craft beer

RVA ON TAP: Hemp, Hops & Events

Caley Sturgill | July 24, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, beer history tour, craft beer, Garden Grove Brewing, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, Isley Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, richbrau, RVA On Tap, Stone Brewing-Richmond, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer, Vasen Brewing Company

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!

Wasn’t it absolutely beautiful out yesterday? I wish every day in RVA could be 75 degrees and cloudy. For those of you who enjoy the heat, though, I’ve got you covered: Richmond’s packed with events this week to get you out of the house and into the sun all through the weekend, with more beers on tap than you can count.

Happy birthday, Väsen! These outdoor enthusiasts are turning two years old, and we’re stoked on their plans. This Saturday, they’re kicking off their anniversary festival with a block party all weekend long. And it ain’t no little get-together, either — they’ll have more than 25 bands out, plus breweries, cideries, and meaderies from all around to celebrate their second trip around the sun together.

They’ll also have food trucks and outdoor activities (in true Väsen fashion) that’ll make it “one of Scott’s Addition’s biggest bashes to date.” With three different levels of tickets, you can swing by for a few bands or come out for the whole thing with awesome drink deals and entertainment throughout the weekend. You’ll catch more than 20 breweries from around the state (including a few of my personal favorites, like Allagash, Hardywood, Trapezium, and Final Gravity, among others). It’ll definitely be one for the books, so if you’re looking for some new flavors in your life, now’s your time to shine.

Hardywood’s 4th Annual HeART and Soul Brew Fest is heading back to our favorite brewers this Saturday, with eight hours of urban art, dope entertainment, soul food, and craft beers to kick start your hearts.

There is a PET LAND (!!) from RACC, plus a VIP Experience from the Virginia Lottery coming out for this one. They’ve also got a Fun Zone with the VMFA — so make sure to bring the kiddos along — and art-lovers galore with the Studio Two Three Art Lounge and Made by RVA’s Creative Vendor Market.

Best of all, the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience group is coming out to provide the whole event with a food court on Ownby Lane, packed with awesome spots from all around the city. If you’re in the market for some good eats, Hardywood’s got you covered bigtime this weekend.

In more event news, Triple Crossing Beer is dropping cans in the nation’s capital this Saturday. If the excitement of Richmond’s events just isn’t enough this week, and you want to get out of town, this’ll be a really fun one to check out. They’ve got two different events happening together — one featuring cans, and one featuring drafts.

For cans at The Bruery Store, you’ll find Dawn Chorus Double IPA, a pineapple and peach-gummy ring beer made with Galaxy and Vic Secret hops. Salinity Gose with Lime will also make an appearance (with pink Himalayan sea salt, with lime zest and juice) along with DDH Falcon Smash IPA made with Falconers Flight, El Dorado and Mosaic hops, and lots of grapefruit and citrus pine character. The Grid DIPA is on the fruitier side, with passionfruit, guava, mango, and peaches (is there a better combination than that?). Bright Lights IPA is another summer brew, with ice cream throwbacks in its orange sherbert and melon. All Neon Like IPA, brewed with Galaxy and Vic Secret hops, leans more on the stone fruit and less on the bitterness than its sister in Dawn Chorus. Last, Night Call Double IPA is Denali-hop focused with deeply-tropical pulpy pineapple, candied citrus, and a bright, mango-like apricot softness.

If you’re more of a draft girl (like myself), you can catch brews at ChurchKey like Less Than Alone Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with flavors of vanilla — plus Tiny Pils, a 3.8% German Pilsner, Pathway Pilsner, Deep Dark Woods coconut Imperial Stout, Chroma Cerise Barrel-Aged Golden Sour aged on Montmorency Cherries, Bright Lights IPA, Falcon Smash IPA, The Grid Double IPA, and finally, Delta Oak, an aged Golden Sour which was dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin.

Now, after those mouthfuls and tongue-twisters, I think it’s pretty clear that Triple Crossing isn’t messing around with their D.C. Fest. For those of you who like to change it up, I think you’ve found your spot.

Triple Crossing also just dropped a new recipe over the weekend, a citrus-zest flavored beer called Waveform. This one has a golden sour base with fresh lime zest, so it’s great for a hot summer day (unlike yesterday, which in my opinion, was the best weather we’ve had in months). Blended with oak ferment and from multiple vessels in their wood cellar, Waveform is the newest to the above list of Triple Crossing’s perfectly-balanced recipes.

I don’t know about you guys, but I definitely know a lot of people who appreciate hemp. Lickinghole Creek is on board, too, and they’re throwing a party for it coming up this Saturday. The Virginia Hemp & Hops Festival is going down this weekend at our favorite farmhouse spot with fun for the whole family, like hayrides and slip ‘n slides to keep everyone stoked all day.

The Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition is coming out, with speakers to talk about the hemp industry in the great Commonwealth in the afternoon. They’ve also got food from Gourmet Hemp Foods, plus live music and partners like Botanaway and First Necessity.

Over at Intermission Beer Company, 50 Years of Love rolls on. In a truly-tropical brew, they’re celebrating the campaign and a half-century of love in the Commonwealth with a new release.

Tropical Thunder IPA is dropping this Saturday at the brewery, and it’s everything we need this summer. With notes of tropical fruit hops, they went the extra mile and added in more flavor with batches of passionfruit, mango, and pineapple — made for a day at the river. It’s gluten-reduced and hits in at 7.2% ABV, so it’s a nice, easy drinker for those days when most IPAs feel too heavy.

In new-brew-news, Ardent Craft Ales is dropping their Berliner Weisse tomorrow night. This low-alcohol beer has a light body with high carbonation to bring out its clean, sour flavors — which are packed with lemon and citrus along with a special addition.

On top of the brew itself, according to Ardent, Berliner Weisse beers are traditionally served with a flavored syrup to spruce things up. For their variation, Ardent partnered up with Richmond’s ZZQ to cook up something new: a smoked pineapple and habanero syrup to give this Weisse a kick. You can only catch the syrup in the taproom, so be sure to swing by and get a taste of the best thing since hot sauce. I recently had the pleasure of tasting a mango habanero beer, and good lord, it was incredible (even for a white girl who’s usually a pretty big baby about spice). I’d definitely recommend you go give this one a try.

Overall, this one’s tart and refreshing, and its pale straw colors and cloudy, effervescent feel is the perfect release for this time of year.

Our favs out at Stone Brewing Richmond are throwing it back tomorrow for a #ThrowbackThursday Tapping. From their Mission Warehouse Series comes The Stone Mission Warehouse Sour, available at the brewery tomorrow in all its Mosaic dry-hop and Lambic style glory.

Stone’s also having Nicky Lee and The Wiz this Saturday from the afternoon to the early evening, so if you can’t make it on Thursday, be sure to drive out to their awesome East End spot for good brews and good jams over the weekend.

