Intermission Beer Company Archives | Page 4 of 6

RVA On Tap: Belgian Beer Festivals & Gingerbread Stouts

Caley Sturgill | October 30, 2019

Topics: ardent, beer, beer column, Center of the Universe, Champion Brewing, courthouse creek cider, craft beer, crooked run brewing, elation brewing, Final Gravity, Fine Creek Brewing Company, full steam brewery, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, O'Connor Brewing, reason beer, RVA On Tap, smartmouth beer, Stone Brewing-Richmond, strangeways, tabol brewing, The Veil, vasen brewing

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

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.

Fall is in full swing with Fine Creek’s Belgian Beer Festival, and Halloween events with Stone Brewing Richmond and Intermission Beer Company. We’ve also got the return of the Gingerbread Stout to Hardywood this week, plus more great releases like Center of the Universe’s The Donny, Final Gravity’s Splashdown, Vasen Brewing Company’s Smoked Candy Cap Walrus, and more with The Veil Brewing Co.

Kicking off the week, Fine Creek Brewing Company is hosting their giant Belgian Beer Festival this Saturday with tons of our favorite brewers from all around the Richmond area, and plenty more from around the state.

You’ll catch live music from Darcy Down, a local Virginia country artist, along with a large array of guest beers from spots you already love and new favorites to try. Here’s a list of the participating breweries coming out for the first annual event at the beautiful Powhatan spot:

Ardent Craft Ales, Bingo Beer Co., Champion Brewing Company, Courthouse Creek Cider, Crooked Run Brewing (Sterling, VA), Elation Brewing (Norfolk, VA), Fullsteam Brewery (Durham, NC), Hardywood, O’Connor Brewing Co. (Norfolk, VA), Reason Beer (Charlottesville, VA), Smartmouth Beer (the Norfolk, VA creators of the famous Lucky Charms brew last year!), Strangeways Brewing, Tabol Brewing, and our pals at Väsen Brewing Company.

It’s that time we’ve all been waiting for: GBS releases at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery!

Hardywood’s Gingerbread Stout is the beer loved ‘round the city each year, and it also signals the start of colder days and the early times of the holiday season. We’re not quite to Halloween yet, and while I’m increasingly more annoyed with pre-Halloween Christmas shenanigans every year, Hardywood’s GBS coming at the top of November is a holiday treat I’ll welcome like no other.

This Saturday, get your first glass of the season along with the release of Christmas Pancakes (which, honestly, is probably going to top my list even above the classic GBS as a bigtime pancake enthusiast). GBS hits in at 9.2% ABV, and this award-winning brew isn’t one to sleep on: it’s been given a 100 Rating from BeerAdvocate, a Bronze Medal at the World Beer Cup, and named one of the top 25 Milk Stouts in the world from BeerAdvocate as well. With Virginia-grown Hawaiian white ginger and local wildflower honey, it’s almost impossible for it to disappoint.

Christmas Pancakes, on the other hand, is all your favorite GBS flavors wrapped up in one keg with maple syrup (!!) and it’s already been praised highly, too. If you’re a holiday-lover, it’s the perfect way to get into the spirit… and if you’re a holiday-hater, this sweet brew will take some of the edge off from all those uncomfortable family encounters and mobs of shoppers packing the city.

We’re getting excited for the new location of The Veil Brewing Co. as plans gear up for their 2020 opening. They released a few images of the building’s renderings, so there’s plenty of cause for celebration when this one is ready for the public.

In addition to plans for their new spot, The Veil dropped several new beers this week in an awesome Halloween theme.

Dull Fangs kicked off the spooky releases, an All Hallow’s Galaxy and Nelson IPA that The Veil made a bit softer with additions of grapefruit purée. This particularly special recipe is near and dear to its brewers, they say, as it was one of their very first beers in their 2016 grand opening mixed 4-pack. According to The Veil, it’s “something juicy to sink your teeth into while you’re out causing mischief this Halloween” — and if we’ve learned anything from Richmond’s questionable treatment of something as simple as electric scooters, causing mischief is in this city’s blood. That’s definitely fang-worthy.

CREEP followed up with an All Hallow’s Pumpkin Pie Double IPA (holy yum!) with even more pumpkin pies than last year. This brew came together with the harvest of the season along with “piles” of oats, and big hop flavors from Citra and Enigma additions. It’s got all the pumpkin and buttery crust flavors you could want, rounding out at a solid 8% ABV.

