craft beer

Unicorns & Steampunk: Bryant’s Cider Crafts Their Own Path

Noelle Abrahams | October 17, 2019

Topics: apple cider, bars, bryants cider, cider, community, craft beer, craft cider, Jackson Ward, jerry thornton, Local, local business, restaurants, shockoe bottom

Ahead of their move to Shockoe Bottom, Jerry Thornton of Bryant’s Cider talks new recipes and future plans for the family-owned cidery.

“We’re the new beer,” says cidermaker Jerry Thornton, owner of Bryant’s Cider. It’s a bold statement, but it fits the vibe of their Jackson Ward tasting room. On its graffiti-covered walls, “Change the rules” is spray-painted in all caps below an image of a black cat and skull.

There may be some truth to Thornton’s words in regard to popular dietary trends. Bryant’s Cider produces small batches of uniquely-flavored hard ciders that are sugar-free, low-carb, keto-friendly, and made with whole, organic ingredients that are local whenever possible. Everything currently on tap at the Jackson Ward tasting room is also vegan and gluten-free.

With chalkboard paint atop tables that customers are encouraged to decorate, along with board games, card games, and adult coloring books, Bryant’s has a quirky (but edgy) vibe that marketing director Vanessa Gleiser maintains in their social media presence.

But days at the quaint Adams Street tasting room are numbered. Bryant’s just announced their purchase of 2114 E Main St. in Shockoe Bottom, where they’ll be relocating their Richmond tasting room to a mixed-use building that will also serve as a production facility. They hope to make the move in January 2020.

Right now, all of Bryant’s production happens in their other tasting room location, at Edgewood Farm in Nelson County, VA. The 386-acre property has been passed down through Thornton’s family since as early as 1850. His grandmother was born and raised there, and Thornton spent some time growing up there as well. After taking care of his grandmother for several years until her passing in 2014, Thornton took over the farm, because no one else in the family wanted to deal with it.

“For about four years, I didn’t know what to do with it,” says Thornton. At the time, he was working downtown at BB&T, in budgeting and forecasting analytics — “douchey stuff,” as he describes it. So while affording the farm wasn’t an issue, having the time to care for it was. Thornton is a single dad who raises his five-year-old daughter half of the time, so it wasn’t possible for him to work 80 hours a week, between the office and the farm, while also parenting a young child.

Nelson County is in an apple-dense region, so Thornton started growing cider apples at the orchard on his farm and quit the corporate-suit life to experiment with making cider. He got Bryant’s off the ground out of pocket, with not a single investor. “I still think I’m crazy,” says Thornton. As his family likes to remind him, he had a good job making good money with a guaranteed comfortable retirement, and he threw it away to make alcohol.

But he did so for honest and relatable reasons. “I’d just like to be human,” he said. “My objective isn’t to get rich. I just want to take care of my kid and my farm and not… hate life.”

Thornton went to cider school in upstate New York, but considers himself mostly self-taught. He likens cider making to cooking — you learn by experimenting, by trial and error. And what’s on tap at Bryant’s is certainly experimental: some batches on regular rotation are the chai-spiced Chaider, the cucumber- and habanero-infused Coolbanero, and the cold brew coffee-infused Red Eye.

Thornton is always playing with new flavors and testing them out in small batches. Right now, you can try the seasonably-appropriate Punkking, a pumpkin-spiced cider, and Still Swingin, which is infused with bourbon and peach. There’s an Old Fashioned-inspired batch in the works, and their next autumnal special planned is the Bryant’s Dirty Chai, a pairing of the Red Eye and the Chaider.

Their best-selling cider in retail is Bryant’s Unicorn Fuel, which has garnered somewhat of a cult following among customers. “I feel like more people know the name ‘Unicorn Fuel’ than ‘Bryant’s,’” says Thornton, which doesn’t necessarily bother him, but he cites the current location of the Richmond tasting room as to why they haven’t become a household name yet. “Jackson Ward is a great neighborhood, but no one knows we’re here,” says Thornton. “I could put a fucking unicorn suit on and stand on the corner, and maybe that would get a couple people in, but I don’t want to do that.”

The hope the move to Shockoe Bottom will expand their customer base since they’ll be in an area with higher foot traffic, right off the beaten path, and surrounded by popular bars and restaurants. “It’s an up-and-coming neighborhood, and really dense in terms of housing — just loft after loft,” says Thornton. “Whenever I’m down there, I see all these people walking their dogs and just hanging out. It’s the right type of people for us.” (Yes, both tasting rooms are dog-friendly!)

Bryant’s will also be preserving their safe distance from Scott’s Addition, where the only other craft cideries in the River City are located: Blue Bee, Buskey, and Courthouse Creek. Generally, the crowds in Shockoe, Church Hill and the East End don’t want to travel all the way to Scott’s Addition for a hard cider, so Bryant’s is hoping to corner that market geographically.

