Lickinghole Creek Archives

RVA On Tap: A New Year Of Brewing In Richmond

Caley Sturgill | January 1, 2020

Topics: Ardent craft ales, bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, Canon And Draw, craft beer richmond va, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, fine creek, happy hour richmond va, Intermission Beer Company, Lickinghole Creek, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, Stone Brewing-Richmond, The Veil Brewing, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, 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.

Welcome to a new year, folks — this week, kick off 2020 right with New Year’s Day brunch at Ardent Craft Ales and 2019 Trivia at Intermission Beer Company. We’ll go through the year’s best at Stone Brewing Richmond, a delicious multi-release with smoothie ales at The Veil Brewing Co., plus some summer-themed brews at Väsen Brewing Company, Canon & Draw Brewing Company, and Steam Bell Beer Works for those of you who can’t wait for spring to come — plus events at Lickinghole Creek and Fine Creek Brewing Company’s latest West Coast IPA. Drink up, Richmond!

2019 Trivia at Intermission Beer Company

While I don’t usually kick off the column with events that happen on the regular, this one feels appropriate: Intermission Beer Company’s 2019 Year In Review Trivia Night. How well you remember the events of this year may depend on how much craft beer you ingested during it (hangovers and lost memory is not for me, folks, so here’s that reminder to take it easy this year), but my bets are on that most of you will do pretty darn well with these questions.

If you have a particularly good memory, there might even be some prizes waiting for you — so grab your favorite group of friends, and start the year off right with the biggest memories from 2019. You’ll want to register in advance, as it could sell out, and be aware that teams can only hold up to four members. Make sure to grab a ticket for each team member, and don’t worry about the fee: as long as you get $6 in beer, snacks, or merch, your ticket balance applies to the goods.

2019’s Favorite Brews at Stone

As we coast gladly into the new year, Stone Brewing Richmond wants to remind us of a few 2019 favorites to ring in 2020 with the best. Tropic of Thunder Lager (pictured above) is one of the special brews that made it to the top of their annual list, and this one combines both the reliable and the experimental flavors. Tropic of Thunder was created with Mosaic and Citra hops, along with the brewery’s new additions of Cashmere hops to bring some fresh flavors into the mix. It’s packed with fruit, both citrus-ey and tropical, and has a bit of a bitter taste to balance out its sweeter flavors.

They also featured the “OG favorite” — and the one that many of us were first introduced to the brewery with — Arrogant Bastard Ale. This classic Stone Brewing recipe has been around for the subtle beginnings up through the major rise for the now-international brewery, and it has continuously passed the test of time by remaining well-loved in many of our households (including mine — with fond Christmas memories from years ago, when my aunt brought a case to the family get-together, and I successfully resisted the strongest temptations to pass one to the resident Arrogant Bastard in attendance). This delicious ale has reveled in its “unprecedented and uncompromising celebration of intensity,” according to the brewers, and they couldn’t be more right. For those who enjoy it with us, we’re glad to have you in the Arrogant Bastard club, and we’ll expect to keep you in it for years to come. Stone has been bringing out more of their best brews each day leading up to the New Year, so check out more info here to see if your favorite made the list.

Weekly Multi-Release at The Veil

Another tasty multi-release came to The Veil Brewing Co. last night, and this one starts with the tastiest of all: the Crazee Berry Mega Tastee Tastee Imperial smoothie-style Sour Ale (pictured above). The Veil has become pretty famous for their Tastee series of smoothie beers over the last year, and this is the perfect recipe to start 2020 with. Crazee Berry Mega Tastee Tastee is truly the mega of Tastees, brewed with milk sugar for a thick, sweet smoothie consistency. At 8% ABV, you’ll get your buck’s worth with a glass of this one, and enjoy the blend of blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, and boysenberry purée in its body.

The Veil also released Petalz Blonde in a bottle release last night from their collab brew with Jester King Brewery last January, so if you kicked off 2019 with a glass of it, here’s your chance for a throwback in 2020. Petalz Blonde is a Mixed Fermie, as The Veil calls it, made with Texas raw wheat, Virginia corn grits, spelt, and aged whole-leaf hops. While it’s filled with fruity flavors, you won’t find the bright tropical notes of some of the other brews — this one is on the earthier side, with apricot and peach to bring this Farmhouse Ale together.

Adding to their releases, PRBLMS came out in cans last night, and at 11% ABV, this brew could either solve yours or cause some new ones (depending how many you enjoy in one night). This Triple IPA was brewed with Citra, Enigma, Mosaic, Kohatu, and Vic Secret hops in a complex combination that comes together perfectly. Last but not least from their releases last night is IdontwantoBU³, a lower 6.9% ABV recipe that leans fully away from the bitter side of things at zero IBU. Citra and Mosaic made this triple dry-hopped IPA, and its simplicity is just right.

New Year’s Day Brunch at Ardent

If you’re looking for something to do today now that New Year’s Eve has passed and the hunger of the morning sets in, Ardent Craft Ales has just the answer: their New Year’s Day brunch today from 12-6pm. Seoul 2 Soul is at the brewery today with Korean and soul food fusion, and they’ll be there all day in case you want “breakfast” if you sleep in until 3pm. With a full menu of chicken & waffles, kimchi pancakes, hash browns, bibimbap, collard greens, eggs, and more, they’re fully prepared to start your year off right — whether that be a healthy beginning or just nursing a hangover. Cheers!

