Lickinghole Creek

RVA ON TAP: Crushing the Sun (in February)

Caley Sturgill | February 26, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

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

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

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

RVA On Tap: Arrogant Bastards Unite!

Caley Sturgill | January 23, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: Fizz The Season! New Year, New Beer

Caley Sturgill | January 2, 2019

Topics: 2019, Black Heath Meadery, Castleburg, Final Gravity, fine creek, Lickinghole Creek, midnight brewery, new year, RVA On Tap, strangeways, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Co., three notchd

Hope you’re not too beer-ed out from NYE, because we’ve got a lot of great new brews coming out this week and plenty of fresh recipes to bid the holidays adieu and start rolling towards spring.

Cheers to 2019! Fine Creek Brewing Company toasted the new year with their very own champagne of beers, Brut IPA. It’s extra carbonated to give that authentic champagne feel, and with its Lemondrop and Hallertau Blanc hops, it’s nice and fruity. With low bitterness and dry hops, this beer stays very crisp and dry according to its brewers, and has a sharp white wine flavor — perfect for the first moments of our next trip around the sun.

Congrats to Black Heath Meadery on finalizing their new production facility! The meadery is spreading its wings with the new space to bring their meads to new areas of Virginia, and expand their footprint here in town. As Central Virginia’s first and only meadery, Black Heath has always brought something special to the table in a crowded beer scene around Richmond, so I’m extra excited to see them do so well. The new beehive will grow the Scott’s Addition tasting room, and its fundraiser also helps them set up new beehives around Virginia. If you’re a big fan of meads, head over and donate. I hear they have a few perks up their sleeves, too!

Over the weekend, Triple Crossing dropped a surprise. 500 is their “cleverly-named 500th mash,” and it’s their first try at putting their purpose-built imperial stout into bourbon barrels. Through experimentation and evaluation, they came about two variants — one vanilla, one coconut — from the bourbon-aged brews, then blended each of those unique flavors with a brand-new, clean imperial stout. The candied, burnt vanilla bean flavor of 500 With Vanilla is laced with brown sugar ice cream, which gives off dark and cacao-like malt flavors. 500 With Coconut, on the other hand, comes across more as a dark chocolate-like devil’s food cake, with an unsweetened coconut, raw sugary bourbon finish. Both of these beers are complex (and look beautiful, to be honest), and the brewers put a lot of calculated effort into making them just right.

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is stoked on their redneck name: With the release of Redneck High Society, they’re wearing it proudly. This Belgian-style Quad is French Cognac barrel-aged, and these barrels add a grape tannin flavor to the mix. Proceed with caution, Lickinghole Creek says, and “You’re welcome, RVA.”

The Answer Brewpub gained a brand-new beer this weekend, as well. Slice of Beer is “something crushable after all of those glasses of pizza” — and thankfully, there’s no pepperoni to be found. If you’re looking for a nice flow down the hatch, Slice of Beer is your go-to Mexican-style lager, unfiltered and crisp to drink nice and easy.

The Veil Brewing Co. whipped up something special for the new year, too. Yesterday, the Scott’s Addition sweethearts brought back Dirt Nap³, a triple dry-hopped DIPA packed with Mosaic, Citra, Nelson, and Galaxy hops. This 8.8% ABV was probably a fantastic hair-of-the-dog for its January 1st drinkers, and the new version of this classic Veil brew seems as rich as its predecessor. The OG Dirt Nap is praised for having an “insane” aroma and flavor profile, and as the brewery’s second go at DIPA’s (after Crucial Taunt), it’s got an original feel. I’m looking forward to giving this one a try.