They considered moving to The Fan, but the historic quality of the building in Shockoe Bottom helped seal the deal. Built in the 1850s, Bryant’s liked that it’s about the same age as Edgewood Farm. “It’s super old and super cool. It fits our vibe,” says Thornton. “I didn’t want some generic, super-modern place because that’s boring.”

Thornton wants to do a steampunk theme at the new tasting room, which should gel nicely with the vibe of Shockoe Bottom, with the Canal Walk and Great Shiplock Park just a block or so away. He’s nervous about the move, but excited that he was able to buy instead of rent, because he has complete creative freedom in how to use the space. “There’s no landlord. If I want to break things, I can break things,” says Thornton. “Which I do, frequently.” He already has an idea for a light fixture: he wants to build a spider web chandelier across the entire ceiling using iron piping and Edison bulbs.

Byrant’s long-term goal is to split production between the farm and Shockoe Bottom. First, they’ll work to get more distribution and build the brand so Thornton can operate on a regular production schedule. Currently, Bryant’s has 85 active accounts in the Richmond area. “It’s getting there,” says Thornton. “We’re on rotation at a lot of places, but it takes time to build up.”

While Bryant’s is a young, independent business, they’re also an intimately small one. Thornton makes all of the cider himself and works on sales when he can. The only other full-time employees are the respective managers of the two tasting rooms, Afton Massie at the farm and Vanessa Gleiser in Richmond (who also directs marketing operations).

If you’re curious about where you can buy Bryant’s, they update their retail locations weekly. But what they really want is for you to visit the tasting room, and try some ciders that you wouldn’t normally order from a bar or buy in a six pack.

“We do weird stuff,” says Thornton. “You gotta come down and try it.”

Top Photo via Bryant’s Cider

RVA ON TAP: Tommie The Dog Brews & 400-Year-Old Ingredients with Hardywood

Caley Sturgill | October 16, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, breweries, craft beer, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Intermission Beer Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, richmond beer, rva collab house, RVA On Tap, Stone Brewing-Richmond, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Co., three notchd, Triple Crossing Beer

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

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

This week, we’ll celebrate a big award with The Answer Brewpub, in addition to a 400-year-old-ingredient recipe at Hardywood, Tommie The Dog brews with Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, and a release at Triple Crossing Beer that reminds me of a long-lost favorite song.

Before we dive into new releases and events this week, we’re sending a *big* congratulations to The Answer Brewpub for winning a James Beard Award! These awards are “the Oscars of food world” for those who are lucky enough to participate in them, and cover everything from chefs to restaurants, brewers, wine, and more in the industry — plus more, like books, journalism, and humanitarian achievements across others.

While it’s no secret to us in town that The Answer is something special, it’s well-deserved for them to see more recognition on a national scale. The James Beard Awards are the highest honor in the American dining world, and The Answer owner An Bui is now celebrating his second year being named in the Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer category.

We’re sending all the love and congratulations to our good friends this week for another year well-done. For our readers who are new to Richmond or the beer world here, The Answer is definitely one to put first on your list.

Earlier this week, the craft beer scene came together with the community once again — this time to remember Tommie The Dog, whose heartbreaking story touched the lives of people throughout the River City and beyond. Three Notch’d RVA Collab House brewed up a recipe to support Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC), the shelter who Tommie spent his last days with.

If you’re not familiar with RACC, they are an exceptional shelter that takes in wildlife and local animals from around the greater Richmond area. These folks are regularly nursing sick animals back to health, taking in strays and surrendered pets, and making a major difference in the lives of our furry friends. They do a wonderful job, and as a local nonprofit, every cent counts toward saving more lives — so if you want to help out, head over here to donate, and don’t miss Tommie’s Beer at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House. They’ve got donations open along with stickers for sale that give 100 percent of their profits to the shelter.

It’s Drink Local Think Global Craft Beer Week! I know most of you are familiar with the water crisis in Flint, MI, and many more people around the world are in the same boat. All around the nation, craft breweries are coming together to help provide clean water to those in need. While 663 million people across the world don’t have access to clean water, 2,000 children are dying every day from diseases caused by the global crisis. For the entire week, craft brewers are teaming up with Drink Local Think Global to engage the craft beer industry to make a difference.

Hundreds will be participating from around the U.S., along with one of our very own here in town. Intermission Beer Company is donating a percentage of their profits all week to the cause, and overall, the week is set to provide an estimated 2,500 people with clean, sustainable sources of drinking water. While it’s a small drop in the greater bucket, brewers around the nation are doing their part right here to help folks in their own backyard.

We’ve been excited for this event for a while now, and it’s finally here. Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is bringing the world of beer together with science and history for 400 Years in the Making: An Homage to the Birth of American Brewing tonight at their Richmond location.

With Jamestown Rediscovery, Hardywood started a project to harvest wild yeast from Jamestown Island to create a new strain for beer. This 400-year-old ingredient was renewed to create Bartmann Ale, made in a traditional style with noble hops and “heaps of persimmons.” The event tonight will host the professors from VCU Engineering and Randolph-Macon College who made the beer possible, isolating the strain of yeast to create the brew. If you make it out, you’ll also get a taste of the brew for your own — so head over to buy your tickets and learn about their process of making a 400-year-old ingredient brand-new.