Double Berry Sour at Väsen Brewing Company

Our pals at Väsen Brewing Company dropped their Double Berry Sour over the weekend, and this is one you won’t want to miss. Brewed to bring out the best summer flavors to “carry you through the Richmond winter,” Double Berry Sour is packed with raspberry, redcurrant, cranberry notes, and hibiscus petals for an earthiness along with more floral aromas. This deep-colored brew pours in a full red with a white head, and it came out just before Wanderlust 11. On the other side of the flavor spectrum, Wanderlust 11 is a Belgian Pale Ale that came out in collaboration from the James River Homebrew Club Dominion Cup, and it was brewed with Vojvodina and Glacier hops. Citra Saison also made its way to the taps last weekend, and alongside Wanderlust 11 and the Double Berry Sour, it pours bright with a crisp, citrus-forward taste.

Corrosive Haze at Canon & Draw

The further we get into this week’s column, the more apparent it is that a lot of our local brewers are seriously missing summer — and as much as I love the cold, I really can’t blame them. When it’s summertime in the River City, there’s no shortage of things to do, and there’s nothing like sunny days on the patio of your favorite spot with your best friends, or days at the James with a few tropical brews. Those days aren’t too far off now, so stay patient, folks, and let me enjoy the rest of my chilly season while it lasts.

The folks at Canon & Draw Brewing Company can hold you over with their latest Corrosive Haze, a fruited Sour IPA. This one’s packed full with pineapple and mango flavors, and Canon & Draw says this “tropical fruit bomb” will help you forget it’s winter.

Origin of Birds Release at Fine Creek

The last weekend of 2019 brought a new release at Fine Creek Brewing Company, the Origin of Birds West Coast IPA. At an easy-drinking 6.7% ABV, this brew sits right in the middle for many preferences and combines Falconer’s Flight hops with Simcoe, Mosaic, and Citra. It’s lower on the IBU than many other West Coast IPAs, according to Fine Creek, and it brings out a great dry body to complement its tropical, floral, and lemon grapefruit flavors. Be on the lookout for some great events at Fine Creek that we’ll feature in the coming weeks, and in the meantime, keep up with them to plan out your first afternoons at the farm of the New Year.

Glaring DIPA at Steam Bell Beer Works

The weekend brought a fresh release to Steam Bell Beer Works, with their brand-new Glaring DIPA. This Double IPA is the freshest available, according to its brewers, and it came together with the classic Citra and Mosaic hops that make for a perfect IPA taste. They also put in some additions of Meridian hops to make its tropical tastes burst, and with passion fruit, sweet berry, and stone fruit, it’s both bright and full in flavor.

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

One Culture Solo Live at Lickinghole Creek

Beach music in January? You bet. If you’re looking for a break from the wintertime blues, head out to Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery this Saturday for Virginia Beach’s One Culture playing at the farm. The music brings out a beachy mix of reggae, progressive roots, dub, and rock — so for those of you who are feeling cooped up in the city, here’s your ticket to an afternoon in the country that combines the best of Lickinghole Creek’s beer with sounds from Virginia’s oceanside. Winter is about halfway over, and we’re getting closer to warmer days with the start of the year (a bummer for me, but good news for many of you), so get a taste of it while you can. You’ll also get tastes of the farm’s best craft beer along with eats from the Firesides Food Truck, and don’t forget to bring the kids and the pups along for the all-ages event.

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: Ugly Sweaters & Gingerbread Holiday Brews

Caley Sturgill | December 4, 2019

Topics: ardent, bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, Center of the Universe, craft beer richmond va, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, Final Gravity, garden grove, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, Lickinghole Creek, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, Strangeways Brewing, The Answer, The Veil, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Väsen

This week, we’re honoring the life of Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery’s Co-Owner, Michael Brandt, and sending our love to their team from all of our Richmond beer family.

We’re also diving into the beginning of holiday events this week, with beer releases from The Answer Brewpub, Hardywood, Center of the Universe, and more, in addition to Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery’s ugly sweater party. The winter beers are in full swing with favorites like Ardent Craft Ales, Väsen Brewing Company, Final Gravity Brewing Co., The Veil Brewing Co., and Intermission Beer Company — plus an 80s throwback party with Strangeways Brewing.

The next Booze Clues live podcast is going down this coming Sunday as well, investigating the how and why of the world’s most “spirited” headlines over at The Hof at 5pm. If you want to make it out for the live recording, this podcast is a blast to listen to — and this is an extra-special Xmas Edition. You can check out their last podcast here, and we’ll see you Sunday for the show!

*PHOTO: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery*

Before we jump in for the week, we want to take a moment to honor the life of Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery’s Co-Owner, Brewer, and Winemaker, Michael Brandt, who passed suddenly last week. The folks at Garden Grove are a wonderful group of people, and we’re devastated for their loss and the loss of this great brewer who was so dear to our craft beer community. They’ve asked for privacy during this time, and we’re sending all our love to their team as they take their next steps forward. We love you, Garden Grove, and we are so heartbroken for your loss. We wish you all sincerely the best from your beer family here at the magazine.

In holiday event news, it’s time for an ugly sweater party on the farm at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery. Over the years, ugly Christmas sweater parties have really taken off. I’d speculate it’s from my grandparents’ generation of boomers happily doting themselves in bells, battery-powered lights, cotton balls, and the like, but this weird tradition probably goes back a lot further than my 25-year-old mind would know. Either way, it’s here to stay — so why not celebrate it?

My family all got together for a home-staged photoshoot in our (poorly) handmade sweaters back in high school, set appropriately in the “formal living room” of my grandmother’s house, where no one is allowed to carry a cup of water over the plush, white-carpeted floors. Wine might get you disowned entirely. The entire house is still perfectly intact from when it was built and decorated in 1972, complete with velvet jungle-themed wallpaper, a life-sized painting of a lion in the den, and wood paneled walls to compliment an oversized Christmas tree.