Never Never Dead Dead closed out last night’s releases, an All Hallow’s Gose that was brewed with double Sour Gummy Worms and double Sour Patch Kids. It’s a brand-new recipe of the beloved original sour, made for the first time with double the ingredients to make sure this Halloween brings the most sugary blessings you’ve ever had.

If you didn’t get enough Halloween excitement in over the weekend, never fear — there are plenty of holiday events still going throughout the week, like Halloween with Stone going down at Stone Brewing Richmond tomorrow night.

As Stone says, “The gargoyle will be in full effect this Halloween at Jacktown,” and their stoic mascot is the perfect one to kick off the best night of the year. They’ll be hosting a tap takeover with all of their best devilish brews, and the ghouls at Stone invite you to come in costume and celebrate along with them.

Local coffee meets local beer. Center of the Universe is releasing The Donny on Saturday, and this Southern English-style Brown Ale is combined perfectly with Lamplighter’s cold brew coffee — a reference to the coffee can where Donny’s ashes ended up at the end of The Big Lebowski (spoiler alert).

The smooth, velvety flavors with notes of caramelized sugars and strong coffee were created by COTU “to bring to mind carefree coffee dates with your closest nihilist buddies.” Who in Richmond doesn’t have a few of those? I think, in spirit, we’re probably all that nihilist buddy to someone. You’ll also taste caramel and toffee to add in more dessert, all coming together from Maris Otter, Crystal 120, Crystal 77, and Perle hops in addition to Flaked Barley and Flaked Oats.

In more Halloween events, head over to Intermission Beer Company tomorrow night for a spooky round of Tim Burton movie trivia. It’s likely to fill up, so make sure to get your tickets here today while you still can!

Intermission will have their Pumpkin Spiced All Hallows Ale and Jack O’ Lantern Hard Seltzer Floats on deck, and they’ll even have non-alcohol versions of the seltzer floats for your DD! This week, the DD is probably going to be me, because pre-Halloween weekend already did your girl in. Trivia starts at 7, and you’ll want to make sure you’ve registered for your trivia seat ticket before it starts and get there early to grab a table. Tim Burton movies are a binge-worthy Halloween favorite, so it’s the perfect time to bring your knowledge to the table (literally) and see what you’ve got!

Splashdown Double IPA is making its way back to the taps this Friday at Final Gravity Brewing Co., and this juicy 8% ABV New England-style brew is packed with flavor.

With grapefruit and citrus, Splashdown’s tastes were created with Citra and Apollo hops. It drinks smooth, according to the brewers, with “billowing waves of melon and lime.” In events, you’ll also want to catch up with Final Gravity this week for their taco party hosting the Taqueria Panchito food truck, and their Bluegrass Jam on Tuesday. The Bluegrass Jam even invites guests to bring their own acoustic instruments to join in on the jam — plus, you’ll get 20 percent off beer all night if you play with the group!

On Sunday, Väsen Brewing Company released their Smoked Candy Cap Walrus, which is made for sitting out on fall nights.

From the sweet to the smokey, this brew was made with German Applewood and Cherrywood smoked malts, and has flavors of dried candy cap mushrooms to complement its earthy maple tastes. Coming up this Saturday, Väsen is hosting the Kathmandu Momo & Spice food truck to pair their beers with authentic Nepali and Indian food. They’ll be there throughout the afternoon and evening, so head over to their tasting room for the occasion.

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: 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

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!

RVA ON TAP: Oktoberfests & Seasonal Brews Hit The River City

Caley Sturgill | September 25, 2019

Topics: anniversary, ardent, beer, beer column, Canon And Draw, Center of the Universe, gbs, gingerbread stout, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, Oktoberfest, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, strangeways, The Veil, three notchd, Väsen, wahoo cup

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

This week, we’ve got more coming for Oktoberfest celebrations, plus some delicious beer releases happening around town… like The Veil’s black-colored lemonade brew and the famous Hardywood Gingerbread Stout heading back to town.

The very beginnings of fall are still popping up, especially in regards to the Oktoberfests galore happening across the city. Over the weekend, a large festival came to the grounds around the VMFA, and this weekend another huge one is coming to Center of the Universe Brewing.

On Friday and Saturday, head out to our favorite Ashland spot for this free event packed with traditional live German music, German-inspired food, German-style brews, plus the 2019 Das Bier Run on Saturday and more surprises. Friday’s music will be provided by The LOW’n’BROWS — a German “Oompah” band from Fredericksburg who, after 21 years professionally playing the music style, specialize in polkas, waltzes, and other traditional “hofbrauhaus” music, according to COTU.