Three Notch’d RVA Collab House cooked up something awesome for the adults and not-so-awesome for the kids: Summer School! This New-England style IPA just dropped over the weekend for Tap That Friday, and it was made as a collab with the University of Richmond. College students are no strangers to summer school, so I can understand why they would hop on board to spend some of that classroom time brewing up something to take the edge off from all those exams and late-night study sessions in the middle of vacation season.

This one’s got heavy amounts of Citra hops, along with Amarillo and El Dorado to make sure it “aced the final exam.” If I were them, I’d want to be drinking at school, too.

Hey, Isley! Thanks for curing the too-hot-blues: with their new Summer Sipper, they’ve got one designed for the hottest heat to cool down in July. This Session Hazy IPA just dropped at the brewery and was dry-hopped five times throughout its production to carry the hop flavors of a stronger beer with a low 4.2% ABV. It was created with Jarrylo, Huell Melon, and El Dorado hops, and its bright colors suggest a fruity finish as well. It’s light, approachable, and thirst-quenching, to kick it in the sun no matter how much you love (or don’t love) this time of year.

The Brewing in Richmond History Tour is back this weekend! Head over to Scott’s Addition on Saturday to catch the tour — if you’ve never made it out for one before, we definitely recommend it. As they say, today’s bustling beer scene in the River City is only the latest chapter of our city’s history with fermented drinks.

Through the afternoon, they’ll walk you through our booziest neighborhood to talk beer with some great brewers like Three Notch’d, Buskey Cider, and the new Bingo Beer Co. If you’re shying away from the ticket prices, don’t worry. Your beer is included, so jump into the tour and learn something new.

PHOTO: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

Garden Grove Brewing came back into the Anthem LemonAid challenge again this year. To benefit the Children’s Hospital at VCU, the challenge donates to children undergoing cancer treatment and help fund the society. This year, they released Innocence and Dreams, a light, refreshing Belgian Ale that donates a dollar straight to the hospital for every glass sold.

I’m always stoked to see Richmond brewers finding ways for their customers to drink for a good cause, and this one tastes great, too. Brewed with Lemon Balm from their urban gardens, you’ll get some great citrus flavors in a crisp beer that helps the hospital with each draft.

On the flipside from light lemonade brews, Richbrau has a cookie stout on tap to enjoy some wintery flavors. Keeping it heavy in the middle of summer, they’ve got cold glasses of their 13 O’Clock Randall stout, infused with actual Chips Ahoy! chocolate chip cookies to bring out an opposite for this time of year — and as Richbrau reminds us, “Stout… it’s not just for winter anymore.” I know a lot of heavy beer enthusiasts who will be stoked to see this one pouring right now, so if you’re one of them, go check out Richmond’s newest/oldest brewery down in Shockoe.

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: Syrup, Honey, & The Sweet Brews of Summer

Caley Sturgill | July 17, 2019

Topics: beer, beer column, Black Heath Meadery, canon and draw brewing company, craft beer, final gravity brewing co, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Isley Brewing Company, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, Strangeways Brewing, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

This week, we’re diving into the hottest temperatures of the summer so far with lots of fresh brews to keep you cool (and one special beer to help poor warm-blooded folks like myself reminisce on colder, happier times).

Love is alive in Virginia! More local spots are carrying on the 50 Years of Love Campaign celebrations this week, with a Weizenbock release from Fine Creek Brewing Company. This special-edition beer was brewed to bring out all the best qualities Virginia Maple Syrup has to offer, brewed with 50 pounds of it right here from the Old Dominion. Back Creek Farm provided the delicious, syrupy goodness to make this recipe a success, and it’s got a story with its own history of love to complement its role in this heavy wheat beer’s taste.

According to Fine Creek, Back Creek Farm has been around for generations making batches of syrup on their land. The area used to be home to many different farms with sugar houses, but Back Creek is the last left remaining after the years. Their syrup has a rich, smoky flavor from its cooking process over wood fires, with the same process their current owner used when he was 8 years old and working with his father.

You’ll get a taste of the past in this brew, as Back Creek is still using the buckets and original open pan that were passed down by their great-grandmother on the farm. If the 50 Years of Love Campaign is all about sharing what you love, this farm has decades of stories and full hearts to share theirs. I’m excited to see Fine Creek pairing up with them to make this Weizenbock, on one hand because I’m something of a syrup enthusiast, and on another because I know as a rural girl in my own heart that the best stuff doesn’t come from a store. That’s love, y’all.

I doubt many of y’all will remember me from back then, but a few years ago when I first joined the magazine as an intern back in college, I wrote a feature on Minor Poet’s “River Days” when it came out. That song was an excellent ode to summertime in Richmond, and the endless-feeling days that come along with it.

Hearing about Hardywood’s new River Daze release brought back some great memories of that summer, and like every summer in the River City, it looked a lot like this one — days spent by the James with good friends and good beers. River Daze is a great way to jump-start your weekend (especially looking at that 100° Saturday forecast) with a lighter 6.0% ABV New England-Style IPA. This warm-weather beer was brewed with Nelson, Cascade, and Eureka hops to crush the heat and keep your summer days rolling on — and don’t forget to put on some Minor Poet while you’re at it.

Not all who wander are lost, right? Right… at least for Final Gravity Brewing Co., because this beer is anything but lost. Wandering Star was brewed with many flavors and hops in mind, and beloved by drinkers at the brewery, it’s right on point. It returns to the brewery this Friday, and the 8.0% ABV Double IPA was cooked up with a whirlpool of Citra hops and dry-hopped with Mosaic to bring out its tropical fruit flavors, like orange, lime, and grapefruit.

Two of my faves came together this week to bring out a sweet honey brew. Three Notch’d RVA Collab House partnered up with Black Heath Meadery to drop A Little Dab of Honey over the weekend — a Honey Wheat Ale made especially for the season. If you’re looking for a taste of nature in your glass, this is your guy. You’ll find flavors of wildflower honey in this light, 6.3% ABV beer, and a great collab between two beloved Virginia brew teams.

This one will go fast, according to Three Notch’d, and they want to make sure you remember to swing by Black Heath Meadery if you’re in the neighborhood as well. If you remember from earlier this month, Black Heath just released their Aw, Shmucks strawberry mead to give us the best fruity flavors in a very appropriately-colored beer — it looks just as it tastes, like strawberry jam and alcohol came together in your mug for a great summer infusion. Peanut butter not required.