The tree room overlooks the mountains from the top of the hill in my quaint Roanoke town, in a house that looks like a 70s mountain cabin dream where my cousins and I were raised for many, many years with the love of our sweet grandmother. Holiday sweaters will forever take me back to that day, and to the endless days spent on that hillside that I’d give anything to see every day again. There’s no place like home, y’all. So, in the spirit of the holidays, it’s time to get your family traditions out now, too.

The fine folks at Lickinghole Creek have invited us to join their farm’s family this Saturday for their tacky sweater party, with a contest to bring it all together at 5pm. My sweater is long buried (and probably donated to Goodwill by now), but if you’ve got yours packed away, bring them out for the occasion and enjoy Twelfth Night three-pack deals on brews, and live music with Tribus through the evening.

While we were gone for the holiday break, tons of great events and beers came along that we previewed in our Thanksgiving Holiday edition of RVA On Tap. A few more gems were released as well, like The Answer Brewpub’s sixtel of Incognito Browser, pictured above. This one brings in all the deep, rich tastes of classic winter brews with flavors like Creme Brulee coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, and my personal favorite, maple. This one’s a limited edition, so make sure to grab a glass while the pours still last — it won’t be back after it’s gone!

The Answer also dropped two more beers on Black Friday, starting with Hairy Coconuts (what a fantastic name). This 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout is dessert in a can, with Oreo cookies and toasted coconut flavors to bring the chocolate in even after the Thanksgiving sweets leftovers are all gone. Black Doom closed out their releases last week, in a perfect combination of activated charcoal and bright citrus to make this DIPA pour completely black. It’s deceivingly light, according to its brewers, and you can catch these tropical tastes at the brewery this week.

Every year, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery drops some special new variations of their famous Gingerbread Stout, and this year’s no different. If you’re looking for a taste of something new with that classic beloved taste, head over to the brewery this Saturday for the release of their new Triple Barrel GBS and Gingerbread Porter.

The Triple Barrel GBS is not for the faint of heart, as this 13.5% ABV brew comes to us from 11 months in brandy barrels, plus four additional months split between Caribbean rum barrels and A. Smith Bowman bourbon barrels. All together, that means it’s a hard hitter, and you’ll likely only need one (and on a holiday budget, that’s music to our ears!) to get that warm, fuzzy GBS feeling inside.

Gingerbread Porter, on the other hand, brings out a whole new recipe, as a 9.2% ABV Imperial Porter that was brewed with local white ginger and wildflower honey. As a bonus, it’s lactose-free, so it’s an easy drinker for those with a restricted diet.

In more news at Hardywood, the brewery recently started a new video series called Dads on Beer. Their latest video features Hardywood’s Hank and Skip breaking down the Kentucky Christmas Morning GBS beer, which, if you remember from a couple weeks back, is a variation of their Christmas-spiced recipe with Kentucky’s own Heaven Hills Bourbon. It’s a really fun series, so keep your eyes peeled for more on the horizon.

It’s back! The Jesus Mexican Hot Chocolate Imperial Stout has returned to Center of the Universe Brewing in Ashland, and this is one you surely won’t want to miss. The crowd favorite marries the sweet to the spicy, with cayenne peppers, cinnamon, and a dash of vanilla bringing this Mexican Hot Chocolate to life in a brew.

The divine libation is perfect for “polishing balls and talking smack before the semis,” according to Center of the Universe, and they say this is a “no bush league, psych-out brew, because nobody………. with The Jesus!”

The 11.4% ABV stout is in a good middle range of alcohol content for stouts, and it’s packed with chocolate, ganache, and holiday spices to complement its Belgian Dark Candi syrup, cinnamon, and habanero pepper. It’s meant to warm its drinkers with the heat from its peppers, and glide over the tongue “like silk” in its deliciously spicy finish. You can grab a glass of your own at Center of the Universe this Saturday at its release party, with the Freekin’ Rican Puerto Rican food truck and live music to accompany it.

Black Friday Maple Dark Rye is fresh at Ardent Craft Ales, and this series of brews is full of great variations. Maple is the latest flavor in their releases, as a new recipe derived from their Dark Rye Imperial Stout. You’ll catch flavors of barrel-aged maple syrup along with vanilla and toffee in this one, and the 11.8% ABV brew comes from their year-long maple syrup barrel-aged classic with a roasted rye base.

Next up at Ardent is their Winter American Sour Ale, which you can catch a taste of tomorrow night at the brewery. This brew features a blend of wine barrel flavors in a “funky, farmhouse saison” that was aged for nine months in both red and white wine barrels (so if you love both tastes, you won’t have to pick). According to its brewers, Winter American Sour Ale is a complex beer with restrained acidity, and it hits in at 7% ABV with 36 IBU.

Väsen Brewing Company brought out a couple new releases recently, starting with Norse Double IPA. It’s my favorite type of beer (as you all probably know by now), and this double-dry-hopped DIPA came together with Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo hops. These are great drinkers for any season of the year, but on these colder nights, this specific beer’s fruit flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, and pine are a refreshing blend of summer and winter.

Apricot Sour also made its debut over the weekend, with hundreds of pounds of apricot to ensure it doesn’t miss an inch of flavor. The Black Friday brew helped us hide away from the craziness of post-Thanksgiving shopping, and it’s here still to get you through the rest of the holiday season. According to its brewers, Apricot Sour is a bright, funky sour, and it’s packed with strawberry, tangerine, and subtle floral notes along with its brown sugar additions.

Another delicious DIPA is here with Final Gravity Brewing Co.’s My Shangri-La, the product of dry-hopped Citra and Cashmere hops. This Hazy DIPA is definitely on my list this week, and along with it, Final Gravity also has more new flavors on tap. Ancient Mariner Gose is out in Pomegranate and Pineapple Passionfruit, which means our brewery friends are missing the flavors of summer a bit like we are. It may be the best time of year for food, but while we’re not short on great beer releases lately, it’s refreshing to see these evergreen flavors still coming out fresh.