“Grab your lederhosen and your beer steins!” says the brewery, because Saturday keeps the party going. All day long from 12pm-10pm, the inside of COTU’s taproom will be turned into a traditional German festhalle as the Das Bier Run gets started. And the best part: the beer! Oktoberfest, their take on the classic Munich fest biers, will be on draft. It’s made from German Munich and Vienna malts to add a sweet, malty flavor to its toasted notes. Also brewed with Czech yeast to bring out the malt, German hops were added to give it just enough bitterness to round out the flavors.

See you there!

Canon & Draw Brewing has *really* been killing the new brew game lately. With stellar variations all over the board, this week they’re dropping a special one on Friday.

Coffee w/ Room, an American Milk Stout, is a juiced-up version of the classic stout DNA. This 8% ABV milk stout starts off with a roasted-chocolate base that brings in several caramel malts, which gives it a rich and complex foundation. Next you’ll taste its creamy sweetness, made with a large addition of lactose and packed with locally-roasted and coarsely-ground coffee from Rostov’s.

Full of dark chocolate flavors and its delicately-roasted Ecuadorian coffee, this beer has a “light and bright” acidity, according to the brewers, from coffee blending seamlessly with the malty chocolate base and sweet cream finish.

Happy Richmond birthday, Three Notch’d! Their RVA Collab House turns three on Saturday, and they’ll have everything — food trucks, beer releases, re-releases, games, and more.

If you’re a football fan and you’re trying not to miss the game, they’ll have three TV’s out so you can drink and enjoy while catching every minute. They’ll also have games like foosball, darts, arcades, corn hole, and more to entertain attendees, plus prize pack giveaways with free merch, glassware, and gift certificates.

Cafe 804 will be providing the eats for the occasion, so come out to grab one of your favorite Three Notch’d brews and celebrate with them.

Hardywood’s got a great new beer coming up this Friday, with their Benny & The Fest can release. Also — did you know that Hardywood was recently voted Richmond’s favorite brewery? No surprise there, because everything they do is delicious, and this one’s no different: Benny & The Fest is a lighter 5.8% ABV marzen lager, and it’s malt-forward with a nice, light sweetness. As the crisp air of fall starts rolling in early next month, it’s “a great treat to pair” with the cooler temperatures of fall.

And in even *better* news, Hardywood’s Gingerbread Stout series is back!!! Pre-sales began this Monday, and complete sets are on sale now. They’ve got seven new variants for 2019, and they sound even better than last year: with special variations like Christmas Pancakes with maple syrup, Christmas morning with Mexican Chiapas coffee, Fluffy GBS with marshmallows, and Frosty GBS with white ginger and local honey. Also, all the whiskey-lovers out there can look forward to Kentucky Christmas Pancakes (take your regular pancakes, and add bourbon to them), Christmas Island with Toasted Coconut, and the classic Bourbon Barrel GBS.

Also this week, Hoax comes out at Hardywood on Saturday! This 13.5% — yeah, you read it right — Barrel-Aged Milk Stout just spent 9 months in freshly-emptied brandy barrels, and it’s a “behemoth” of a beer according to the brewers. It joins their crew of misfits, Trickery, Foolery, and Ruse, which are some of the highest-rated milk stouts in the world. Now’s your chance to come get a fresh taste of their next sibling, so don’t miss it this weekend!

Coming up on Saturday, the 5th Annual Wahoo Cup Craft Brewers Invitational is also coming to Hardywood. This yearly event benefits the Richmond Cycling Corps, which brings competitive cycling and educational possibilities to “tough city neighborhoods.”

Tons of local breweries will be in attendance, like Ardent Craft Ales, Bingo Beer Co., Fine Creek Brewing, Hardywood, Lickinghole Creek, Kindred Spirit, Starr Hill, and Three Notch’d — plus some of my faves from elsewhere around the state, like Blue Mountain Brewery, Random Row, and more!

Fresh out at Väsen Brewing Company this week is Mosaic Secrets, a brand-new brew hazy Triple IPA that keeps these last warm days of the year alive with its mango and passionfruit aromas.

The flavors were created through the hopping process with Vic Secret and Mosaic hops, and if you’re looking for a taste of your own, you can get one at the brewery after its release last night. Head over to the brewery for board games with friends, one of Väsen’s favorite pastimes, or bring your own games instead of diving into their “treasure trove” with a beer in hand.