Another multi-release went down at The Veil Brewing Co. last night, and as usual, they all sound delicious.

Paradise Kooler Tastee (pictured above) is my favorite on the list, because these smoothie-style tastee brews are always unique. The Sour Ale was brewed with milk sugar, peaches, raspberries, and passionfruit to come in at a nice medium 5.5% ABV, and pours in this perfectly-October orange tone.

Cat Cat Boy Boy is on the other end of the spectrum in my favorite things, because this new 8.4% ABV Double IPA was double dry-hopped with Simcoe hops and chewy, raw oats. It was appropriately named after the artist who made its cans, who you can find on Instagram at @catboy_ to check out more of their work.

whiteferrari also made its way back to the taps in a return this week, and this Double IPA was “luxuriously” hopped with only the freshest Galaxy and Citra crops available. It’s a little higher than the first at 8.0% ABV, right in the middle range in true DIPA fashion.

Master Master Shredder Shredder is a Mosaic-forward IPA that was double-dry hopped. It’s also The Veil’s house IPA, and at 5.5% ABV, it’s the perfect easy drinker to name the house brew.

In more news from The Veil: if you loved the Oyster Roast event they threw last month, get ready for round 2. Head over to the brewery this Saturday for another oyster-packed day with raw and grilled oysters, plus oyster stew, with Ruby Salts and The Savory Grain. Dank Eats is also coming out to serve up sandwiches, and The Veil will be putting out a few of their vintage Imperial Stouts (and even a Barleywine!) for the occasion.

Over the weekend, Fine Creek Brewing Company’s Sunday Beer Feature blessed us with this Barrel Aged Wild Ale. The 4.7% ABV collaboration with Reason Beer is lower in alcohol on the craft beer scale, and it’s a great one for drinkers of all types to try. You’ll catch a subtle, but noticeable, character of raspberries through the brew from the barrels it was brewed in previously hosting the fruit. With bright and tart flavors, this brew aged for 11 months to create Wild Ale from ripe red berries, dried apricot, and tastes of berry notes with lemon and a mild earthiness.

Calling all cyclists! One of the favorite events of the year is here with Stone Brewing Richmond for their Bikes and Beers ride this Saturday. Hosted by Bikes & Beers and Bike Walk RVA alongside the brewery, the 15- and 30-mile rides will leave from Stone Brewing and travel throughout the region of the River City.

You can register for the event here, which gives each rider (regardless of 15-mile or 30-mile choices) two free beer tickets for pints, plus a free raffle ticket to enter for several brand new bikes and other goodies, from cycling gear to gift certificates for your favorite food around town. On top of the ride, the event will host live music and food trucks, along with outdoor games to keep the fun rolling through the day. For more info and amping up the ride, you can check out their video here ahead of the event.

Tomorrow night at Ardent Craft Ales, the brewery’s Imperial Milk Stout is making its way to the taps in all the roasty, chocolatey goodness of a classic stout.

Ardent’s recipe was brewed with milk chocolate malt from Murphy & Rude Malting Co., and even came with local ingredients from the folks in Charlottesville. This stout is bold and rich, with residual sweetness from lactose additions to complement the heavier chocolate flavors, and all balanced out with a roasted base. According to Ardent, “this big, dark stout is silky smooth, with none of the boozy burn you might expect from a 10 percent stout.”

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

This Saturday, the fine folks of Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery are joining forces with the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation to donate sales toward the cause in their fight against breast cancer.

On tap for the event is a classic October-themed brew, Something Spooky, and a new Carrot Cake Imperial Amber Ale that will be both on tap and to-go through the weekend. On top of your beer sales going back to the organization, you’ll also be able to swing by the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation’s booth at the brewery to donate more directly — and find out more about how you can make a difference in the fight.

I can only hope this delicious beer was named after the song off this long-beloved album of mine (Iron & Wine’s “Cinder and Smoke”). Triple Crossing Beer’s Cinder is a smoked lager, which finally made its return to the brewery “as the season agrees to change for Lager Day.” Agreed there: it took way too long for fall to be in full swing this year.

Cinder is a lager brewed with German Smoked malt, which was fermented with “the most classic” of lager strains, and as cleanly as possible according to its brewers. With its flavors of savory smoke-like campfire tones, plus a coffee-spiced malty body, I can definitely say the tastes of this beer are reminding me perfectly of this song (have a listen if you haven’t before!) — and it couldn’t be better for these chilly fall days. It’s the best time of the year, y’all! At last!

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!

Drive Shack Takes a Swing at the Richmond Area

Jonah Schuhart | October 14, 2019

Topics: community service, craft beer, drive shack, driving range, events, Games, golf, golfing, News, nonprofit

With golf balls, grill food, and community service, Drive Shack is setting the par for driving ranges in the River City.