Every week, Three Notch’d Brewing Company hosts Tap That Thursday, and everyone in the taproom gets a free taste of the newest recipe on deck. This week’s release was a special one, with Fantom of the Hopera, an Imperial Red IPA. I had the pleasure last week of joining Three Notch’d at their location in Roanoke for the occasion, and although they took over a beloved spot of my parents’ since I was a kid, I was pleasantly surprised by how well I dig having Three Notch’d in the location. In Charlottesville, Fantom of the Hopera was released last Thursday after our RVA On Tap post-Christmas, with Three Notch’d Brewmaster Dave Warwick and their special guest, David Hunter (founder of Fans of Virginia Craft Breweries). It’s available at their RVA Collab House, so give it a taste while it’s still out there.

Coming up this Friday, a smoooooooth and hazy DIPA is heading back towards Final Gravity. Vapour Trail is filled with grapefruit, floral, and tropcial flavors, brewed with Falconer’s Flight and Citra hops. It first showed up earlier this spring, and like its first release, it’ll only be here for a limited time. Vapour Trail will “soon fade away, like voices in a hurricane” its brewers say, so grab a crowler while it’s around.

Two new brews popped up over the weekend at Strangeways. Bohemian Grove and Geomancy are both fresh to the taproom — Bohemian Grove is their new Lactose New England IPA, which marries a citrusy, dank hop profile to a lightly-sweet, full body. With notes of tropical fruit, black currant, pie, and gooseberry, this recipe is named appropriately. Geomancy is Strangeways’ new boysenberry table beer, a “refreshing and fruity Belgian style, brewed with Virginia-grown barley.” Strangeways has a wonderful tradition of brewing with Virginia-grown resources, and these hail from Epiphany Craft Malt and Murphy & Rude Malting Co.

Fizz the season from Center of the Universe! Bottle Poppin’ Brut IPA is here, and this ultra-dry, champagne-like beer has a light body full of lingering vinous fruit and minerality — but still full of hops. They made it with Simcoe and Mosaic hops, and get ready to pop bottles, they say. This one’s a celebration.

Midnight Granite is back at Midnight Brewery, and this rich oatmeal stout sounds like a dream. It’s a medium-bodied brew, and it comes alongside 623, Midnight’s mix of half-stout, half-Not My Job Brown Ale. With subtle roast and smooth chocolate notes, Midnight Granite will carry you through the coldest weeks coming up. Even though 623 isn’t listed on the board, its brewers say it should be easy to remember…..it’s the route number you’ll take to get there.

For the love of beer, Castleburg Brewery is bringing back a favorite. For the Love & Intrigue returns this Friday, and the cranberry and star-anise Saison will make you fall in love, they say. The 6.8% ABV recipe is also gluten-reduced, so if you’re trying to purge a few inches this month like everyone else, now’s your time to shine: For the Love & Intrigue should fit great in your diet.

RVA ON TAP: Winter Brews, 90’s Video Games, Axe-Throwing & Juicy IPAs

Caley Sturgill | November 7, 2018

Topics: ardent, Final Gravity, Hardywood, intermission beer, kindred spirit, Lickinghole Creek, midnight brewery, strangeways, The Answer

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

Last time we caught up was on Halloween, and even though it’s only been a few days, the holiday season is already upon us (apparently). I’m not ready to let go of fall anytime soon, but three cheers for holiday beers! At least the year’s best month coming to an end means its best eats are on their way.

In new-brew-news, Midnight Brewery skipped Thanksgiving and went straight to the big one: Christmas At Midnight returns this Saturday, ringing in the season at their Rockville spot. The English mild ale is packed with winter’s best Christmas spices, and tastes a lot like “a liquid Snickerdoodle in a cup.”

Getting so bored in the woods that you start throwing axes at stumps: few things are so unapologetically southern. This rural tradition is one of the South’s best, in my humble opinion — and if you’re looking to try your hand at it, head out to Midnight Brewery tonight in Goochland to jump in on their axe-throwing night. It’s harder than it looks.

The event is 21+, which is probably a good thing, as long as you get your slinging-heavy-weapons fix in before your beers. Halloween might be over, but the scare of axes rebounding at crowds post-beer is very real in these games (been there, trust).