Another recipe of my favorite brew style is making its way to Steam Bell Beer Works this Friday evening. Subrosa, a New England-Style Double IPA, was created with what Steam Bell calls a new-to-us hop combined with a decadent hop-bomb:

“Cashmere hops are fairly new on the scene, but making a splash (pun intended) in the IPA game.”

In Subrosa, you’ll catch some deliciously tropical notes to complement its higher 8.9% ABV, from peach to tangerine, and pineapple to other citrusy fruits. It was also double dry-hopped with Amarillo and Mosaic to bring out an extra dose of fruit.

Another Oktoberfest is in line, and it’s happening all month long at Strangeways Brewing. Our buds at Strangeways have specials running all month long on Oktoberfest beers, and you can catch any of these delicious brews at their locations:

Albino Monkey Belgian White Ale, Fest Bavarian-style Lager, Helles Frozen Over Munich Helles Lager, Playday Pilsner, Überlin Berliner Weisse, and the Woodbooger Belgian-Style Brown Ale.

More news at Strangeways this week brings the release of SMaSHing Simcoe, a Double Dry-Hopped IPA (my favorite!) that came out over the weekend, brewed with a single malt and single hop variety to showcase the character and versatility of its ingredients. You’ll catch an aggressive bitterness from the Simcoe hops, rounded out with a resinous, piney and dank flavor through its double dry-hopped process.

Fresh to Ardent Craft Ales is Old Molasses Ale, a historical combination that was brewed up in collaboration with the John Marshall House. The ale was based on a recipe from John Marshall’s cousin, Mary Randolph, “that she brewed in the late 1700s and featured a late addition of molasses in the boil.”

This 4.6% ABV Brown Ale drinks easy, according to the brewers, and has a low bitterness that brings out its delicious notes of molasses both in its taste and its smell. There’s only one keg available of this special brew, so make sure you get a glass while you can!

Last night at The Veil Brewing Co., another multi-release went down, with brews I can’t wait to get a taste of. First up for us is Use Me, a Double IPA (yum) brewed with Mosaic, Motueka, and Nelson hops, along with its large additions of oats and wheat — and at 8.5% ABV, this one’s riiiight up my alley.

They also released Charcoal Yella Lambz, a Charcoal Lemonade-inspired Sour beer that was brewed with milk sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice, activated charcoal, and lemon purée. Could there be any more awesome ingredients in one beer? This one comes in lower, at 4.5% ABV, so it’s the perfect beer to drink like a glass of lemonade and keep things light — although it’s completely black in a glass.

Not quite like its redmiata sibling, greenmiata is a luxuriously-hopped IPA that returned to The Veil last night in all its flaked barley, Simcoe, and Citra-hopped glory. At 6% ABV, greenmiata comes in somewhere in the middle on alcohol percentage, so it’s a good brew for most folks looking for a taste.

Now here’s a phrase I know a few people could stand to hear: Who Hurt You? This brand-new Double IPA debuted at The Veil last night and, brewed with malted oats and raw wheat, its taste is as delicious as its wheaty, creamy color. It came together with Galaxy, Nelson, and Citra Lupulin Powder to hit in at 9% ABV.

This Friday at Intermission Beer Company, ArtoberFest is dropping as a new release in their variation of an Oktoberfest beer. This one was brewed up in collaboration with CultureWorks and ArtoberVA, and a portion of its sales will go back to the organization at CultureWorks, too — and what’s better than drinking for a cause? You’ll get to grab food from the Good Doggie! food truck at the release as well, with German Beer Brats and German Pretzel Dogs.

RVA ON TAP: Diablo Forever & The Return of Scream Forest

Caley Sturgill | September 4, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, booze clues, booze clues podcast, clown battle royale, craft beer, diablo forever, final gravity brewing co, fine creek brewing, Halloween, Intermission Beer Company, Kindred Spirit Brewing, mekong, podcast, quy forever, quy pham, RVA On Tap, scream forest, Stone Brewing-Richmond, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Co., Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

This week, we’ve got an early announcement for a very special fundraiser to the people of Richmond, plus the return of Scream Forest Blood Orange IPA and more to get your Halloween juices flowing.

This summer, our friends at The Answer Brewpub and across the Richmond community lost a beloved member of The Answer’s family, and a beloved friend to folks all around the city. Quy Pham, a longtime bartender at our favorite brewpub and close friend of the owner An Bui, is memorialized forever now on the building The Answer calls home, in a mural along its main wall.