Driving up Route 288 just before it meets I-64, Richmonders have watched an impressive-looking structure grow over the last several months, and awaited their chance to go inside. Drive Shack, the brand-new driving range in Goochland, finally opened its doors last month for all to see — and well over two weeks past its September 20 debut, it’s still crowded with excited visitors.

Located at 1647 Four Rings Drive, Drive Shack is home to three levels of spots for golfers to hit balls into the massive driving range. It’s clear from the establishment’s food, games, and events that it welcomes more than just golfers, with plenty for families and businesses in the city to enjoy.

“We’re just trying to bring a little bit of everything to Richmond,” said General Manager Michael Matley.

The driving range itself is large, taking up more than three-quarters of the facility’s 65,000 square feet. The range is also outfitted with technological attractions, meaning that it can track a golf ball’s flight path, distance, and landing location to display it on screen. The obvious benefit to this is that it allows golfers to more accurately judge where they tend to hit the ball. The range lacks any hills or natural grass, utilizing synthetic astroturf; so while it may be a good place to practice, it’s nothing like the kind of golfing on real grass one would find at a golf course.

The system also comes programmed with games for customers to play. Some are more casual, fantasy-style games for less serious golfers, but there is also the option to play a full 18 virtual holes of golf.

But those aren’t the only games at Drive Shack. The establishment also has a mini-arcade that widens its appeal; what’s more, it serves as an event space, with a full bar and food menu.

“We partnered with Performance Food Group for our food,” said Matley, “so we’re able to use local suppliers.”

Their focus on food also extends to Richmond’s popular craft beer market. Seven local Richmond breweries have beers on tap at Drive Shack, including Hardywood’s special “Drive Shack Golden Ale,” brewed as a special release for its opening.

But Drive Shack’s interest in the Richmond community doesn’t stop with craft beer: members of their team have been working with nonprofit organizations like GoochlandCares since before the establishment opened. Along with participating in community service with their company, Drive Shack’s management team held a food drive for the first ten days the business was open. For every pound of food collected, Drive Shack donated one dollar.

“We’re looking forward to doing that even more,” said Matley. “[We have a lot of] responsibility to give back to the community with our time.”

Healthy Forests Make Better Beer

Julia Raimondi | October 11, 2019

Topics: beer, Climate change, craft beer, environment, environmentalism, go green, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, oktoberforest, preservation, the james river association, the nature conservancy, water

Teaming up with The Nature Conservancy for its OktoberForest initiative, Richmond breweries like Hardywood and Lickinghole Creek promote awareness about the connection between healthy forests and brewing beer.

Starting last week, breweries across the country and around the globe began participating in The Nature Conservancy’s OktoberForest campaign, including several local brewers in Richmond. The campaign is intended to help promote awareness about the connection between healthy forests, clean water, and better beer.

OktoberForest was created four years ago by The Nature Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates worldwide. The event now hosts around 40 breweries in Virginia, alongside hundreds more nationwide and globally. The brewers that participate in the campaign inform local patrons about The Nature Conservancy’s role in their brewmaking through informational coasters, table tents, poster, glasses, and shirts. This year is the first year that OktoberForest is going global, due to its popularity in the United States.

“It’s a fun idea,” said Kelley Galownia, Media Relations Manager for The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia chapter. “We’re not a super in-your-face organization, and OktoberForest seems like a fun thing to do. Beer is 95 percent water, which is a good connection to make for people — good water quality makes better beer.”

One of the local participants is Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, which has its main location in Goochland, Virginia. With an educational background in wildlife biology, a personal passion for environmentalism, and a family history of supporting The Nature Conservancy, it made perfect sense for Lisa Pumphrey, founder and CEO of Lickinghole Creek, to have her brewery participate in the campaign.

“The Nature Conservancy’s mission is very complementary to what Lickinghole Creek represents and stands for,” Pumphrey said. “One of our mottos is ‘Healthy Soil Equals Healthy Civilization.’”

Lickinghole Creek prides itself on both its environmental and its agricultural sustainability projects. The Goochland property itself is the result of a 220-acre soil reclamation and remediation project started by Pumphrey, which has now grown to 305 acres of land. Of that property, 83 acres is forest, wetland, and wildlife habitat. They also help educate the local public in more environmentally and economically sustainable ways of agriculture, such as hemp and alcohol production.

For the OktoberForest campaign, Lickinghole Creek is donating 10 percent of its tasting room proceeds to The Nature Conservancy in October, on days they aren’t already committed to donating to other nonprofits.

*Photo via Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

“One thing about the ecosystem that everyone forgets is that people are a part of it,” Pumphrey said. “If you can create ways for people to make money and provide for their family, that is the best way to create change.”

The Nature Conservancy takes a similar approach to the role of economics in environmentalism. While their main mission is to protect as much land as possible through its purchase and preservation, they also want to make sure that the land is put to sustainable use.

“We are finding areas we can invest in that will have as much benefit as possible for everybody,” Galownia said. “Our opinion is that you can’t go into an area and block off land. You need to do something where everyone benefits.”