Last week, Stone Brewing Richmond celebrated the nice November weather with their Stone Winter Harvest Triple. In addition to having their collab Stone Saison Du Buff with Dogfish Head and Victory Brewing Company out for tastes, they tapped this keg to bring out the wine-infused recipe. Winter Harvest Triple was barrel-aged in white wine barrels after being brewed with red wine grapes from South Coast Winery, plus four strains of Brettanomyces yeast. It’s “dangerously drinkable,” according to its brewers, at 10.7% ABV — so make sure to sip slowly on this one when you swing by the brewery for a glass of your own.

Canon & Draw Brewing Company brought out the Thanksgiving goodness with their Stroopwafels over the weekend. This Just A Small Piece Sweet Potato Pie Milk Stout, a classic holiday-flavored brew, was infused into waffles with the folks at Campus Waffle RVA.

The finished product is a delicious combination of cakey desserts and stout beer, all wrapped up into pumpkin spice Stroopwafels to bring the local drinkers and foodies together in the perfect mix.

Out at The Veil Brewing Co., another great multi-release came out last night. They’ve got five brews ready to go this time around, starting with Never Never Again Again (pictured above). This recipe is a double-fruited raspberry Gose, bright as can be in color and just as rich in flavor. At 5.1% ABV, it keeps it simple and makes for a very easy drinker.

Master Shredder, a Mosaic-forward IPA, was up next. It’s another lower-ABV beer at 5.5%, and it’s also a classic from the brewery, according to The Veil. Master Shredder is out right now for the last time in printed cans, so if you’re looking to grab a piece of history from your favorite brewery, now’s your chance.

?? followed, and as my favorite in the list, it’s a double dry-hopped Triple IPA. It was originally brewed with all Citra hops, then dry-hopped with Galaxy, Enigma, BRU-1, Motueka, and Citra again in its dry-hop process — a perfect Citra-forward TIPA for those of us who lean more towards an 11% ABV brew like this one.

Don’t Move is a fresh addition to The Veil’s ever-growing list, and it’s a nicely orange-colored DIPA that comes to us from Galaxy, Mosaic, Idaho 7, and Nelson hops. It hits in at 8% ABV, and it’s available in 4-packs as well.

They is fifth on the bill from the night. Outside the IPA family, this lager recipe was step-mashed with raw wheat before being hopped with its Perle and El Dorado hops. It’s another lower-ABV beer on the list at 5%, making it a great pour for any day of the week.

Over at Intermission Beer Company, Winter Warmer is here to cozy up these chilly days. The recipe this year just dropped over the weekend, and it was inspired by a friend of the brewery. Kate’s Ginger Molasses Cookie brought the flavors of this beer to life — full of vanilla, clove, and ginger — to have a 9.3% ABV in a nicely-balanced holiday brew.

Strangeways Brewing has a great event for us this week with their 80s Flashback Dance Party coming up this Friday. I recently spent a great evening in Carytown at a spot playing almost exclusively 80s music, and this next one will be a blast as well. Strangeways is inviting us all to bring out our 80s attire and “take the party back to the greatest decade,” with dances and clothing from The Moonwalk and The Sprinkler to big hair, headbands, leotards and ripped jeans. If you’re ready to relive the glory days, Strangeways is looking for you.

RVA On Tap: Carrot Cake & Apple Crumb Brews

Caley Sturgill | November 13, 2019

Topics: ardent, beer, beer column, big pippin cider, bold rock hard cider, Canon And Draw, castleburg brewey and taproom, chesapeake bay distillery, Hardywood, kindred spirit, ko distilling, Legend Brewing, Lickinghole Creek, midnight brewery, RVA On Tap, Starr Hill, Thanksgiving, the answer brewpub, three notchd, triple crossing, truly hard seltzer, Väsen, vintners cellar and winery

This week, the tastes of Thanksgiving are coming to the River City with Lickinghole Creek’s Carrot Cake beer, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House’s Apple Crumb Ale, and Hardywood’s Apple Brandy GBS. Don’t miss the Stony Point Beer Festival with all your favorite local brewers, plus new releases at The Answer Brewpub, Canon and Draw, Vasen, Triple Crossing Beer, and Ardent Craft Ales’s Dark Rye for these chilly nights.

We know Thanksgiving is upon us when carrot cake hits the table. After years and years growing up with my mom’s famous carrot cake recipe, there’s nothing like these classic fall spices to make the season’s best baked goods. We’re a family of dessert-lovers, and I encourage you to be, too. Pro tip: bake yours in cupcake pans instead of a full cake pan for maximum icing-indulging.

This week, my childhood dreams met my grown-up dreams, because the perfection of carrot cake is here in a beer. Thank you, Lickinghole Creek, for making this a reality: Rum Barrel Aged Carrot Cake Imperial Amber Ale is ready for your glass at the farm, and it’s full of all the cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, clove, and vanilla that bring out these dessert tastes in a big way.

The Amber Ale was brewed with hundreds of pounds of freshly-grated carrots, according to Lickinghole Creek, and aged in Nicaraguan Rum Barrels. With five specialty malts, fresh rum flavor, American-grown hops, and the brewery’s house American Ale Yeast, the 11% ABV beer is Thanksgiving in a glass.

If you weren’t ready for the holidays yet, you certainly will be now.

This Saturday, the Stony Point Beer Festival returns to town with tons of brewers from Richmond and beyond. Not only will attendees get to get unlimited samples of beer from more than 15 different breweries, they’ll get to try ciders, wines, and other distilled alcohol recipes.