“Diablo Forever” is the phrase of the summer, and one that will stay endlessly in the minds and hearts of all those Quy touched in his life. Last month saw the release of Quy Forever by The Veil Brewing Co. in his honor, and it was brewed to taste sweet, like all our memories of Quy are.

Coming up on September 14, The Answer Brewpub and Mekong are hosting a celebration of Quy’s life and a fundraising event to benefit his family. They’ll have a special beer and glassware auction for fundraising, with bottles, glassware, and other memorabilia donated by the friends and community of Quy and The Answer. If you’re unable to make it out to the event, you can still do your part and donate to his family’s GoFundMe page, which lists an excellent and heartfelt tribute to the kind of guy Quy was with the folks he loved:

“Quy’s ability to at the same time be the most humble caring human and the most sarcastic outgoing comedian is unparalleled. If you have never seen the TV show Cheers, go watch it right now. If you have, you know that you could easily insert Quy as a main character.

“His innate ability to understand people and make them feel relaxed and at home embodied the best of the RVA craft beer & food community. The truth is, he represented the best of what everyone should aspire to be… an amazing friend to everyone. As soon as you sat down at the bar at Mekong you felt like you were at home. If you passed him walking through The Answer with that smile, it was infectious. Quy was always laughing, smiling and giving the best hugs. He was an amazing father & husband and inspired others to be the same. He was always a source for motivation for whatever you wanted to accomplish. Quy has and will continue to impact countless lives.”

After the tragedy of his loss, friends of Quy around town have come together to help his family during hard times. If you’re able to make it out to the fundraising event, your support would be greatly appreciated by The Answer and its community.

Now that fall is nearing, the local breweries around town are gearing up for all the events and releases it brings. With Halloween just around the corner, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House has partnered up with Creepy Hollow Scream Park again to drop Scream Forest this Friday, a Blood Orange IPA that made waves last year for its awesome flavors… and an awesome photo shoot to accompany it.

Creepy Hollow Scream Park is out in Glen Allen, and it’s filled with spooky scenery to keep the experience going at every turn with realistic illustrations and scary surprises. It’s Richmond’s favorite Halloween destination, and it’s made even better by the blood orange flavors bursting in Scream Forest. This IPA was dry-hopped with Mosaic hops to give the blood orange a nice base, added right before they kegged it to keep the tastes fresh — and it’s “bloody delicious,” according to those who have had the pleasure of drinking this spooky brew.

Join Three Notch’d at their Scott’s Addition spot this Friday for the release, and get your spooky gears turning… we’re only a few short weeks away now from cold nights and the thrills of the season.

Happy birthday, Intermission Beer Company! The Glen Allen brewery is celebrating its second birthday this Friday, and we couldn’t be more excited to congratulate them on two trips around the sun together.

For the occasion, they’ll have two new beers on tap: Levy-goz-ah, a Cranberry-Lime Gose coming out Friday, and Ghost Light Lager on Saturday. With a new brew for each evening, Intermission will be keeping the party going throughout the weekend with some awesome entertainment as well.

On Friday, you’ll catch Firesides Food Truck along with the Richmond Astronomical Society for an awesome show, and dessert with Lil’ Stuff Cookies, which has some delicious galaxy-looking batter that fits the occasion. Saturday night, Haulin’ Balls RVA is coming out with music by Spenser Morgan to jam through the evening and celebrate the 2-year anniversary right.

Our friends at The Veil Brewing Co. are at it again, with another multi-release that just went down last night.

Hornswoggler made its way back last night, and this one’s on the opposite end of the flavor spectrum. The Chocolate Milk Stout is on the heavier side, with a huge percentage of fresh chocolate and caramel malts to complement its milk sugar and actual chocolate additions. It’s a little heavier at 7% ABV, and it comes with a surprise: in a true Willy Wonka-inspired candy fashion, this beer will be coming out with 10x Golden Tokens hidden underneath the 4-pack holders that will win you a free Hornswoggler glass if you find one. The glasses aren’t ever going to be for sale, so if you’ve really got your heart set on this limited-edition swag from The Veil, you’ll want to grab a 4-pack ($18.00/pack) while you can!

Summer Sauce Tastee came out just in time for the end of summer, and this smoothie-style Sour Ale was brewed with oats, milk sugar, and tons of awesome fruits to bring out the warm-weather season’s best. You’ll taste a crazy amount of apricot, guava, and passionfruit, according to the brewers, and this 5.5% ABV brew is perfect for an early evening or the last days by the river of the year.

