to miss, according to the brewers, and this spin on the classic Biggie S’mores has more chocolate, graham cracker, and marshmallow to give this 9.7% ABV stout a unique, rich, malty, and extra-chocolatey taste. Grab ‘em while they’re hot, because this seasonal won’t stick around forever!

Center of the Universe is getting Richmond in the spirit this weekend. Head on over to the brewery and showcase your best (and worst) holiday attire for their Fugly Sweater Party. Fugly = Festive + Ugly. It’ll be a beautiful rainbow of all the worst holiday looks in one room, and I can’t wait to see the photos afterward. In the excitement of the season, Center of the Universe also took full advantage of the snow last week, and made a Snow Dog of this sweet pup, Maude. I couldn’t resist showing this snowy furball in all her glory before we bid adieu until next time.

Happy Holidays, Maude! I love you.

RVA ON TAP: The Veil Named Best Brewery in VA, Big Lebowski, & New Releases

Caley Sturgill | November 28, 2018

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Black Heath Meadery, Center of the Universe, Handmade Holiday Craft Show, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, Legend Brewing Company, RVA On Tap, strangeways, the answer brewpub, The Big Lebowski, The Veil, triple crossing

Last week, we rolled through the festivities with some awesome Black Friday events and tons of beers from our favorite spots around town (The Veil alone had more than ten featured at their Dark Daze event). We’re getting a break from the holidays for a bit this time around, and have a lot more great brews on the way.

I’m a big fan of the weird relationship that Richmond has with The Big Lebowski: One that I neither understand nor care to understand, because I am going to think it’s great either way. From Center of the Universe’s El Duderino (still a favorite) to the entire neighborhood of Carytown throwing a bathrobe bar crawl in The Dude’s honor, to The Byrd Theatre hosting “The Big LeBYRDski,” we for some reason as a city cannot get enough of this guy. I tell you, guys, it is so funny that this whole area has settled on the same bad 90’s humor to keep coming back to. I really am at home in this dumb city, I love you all.

Anyway, we are back with even more Dude this month, with Black Heath Meadery’s 12 Weeks of Dudemas, “Because 12 days would be very un-Dude.” Nice. The meadery is releasing a signature Lebowski-themed mead every month now, and a limited-release Lebowski character glass every Tuesday for 12 weeks. *I need every single one of them. Black Heath, I’ll see you soon, and thanks for being you.

S/O to The Veil for being named Virginia’s Best Brewery by Thrillist this month. The Veil is a local favorite for a million different reasons, but I’m stoked to see Richmond on the national map (again) for its beer scene and glad The Veil put us here once again. There’s a reason that every time I visit, there’s a line out the door — and it’s worth the wait.

Bold. Rich. “Unabashedly Expressive.” Center of the Universe’s Jesus Mexican Hot Chocolate Imperial Stout drops this Saturday, and it’s appropriately spicy. Full of cayenne peppers, cinnamon, and a dash of vanilla blend to give it the perfect Mexican hot chocolate taste, Jesus Mexican Hot Chocolate’s brewers say it’s perfect for polishing balls and talking smack before the semis (go easy, folks). They also noted that it’s a “no-bush league, psyche-out brew, because nobody…….. with The Jesus!”

It’s made with Maris Otter, Carafa II, Carafa III, Double Roasted Crystal, C-90, Flaked Oats, and Barley. On top of those are some Belgian Dark Candi Syrup, Cinnamon, and Habanero peppers (woof!) to really heat things up. It’s meant to warm you while you drink, but don’t go too fast out there in the cold, because the 11.4% ABV will hit quick.

If you’re looking to get even spicier this weekend, COTU is also hosting Brewery Burlesque! This match made in “eccentric heaven” is curated by Ellie Quinn, the self-proclaimed Duchess of Dork who set out this year to tickle and tease Richmond’s funny bones. Tickets can be purchased here, and the breweries non-private space will still be open for drinking to regular customers.

Over at Intermission Beer Company, Tell Tale Ale is coming out this Friday. This black IPA is dark and malty in its base, laced with toffee and caramel and balanced against a bright-hop profile to show its floral-citrus notes. It’s perfectly “Richmond” with its Edgar Allan Poe references, and the brewery is even handing out copies of the “Tell-Tale Heart” at its release this weekend.

Happy new location to Strangeways! The local spot is opening up Scott’s Addition’s ninth brewery, bringing more booze to the city’s booziest neighborhood. Beer crawls are about to get even better with this addition to the area.

In new recipes this week, Strangeways is releasing a few variations: This Saturday, they’re ringing in the final month of the year with Ampelos, a Wild Grapevine Saison, Sing With Animals Vanilla Milk Stout, and Escape Goat Weizenbock.

The original Weizenbock beer, according to the brewers, was actually the inspiration for their owner to start up the company. His variation includes local Virginia malts in addition to German Saphir, Perle, and Saaz hops. Ampelos has a white wine-like character in its taste and smell, and the wild grapevines it comes from bring a subtle fruit-twang to pair with its mild spiciness (so if you’re looking for that hard-hitting spice, check out COTU this week as well!) Their Sing With Animals stout sounds tasty, too, with a silky texture and strong vanilla flavors.

Yay, fun stuff at my fave! Hardywood is hosting the Richmond Craft Mafia’s 14th Annual Handmade Holiday Craft Show this weekend, and it’s full of all the best vendors (covered in heated tents, so hold the excuses). Personally, I’m a huge fan of handmade products, and Good-Old-RVA is absolutely full of talented creators. I can’t wait to see what they come up with. More than 50 “makers” will be there, half each day, so make sure to check out both days to not miss out. Paired with Hardywood’s beer, no wonder they call it Richmond’s favorite shopping event.

On Friday, Hardywood’s releasing their Just Right Oatmeal IPA cans and prefacing the weekend event with a truly just-right brew: Balanced with notes of orange and grapefruit over a rolled, malted oat foundation for that juicy-smooth flavor with a dry finish. Yum!

The Answer Brewpub has done it again, as they always do! Mind Games came out yesterday at the brewery, made with Mosaic, Galaxy, and El Dorado hops. The DIPA is made with a cooler whirlpool-hop addition compared to their usual beers, and they’re stoked on the results. It’s in Crowlers and on tap at the pub now, and it looks like the perfect texture and color for a warm(ish) November day. Get ‘em while you can, before the weather freezes us all back to our houses and makes us want to curl up with more holiday brews.

It’s that perfect time again when the city starts glowing with holiday lights all around, and man, is Richmond beautiful when it’s all lit up (contrary to the summertime, when it’s just regular lit). Head across the bridge this Friday to watch the annual lighting-of-the-city at Legend Brewing Co. and see the Grand Illumination from the best view in town. They’re going to get busy as one of RVA’s favorite spots in the night’s best location, so get your reservations early for this one.

⟁ Triple Crossing is back with an awesome new beer this Friday in Fulton for Latest Broadcast. This 8% DIPA is a hoppy recipe that gets into some deeper combinations of hops, bringing some new variations to the table outside of the regular run-of-the-mill brew. Latest Broadcast is full of floral-green pineapple citrus, deepened-candied grapefruit dank, and soft apricot peach — “all cohesively pulled together with that softness” we’re all looking for. Can’t wait to give this one a try. ⟁

Butte County Proud. Ardent is donating 100% of their Resilience IPA to the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund, so make sure to drop by and give it a shot to help out and enjoy a great brew at the same time. They’ve also got their Hazy IPA cans available in the taproom right now, so if you need a good reason to check out Ardent this week, they’re giving you plenty!