For example, The Nature Conservancy recently purchased 253,000 acres in the central Appalachian region of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky called the Cumberland Forest Project. While this land was purchased mainly to protect the habitat of migratory birds and preserve its large swaths of forests, the human residents of that region were also in mind. With this land acquisition, the goal is to help incorporate ecotourism options and also provide clean drinking water.

Closer to Richmond, The Nature Conservancy’s Piney Grove Preserve in Sussex County conserves Virginia’s longleaf pine forests and one of the last breeding populations of red-cockaded woodpecker. To help draw attention to the region, and to make it economically viable, two Virginia breweries that are OktoberForest participants will be making special brews using pine needles from the preserve.

*Photo: Cumberland Forest, via* *The Nature Conservancy*

One of the breweries, Black Narrows Brewing, is located in Chincoteague, and will be making their beer for this year’s OktoberForest. The other is Hardywood Park Craft Brewery here in Richmond, who will be making theirs in the spring after the campaign ends.

During OktoberForest, Hardywood — which has participated for the past three years — will be hosting an event for The Nature Conservancy as a gathering space after they complete a river clean-up with the James River Park System on October 17.

Outside of the OktoberForest campaign, Hardywood runs on 100 percent clean power through Dominion Energy’s Green Power Program. They also donate to the James River Association, and source their grains and brew ingredients from local farms.

“We like being involved with The Nature Conservancy in any way,” Patrick Murtaugh, co-founder and brewmaster of Hardywood said. “They asked us to be a part of this, and it was an easy ‘yes’ for us. We hope to be involved with them in the future.”

Top Image via OktoberForest/The Nature Conservancy

RVA ON TAP: Jägerbeers & Big Lebowski Brews

Caley Sturgill | October 9, 2019

Topics: beer, beer column, Center of the Universe, craft beer, final gravity brewing co, Hardywood, RVA On Tap, Stone Brewing-Richmond, strangeways, The Veil Brewing Co., Triple Crossing Beer, Vasen Brewing Company

This week, we’re celebrating the 8th birthday of Hardywood along with some very special releases in town — like Stone Brewing Richmond’s “JägerBastard” and The Big Lebowski-insired El Duderino at Center of the Universe.

Happy Birthday, Hardywood! Our long-time Richmond loves are celebrating their 8th anniversary this Saturday, and the Totally Boss Anniversary Bash is bringing the 80s back to the River City with their all-day party for the occasion.

For celebratory beer, they’ll be releasing their 8th Anniversary Blend as an eight-barrel mash-up, which brings together a “totally tubular” combination of flavors like sweet cherries, dates, candied apples, and a subtle oak aura. In its finish, the new brew has notes of caramel, leather, and chocolate, leaving a lingering silky-smooth taste. Another special thing to note: in its combination of eight barrels, this beer was aged for a total of 58 months, so it’s bringing out flavors originally from 2015. Can you remember what your favorite things were in 2015? I can, and I can tell you that caramel and apples were definitely on that list.

In entertainment, Hardywood’s hosting DawnStar Games for retro video games, 80s-themed photo booths for the stylin’ and the profilin’, guest taps from breweries all around town, costume contest prizes, retro board games, Virtual Reality experiences with Richmond VR, and of course, live music! The Vertigos, Gambles Hill Gang, and 64 Crayons Band are all coming out to play through the day. So if you’re looking for a new (old) brew or just a reason to get dressed up, Hardywood’s got you covered.

Can we say yum? Or, maybe — for those of you who have had a little too much Jägermeister fun in the past — you’d rather say “no, thanks.” But in this beer column we love licorice, and we’re stoked for the new Stone Brewing release.

The classic Arrogant Bastard Ale is here in a new Jägermeister variation, and like Stone says, these two names both elicit adoration “by a worthy few.” These unapologetic drinks are either a hard yes or a hard no for most of us, and I’m glad to say I’m on the yes side of that equation.

Before what I’m now referring to as JägerBastard, the closest thing we could find in Richmond to a Jäger-infused drink that didn’t feel so liquor-ey is what I call YerbaJäger at Cobra Cabana. Liquor is, across the board, one of my least favorite things, but I can’t deny my love for that dark licorice taste. YerbaJäger is one of my fav drinks at CC, where they take their authentic imported Yerba Mate and mix it with Jäger (and it’s *surprisingly* good).

Now that the JägerBastard is here, I’ve got something new to try. This recipe from Stone Brewing was brewed and imported from their Berlin location, and according to the brewers, it’s perfect for sipping on fall evenings and pairing with a fine meal — or giving as a gift to any “true appreciator of liquid arrogance and independence.”

It definitely takes some arrogance to get this one down the hatch. Godspeed, y’all.

It’s that glorious time of year again when The Big Lebowski somehow makes its way into every facet of Richmond culture, and I’m here for it.