Now that we’re past Labor Day, I think all of us can describe the last few days with the name of The Veil’s next brew: Sick Weekend. And we mean that in the fun style (though I’m sure after your first two nights of celebrating the holiday, you probably got some of the hungover style, too). This brand-new IPA just made its debut last night, brewed with raw and malted wheat and malted oats, then over-saturated with fresh Galaxy, BRU-1, Motueka, and El Dorado hops, hitting in at 6.5% ABV.

Merciless was the fourth release of the night, another fresh recipe from The Veil with some of my most favorite flavors. This Double IPA was brewed with raw wheat, malted wheat, oats, and “piles” of fresh Citra, Galaxy, Simcoe, and Vic Secret hops — plus some extra Citra and Simcoe LP for an extra boost of hop saturation and flavor without the bitterness. Like most Double IPAs, its higher in ABV at 8%, and it’s smooth straight out of the tap.

Check back with us next week for more of The Veil’s delicious releases, and hopefully (fingers crossed) another week of several dropping all at once.

It must be the week of multi-releases, because we’ve got an awesome one coming from Final Gravity Brewing Co. too.

This Friday, Final Gravity’s returning a few fan favorites and bringing out something brand-new. If you’re part of the Final Gravity fan club like we are, you’re gonna be really pumped on a few of these coming back: like Morning Glory New England DIPA, made with Cashmere and Azacca hops.

Also this week is the return of Satellite of Love Berliner Weisse with mango, lime, tangerine, and pineapple-passionfruit flavors — plus the new California Dreamin’ West Coast IPA that blasts flavor with bold hop bitterness, and just a hint of pine for a clean, easy drinkability.

DaddyG PopUp is also heading out to the brewery for the release, and you’ll only be able to get Satellite of Love to drink on site, so make sure to swing by and get a few favorite tastes while they’re here!

Over the weekend at Fine Creek Brewing, Vitalism came out for their Friday Beer Feature. This 7% ABV Hazy IPA brings out a sweet aroma of bright tropical fruit from its Kohatu and Mosaic hop combinations, and notes of papaya and pineapple from its fresh-cut fruit.

It was also brewed with earlier additions of Idaho 7 and German Amarillo hops, so you’ll catch even more fruity tropical tastes like blackberry tea, citrus zest, and mild bits of floral in this beer. Fine Creek sits on a gorgeous farm outside of town in Powhatan, so if you haven’t made it out yet, this beer is a great reason to go enjoy the outdoors on the last of our warm days before fall makes its way in.

Labor Day Weekend brought another great new release with Ardent’s Mixed Berry Gose.

This is Ardent’s most-fruited gose ever, and at a low 4.4% ABV, it’s great for any time of the week — so if you’re still reminiscing of easy nights and fun over the weekend, this is a great one to sip on during the week to ease up those back-to-work blues.

Mixed Berry Gose is packed with raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, and black currant to pour with a distinct purple color and a sweet, jammy flavor that balances out the tart acidity of the gose style. It’s full of flavor while staying on the refreshing side, and it’s one you won’t want to miss.

Out at Stone Brewing Richmond, a national release got an early debut just for the beer-lovers of Richmond to taste first.

Stone Buenaveza Lime & Sea Salt Lager just came out at the East End brewery, and it was inspired by the area Stone originally called home: Southern California, just minutes from the border. According to Stone, many of their flavors have been influenced and enriched by our Southern neighbors, and this Buenaveza was inspired by one in particular. Stone Xocoveza, an imperial stout released back in 2014, brought all of the rich and complex flavors of Mexican hot chocolate into a beer.

This Stone style is back again now with Buenaveza that follows that same take on a classic lager, and you can get it now in Richmond — which you’ll want to do soon, because it won’t be back in distribution until next year, when it’ll come out on a national scale.

Our favorite local beer podcast is out with a new episode again, and it’s as great as ever. Booze Clues just released a new episode and hosted another live recording, and you can catch the latest episode here: called Clown Battle Royale.

Booze Clues takes national headlines of all things drunkenly-inspired from around the globe, with the world’s most “spirited” headlines… which are always hilarious, and often include the nation’s mysterious residents like Florida Man, who is somehow always getting into the worst shenanigans. Make sure to check out their latest comedy episode and subscribe, both to make fun of the world’s drunks and to feel a little better about your own Saturday night drunken shames. We all know we’ve had them.