I hit up Hardywood again this week and fell for White Out all over again, but the new-news from the brewery is their Bourbon and Port Barrel Gingerbread Stout release this Saturday.

Gingerbread Stout is “freagin’ Christmas in a bottle,” according to BeerAdvocate. The imperial milk stout is drool-worthy like several of last week’s brews, and it’s made with vanilla beans, cinnamon, fresh Casselmonte Farm baby ginger, and Bearer Farms wildflower honey. Mmmmmm. This one matures in Virginia bourbon barrels with oak, caramel, and bourbon undertones, for a rich, chocolately stout that “warms the palate and the soul.” I….need it.

The stout is available aged in bourbon or port barrels, and available at both locations. If you’re looking to hit the downtown spot on Friday, you can also check out their #freshcanfriday release of Citraweisse, a Hefeweizen ale dry-hopped with Citra hops.

Calling all gamers: The Answer Brewpub gets it. Chasing Rings dropped this Sunday, and the 90’s-Sonic homage features “Golden Promise in the grain bill” for deep, golden-ring hues. Its Supersonic amounts (nice) of tropical aromas are made to burst out of the excessively dry-hopped pour, according to its brewers. The Answer is famous for its glasses, and this is one worth getting: especially with this 100% Mosaic DIPA from one of Richmond’s favorite spots to fill it.

Speaking of games, Final Gravity Brewing Co. is bringing back their game-themed Asteroids double IPA this week. On Friday, swing by Lakeside to give it a try for the release. This one will “send you into hyperspace,” with a triple-hit of hops and crowlers for the high score. Its Columbus, Mosaic, and Citra hops are full of stone fruits, florals, and citrus tones to bring this IPA full-circle (and full-flavor). Yum!

Over at Ardent, Dark Rye is returning tomorrow. The American imperial stout is 9.8%, and balances its rye spiciness with roasted notes for a deep black stout with a long-lasting tan head. It’s full bodied with a chocolatey finish, and you can try it out with a side (or three) of Continental Divide tacos in Ardent’s beer garden during the release. Reviewers have noted this one is “pretty dang black” with a nice, subtle aroma of malt, chocolate, hops, and rye — and a hint of licorice and espresso. Dark Rye is on draft and comes in 4-packs of bottles, so you can drink it as you please.

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery has been working on their Juicy IPA series for a while now, and this Friday marks number 7 in the bunch. Something Loyal is their newest addition on the farm, with a Huell-Melon hop profile. The release is this Friday, with the Sandtopia food truck to accompany the new brew. Past releases include Something Better, Something Royal, Something Sneaky and more, and tasters have sung the praises of most beers in this series.

If you’re down with The Answer Brewpub’s Chasing Rings gamer-beer, but you didn’t master Sonic in the 90’s, Intermission Beer Co.’s got you covered. The Glen Allen Brewery has board games every Sunday now for us analog-gamers (I’m right there with you), and you can bring your own game or try something new when you get there. No friends needed: Intermission will provide them. Or bring your own of those, too. It’s fine either way. Old friends are the best friends, but new friends also rule. You can never have too many!

Also at Intermission this Friday is Stitch & Bitch, in case you need to vent about your life and want to get creative with it. Every two weeks, you can bring your projects and your woes for Hooks & Hops at the brewery along with your appetite for some delicious beer. Between board games, crafting, and trivia, Intermission is killing it at the fun-game lately.

Along with Gourd of Thunder came Crystalis at Strangeways Brewing Co., and a big congrats to their Fredericksburg head brewer, Brian, because it’s his first official personalized release. This classic American IPA is packed with citrus, pine, dank earth, and subtle floral notes to pull it together with a spicy, earthy flavor. Crystalis is primarily hopped with Columbus, and has supporting tones from Citra and Centennial hops as well. The 7.2% IPA is great for anytime — so drink up!

Strangeways also has a few exciting events coming up next week, so stay tuned for our next go-around for some awesome news.

