Center of the Universe

RVA On Tap: Bless Our Southern Hearts

Caley Sturgill | March 20, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Castleburg Brewery, Center of the Universe, Final Gravity, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Isley, Legend Brewing Company, RVA On Tap, Stone brewing, The Answer, 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’re diving into lots of special occasions as the springtime rolls in, and our calendars are starting to fill up with the best warm-weather times for the River City.

Oh man, this is gonna be good. Center of the Universe Brewing is hosting their 2nd Annual Southern Food Festival this Saturday, and it looks like a dream. They’re not only bringing together some of Richmond’s best Southern cookin’ establishments — like Mama J’s, Capitol Waffle Shop, Jake’s Place, Grandpa Eddie’s Alabama Ribs & BBQ, and more — they’re also inviting all of us (!!) to submit our own favorite family recipes to enter into the competition. Y’all might even catch my famous ham biscuits there (if you’re lucky). The submit date for the competition ends TONIGHT, so if you want to get your fav apple pies and cornbread into the mix, you better get cooking and head over there ASAP.

Y’all, I can’t wait for this one. The brewery will also have a special limited beer release on tap, Bless Your Heart, a Peaches and Cream ale that I am absolutely drooling over already. Fuck me up, COTU. I’m bout to pass out in a peach-beer-ham-biscuit-apple-pie-coma and none of you can save me.

Further down at Hardywood this weekend, Raspberry Short Kate is dropping for Fresh Can Friday. Named after a beloved member of the staff (whose height we can’t confirm), this 7% ABV Milkshake IPA is probably the best way to start off a hopefully-hot weekend. Brewed with milk, sugar, and tons of wheat and oats, Short Kate is soft on the feel and full of body from its Cascade and Huell Melon-hop profiles. They’re also working with Sure Hand Signs to bring out some new artwork for Tropication on Friday, so be on the lookout for both of these warm weather brews through the week.

Back roads and beer. Two of my most-favorite things are coming together next week at Legend Brewing Company, for a film preview of Back Roads: People, Places and Pie Around Virginia. This documentary follows Bill Lohmann and Bob Brown, with filmmaker Randy Scott and his crew, documenting the travels of these two buds as they make their way through every corner and cave of our state — and apparently getting in some healthy doses of sweet Virginia pie along the way. Legend is releasing a special beer for the occasion, Back Roads Black Lager, a Schwarzbier-style recipe that holds a nice drinkability for the classic dark brew. If you come with an appetite, you can also get some tastes of Legend’s documentary-inspired dishes topped with gravy and served up with pie and beer: clearly, the best way to celebrate the release of their long-awaited film.

While we’re on events, don’t forget to close out your weekend over at Stone Brewing for their Sunday Farmer’s Market. It’s the first of the year, and it’s probably one of the few farmer’s markets in town that makes it acceptable to day drink while you shop… plus, it’s almost certainly the only one that doesn’t start at the crack of dawn, and who really wants to get up that early on a Sunday? Since the city’s full of local vendors, makers, and farmers, there’s usually something for everyone at markets around here. It’s 21+ for booze, but all ages are welcome, so bring the kiddos along for the afternoon if you’ve got ‘em.

Can we say yum? Ardent’s releasing their Pineapple Guava Gose tomorrow night, and the 5.6% ABV wheat beer marries the tropical to the tart. With salt and coriander blended with pineapple and pink guava purée, it’s perfectly-pink to the eye and perfectly-flavored to the tongue — and its softer, juicy taste complements the acidity of the gose. Get one while you can, because this one’s not out in cans or bottles. Coming up next week, you can also head over to Ardent for History on Tap: Women Making History, and Alcohol to get your knowledge on about the history of gals in beer production. Who knew — we know stuff, too! Mind-blowing. Anyway, it’s painfully underreported, so props to Ardent for setting this one up. Blue Bee Cider is coming out to host, too, and they’ve made a collab with Ardent called Jane’s Persimmon from an 18th-century Virginia women’s cookbook for the event.