A new beer is on tap now at Kindred Spirit Brewing, and it’s “dangerously drinkable” at 9.3% ABV (lord help me, because these are always the first to get me). Imperial Red is full of malty goodness, with a resiny-hop finish to keep the flavor as high as the alcohol percentage.

It’s been described by some drinkers as “The best Red I have ever had,” with its smooth, easy flavor that makes the high ABV surprising. It was out back in the spring of last year, and this new brew of the old variation is just as delicious as ever.

RVA ON TAP: Dry-Hopping & International Craft Beer Weekend in Richmond

Caley Sturgill | July 31, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, booze clues, Center of the Universe, cotu brewing, Devil's Backbone, fine creek, fine creek brewing, garden grove, geeks under the influence, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, intermission, Intermission Beer Company, international craft beer weekend, Kindred Spirit Brewing, Midnight Brewing, O'Connor Brewing, red paint rva, RVA On Tap, Starr Hill Brewery, the answer brewpub, The Darkroom, The Veil Brewing Co., three notchd, Väsen, virginia museum of history and culture

This week, we’ve got tons more great events to keep you occupied in the spirit of summer, plus new releases from our favorites like The Answer Brewpub and more. Don’t miss the annual BrewHaHa Festival, the Red Paint International Craft Beer Weekend celebrations in RVA, and an awesome Gose Fest with Center of the Universe. Drink up!

Before we dive into the many events of the week, let’s start with an especially-good new release and some info on its breed. The Answer Brewpub just dropped The War on Glycol last night out at the brewery, and it looks awesome.

Brewed with Amarillo, El Dorado, Citra, and Eureka hops, The War on Glycol is a Double-Dry-Hopped (DDH) Double IPA.

We’ve talked about a lot of DDH releases over the last year or so, but for the non-brewers out there, here’s a bit of info on that: the Double-Dry-Hop process is different everywhere you go. It can either mean brewers went through the hop process, then re-did it a second time to make it a double, or it can mean they added double the amount of hops that they normally would to the first single-processed beer. Either way, you’re in for something hoppy — it just might mean you’ll get a larger amount at some breweries than at others. But you’re also in for more flavor, because the late addition of hops is already where you’ll find a good chunk of your flavor, and the late-late-addition of hops is where your brewer is packing it in for that “explosive” flavor we’ve seen more and more of lately (and trust me, it’s a good thing).

Depending on the specific beer and the brewing process of that beer, the pour in your glass could have began in a barrel with four pounds of hops, six pounds of hops, or even nine pounds of hops. So next time you head to Kroger at 10pm on a Tuesday for a build-your-own six pack because you’re craving some new tastes for your nighttime porch hangs, you’ll know what that DDH on the side of the can means (and why so many people are gravitating to try them).

While you may not find The War on Glycol DIPA DDH at Kroger, you should definitely swing by The Answer for a case of cans to try it: in its true fruity fashion, this brew has big aromas of apricot and pomelo to complement its creamy, refreshing feel. Show The Answer some love and head over to grab one while you can — as we all know, these beloved (and award-winning how many times now?) brewers are known for cooking up recipes that can go quick once they’re out, because everyone wants a taste.

*PHOTO: International Craft Beer Weekend in RVA*

International Craft Beer Weekend is alive in Richmond! This weekend, Red Paint RVA is throwing their first annual event, with a series of contests and beer features around Richmond to celebrate. Some of our favorites like Intermission Beer Company, Vasen Brewing, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Garden Grove Brewing & more will all be out for the occasion, with special beers lined up for enthusiasts like ourselves to vote on our favorites.

Richmond’s brewers are no strangers to the national scene, and the culture around it here is getting its own event to commemorate it. Red Paint themselves are collaborating on a beer with Three Notch’d for the occasion, and we’ll make sure to give that one a try.

Across town, you’ll be able to try the stellar brews that everyone is voting on all week long — and when you’re ready to vote for your favorite, just head over to redpaintva.com, search for the brewery of your choice, and click “like” on their profile to cast your vote. It’s going to be a hard call between all of these for me, but I’m thinking Fine Creek will probably take my vote. We’ll just have to wait and see!

*PHOTO: Booze Clues Podcast with Geeks Under The Influence*

Our favorite local beer podcast is back, and they’re recording their next episode live at The Dark Room this coming Sunday. Booze Clues, the live comedy podcast by Geeks Under The Influence that looks into hilarious recent headlines in the news, has their most recent episode available here, in case you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet.