The Dude returns! El Duderino is heading back to Center of the Universe, and this White Russian-inspired Stout is every bit as delicious as the traditional mixed drink. This brew was pulled together from eight different malts, along with vanilla beans to bring out the realest flavors of chocolate and espresso with a tan, creamy, and pillowy head.

El Duderino dropped last year shortly before the Carytown Big Lebowski bar crawl, where I delightfully got to witness a crowd of people walking the streets in their bathrobes and pouring into New York Deli to clear them out of all the El Duderino they could drink. Thankfully, I got a taste of my own just in time — and I can definitely recommend it highly.

It’s lager time! Lager Day is coming to Triple Crossing Beer this Saturday from 12-8pm, full of recipes both old and new. At their spot in Fulton, Triple Crossing is serving up the lager love with brews like Tiny Pils, Pathway Pils, Hiltop, Festbier (in perfect timing for this month!), Czech Dark, and Cinder Rauchbier.

If you remember from last week, Czech Dark just recently dropped in all its late-fall flavored glory, with a toasted, dry, roast-forward finish and hints of red tones to round off this extra-dark brew. It’ll be up on the taps for Lager Day, and all lagers throughout the day will be served in the brewery’s exclusive German glassware that you’ll get to take home with you afterward. On the eats side of things, they’ll have Postbellum’s soft pretzels served with beer mustard and pimento cheese, along with their pizza kitchen menu.

Pour and Pasties is back at Strangeways Brewing, and this one’s always a crowd favorite. Head out to the Dabney Rd location this Friday evening for brewery burlesque and all the beautiful entertainment you can take, with a full evening of performances and a great cast.

Performers this time around will include Venessa Chevelle, Nyx Nebulae, Bert Shaffer, Scarlet Starlet, Murphy Lawless, Sally Stardust, and their host Ego Von Hubris. The event is thrown by Strangeways in collaboration with Burlesque Right Meow, which hosts shows all around town with an especially awesome effort for inclusivity. Their feminist-forward principles bring in body types of all identities, shapes, and sizes, and they’re big on celebrating the art of burlesque for everyone to enjoy.

Last night at The Veil Brewing Co., another multi-release went down with four new brews for the people of Richmond.

whitebugatti, pictured above, is a Triple IPA hopped “luxuriously” with Citra and Galaxy hops, brewed with only the freshest available. It hits in at 11% in ABV and 100% in my dreams, and I can only hope I make it to the brewery in time to get a glass of this delicious brew.

The Veil also dropped Mean Everything, a brand-new brew that came together with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Ekuanot hops in addition to a lot of oats to bring the earthy, fruity flavors all together in a 6% ABV beer. Next came Special Combo #5, and if you’re remembering back to the end of the 90s (and the tunes of my childhood) to the release of “Mambo #5,” you’re not alone. This Double IPA comes in at 9% ABV for a high-but-not-too-high-drink, at least in my book. Push me up to 10% and I need to stop at one brew, so for Special Combo #5, we’ll say cheers to two.

The last release of the night brought Tefnut, an 11% ABV cosmic Imperial Gose that was made as a collaboration with Omnipollo to “reimagine what a fruit beer can be” with new processes and fruit volumes, and plenty of ripe, juicy mango character.

If you haven’t heard the news yet, there’s another opening scheduled for The Veil with another Scott’s Addition addition: a new food hall! They’ll have more than 18 vendors all in one awesome place, with a massive rooftop bar and 25,000 square feet to pack it with all of Richmond’s best — including beer by The Veil, because it wouldn’t truly be a Scott’s Addition collab without them.

Coming up this Friday, Final Gravity Brewing Co. is releasing two new beers inspired by both coasts. The East & West Coast Double Beer Release party goes down all day Friday, with Luminosity and California Dreamin’ both fresh to the taps.

Luminosity is a New England Double IPA (my favorite!) that brings together Multihead, Belma, Cashmere, and Vic Secret hops for a tropical blend that can “brighten your glass like the glow of early morning sun shining through a dewy haze.” With notes of peach, melon, and apricot to top it all off, this one’s right up my alley.

California Dreamin’ is coming back to us in a return; this golden beauty was a crowd favorite that was so loved they decided to bring it back. The 7% ABV beer was made with a combination of Columbus, Simcoe, and Centennial hops to bring out a clean, citrusy flavor with a subtle bite.

A fresh Double IPA is here at Väsen Brewing Company, and like the other DIPAs out this week, it’s a high priority. This dank, fruity brew came out over the weekend at Väsen, and it was appropriately-named Mandarin Galaxy.

The recipe is bold with juicy fruit flavors, brewed with Citra Cyro, Mosaic, Mandarina Bavaria, and Australian Galaxy hops. It’s new in cans and on tap, and it brings Väsen into a bold new universe of hoppy citrus flavors.

RVA ON TAP: Throwing Down in RVA & Untappd Comes To Town

Caley Sturgill | September 18, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, bluegrass festival, Canon And Draw, craft beer, final gravity brewing, fine creek brewing, Hardywood, Isley Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek, pride crawl, RVA On Tap, scotts addition, Steam Bell Beer Works, Stone brewing, the answer brewpub, The Veil, triple crossing, untappd, vasen brewing

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 kicking things off with a lot of awesome events in addition to tons of great new releases. Fall flavors are finally starting to come in more consistently, and they’re perfect to go along with the festivals of the season.