Here’s something I haven’t seen before in Richmond! Isley Brewing Company is dropping their Pistachio Pilsner infusion this Friday, and they’re the first I’ve heard to use this awesome nut flavor in a beer since I’ve been your columnist. Back in the day, I remember pistachios being a huge thing almost out-of-the-blue when pistachio ice cream first became popular, and since then, I’ve seen it all around in various foods — but never drinks! I can sit down and slam a pound of these bad boys in a sitting on any given day, so I’m all open to trying them in beer. This is definitely one we’ll be looking forward to, so make your way over to Scott’s Addition to give it a taste and let us know how you liked it.

Cheers to our friends at Strangeways for this awesome release over the weekend. Hotel Del Coronado just dropped on Saturday at the brewery, a West Coast Double IPA that hits in at 8.6% ABV (and at 92 IBU, you can expect some nice bitter flavors from this one). Hotel Del Coronado was brewed with Pilsner malt, Honey malt, Brasetto Rye, and Murphy & Rude Belgian Amber Malt to make an “aggressively bitter” — go easy on it, folks — Double IPA with dank and piney tastes.

With its double dry-hopped process, this brew has a complex but clean base after its initial hop additions. Simcoe and Green Bullet hops are prominent, with a great homage paid to San Diego flavors and all of you “hop heads” out there, as Strangeways notes.

Now on to some events: Oyster Feeest! Hope you like slimy sea bugs in your mouth, because Canon & Draw Brewing Company partnered up with White Stone Oyster Company and Texas Beach Bloody Mary Mix to bring you a day packed with the shelled delicacies and all the best drinks you’ll want to go with them.

Oysterfest is going down this Saturday at Canon & Draw, with oysters of all kinds for any variety of tastes. With steamed oysters, Micheladas, oyster shooters, Bloody Marys, and the brewery’s excellent new take on River City Tap Water, there’s something for everyone — so as long as you like seafood, bring your appetite.

On its way to Steam Bell Beer Works is an amazing combination: Ginger Ale and beer! Extra Plenty Ginger Gose Ale is heading out to the brewery soon, and just look at these roots:

As a reminder from Steam Bell, you should never judge a flavor by its color. These pale, white ginger roots pack a ton of flavor in any drink they’re added to, and the upcoming beer release is no exception. I’ve been on a huge ginger ale lemonade kick lately, so this is right up my alley. By the way, if you’re new to that duo, do yourself a favor and go grab a case at Kroger. Trust me.

Steam Bell also wants to remind us that even in the middle of summer, stout season never ends. They’ve got their Tiramisu Stout ready to go this July, and these are two of my most favorite things to come together for a beer. Last winter, you could find me more excited with every passing week for the heavy flavors of the season, and dessert-infused brews that marry the sweet with the bitter. You can look forward to that enthusiasm finding its way back as soon as this hellhole season is over and my perfect cold days return to me. But for now, thank god someone’s offering up a taste of better times in the middle of this muggy summer in the city.

RVA ON TAP: Food Fests & 50 Years of Love

Caley Sturgill | July 10, 2019

Topics: beer, beer column, Canon And Draw, Center of the Universe, craft beer, final gravity brewing, fine creek brewing, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Intermission Beer Company, RVA On Tap, Stone Brewing-Richmond, Strangeways Brewing, Vasen Brewing Company

This week, we’re keeping with the spirit of summer and all the events that come along with it. From beer classes to food festivals, the local brewers are keeping their schedules (and their glasses) full to keep you busy every night.

I know y’all remember my last visit to a Center of the Universe food festival, because I was stoked after it to present both the best barbecue and waffles I’ve ever had in my life (S/O to Grandpa Eddie’s Alabama Ribs & BBQ and Capitol Waffle Shop) — and also my award-winning ham biscuits that finally got some official recognition winning COTU’s Southern Food Fest after a lifetime of people fighting over them at family gatherings.

They’re bringing back another food festival, and it covers the tastes of the whole nation this time around. The American Food Fest is going down this Saturday, with hot dogs, BBQ, ice cream and more to complement live music and a special beer release. Grandpa Eddie’s will be out again, so don’t miss it this time, along with Mama J’s, Good Dogs RVA, Freekin’ Rican, and some good old fashioned Cold Stone Creamery for dessert. Another important detail to note is COTU’s commentary on their Saturday race:

“Do you like to run? Do you enjoy a nice lather of sweat on a Saturday afternoon? Neither do we!”

Same! In the spirit of laziness and actually enjoying your weekend, their second annual “non-run” is taking place to fundraise for the Ashland Rotary. This perfect event means the only running you’ll do is from the beer trucks to the Freedom Fries after they carry the finish line over your heads. Grab your beer and your lawn chair, because there’s nothing more American than having someone else do the work for you and enjoying the sweet rewards of beer and BBQ.

Does anything make sense? Not really, and Hardywood gets it. Their beloved But Does It Make Sense? IPA is coming back out in cans this week for #FreshCanFriday, complete with live music from Damn Tall Buildings through the evening and Smokie Joe’s BBQ to make sure both your plates stay full as well.

But Does It Make Sense? is a New England-Style Double IPA, brewed with Mosaic, Hallertau Blanc, and Galaxy hops with an 8.5% ABV to kick off the weekend the right way.

Make sure to plan your weekends through the rest of the month, too, because Hardywood’s HeART & Soul Brew Fest is coming up on the 27th to bring Richmond the best dope music, urban art, craft beers, and soul food — is there a better combination than that?

50 years of love in the Commonwealth: a big reason to celebrate, and all our favorite local breweries are following suit. Head out to Final Gravity Brewing Co. on Sunday to keep the festivities going after their 50-mile bike ride from the Jamestown Settlement back up to the city. Virginia is for Lovers sponsored a shuttle for Final Gravity’s ride with the Cap Trail Bike Shuttle to take bikers from Stone Brewing all the way down to the settlement, then the brewery’s hosting an afterparty all evening with a special beer release and Zorch Pizza in honor of the campaign.

Keeping the love going, Intermission Beer Company is hosting a Home-Grown Comedy Show this Saturday night — and there’s more than one reason to celebrate. With their great lineup of local Virginian stand-up comics, Intermission’s setting the stage to commemorate both the 50th anniversary of Virginia Is For Lovers, and the birthday of the night’s headliner, Winston Hodges.

The show starts at 7pm, and this one’s not for the kids: so make sure to call your babysitter if you need one, and come out for a night of laughs with Winston and Liz Carrnage, Alida Harper, Joshua Sekani French, Heather Joyce and more. It’s never a bad time to wind down and share smiles with strangers, and it’s especially fun to do it with entertainers from our own home.

Canon & Draw Brewing Company has a surprise. If you’ve ever drank the water somewhere cleaner than the city of Richmond, you’ll know that the drips coming from our taps are definitely not the state’s best… and even questionable, in my humble opinion. So in order to bring new (and certainly better) meaning to the phrase “River City Tap Water,” Canon & Draw cooked up something delicious.