For everyone feeling generous (btw it’s the holidays, so you should be), head to Kindred Spirit and join in on their goal: to feed 300+ families this year for Thanksgiving. The West End spot is partnering up with Goochland Cares this year to do their part, and it’s a great way to do yours, too. There are plenty of ways to get involved in the Richmond community with so many locals involved, and Kindred Spirit wants to make it easy (and tasty).

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your new 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!

Tapped: July 4th Festivites and Releases at Triple Crossing, Lickinghole Creek’s Annual Pig Roast, and Isley’s Czech Pilsner

RVA Staff | July 4, 2018

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Buskey Cider, Center of the Universe Brewing Company, independence day, Isley Brewing Company, JUly 4th, Lickinghole Creek, Triple Crossing Brewing, Väsen, Vasen Brewing Company

What’s happening craft beer lovers of RVA?! Welcome to this week’s “Tapped,” RVA Magazine’s go to weekly craft beer column where you can find all your craft beer-related events, releases, festivals and all the booze news your little hearts’ desire.

If you missed last week’s beer news, you can check those out here. Our cup is overflowing with news this week from releases to events, and other cool happenings around town, so hold on to your mugs because we’re getting ready to tap this thing!

Nearly every brewery in RVA is wishing you a Happy 4th today, with events lasting until 6 p.m. at many spots and some last all day, welcoming in the evening fireworks to keep the beer flowing. Head to Triple Crossing for a 4th of July can release, introducing two new brews. The Fierce Abandon IPA features Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops with fruity and citrus flavors, while the Illuminati Confirmed DIPA has a tropical feel.

Lickinghole Creek is continuing their tradition of the July 4th Annual Pig Roast at their Goochland farm location, featuring all their best brews and BBQ from Papa V’s Backyard Grill Catering and Food Truck.

Isley Brewing will be kicking off their “First Responders Appreciation Month” with an Independence Day party and the release of their very first lager, the Isley Czech Pilsner. The recipe includes a European Pilsner Malt, Carafoam, and a touch of Munich Crystal, and utilizes only one hop varietal, the Czech Saaz Hop, making for a crisp, balanced, and easy-drinking pilsner.

Teaming up with River City Wood Fire Pizza, Ardent is hosting their 4th of July party with extended hours and featuring a special new pizza with apricot preserves, goat cheese, parmesan, smoked bacon, red pepper flakes, finishing with arugula and spicy honey. Their festivities last until 10 p.m.

Looking forward to the weekend, Väsen is hosting a beer release party this Saturday to introduce their new Smoked Farmhouse beer.

Buskey Cider is releasing their Barrel Reserve #5 on Saturday, a collaboration with the Virginia Distillery Company. This cider is bright, woody, and includes a splash of the distillery’s bourbon.

Finally, Center of the Universe Brewing is hosting their first ever Fried Food Fest this Saturday, featuring six vendors including the beloved Mama J’s, Lunch and Supper, and On the ROX. The event will include live music from The Atkinsons and The Articles, and a special surprise beer release to top it all off. The event lasts from noon until 7 p.m.

Submissions or ideas for Tapped can be emailed to Amy at [email protected] Cheers!

Tapped Photo By: Triple Crossing Brewery

RVA Mag President John Reinhold’s Thanksgiving food & craft beer pairings-with some metal thrown in

John Reinhold | November 23, 2016

Topics: craft beer, Devil's Backbone, Garden Grove Brewing Company, Hardywood, Isley, Legend Brewing, Lickinghole Creek, RVA craft beer, strangeways, Thanksgiving, the answer brewpub, The Veil, Three Notch'd Brewing, triple crossing

Thanksgiving is upon us, and we can all hope that sharing some time and fun with friends is a part of this day we will enjoy. No matter what is going on, chances are that you will be enjoying a meal, and maybe you’re in charge of cooking or providing a part of this meal.
[Read more…] about RVA Mag President John Reinhold’s Thanksgiving food & craft beer pairings-with some metal thrown in