We’ve been waiting a long time for this one, and it’s finally here! Stone Brewing is hosting their annual Stone’s Thrown Down In RVA this Saturday, celebrating their third anniversary in the River City with a full day of badass beers and bands.

They’ll be slinging drinks from their own brewery and from other locals we love, with live music all day long. J Roddy Walston and The Business is headlining, a popular Richmond-based band, playing alongside White Denim, Cory Wong, Howlin Rain, and The Long Ryders. Another bonus: all ticket sales and total proceeds will benefit some of our favorite local nonprofits like the James River Association (yay!), the Neighborhood Resource Center of Greater Fulton, the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, and Venture Richmond.

If you’re too busy on Saturday or you’re too broke to cover tickets + craft beer, Stone’s got you covered! Stone’s Throw Down Eve is going down on Friday, with food trucks and special beers galore. They’ve also got some great bands on deck like Colin Phils and Colder Planets to get the party going and keep it rolling through the weekend.

Pride season is here, and the events of the city are here for it! This Saturday brings one we’ve been especially excited for: the Scott’s Addition Pride Crawl. Hosted over at the Robert B. Moss Theatre with the Richmond Triangle Players, VA Pride, and OutRVA, the Pride Crawl will bring all your favorite brewers from Richmond’s booziest neighborhood together for a day of celebrating (and even free stuff).

Look forward to drinking with your faves, like Blue Bee Cider, Ardent Craft Ales, Vasen Brewing Company, Black Heath Meadery, The Veil Brewing Co., Buskey Cider, Isley Brewing Company, Courthouse Creek Cider, Reservoir Distillery, and Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, along with the Scott’s Addition Beverage District.

“Cheers, Queers!” says the family of event planners, and if you’re looking to wear it with pride, you can grab a shirt for the occasion as well. They’ll have plenty of beers and plenty of parties to keep your Saturday fun all day long, plus the chance to win gift certificates from your favorite local brewers — because free stuff is the best stuff.

Happy birthday, Lickinghole Creek! One of our favorite farms is celebrating their 6th anniversary this Saturday, and not only will it be a great celebration, it’ll be packed with their fall harvest of sunflowers! Sunflower season at Lickinghole Creek might just be the most beautiful time of the year, and they’ve been in bloom over the last few weeks out at the brewery.

During the anniversary party, Lickinghole Creek is releasing two awesome beers. First comes the next edition of their Juicy series, with Juicy #15 “Something Pretty” coming out for the occasion. Next is their Vanilla Virginia Black Bear, which sounds as great as I’m sure it tastes. If you’re in the market for live music over the weekend, they’ll have bands like Magnetite, Sunrizen, and Dreaddy Bear all day.

In new releases this week, we’ll get started with Triple Crossing Beer’s Interstellar Burst. This beautifully-canned beer came out early this week, and it’s an 8% ABV Double IPA (my favorite!) that was created with a generous mix of Galaxy, Citra, and El Dorado hops. You’ll catch flavors of passionfruit, pineapple, grapefruit, and mango to keep the last days of summer in season, with a deep and plush feel out of the glass.

*PHOTO: Untappd Seven City Tour, The Answer Brewpub*

Our pals at The Answer Brewpub are teaming up with Untappd this Friday as part of the awesome social beer site’s Seven City Tour. Untappd is kicking off their tour of the nation all month, and stopping right here in Richmond (obviously, because everyone knows The Answer is the best spot). Their co-founder, Greg Avola, will be spending his evening with The Answer and giving away free Untappd merch like t-shirts, stickers and more.

After Richmond, Untappd is hitting Denver to finish out the tour. They’ve already made it to San Diego to visit Ballast Point, Milwaukee to visit Eagle Park, and Washington, D.C. to visit ChurchKey. Tonight, they’re heading to Raleigh for Burial Beer Co. before hitting Pittsburgh tomorrow for Southern Tier, and then making their way down the East Coast to land at The Answer.

This might be my favorite combination of things to happen all year! A bluegrass festival is coming up at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery.

This Saturday, our faves at Hardywood are hosting the Richmond Bluegrass Festival, complete with six bands to keep the music going til the sun goes down. First up is Hogweed, then Slack Family Bluegrass Band takes the stage. Ragged Mountain String Band follows, then The Hot Seats and Gallatin Canyon play before Nobody’s Business closes the night.

Also — if you’re loving this poster as much as we are, be sure to come and take one home with you. They’ll have a limited number for sale at the festival, so get there early!

Over at Väsen Brewing Company, Wanderlust 9 is coming out this Saturday. As Väsen says, “Embrace your inner wanderlust” with this velvety-smooth, juicy brew. Wanderlust 9 was inspired by the classic combination of peaches and cream — and this time of year always gets me, because as in love as I am with fall brews, there’s nothing I love like I love peaches and cream.