River City Tap Water is an American Light Lager that’s got all the crisp coolness of the river and all the drinkable goodness of a solid brew. With bright, bursting flavors, you won’t have to worry about what my friends refer to as the “brain slugs” you’re in for if you take a sip from the James — just tasty, easy drinking and a great way to spend a hot summer day.

Notooooorious! On the 4th of July, Stone Brewing Richmond dropped Notorious P.O.G., a Berliner Weisse. This style is one of Stone’s specialties, and I’m looking forward to getting a taste of it for my own.

Notorious P.O.G., unlike the rap legend of its name inspiration, is real bright and fruity. With flavors of passionfruit, orange, and guava, this brew is set to bring all the best fruits of summertime together for a finished product that’s “Fresh, Tropical, and Damn Tasty.” Damn tasty, like everything Stone does. It’s a tropical Weisse that first came out at their Hop-Con 4.0, an annual release event for “the (in)famous Drew Curtis/Wil Wheaton/Greg Koch Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout.” According to the brewers, P.O.G. comes from Passion, Orange, and Guava for those unfamiliar with Hawaiian juice lore. Come grab a can here in Richmond, out at the East End brewery (a beautiful spot on its own, even without the beer — so definitely worth a visit).

Our buds at Fine Creek Brewing Company just dropped an awesome Friday Beer Feature over the weekend, a Tart Saison brewed with the nuts and hulls of the shellback hickory tree.

Natural Resonance is a 6.7% ABV beer with spicy birch, woody hickory, minor peppery characters from the Saison yeast, and its birch scion tastes from the wood and roots from sweet birch trees. The flavor starts out sweet, with fruity esters and a stronger apple character. It begins to develop into its spicy and oak-like wood tones as the acidity starts to come out on the taste buds. With a tart ending, this recipe is bright, dry, and a perfect earthy-summer flavor to capture the natural flavors of the area with the tastes of the season as well.

The 6th of July may not be special to some, but it was special to us and to Väsen Brewing Company this year. Thanks to this absolutely delicious release, the weekend of the 4th had an extra reason to get pumped.

Boundless is a complex, hazy Double IPA that was dry-hopped with Sabro, Ekuanot, and Enigma hops. This juicy brew brings out the fruity flavors and enticing aromas of tangerine, mango, and papaya, with an awesome finish of more subtle coconut and raspberry flavors. Its name reflects its taste, meant to ponder the boundless, beautiful summer skies above and pair with an endless summer. Head out to Väsen for a glass on your next breezy weekend day, and look forward to their second anniversary coming up soon… but more on that later.

Ever wanted to learn more about the history of craft beer in our region? Yeah, you and me both! Thanks to Strangeways and VCU, we’re in for a treat. They’re co-hosting a course on The Essentials of Craft Beer out at the brewery, a two-part evening class on July 16 and July 23 with Lee Graves (the RVA Beer Guy!) to get a better understanding of both the types and styles of craft beer and the history of each. You’ll get a new understanding and love for craft beer, plus a lot of great knowledge on the regional history of the industry in our area. Head over here to sign up, and remember that it’s 21+ for attendees.

RVA ON TAP: Fireworks, Pig Roasts, & Beach Parties

Caley Sturgill | July 3, 2019

Topics: beer, beer column, Black Heath Meadery, Castleburg, Center of the Universe, craft beer, garden grove, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, midnight brewery, RVA On Tap, the answer brewpub, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer

This week, in the spirit of the 4th of July, we have tons of events to keep your holiday week rolling and your glass full. From Richmond to the beach and more, there’s something for everyone regardless of where (or if) you’re traveling.

Whoooooooo doggy! There’s a pig roast comin’ to town. Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is hosting the Southern tradition in Richmond with Papa V’s this Thursday for the 4th, and it’s bringing back some memories for this rural girl — both fun and scary.

For some background, the 4th of July in my childhood memories looks something like beautiful days on Smith Mountain Lake, afternoons spent on the boat, nights spent playing Marco Polo in the dark off the dock with a huge family, my dad catching my head on fire when he lit 18 sparklers at once in one hand (big ouch), and the horrifying look on the pig’s slowly-melting face when my granddad literally built a massive smoker in his yard (a year-round fixture, mind you) just to put an entire pig in it for the 4th every summer.

Those days are long gone now, but the memories of running away from a large dead animal on the smoker, eyes burning into my soul, with my screaming cousins will always stick around. And in that spirit, I’ll always get stoked for pig roasts as an adult. Plus, fresh-smoked pork is one of the tastiest foods of all time in my humble opinion — so, worth it.

Lickinghole Creek will be pouring from the taps from 12-6pm, with live music from Bill Roberts during the afternoon. If you’re looking to get your true Virginian ritual on for the holiday, this is the place for you. Have a beer for me and cheers to the first time your family gave you nightmares.

In the spirit of mid-summer days in Richmond heating up too fast, we’re starting off this week’s RVA On Tap with a good reason to take a trip to the beach: The Veil Brewing Co. is excitedly awaiting the official opening of their new Norfolk location, and they’re throwing a pop-up tomorrow to get the rest of us as pumped as they are.

The Veil will be on the pier of Nauticus all day, and you can look forward to drinking their stellar beers inside to beat the heat, or out by the water. Either way, you’ll get to finish your night off with a direct view to the celebration’s fireworks at Waterside. Be sure to grab some drink tickets too, and it’s free to get in otherwise.

If you make it out, you’ll also be able to grab one of these sweet limited edition Veil shirts while you grab pours of Curtains I, a Sour Double IPA with cherries, apricots, and milk sugar — plus more like Cherry-Mang Tastee, a smoothie-style Sour; Never Never Found Found, a double-mango Gose; Dusty Roadz, an American Pale Ale; yellowferrari DIPA, Dirt Nap DIPA, Child Support, Sleeping Forever, and Totebier.

It’ll be the perfect party leading up to The Veil’s brand new Norfolk location, so grab your buds and head down to join the beach crowd with one of our favorite Richmond spots.

While the 4th this year falls on a Thursday, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery is partying all weekend. Catch live music through the weekend with artists like Alice & The Reverie, Jordan Lette of The Folly, and Keith Yetter of Keith Yetter Band, plus Big Daddy Skillet is coming out on Friday to get the weekend started right.

More events continue on through Sunday with The Everafter, Nine Line, Second Suitor, Stereo-Types, Sleave, and more.

Over with our friends at The Answer Brewpub, the return of Summer Showers IPA happened over the weekend. This IPA is packed with flavors like citrus and a cloudburst of melon, and its tastes come from the brewing process with Australian Summer hops. The hazy brew is available now, so make sure to grab a glass while you can!