The Answer Brewpub brought back Summer Showers IPA last week on Pie Day (bless), made with Australian Summer hops. It’s a soft, hazy IPA according to The Answer, and it’s packed with cantaloupe aromas to bring out the best type of refresher for the springtime. “Like a cloudburst in the summer,” they say, this ripe-melon, citrus, and tea-hinted brew will be gone as quickly as it came.

A new Belgian-fruited sour is on its way to Väsen Brewing Company tomorrow, and after being conditioned with hundreds of pounds of papaya and mandarin orange, it carries its name. Papaya Mandarin Sour has a mostly-tart flavor, but to even it out, Väsen added a hint of lactose to bring out a sweeter balance to add to its “dangerously smooth” tastes. They’re hosting their Geeks Who Drink trivia night alongside the release, so gather your nerd friends and grab a Goatocado bowl to compete for the night.

Final Gravity’s got a double whammy. Head out to Lakeside on Friday for a taste of another one of their famous Session IPAs, Dwarf Star, and its DIPA brother, 3 Mile. Dwarf Star is an especially-drinkable beer, hitting in at 4.5% and brewed with the trusty Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo hops for a full taste and a tropical, smooth flavor. 3 Mile brings in more fruit, with pear, grapefruit, and passionfruit to complement its hop profile, and created as a homage to the brewery Running Club’s second anniversary this week. The tastes were picked to refresh your senses and “get you going,” so if you’re in need of a sidekick for all the marathons you’re running this season (count me out, but I’ll watch y’all from the bar), it’s right up your alley.

Where the hops and the hip connect: bring out your haggling mood, because Isley’s got a shopping Spring Fest coming up on Saturday with our favorite thrift + antique shop. Class and Trash is partnering up with the brewery to celebrate the first day of spring, plus Isley’s releasing a brand-new-brew to kick off the season. I’ll Bee Bock is a Honey Bock Lager with a German backbone, flavored with honey and finished with a thick, creamy head. No matter the weather, this lager will sit well with you to check out the vendors and bring home the goods.

Castleburg Brewery and Taproom is bringing back their Lemon Peppercorn Saison this week, fresh and zesty to pack in all the citrus. If you’re unsure about the pepper, don’t worry: Castleburg says it’s but an aftertaste to the lemony-deliciousness of the Saison, and at 6.7%, it’s a solid drinker for any time of the week.

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: Crushing the Sun (in February)

Caley Sturgill | February 26, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Center of the Universe, Final Gravity, Hardywood, intermission, Isley, Lickinghole Creek, RVA On Tap, three notchd, triple crossing, vasen beer

This week, we’ve got a ton of fresh new releases coming out of Richmond, and a few collabs with friends down in Norfolk, too, to get you through an awesome week with plenty of events to keep the fun flowing.

Happy rainy, cold, flood week! If you’re over it like me and wishing you could grab a White Claw in the sun, I’ve got some exciting news for you — our local faves are dropping their own sparkling fruity beer. Hardywood has their eyes pointed toward the summer, with their recent announcement of a sweet new side project, Suncrush Beverage LLC, coming this season. Suncrush is a series of sparkling ales from the local sweethearts, brewed and distributed by Hardywood but keeping their own brand at the same time.

All together, the new line is made with fruit and matcha tea, according to the RTD, and come in Ginger Lime, Southern Peach, Grapefruit, Lemon Raspberry, Cranberry, and Black Cherry. Keep an eye out for them across Virginia this week, and if you’re traveling, they’re dropping in North Carolina and Georgia soon, too.

In new-brew news, Center of the Universe’s Bald Irishman is dropping this Saturday. This Irish Red Ale is created with five different malts, and “a whole lotta love!” Contrary to its El Duderino counterpart, Bald Irishman comes from the breweries Satellite club fundraisers, dubbed by COTU as their “El Balderinos.” Grab one (or twelve), because 10 percent of the proceeds of these bad boys go to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which benefits research for kids with cancer. This one also took home a gold medal last year in its class at the World Beer Cup for Irish reds, and with its perfectly-balanced flavor, we can’t debate it.

If you’re looking for fun this weekend, COTU is also hosting Brewery Burlesque on Friday night, so be sure to pregame your bald Europeans with some half-naked Americans. Nice.