Participating breweries include: Steam Bell Beer Works (Tiramisu Stout and Extra Plenty Hibiscus Cucumber), Legend Brewing Company (Brown Ale and Winter White), Castleburg Brewery and Taproom (Valiant Knight IPA and Dark Ages Imperial Maple Brown), Starr Hill Brewery Mariah Passion Fruit Gose and Little Red Roostarr Coffee Cream Stout), Kindred Spirit Brewing (Headspace IPA and Paradise Lager), Ardent Craft Ales (Helles Lager and IPA-X), Canon and Draw Brewing Company (HOP Pale Ale and Fruit n’ Cream IPA), Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery (9-Mile and Uptown), Hardywood Park Craft Brewery (Gingerbread Stout and Great Return IPA), Midnight Brewery (New Beginning and Rockville Red), Truly Hard Seltzer, Big Pippin Cider (White Cranberry and IPA), Bold Rock Hard Cider (White Cranberry and IPA), Vintner’s Cellar Winery and Restaurant of Yorktown, Chesapeake Bay Distillery, and KO Distilling.

With all those options, I’d say it’s a pretty safe guess that you’ll find more than one brew to love. My favorites on that list: Hardywood’s GBS, always, and Canon and Draw’s Fruit n’ Cream IPA. It’s hard to go wrong with Gingerbread Stout, one that the stoutest naysayers have found a place in their hearts for — but even if you’re not a drinker, there’s plenty at this festival for you. River City Sports and Social Club is heading out to keep the fun rolling all day, with Giant Beer Pong, Fowling, Cornhole, and more, plus live music through the event from Jack Ryan Sullivan.

Another note: if you’re planning on attending, I’d buy your tickets early. They’ll go up $10 the day of the event, so hustle, y’all.

Just when you thought Hardywood’s GBS couldn’t get any better, it did. I’m not sure how every new variation of this stout sounds more delicious than the last, but Hardywood’s always got something up their sleeves to keep us anticipating the next great brew.

Apple Brandy MEGA GBS is debuting this Saturday, and you can grab a taste of your own anytime during the day at the brewery. In true stout fashion, GBS keeps the alcohol levels high — and Apple Brandy hits in at 13.5% ABV to ensure that its drinkers will be satisfied after the first glass. The Double Imperial Milk Stout was aged for more than a year, with its barrels first starting the process 13 months ago. Of all the great GBS variations we got to try last holiday season, we still have yet to get our hands on this one.

You can try the Laird’s-Apple-Brandy-brewed special this weekend along with eats from Taqueria Panchito and Bikini Panini, plus live music from Justin Trawick. See you there!

Fresh at The Answer Brewpub last week, Button Masher DIPA came to us in cans… and this double-dry-hopped El Dorado, Citra, and Simcoe brew is one you won’t want to miss.

The Answer is famous for their beers, from sours to fruit beers, IPAs, stouts and more, but this Double IPA is one I’m extra-excited for. The Button Masher DIPA cans were released on Election Day, and whether you saw the results you wanted or not, it’s a great way to settle into November (and celebrate if your candidate won their race).

Sunlight is becoming limited this time of year; the weather’s bringing us more and more dark hours of the day — and if you’re anything like me, that means you’re waking up even earlier now that daylight savings time has passed. That darkness doesn’t always have to be a bad thing, though, and it’s definitely not at Ardent Craft Ales: they’re celebrating the beginning of winter with their Dark Rye American Imperial Stout.

Stout season is the best time of the year in my humble opinion, bringing longer nights, chilly air, and signaling tons of good holiday food in our future. It’s perfectly-celebrated with Dark Rye, which brings out a rye spiciness and roasted notes into its long-lasting tan head, according to its brewers. This stout is full-bodied, dry, and chocolatey, and it’ll be open for tasting starting tomorrow night at Ardent. The 9.8% ABV stout is at a solid medium on alcohol content as far as these variations go, so if you’re really wanting a heavy drinker after the rainy weather set the mood yesterday, you’ll probably be able to swing a few of them in one evening.

Coming up this Friday at Canon and Draw Brewing Company, another great release is on its way. Canon and Draw has been on a great kick of dropping brand-new brews just about every week this season, and we’re here for it.

Next up on the list is their Hop Pale Ale, this time brewed with Mosaic and Hallertau Blanc hops. Norwegian Kviek yeast is the special ingredient in this variation of the rotating Pale Ale series, and with its hot fermentation process, it yields fruity flavors that open the doors for their various hop combinations to shine.

Väsen Brewing Company noted the rise of New England IPAs this week, and they’re not wrong — while they seem to be slipping into the taps at every local brewery, you can rest assured that this beer columnist has no complaints about it. The fruity, smooth flavors of an NEIPA (and especially the Double IPAs) just has something unlike any other beer. But the popularity of NEIPAs also brought the slowing-down of the West Coast’s strong and hop-forward tastes of the earlier craft beer days.

Väsen’s taking us back, and we’re stoked about it. This Saturday, Windhook debuts at the Scott’s Addition spot in all its spicy and floral glory. According to its brewers, this classic American trio brings together Centennial, Chinook, and Amarillo hops to honor the brews “that built the craft beer industry.” You’ll find pine notes in this one, along with lemon and orange to complement the more bitter tastes of the classic IPA at their brew release this weekend.

Väsen also released Hane this week, in a collaboration with Benchtop Brewing Company. Hane came together as the product of two farmhouse ales, which were combined with the house mixed Brett culture of Benchtop before bottling after their white wine barrel aging. It’s been described as funky by Vasen, with dried fig, fruity, and earthy flavors, available now at the brewery.

Thirsty Thursdays are alive at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House. The latest edition is their Apple Crumb Amber Ale, which is an extremely close second on the dessert-love scale to our introductory carrot cake beer. This recipe came together with cinnamon, vanilla, and Virginia-grown apples to bring us all the best fall flavors in a special local way.