It came together with fragrant Madagascar vanilla beans blended with peach, which impart a complex and fruity flavor profile, according to the brewers, with a surprising depth. It’s also got a moderate hoppy bitterness — to remind you that “it’s still a beer.”

Final Gravity Brewing Co. has been cooking up something good this week. Moon Cresta New England Double IPA is dropping this Friday, full of fruits and combining the firepower of Belma and Citra hops together.

There’s a big blast of orange, so to all of our Blue Moon fans, this one’s for you. As a Double IPA, it’ll bring out some of your favorite flavors from that classic, usually with a higher ABV and a bolder, thicker fruity taste. Subtle notes of strawberry and tropical melon come together with the larger orange flavors, with “just a touch of spice” to take this one to the next level.

Another awesome brew is out at Canon & Draw Brewing Company, this time with an even sweeter flavor. Berries n’ Cream IPA comes out this Friday at the brewery, complete with all the blueberries, raspberries, and sweet cherries your fruity hearts desire.

This one is coming in as the latest in their Fruit n’ Cream series, which has had a delicious array of recipes so far. It’s definitely on my list to try.

Ardent Craft Ales has two great new beers this week. First up is an 8% ABV Summit DIPA, the first to be brewed by Ardent with their Hordinal Kveik Norwegian Ale yeast. This yeast brings out tropical fruit flavors with a clean finish, and as a hazy Double IPA, it was triple dry-hopped with Citra and Amarillo. According to the brewers, it’s bursting with juicy stone fruit and citrus flavors.

Second comes Sweet Potato and Sage, two of my most favorite things. Is it becoming clear yet that I can’t get enough of fall flavors? I feel like every beer this month has had me saying “this is my favorite!” and then another one comes along that I love just as much.

Anywho, Sweet Potato and Sage is more of a dry-style brew, as a farmhouse saison. You’ll catch more earthy notes than fruity in this one, balancing the sweet potato flavors with the fragrant sage. The 6.4% ABV recipe is a fall seasonal with a continental malt backbone that complements its subtle hop tastes.

O.P.P. is fresh at Steam Bell Beer Works this week, coming out on Friday as a classic pale ale. You’ll get flavors of grapefruit and tropical fruit in this one, with orange peels “waiting patiently to drive home the sweet citrus finish.”

It was hopped lighter than their IPA’s usually are to keep it simple and refreshing, with English base malts and additions of Cascade hops to add to its dose of dried orange peel. And an important thing to note: while most pale ales are on the lighter side in ABV, O.P.P. hits in at 7.4%, so keep it careful!

It’s Oktoberfest at Isley Brewing Company! Benedict’s Brew is coming out this Saturday and hits in at 7.3% ABV. If you’re unfamiliar with the background of Oktoberfest, Isley was kind enough to give us a little taste of history:

“The Oktoberfest celebration began in 1810, when the populace was invited to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria. This marked the first time the general public was asked to participate in such a regal event. Shortly thereafter, beer vendors began offering Malty, traditional German lagers as refreshment during the annual festival.”

Keeping with tradition, Isley is following the styles used in the original Oktoberfests. Their Benedict’s Brew is a copper-colored, bottom-fermented lager beer according to the brewers, and it was hopped with traditional German malt, hops, and yeast.

More multi-releases are in line at The Veil Brewing Co., and these four just came out last night:

R.I.P. Me, probably my favorite name of a beer that I’ve seen in a while, just returned to the brewery in all its Double IPA glory. Honestly, I haven’t found a brewery that can completely kill it at Double IPA’s as consistently as The Veil does, and this one I’m sure is no different. Brewed with flaked barley and a maximum saturation of Citra, Simcoe, and Nelson hops, this one comes in at 8% ABV.

Blackout Tastee also returned last night, a smoothie-style Sour created with milk sugar (yum!!), “mad amounts” of blackberry, and black currant purée. At a lower 5.5% ABV, this is one you can have seconds on — as long as you don’t get too full.

Frozen Frozen Ocean is the third to return this week, a double dry-hopped version of Frozen Ocean that was created with 100% Lupulin Powder as a Double IPA. With Lupulin Powder, Citra hops, Simcoe hops, and Mosaic hops on top of its puffy flaked oats, it comes together at 8% ABV.

Speck of Light was the individual debut of the evening, and this brand-new beer at The Veil was brewed with Pilsner malt, raw wheat, and Citra, El Dorado, and Vic Secret hops that combined come in at a medium 6% ABV.

Over the weekend, Fine Creek Brewing released their House Saison as their Friday Beer Feature. This one has some special flavors we don’t see too often, with bubblegum combined with spicy and fruity tastes. With a dry and refreshing feel out of the glass, this lower 5% ABV beer is a classic interpretation of the Saison style, and its moderate bitterness and rye spiciness help to “elevate” the mellow citrus and peppercorn you’ll taste in it.