Coming up on Monday, join The Answer at Belmont Golf Course for their Monday Twilight League. The Answer will be out every Monday for a 10-week season hitting the course to play nine holes — no experience required! Men and women are both invited out to join, keeping their own scores and playing as teams with weekly contest holes and scoring service.

If you want to get in on the fun outside with The Answer, register here with Twilight Golf Association and grab your clubs.

One of the only big complaints I have about the craft beer scene is that the breweries always close too early. If I’m heading out to my favorite place to drink my favorite beer later in the evening after work, it can be a bit heartbreaking to have to cut it short early. Thankfully, Triple Crossing Beer is extending their hours for the holiday and staying open until 10 for the 4th — plus they’re dropping a few new can releases to commemorate the occasion.

If you’re looking for a good place to watch fireworks without all the crowds, Triple Crossing’s got you covered there, too. They’ll be blocking off part of their parking lot to give all their guests a sweet view of the Rocketts Red Glare fireworks that happen annually over the James, which is an extra-special way to view the colors in the sky in Richmond because of their reflection on the water. For anyone who’s heading down near the river for fireworks, Triple Crossing’s party is right up the road and definitely one you won’t want to miss.

Aw, shucks. Nah, Aw, Shmucks. Black Heath Meadery just made the jam-inspired mead we all never knew we needed. This sweet treat for “sitting on the porch enjoying the wonderful lazy days of summer” is coming out just in time for the holiday, so we can celebrate the All-American way.

If you’re out of town this weekend, be sure to swing by Scott’s Addition to get a taste of this one while they last. Their most recent batch of Muse is almost gone, but they’ve got tons of summer recipes on tap right now like Living Reflection — a tangerine mead that’s refreshingly-perfect for the hot days — Lavender Reflection, Pompelmo Reflection (with graprfruit and basil), and Triple Reflection, brewed with hops and topped with a fruity dynamic to keep the bitterness out and the flavor in.

Big cheers for Ellie Quinn: The burlesque queens of Richmond have assembled a team of their most heroic and villainous performers to pay tribute to the Earth’s Mightiest this Saturday at Center of the Universe Brewing.

Diving into what they call the deepest depths of nerdlesque, the dancers at this show will bring out their colorful sides to put together a performance packed with storytelling and tantalizing from their characters. For those of you who’ve never made it out to see burlesque in the River City (you’re missing out) you’ll be in for a night of some serious fun. Some points to remember are to put your phones away — photographers are the only ones doing the photos here — and be as encouraging as ever. And, of course, no touching. But that should go without saying (or at least I’d hope it does in a city like this). There’ll be pasties and tassels galore, so bring your party mood and head out for sweet brews and even sweeter boobs.

Ocean Echoes is making its way into the Three Notch’d RVA Collab House on Friday, and this Caribbean Wit is truly a beach-style beer. Brewed with toasted coconut and organic pineapple purée, this piña colada in a beer is full of all the oceanside tastes you’ll need for a hot day in the sand… or, if you’re in town, to cool off after a hot day on the asphalt.

A tip from us — take a glass down to the river and enjoy it by the echoes of the James. If you’re extra lucky, you’ll even catch a few kayak wipeouts to spruce up the afternoon.

Blood Orange IPAs and Citrus IPAs are on fresh at Midnight Brewery, with the release of Blood Moon Bliss and Luputopia out at the brewery. These perfect summer recipes will be followed up soon by Christmas In July, so for all my folks out there who, like me, are eagerly awaiting the cold weather’s return, hold out a little longer for a taste of winter’s happiest season. This time of year brings travel, tans, and days on the beach for many of us, but there’s nothing like cold air in Virginia and a spiced ale to go with it.

The Star & Beer Spangled Celebration at Castleburg Brewery and Taproom is coming up tomorrow as well, and this one’s right in view of the fireworks! Plus probably the best thing I’ve seen yet: FREE HOT DOGS! Hell yeah. Head over to Castleburg at 1pm and eat your star-spangled hearts out, plus grab paninis and pretzels to go along with Castleburg’s awesome beer. The fireworks at The Diamond will complete the evening around 9:15, so you can head over early to dog it up, or head over late to catch the show. Either way, they’ll have something for everyone throughout the day.

RVA ON TAP: Sunflowers & Tongue-Twisters

Caley Sturgill | June 26, 2019

Topics: beer, beer column, craft beer, Hardywood, Legend Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek, richmond brewers ball, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, Stone Brewing-Richmond, The Veil, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer, Vasen Brewing Company

This week, we’re diving in with some brand-new brews and tons of awesome events, all to keep your summer rolling and your hot days refreshed.

Before we get started into the local brewery news, here’s something awesome: there’s a new podcast in town called Booze Clues by the Geeks Under the Influence Media Network, and they record live in front of an audience each month. Their most recent episode’s audio was just released, and you can find it here to listen to local comedians, podcasters, and entertainers investigating the world’s most bizarre and “spirited” headlines from the last month. It’s a really unique idea to bring to the table (or the bar) in the beer world around here, so check it out and give these guys a listen!

The Veil Brewing Co. is known for its collabs with Sweden’s Omnipollo to an extent already, but they’re throwing a party to make sure no one forgets. This Saturday, Omnipolloscope is going down at The Veil, the “biggest and baddest collab ever.”

They’re holding an official global release of all five of their collab beers, after more than two years, many miles traveled, and the joint efforts of some of the best in the industry, according to the brewers. The Stockholm brewery has been working with The Veil for quite some time now, and the product of all their hard work is finally here, all at once, for us to drink up.

The beers dropping at the release this weekend are numbered from one to five, starting with a Raspberried/Blueberried/Blackberried Wood Aged Sour Jam. Up next is a Superstition Strawberry Bourbon, and a German Jesus Choclorelei Waffle Neapolitan Ice Cream Cheesecake Scoooooooop (wow, that’s a mouthful). They’ve also got a Never Miami Thunder Lemon Meringue Milkshake Raspberry Blackberry Double Ice Cream Lassi Gose (y’all these names are LONG) and… Christ… a Fatamosaicddhdreamatomicdobishredder IIIIPA (oh my GOD).

Ok, I’m never typing that word again. How y’all gonna do that to me? Your poor local beer writer?

Lucky for you, you don’t have to spell it — you just have to drink it. Go get one, and get me one too for the headache. The Veil is lucky their beer is so damn good. I still love you, I promise.

Y’all, this is one of my most-favorite events of the year and it’s back this weekend! The Sunflower Festival has its opening weekend at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery starting on Saturday, and it’s nothing short of beautiful out on the farm this time of year.

Since the field of yellow is subject to the weather, Lickinghole Creek is hosting the festival over three weekends this summer — so if you can’t make it this time, check back with their Facebook page to see when the flowers open up. Bring your basket and a set of shears to take a bundle home, or my personal favorite, grab a camera and take the opportunity to get a beautiful batch of photos.