Also over at Three Notch’d, make sure to give Thackery’s ESB a taste. Its brewers say this one is the perfect combination for early-afternoon Premier League games, so if you’re a soccer fan stuck in a sea of American football enthusiasts, it should be a refreshing companion to your games. This beer was made as an adaptation of the English Extra Special Bitters, and it’s an in-house favorite of the Three Notch’d Head Brewer Willey Broaddus, according to the brewery team.

Who remembers Clever Girl?! I definitely do, because this beer shares a name with an old Richmond band that one of my lifelong best friends fronted during his time in the River City. The long-loved brew is returning to Triple Crossing Beer this Friday at their Fulton spot, and it’s a great reason to make a drive out. If you haven’t ever visited Triple Crossing — and like many folks I’ve known in the area, don’t like to venture too far from the city center — you’re missing out. Triple Crossing not only brews some of the best damned beer in the Richmond region, they’ve got a beautiful location in the East End that makes for a nice drive and a beautiful afternoon (especially with the crisp air and changing leaves of these late fall days).

RVA ON TAP: Hallobeer, Booz Crawls, & Punk’in Carver Parties

Caley Sturgill | October 23, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, Bingo Beer Co, Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, Buskey Cider, Castleburg Brewery, Cobra Cabana, courthouse creek cider, Hallobeer, Halloweek, Halloween, Hardywood, Isley, Isley Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek, Reservoir Distillery, RVA On Tap, Stone brewing, strangeways, The Answer, The Veil Brewing Co., Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, three notchd, Vasen Brewing Company

This week, you’ll have so many choices for events that you won’t be able to attend enough in one day. Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is kicking off HALLOWEEK with their Haunted Food Truck Court tomorrow night, Hallobeer is going down at The Answer Brewpub, Cobra Cabana is hosting Stone Brewing Richmond for a Punk’in Carver party, the Scott’s Addition Booz Crawl is back, and Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is hosting a costume party — and that’s only the beginning.

It’s the mooooost wonderful tiiiiiime of the year! Halloween is right around the corner, which means HALLOWEEK is back at RVA Magazine. Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is releasing a beer as the official beer of the week, Farmhouse Pumpkin. In the spirit of the season, HALLOWEEK means all the awesome beer, shows, events, and haunted houses you can take in one week. It’s kicking off with our pals and co-hosts at Hardywood, starting fresh tomorrow night with the Haunted Food Truck Court at Hardywood. They’ll be dropping a “ghoulish” new brew, hosting food trucks with Halloween-inspired menus, “devilish” selfie stations, and — of course — costumes galore!

Come dressed in your best and grab goodies from the Richmond Zombie Walk, plus get tips on how to make the best costumes of all from Aisthesis Productions (the hands behind the scariest costumes around, and the recent locally-produced horror movie Last Call). As Aisthesis says, “Less Bore, More Gore.”

Hardywood’s also releasing their Quydrawine in bottles this Friday, honoring the beloved Quy Pham of The Answer Brewpub. This barrel-blended ale was brewed with inspiration from Quy, with his positivity and generosity that will stay in the hearts of his loved ones forever. Quydrawine is a bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout blended with a hyper-hopped fresh American barleywine — which means it’s packed with big, burly, bold flavors “that will Kong even the strongest of late night warriors.”

In more Hardywood news, Trickery (pictured first) is coming back out this Saturday at the brewery. Another Imperial Stout, this milk stout hits in at 13.5% ABV with ten months under its belt in apple brandy barrels. It has flavors of blackstrap molasses — yum! — with warm caramel and chocolate-covered cherries, to bring out the fall love in us all.

Speaking of events honoring Quy, The Answer Brewpub is hosting their extra-awesome 13th Annual Hallobeer on Monday, with Mekong Xpress playing the music of Elvis all night long.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Quy’s family, and in addition to tunes by The King himself throughout the evening, The Answer will be putting out some special drink releases. They’ll also have a Street Fighter tournament for those who are interested, plus costume contests with prizes if you want to come out in your best-dressed Halloween costumes (or Elvis getups, according to The Answer) to celebrate Halloween and Diablo.

*PHOTO: Cobra Cabana & Stone Brewing Collab*

Two of my favorite places in one event!! Stone Brewing Richmond is partnering up with Cobra Cabana for the Punk’in Carver Party — nice puns, y’all — with pumpkin carving in Richmond’s Carver neighborhood. With the best beer at the best spot, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Local pumpkins from Gallmeyer Farms will be on deck, and carving tools will be provided (but in true punk fashion, your crusty old pocket knife will also work just fine). Stone’s bringing out their special release, Ghost Hammer IPA, for the occasion to go along with the regular beers on the patio, so if you’re too cheap for craft beer this week, a $3 Lone Star will do. And for the witchier of us, Madame Onça will be out doing Tarot Card readings!

They’ll also have DJ Al Hitchcock out “spinning spooky tunes” through the evening, and fundraising efforts will benefit the Halloween Parade.

Boozy neighborhood friends rejoice: the Scott’s Addition Booz Crawl is back, and it’s happening all day this Saturday. If you’re an adult who is bummed by the no-trick-or-treating-without-kids rules of society, then this is good news for you.

The Booz Crawl lets you bounce around “trick-or-treating” through the neighborhood to try all the beer, ciders, meads, and whiskeys of the neighborhood. If you pick up Booz Crawl cards at the spots on the list, you can even win a $25 gift card individually to each location from getting three unique stamps at the breweries and being entered to win.

Participating breweries include (in alphabetical order) Ardent Craft Ales, Bingo Beer Co., Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, Buskey Cider, Courthouse Creek Cider, Isley Brewing Company, Reservoir Distillery, Strangeways, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Vasen Brewing Company, and The Veil Brewing Co.