Dissecting the most spirited headlines of drunken debauchery around the world, our host, Mike “Hobbit” Bickett, along with a group of comedians, podcasters, and performers, will dive into the most ridiculous things people have been caught doing after a good night of boozing. It’s free, so if you’re looking for something to spice up your Sunday night, they’ve got you covered.

The Answer isn’t the only local spot that had a killer release last night: The Veil Brewing Co. just dropped their new Soft Block DIPA brew.

The Veil has recently taken part in a lot of great collaborations. This is likely due to their reputation growing ever bigger and ever better across the beer scene, and drawing in other eager brewers to team up and create something awesome together. Soft Block DIPA is the creation of the hands of The Veil and Other Half Brewing Company, and it has the awesome creamy, orange color I’m always looking for. Can you tell I have a type? Yeah, that’s 1000000% it.

This delicious beer is a Double IPA, brewed with raw wheat, malted oats, milk sugar (!!), vanilla freeze-dried ice cream (!!!!!), oranges, vanilla, and Mosaic hops. Wow. I absolutely need it. If anyone’s in the market to treat ya girl this week, you know what to do.

Soft Block DIPA also hits in at 8% ABV, so a few will go a long way when you sit down to hang at the brewery — but get those Ubers ready, y’all, because you’re going to want more than one.

It’s Gose season in the beer world, and Center of the Universe is here to celebrate it. With another great event coming up this week, our buds at COTU are hosting Gose Fest this Saturday, and they’ve got plenty of entertainment to keep you going.

They’ll be releasing There Gose Summer, a traditional German-style Sour Ale brewed with “heaps of tangerine” and a dash of salt to make the perfect Gose. This one is slightly tart, according to the brewers, and a refreshing brew that will make “the agony of a diminishing summer” a little less dreadful, and a little more flavorful.

There Gose Summer is also being released with seven different variants to cater to all flavor profiles, so we’re sure there’s one for you. Check out COTU’s homage to summer at the brewery over the weekend, and if you make it out on Saturday, you’ll get to pair it with awesome eats from Freekin’ Rican and live music from Flashlight Tag.

Over at Intermission Beer Company, a real beast of a beer is brewing, and it’s our favorite mythical creature.

Centaur Bard is a West-Coast style IPA that was created with some really dank hops, like Simcoe, Cascade, Chinook, and Amarillo, before its dry-hopping process to really boost out the flavor. It was hopped over a 90-minute boil, and you’ll catch some great citrus flavors in this one.

“If you crave hops, the Bard obliges,” they say. “Ney, the Bard delivers!”

In more events this week, BrewHaHa is back at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on Saturday. This year is their 3rd annual festival celebrating Virginia Craft Beer Month, and it’s going to be full of our favorite local brewers.

Catch places like Starr Hill Brewery (one of my personal favorites — have you tried their maple beer?! Be on the lookout for it this fall), O’Connor Brewing Co., Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Blue Bee Cider, Ardent, Devil’s Backbone (my first love of craft beer), Midnight Brewery, Isley Brewing Company, and Kindred Spirit Brewing.

Head over here for tickets, and get ready for a day of live music, food, and a popular VIP portion called Battle of the Brews: showcasing local Virginia brewers’ renditions of a historic beer recipe from the museum’s collections. And as the museum says, you won’t want to miss this chance to “sip history.”

Highpoint DIPA has returned to Ardent Craft Ales, and the cans look as good as it tastes. This is one of Ardent’s newest DIPAs, and through its triple-dry-hop process, you can expect big hoppiness and big flavor out of this one.

Galaxy, Citra, and El Dorado hops made this brew come to life, and its house yeast blend finishes clean to allow the hops to shine, according to the brewers. You’ll catch flavors of tropical fruits, plus pear and citrus, in this new recipe made for the hazy DIPA lovers (like myself) out there.

Yuuuum, Fine Creek Brewing served up something special over the weekend. This Belgian Wit with Elderflower & Chamomile hits in at a soft 5.7% for easy drinking, and it’s the product of teamwork on the farm.

As the coalescence of the Fine Creek team’s hard work, this beer had hands from elderflower gatherers to the garden team growing, hanging, and drying its chamomile, and off to the brewers who cooked it all up in the end. You’ll catch flavors from Virginia Pils and Soft Winter Wheat malts from the Murphy & Rude Malting Co., plus water-cracker notes and a creamy body.

The elderflower is dominant on the nose, Fine Creek says, and the chamomile comes out in its taste. This beer’s soft, floral character melts into its citrusy tastes to complement both halves of its flavor profile.

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

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.