My first-most-favorite event of the year is always visiting farms in the fall, when all the hayrides and pumpkin patches complete the season. We’re still a few months out from that for now, but the Sunflower Festival is as close as it gets in warm weather. To bring some of that charm to the sunny days, Lickinghole Creek is hosting hayrides and a slip and slide for some extra outdoor fun, plus a 4th of July Pig Roast with Papa V’s coming up next week.

They’ll have plenty of food trucks and summer brews alongside live music from artists like Billy Groux and Rocky Ford, Bill Roberts, Sean Liverman and more over the course of the month’s weekends. Of all the events that come in and out of Richmond this time of year, if you like getting outside, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Bringing Pride Month to a close, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is throwing a Thirst fundraiser tonight. They’ll be slinging glasses of Tropic Like It’s Hot — which, if you remember from last week, is their good-times brew that they brought out for their Pride party celebrating the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality.

Tonight’s fundraiser is taking us off of the brewery grounds and up to the clouds on Quirk Hotel’s rooftop, overlooking the city and its beautiful views to eat, drink, and be merry while raising money for Richmond’s Side By Side, an organization that supports LGBTQ youth in Virginia.

The forecast looks great so far, with temps hitting the low 90’s (lord help us all, will we make it through August?) and a cloudy sky to bring down the heat. Thankfully, the sun won’t be blazing too hard this time around, but all bets are off for the rest of the summer in Richmond. This is just about the annual time when I recede to the AC in my house unless I’m leaving it directly for a pool. Godspeed to us all.

Do you remember the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild last week? We do. And if you don’t, check our site here for some stellar coverage of this year’s winners in the Old Dominion from Lee Graves, a local beer enthusiast and fellow writer on the brewing world’s happenings.

Stone Brewing took home an award (no surprise) for first place in the American Porter and Stout category this year. There’s something special in the tanks at Stone, as far as I’m concerned, because they seem to be incapable of making a bad beer. Their Espresso Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout was the prize winner for the dark brews, and this dark, roasty stout made a name for the brewery once again.

Not to say that Stone is our only star, either — tons of our local favorites from Center of the Universe to Lickinghole Creek, Strangeways, Garden Grove and more took home first- and second-place awards in all sorts of categories this year. What it comes down to is that Richmond is really earning its place as the East Coast beer hub, and people all around the country are noticing it.

⟁ Out at Triple Crossing Beer, another weekend multi-release is in order. This Friday in Fulton, grab a glass of Mosaic Triangles, a bright and soft tropical orange-rind melon-citrus brew that’s “deeply encased” within their preferred 6% ABV range. Triple Crossing says they paired this one to bring the strongest shape in nature together with one of their most beloved hops of all time, Mosaic.

Pathway Pils is also making its way to Fulton this weekend, a 100 percent German Pils malt that was blended with the most notable varietals of hops. You’ll find flavors of floral, lemon, hay-like sweet honey straw, and a zesty, dry-but-soft lager. This one’s set to be the brewery’s house Pilsner, so make sure to grab a taste of the one that stands out so much to its brewers. ⟁

More double releases are coming up this weekend, with Väsen Brewing Company’s Triple Berry Sour and Mexican Lager can releases. Triple Berry Sour comes from their favorite saison, which they’ve soured and conditioned on hundreds of pounds of blackberry, blueberry, and boysenberry to create the “shockingly-purple, delightfully-sour” brew.

If you’re looking for color in your summer, this is the beer for you. Its purple body is topped with a bright pink head to create a big taste in this Belgian fruit bomb.

Thanks to a team in Richmond, Virginia Is For Lovers has defined the Commonwealth for decades now. Three Notch’d RVA Collab House has the perfect offshoot of our beloved state anthem to add to the mix: Cherries Are For Lovers, a Cherry Gose that keeps the summer colors going and brings a tasty side to the 50 Years of Love Campaign this year.

Cherries Are For Lovers is on tap now at Three Notch’d in Scott’s Addition, in the heart of the city’s favorite beer neighborhood (Beerborhood? Neighbeerhood? Neighborbeer? All of the above). It’s as bright as the days outside lately, and it’s a perfect weekend brew to cool down with after a long week in the sun.

Friday nights on the patio: Richmond’s favorite pastime, and especially when it’s the patio at Legend Brewing Company. Legend’s outdoor space is one of the best, by far, in town, and this weekend the Mike Lucci Band is coming out to make it even better.

If you’re a fan of rock and the blues, this is your time to shine. Get a glass of one of Legend’s delicious craft brews and grab a seat outside for a full evening of music, river views, and great eats with our longtime friends at Legend. And if the summer rain comes, don’t worry — they’ve got plenty of room inside to keep the music and the beers rolling on.

The month of multiple releases must truly be upon us, because we had more than I could count on one hand last week and we’ve got several running this week already. Steam Bell Beer Works is next up with Crooked Smile and Farmer’s Daughter this Friday, and both bring something unique to the table.

Crooked Smile starts off Steam Bell’s releases at 8.9% ABV, so it’ll be the perfect way to kick off your Friday night. This pillowy-soft Double IPA is packed with tropical fruit tastes and an “in your face” fruit punch, brewed with late-kettle additions to keep the bitterness small and the flavors huge. It’s been dry-hopped with two rounds of Azacca and Mosaic hops, and its English base malts are complemented with just the right amount of specialty malts to bring out a rich orange color.

Farmer’s Daughter follows up a bit lower at 6.4% ABV, and the Belgian Saison has an herbal aroma with a crisp, peppery dryness. Brewed with traditional malts and hops, this batch was made in white wine barrels and aged with second-use fruit to bring out the sour.

Celebrating Richmond’s finest: the 2019 Richmond Brewer’s Ball is happening tomorrow night at Historic Tredegar. Beer lovers are invited to come out and try hand-crafted beers from all of the city’s best (which, to be real, is too many to count with all the great brewers around here), with views, music, and prizes in both live and silent auctions. The event benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and honors 25 of the city’s leaders in the fight to find a cure.