It’s costume time on the farm! Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is hosting a Halloween Costume Party this Saturday complete with bonfires to bring fall’s best activities all together. There’s nothing like the smell of a fire pit or hanging out on a farm when it first gets chilly outside, and I couldn’t be happier this time of year.

If you’re down for the drive, head out to Goochland for one of my most favorite spots in the area. They’ll have live music rolling all evening with Mobius Strip, plus eats from the Firesides food truck, and probably the best part of all, always lots of dogs. I meet the cutest dogs when I’m out there, and if you haven’t seen their farm, it’s truly something special to find this close to the city. Lickinghole Creek is a gem, and this is the best season to spend some time with them.

Happy birthday, Isley! I just love this brewery, and I’m stoked to see them complete another trip around the sun.

Isley Brewing Co. is celebrating their 6th birthday this Saturday with tons of limited releases, live music, giveaways, games, and food trucks to accompany the Scott’s Addition Booz Crawl. They’ll be giving away VIP cards to the 6th and 66th guests at the brewery for *four free drinks per day!!* at Isley for the entire month of November. If that isn’t something to get stoked about, I don’t know what is.

Beer releases and returns throughout the week leading up to the event include: Cookies & Cream Porter, Irish Cream Porter, Fastidious Father Banana Peanut Butter Porter, Booze Mother Bourbon Barrel Aged Peanut Butter Porter, Stunt Dubbel Pumpkin Belgian Double, and their Mixed Berry Gose.

For eats, they’ll have The Return of the Mac food truck with gourmet macaroni and cheese, and The Lab Confectionery local bakery specializing in stroopwafels, Unicorn Cake, and freshly-baked goods. With live music, open mics, and pumpkin carving, there’s more than enough for everyone to have a blast throughout the day.

Releasing tonight, Väsen Brewing Company has partnered up with Blue Sky Fund to drop their collab beer: Wanderlust 10. This Wanderlust recipe will give 10 percent of proceeds back to the Blue Sky Fund in honor of the #HikeForKids campaign, and this malty, dark chocolate-flavored beer doesn’t disappoint.

You’ll catch flavors of vanilla, German beechwood, and smoked malt together with the dessert flavors and cocoa nibs, plus real vanilla beans and a hint of smoke from the beechwood malts. As the brewery says, this beer “will have you pining for a crisp fall hike followed by an evening spent around the campfire” — and they have the first part covered!

They’re hosting a group hike this Saturday and enjoying this beer together afterward at the post-hike party at the brewery.

This Friday at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, head over for First Tap Friday, where the brewery is releasing their Throwing Back Blueberries Imperial Gose.

The beer is coming out along with Three Notch’d collab partners Throwing Back Sunday, an emo throwback cover band that’s also headlining the Nightmare on Emo Street Big Ass Halloween Party (another part of RVA Magazine’s HALLOWEEK!) at The Broadberry later Friday night.

It’s Halloween at Castleburg Brewery and Taproom, as well! They’re hosting their 4th annual Halloween Party this Saturday with Cashmere Jungle Lords.

Unlike a lot of costume contest parties, this one will have more than one winner. Castleburg’s giving away cash prizes to contestants in all three categories of Scariest, Best Overall, and Best Couples costumes. Along with prizes, the brewery is hosting tons of great beer along with surf rock playing throughout the night.

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

Caley Sturgill | September 18, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RVA ON TAP: Festivals Galore!

Caley Sturgill | August 21, 2019

Topics: 18th Street, ‪3 Sons‬, ‪American Solera, ‪Anchorage‬, Angry Chair, ardent, Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, Bellwoods, Benefit, Bissell Brothers, Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, Buskey Cider, ‪Cantillon, Casey Brewing, Center of the Universe, Cloudwater‬, courthouse creek cider, Drie Fonteinen‬, Final Gravity, fine creek brewing, ‪Fonta Flora‬, ‪Half Acre‬, Hardywood, ‪Hill Farmstead‬, ‪Holy Mountain‬, ‪Hudson Valley‬, Isley Brewing Company, James River Association, ‪Jester King‬, lab rescue, Lickinghole Creek, ‪Monkish‬, nonprofit, ‪Notch‬, ‪Ocelot‬, ‪Omnipollo‬, ‪Other Half‬, outrva, ‪Oxbow‬, Reservoir Distillery, Richmond Triangle Players, RVA On Tap, ‪Sante Adarius‬, ‪SideProject‬, ‪Suarez Family, ‪The Answer, The Veil, ‪The Veil, The Veil Brewing Co., three notchd, ‪Threes, ‪Tired Hands, Trillium‬, TRVE‬, va pride, Vasen Brewing Company, weldwerks

This week, Richmond’s brewers are at it again with *tons* of awesome events. You’ll find some great new beer releases, in addition to lots of benefits to help out the nonprofits and organizations we all know and love, so save your weekly restaurant budget for the weekend, because we’ve got a lot of great reasons to come and support.

Big news at Hardywood! The James River Jubilee is coming up this Sunday, so make sure you don’t go too hard on Saturday so you can make it out. Our buds at Hardywood partnered up with the James River Association to create this special first-ever James River celebration to honor the biggest and best part of our city: the river that runs through it.

All of our river-goers know how important the James is to Richmond and its history, and the James River Park System is one of the best in the state for hiking, fishing, picnics, and swimming all summer long. There’s nothing like getting out of the hustle and bustle of downtown to escape into the trails along the river, and take a vacation from the city without ever having to leave it. The James River Association maintains our beautiful environment and keeps it in tip-top shape for us to enjoy year-round, so take this Sunday to come together with us to appreciate the river and the people who protect it.

All day long at Hardywood, food trucks and beers galore will be around along with interactive vendors and jubilant music to commemorate Richmond’s greatest asset, and the wildlife that surrounds it.