Over at Intermission Beer Company, Stiftung is making its way to the taps on Friday as well. This Blood Orange IPA is both good for the body and good for the soul, as Intermission’s first-ever gluten-reduced brew — and its beautiful sunset colors will have you wishing for summer even more. It was made as a collab between Intermission and Schnabel Engineering, hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo and Cascade to give the perfect blend of blood orange and a floral-citrusy taste to finish.

Yeehaw! This is right up my alley. Final Gravity Brewing Co. is throwing another Bluegrass Jam next Wednesday, and it’s one you won’t want to miss. The event will be full of all the gee-tars and acoustic bluegrass jams your lil hearts can handle: And if you bring your own and join in, you’ll get cheep beer! It don’t get better than that. I’m musically-challenged, but all my bets are on enjoying the classic mountain jam night with some of my favorite brews (and people), plus a visit from Happy Empanada to warm everyone’s bellies with some delicious authentic eats.

Surprise! Väsen’s got something up their sleeve. Or rather, they did, because they released this secret beer over the weekend when no one was looking. Wanderlust #3 is their version of traditional Norwegian farmhouse ales, which according to Väsen are often brewed with juniper in addition to the regular hops. They brought the hometown vibe into this one with local Virginia juniper, coupled with pineapple and dried apricots from the traditional kveik yeast to make all your Scandinavian dreams come true. It’s already out on the taps, so grab a glass while you can!

Triple Crossing Beer has also got some extra-special recipes this week, like their Oak Aged Hilltop that came out last night at their spot in Fulton. This is a step past their previous ventures in cold-fermented beers, which brought them to the Franconian Kellerbier. Triple Crossing is famous for their carefully-crafted, expertly-flavored brews, so this one’s definitely worth a spot on your tastebuds. According to TC, they like to think this style might have been created “out of necessity” rather than for enjoyment in its original making, but this particular version was left longer to age in red wine oak barrels. It’s full of flavors like vinous oak barrel, florals, zesty herbal orange peel oak spices, and a malt-forward pumpernickel bread crust base to balance all the scales just right — in a perfectly-Triple-Crossing fashion. Its rich amber color can be found in half-liter dimpled mugs before it goes down the hatch, so enjoy the character while you drink. TC said they made the decision to give it hell: And they think you’ll agree.

Our buds at Three Notch’d have a delightfully-summery beer on the way for Tap That Friday, a Blood Orange Gose appropriately named Blood Orange, Sweat & Gears. This Gose was brewed up to raise awareness for the next big bike thang in town, the 2019 Colonial Crossroads ride between Richmond and Williamsburg with BIKE MS. It was made specifically to be a nice, refreshing break for bike riders along their trail, and every pint donates a dollar to the organization all night. Drink up!

This special beer has been stirring up a lot of excitement all week. Smartmouth Beer, out of Norfolk, has a Saturday Morning Marshmallow IPA on the way this Saturday, set to flash you back “to those perfect Saturday Mornings when you rolled out of bed, and were lazy all morning watching your favorite cartoons.” The Lucky-Charms flavored brew was made with tropical fruity Calypso hops, and the result is ~magically delicious~ according to its creators. It’s one for the books, and it’s definitely one you want to give a try.

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

Aside from breakfast foods, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery has a double release coming up on Friday to highlight the best fruity flavors in their Deck of Cards Series: Something Soaring. This juicy IPA is perfect for regular drinkers of this style, packed with Huell Melon, Simcoe and Azacca hops to brighten up all its strawberry, cantaloupe, stone fruit, and mango vibes. Make sure to get one while you can, as the brewery says cases are extra-limited. This fruity princess is one for the books, and likely to become one of those favorites you’ll never forget and wish you could get another taste of down the road.

The east side of 64 is crafting it up this week! Coming out tomorrow night for Richmond’s beloved Thirsty Thursday tradition is Ardent Craft Ales’ Kōyō. This Japanese-style rice lager comes as a collab between one of our favorite local spots and Elation Brewing down in Norfolk. This one’s a delicate, pale-yellow colored lager that finishes with a crisp, clean body to balance out with its Zuper Saazer hop character. It’s a nice light lager to start your weekend off with, and its minimal bitterness is a perfect beginning to a few days off of tasting all the new faves around town.

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

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!

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!