Roll Out The Red Carpet For Top Virginia Beers

Lee Graves | June 21, 2019

Topics: 1781 brewing, 2 silos brewing, 2 witches winery, 2019 craft beer cup, 7 dogs brewpub, adventure brewing, Adventure Brewing Company, alesatian brewing, alewerks, Apocalypse Ale Works, backroom brewery, bald top, Ballad Brewing, barrel oak farm, beales beer, beer, beltway brewing, beltway brewing company, big ugly brewing, bike trale brewing, bingo beer, black hoof, blue mountain, Blue Mountain Barrel House, broken window, brothers craft, brothers craft brewing, caiseal beer, Castleburg, Center of the Universe, Central Virginia, Chaos Mountain Brewing, Coelacanth Brewing, craft beer, fair winds, Final Gravity, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Front Royal Brewing Company, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery, Gloucester Brewing Company, great valley farm brewery, house 6 brewing, Lake Anne Brew House, Lickinghole Creek, Makers Craft Brewery, maltese brewing, MoMac Brewing Company, Mustang Sally Brewing Company, new realm, new realm brewing, new realm brewing company, old bust head, Old Bust Head Brewing Company, Old Ox Brewery, parkway brewing company, pleasure house, Port City Brewing Company, precarious beer, Pro Re Nata Brewing Company, random row brewing, reaver beach brewing, restless moons, rip rap brewing, RVA beer, seven arrows, Seven Arrows Brewing Company, skipping rock, smartmouth, south street, Spencer Devon Brewing, St. George Brewing Company, Starr Hill, Stone brewing, strangeways, Sweetwater Taverns, That Damn Mary Brewing Company, The Board Room VA, the bold mariner, the farm at broad run, Three Notch'd Brewing Company, three notchd, Tidewater, tradition brewing, Trapezium Brewing, Tredegar, twin creeks, vasen brewing, virginia beer, virginia beer company, virginia craft beer cup, Virginia Craft Brewers Guild

Old-timers in the Virginia beer community can remember pitching tents in the woods and meadows of Nelson County as part of the annual ritual to taste and toast the best of craft beers in the Old Dominion.

The 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gala on Monday, June 17, was a bit different. Yes, we were under a tent, but the setting was decidedly more elegant, among the venerable stone buildings of the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond.

And yes, it was billed as a gala. “When they originally mentioned it was going to be a ‘gala’ event,” said a friend of mine, “I was thinking red carpet, round tables and creative gala attire. But everyone came as they were.” Yes, you have to love a gala where a guy wearing a T-shirt, cutoffs, and sandals takes the stage amid hoots and hollers to accept a medal for a well-made beer.

Virginia’s contest, sponsored by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, is the largest among state competitions in the country. This year, there were 342 entries in 35 categories. Judges — 39 in all, led by former James River Homebrewers president Anna Shore — followed the guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program.

“We have purposefully focused on the quality of our judging,” said Brett Vassey, president and CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, which is the umbrella organization for the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. Beers were judged in the categories they entered, a stricter standard than in past years. “That’s a big deal,” Vassey said.

More focused judging and a record number of entries made it a big deal to receive a medal, and you could tell from the energy crackling from the 300 or so brewers, brewery owners, and beer lovers under the tent that having your name called was special.

http://leegraves.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/New-Realm-924x1024.jpg — *Bob Powers (left) and Bill Wild of New Realm Brewing (Virginia Beach, Atlanta) hoist the Best in Show trophy for Euphonia Pilsner at the 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gala. Photo by Lee Graves*

“We’re totally blown away,” said Bob Powers after New Realm Brewing Company won the first-place Best in Show for Euphonia Pilsner. Powers is director of sales and marketing for the brewery, which he cofounded with Mitch Steele (former head brewer at Stone Brewing Co.) and Carey Falconer. Based in Atlanta, New Realm moved into the Virginia Beach facility vacated by Green Flash in 2018.

Steele is known as a master of IPAs (he wrote a book on the style’s history and evolution), so taking Best in Show for a German-style pilsner is an eye-opener. “It’s really the beer he’s most proud of, and he’s won a few other awards since we’ve had it out,” Powers said.

Last year’s best in show winner also was a lager, the Lil’ Hellion Helles by Brothers Craft Brewing in Harrisonburg (a silver medal winner this year). Though IPAs dominate the marketplace, it’s the nuanced, delicate balance in lagers — pilsners in particular — that reflects the height of brewing arts and gets high scores from judges.

Just as the stylistic pendulum has swung, the spotlight also has broadened as the state’s brewing scene has matured. Gone are the days when Devil’s Backbone dominated contests.

“The [medal] distribution is amazingly statewide,” Vassey said. “The distribution among startups, new breweries and senior breweries — those that have been around a while — is amazingly distributed.”

Numbers bear him out. Breweries in the Tidewater area took home 21 medals, if you count New Realm winning two for Euphonia Pilsner (one for winning its category, one for Best in Show). In the Richmond area, the count is 14 medals; in Central Virginia (Charlottesville and beyond), 13 medals; in the Roanoke area and Southside, nine; in the Shenandoah Valley, 10; in Loudoun County, eight; in outer Northern Virginia (including Fredericksburg), 10; in inner Northern Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, etc.), also 10.

That last group includes the Great American Restaurants group’s Sweetwater Taverns, which has multiple locations in Northern Virginia and Loudoun County. Sweetwater was one of an elite bunch that carried home three medals — firsts for Rusty Roadrunner Lager and Yippee Ei-O Springbock and second for its pale ale. Three other breweries — Center of the Universe in Ashland, 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company in Danville, and Blue Mountain Barrelhouse in Nelson County — won three medals as well.

http://leegraves.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019-Va-Craft-Beer-Cup-copy-1024x768.jpg — *Some 300 brewers, brewery owners and beer lovers celebrated the best in Virginia brewing at the 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gala on June 17 at Tredegar Iron Works. Photo by Lee Graves*

Winning one medal is a stamp of excellence for one beer. Winning multiple awards is a stamp of excellence in brewing, and 14 Virginia breweries had their name called twice: Seven Arrows in Waynesboro; Lake Anne Brew House in Reston; The Board Room in Arlington; Adventure in Fredericksburg; Old Bust Head in Vint Hill; Old Ox, Beltway and TrAle in Loudoun County; Fine Creek in Powhatan (including second place Best in Show), Three Notch’d, Starr Hill and Bald Top in Central Virginia; and New Realm and Big Ugly in Tidewater.

Given the record number of entries and the continued growth among Virginia’s craft breweries and brewpubs — more than 280 at last count — it won’t be long before future galas will need a bigger tent.

Here’s the full list of winners:

BEST IN SHOW
First Place: New Realm Brewing, Euphonia Pilsner
Second Place: Fine Creek Brewing Company, Dry Hopped Brett Saison

ALTERNATIVE FERMENTABLES BEER
First Place: St. George Brewing Company, Honey Meade Lager
Second Place: Gloucester Brewing Company, DeadRYEz
Third Place: Chaos Mountain Brewing, Glutenless Maximus – Pale Ale

AMBER AND BROWN AMERICAN BEER
First Place: Parkway Brewing Company, Triple “A” American Amber Ale
Second Place: Spencer Devon Brewing, Pulchritudinous Brown
Third Place: That Damn Mary Brewing Company, Easy Money

AMBER BITTER EUROPEAN BEER
First Place: MoMac Brewing Company, Pata De Palo
Second Place: Mustang Sally Brewing Company, Article One Amber Lager
Third Place: Front Royal Brewing Company, Linden Lager

AMBER MALTY EUROPEAN LAGER
First Place: Makers Craft Brewery, Rauche

AMERICAN PORTER AND STOUT
First Place: Stone Brewing, Stone Espresso Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout
Second Place: Old Ox Brewery, Black Ox
Third Place: Adventure Brewing Company, Wicked Nymph Imperial Stout

AMERICAN WILD ALE
First Place: Fine Creek Brewing Company, Dry Hopped Brett Saison
Second Place: Coelacanth Brewing, The Captain
Third Place: Center of the Universe, Red Ale

BELGIAN ALE
First Place: Port City Brewing Company, Optimal Wit
Second Place: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery, Belgian Wit

BRITISH BITTER
First Place: Old Bust Head Brewing Company, Bust Head English Pale Ale
Second Place: Great American Restaurants—Sweetwater Taverns, Pale Ale
Third Place: Lake Anne Brew House, Lord Fairfax

BROWN BRITISH BEER
First Place: Three Notch’d Brewing Company, No Veto Brown
Second Place: The Board Room VA, Bishop Brown
Third Place: Ballad Brewing, Fast Mail

CZECH LAGER
First Place: Pro Re Nata Brewing Company, Nature Boy Pilsner
Second Place: Seven Arrows Brewing Company, Aurora Pils

DARK BRITISH BEER
First Place: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, One Lion
Second Place: Backroom Brewery, Oatmeal Stout
Third Place: The Virginia Beer Company, Elbow Patches Oatmeal Stout

DARK EUROPEAN LAGER
First Place: Great American Restaurants—Sweetwater Tavern, Rusty Roadrunner Lager
Second Place: Bingo Beer, Black Lager
Third Place: Center of the Universe Origin, Dark Side

EUROPEAN SOUR ALE
First Place: Strangeways Brewing, Uberlin
Second Place: Precarious Beer Project, Everywhere You Look There’s Something

FRUIT BEER
First Place: Great Valley Farm Brewery, Peach Farmhouse Ale
Second Place: Seven Arrows Brewing Company, Sour Grapes
Third Place: The Farm Brewery at Broad Run, Dewitt’s Wit

GERMAN WHEAT BEER
First Place: Starr Hill Brewery, The Love
Second Place: 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company, Witch Haze Ale
Third Place: Bike TrAle Brewing Company, Tailwind

HISTORICAL BEER
First Place: Blue Mountain Barrel House, Classic Lager
Second Place: Castleburg Brewery and Taproom, Castillian’s Champagne Grodziskie
Third Place: Beale’s Beer, Gratzer

INTERNATIONAL LAGER
First Place: The Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Frogman Lager
Second Place: Beltway Brewing Company, Batting 1000
Third Place: The Board Room VA, No Limit Lager

IPA—American
First Place: Barrel Oak Farm Taphouse, BOFT IPA
Second Place: 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company, Mosey Along the Dan
Third Place: Big Ugly Brewing Company, Rockers

IPA—Specialty
First Place: Final Gravity Brewing Company, Morning Glory
Second Place: Vӓsen Brewing Company, Cashmere Secrets
Third Place: Twin Creeks Brewing Company, Red Leaf IPA

IRISH BEER
First Place: Pleasure House Brewing, O’Brien Clan Irish Red
Second Place: Old Bust Head Brewing Company, Vixen Irish Style Red Ale
Third Place: Tradition Brewing Company, Red Willie Irish Red

PALE AMERICAN ALE
First Place: Random Row Brewing Company, Mosaic Pale Ale
Second Place: Broken Window Brewing Company, Lucky 13
Third Place: Three Notch’d Brewing Company, Ghost of the 43rd

PALE BITTER EUROPEAN BEER
First Place: New Realm Brewing, Euphonia Pilsner
Second Place: Bald Top Brewing Company, Liberty Light Lager
Third Place: Fair Winds Brewing Company, Quayside Kolsch

PALE MALTY EUROPEAN LAGER
First Place: Great American Restaurants—Sweetwater Tavern, Yippee Ei-O Springbock
Second Place: Brother’s Craft Brewing, Lil’ Hellion
Third Place: Black Hoof Brewing, Reh of Sunshine Helles

SCOTTISH ALE
First Place: 7 Dogs Brewpub, 80 Shilling Scottish Ale

SMOKED BEER
First Place: Bald Top Brewing, Secretly Smoked Lager
Second Place: Alewerks Brewing Company, Pancake House Stout
Third Place: House 6 Brewing, Smoke Eater

SPECIALTY BEER
First Place: South Street, Soft-Serv Ice Cream Porter
Second Place: Smartmouth Brewing Company, Mount Up
Third Place: Blue Mountain Barrel House, Raspberries on Acid

SPICED BEER
First Place: Starr Hill Brewery, Little Red Rooster Coffee Cream Stout
Second Place: 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company, “Just-In” Time for Breakfast
Third Place: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Company (The Vanguard Brewpub), Coffee Blonde Ale

STANDARD AMERICAN BEER
First Place: Reaver Beach Brewing Company, House Lager
Second Place: New Realm Brewing, United Craft Lager
Third Place: Trapezium Brewing Company, Mexican Lager

STRONG AMERICAN ALE
First Place: Beltway Brewing Company, Changing Lanes
Second Place: Alesatian Brewing Company, Hopsneeze Gen2 IPA
Third Place: Rip Rap Brewing, Wind’s Eye

STRONG BELGIAN ALE
First Place: Maltese Brewing Company, Barnfire Saison
Second Place: Bike TrAle Brewing Company, Strongman
Third Place: Lake Anne Brew House, New Year’s Ale

STRONG BRITISH ALE
First Place: Adventure Brewing Company, Black Sail Scotch Ale

STRONG EUROPEAN BEER
First Place: Restless Moons Brewing, Inked
Second Place: Big Ugly Brewing, Accelerator
Third Place: 1781 Brewing Company, Kӧnig Fruhling

TRAPPIST ALE
First Place: Center of the Universe, Monkeys Uncle
Second Place: Apocalypse Ale Works, Brohead Fred
Third Place: Skipping Rock Beer Company, Belgian Dubbel

WOOD BEER
First Place: 2 Silos Brewing, Old Dominion Barrel Reserve Series
Second Place: Blue Mountain Barrel House, Chocolate and Coffee Dark Hollow
Third Place: Old Ox Brewery, Cooper’s Cloak Bourbon Barrel-Aged Quadrupel

This article originally appeared at leegraves.com, reprinted by permission. Top Photo by Lee Graves. For more information from Lee on the local beer world, check out his book, “Virginia Beer: A Guide from Colonial Days to Craft’s Golden Age.” Published by the University of Virginia Press.