Hardywood’s also got some great can releases this week, with None Of This Makes Sense coming out on Friday in cans along with Cloud Shapes, a dreamy fruit Double IPA dropping in cans that day as well.

Calling all dog lovers! National Dog Day is around the corner, and our friends at Isley Brewing Company have brewed up something special to commemorate it.

This Saturday, head over to Isley for the release of Rescue Red Ale, a red that reflects its name in its deep, cherry color. It’s brewed with Jarrylo and Mosaic hops that balance out its malty, sweet backbone with a bit of a hoppy kick. with a good amount of hops but a still-approachable 5.2% ABV and 34 IBU to keep the bitterness at bay.

Along with great beer, you’ll find everything from treats to doggie pools and homemade ice cream for your pups, and giveaways and raffles to treat their humans, too. The beer benefits the Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond and the Lab Rescue LRCP, so drink happy knowing you’re helping some sweet babies find homes.

Another bonus: if you’re a dog lover who has yet to find their dog to love, the event will be hosting adoptions of some great pups in need of forever homes. Come to Isley for the beer, and come home with your newest (and favorite) family member.

Tomorrow night, swing by Ardent Craft Ales for some sweet earthy flavors in their latest brew. Barrel Aged Honey Ginger is making its way back to the taps, and this new version of a fan favorite is only available once a year — so make sure you don’t miss out, and get your taste before it’s gone.

Layered with bourbon and vanilla notes, this honey-ginger beer was aged for more than a year in bourbon barrels to add to its sweet honey tastes and spices with ginger. If you loved last year’s version, you’re sure to enjoy this one with its bourbon barrel additions of flavor. Coming in at a high 11.5% ABV, you’ll also only need one, unless you’re in that small class of folks I know who can grab a six pack and enjoy bourbon brews all night long.

If you’re wanting a taste without a weeknight evening at the brewery, you can also head over to grab some in bottles to enjoy anytime. They’re also hosting the release alongside one of our most-favorite foods with The Return of the Mac food truck out in the beer garden, so you won’t want to miss it.

Are you holding on to summer with all your might? You’re not alone. The Veil Brewing Co. feels your pain, and they’re hosting a banger for all the summer-lovers in the River City.

Forever Summer Fest is going down this Saturday at The Veil to benefit ChildSavers. This is an awesome way to give back, so don’t let the high ticket price scare you off if you’re able to swing it — all proceeds are going back to the nonprofit, so you can rest easy knowing those dollars are well-spent.

The event is taking place over three sessions throughout the day from morning to night, which lets you pick whichever time works best. Grab your tickets here for any session you please, and get tastes from tons of awesome breweries you won’t find around here… plus your local favorites like The Answer Brewpub who will be there pouring.

Here’s a full list of the brewers, many we don’t normally get to try at home, who are coming out:

18th Street, Angry Chair, ‪American Solera, ‪Anchorage‬, Bellwoods, Bissell Brothers, ‪Cantillon, Casey Brewing, Cloudwater‬, Drie Fonteinen‬, ‪Fonta Flora‬, ‪Half Acre‬, ‪Hill Farmstead‬, ‪Holy Mountain‬, ‪Hudson Valley‬, ‪Jester King‬, ‪Monkish‬, ‪Notch‬, ‪Ocelot‬, ‪Omnipollo‬, ‪Other Half‬, ‪Oxbow‬, ‪Sante Adarius‬, ‪SideProject‬, ‪Suarez Family, ‪The Answer, ‪The Veil, ‪Threes, ‪3 Sons‬, ‪Tired Hands, Trillium‬, TRVE‬, and ‪Weldwerks‬.

Returning to Final Gravity Brewing Co. this week is Cassiopeia, a Double IPA brewed in honor of the beautiful Greek Cassiopeia in mythology. Head over to Final Gravity this Friday for a taste of melon, coconut, pine, peach, and “whispers of pineapple” in this easy drinker.

Cassiopeia was brewed with Cashmere and Mosaic hops to come together in this heavenly congregation, as the brewers say, of radiant flavors with a smooth bitterness that brings out its lemon and tangerine flavors.

Out on the farm at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, our brewers are at it again with a brand-new brew coming out this Friday. Juicy #14 is the latest in Lickinghole Creek’s Juicy Series, dry-hopped with a massive amount of Eureka hops — and only Eureka hops.

A pale, hazy beauty according to Lickinghole Creek, Juicy #14 is full of tropical citrus, stone fruit, and blackberry flavors which all come together with a fluffy, wheat-based mash bill. You’ll love the low bitterness that comes with its big hop flavors from being rounded out with their house English Ale yeast to make this perfectly-dank and resinous beer.

Grab your wagons if you’ve got ‘em (wheelbarrows and station wagons are acceptable for those of us who live in the actual city) because Center of the Universe has a festival for you.

The 3rd Annual Circle the Wagons BBQ Cook-off and Concert is coming up this Saturday to benefit Circles Ashland, a nonprofit that works to reduce poverty in Ashland. This benefit is going down in the brand-new Green Top Hunt Fish with tons of entertainment, from music for parents to a 40ft inflatable obstacle course for the kids.

If you’re a big BBQ fan like myself, this event is definitely for you. A panel of 10 judges is going to be tasting one meat and one side from each of the vendors in attendance, which includes Saucy’s BBQ, The Salty Pig Smokehouse Co., Jake’s Place, Virginia BBQ Ashland, The UFO Truck, and my *all-time favorite* Grandpa Eddie’s Alabama Ribs & BBQ. You can bet your sweet bippy that I will be coming out if only for a massive plate of Grandpa Eddie’s just to take home and eat by myself in bliss.

They’ve also got amateur competitions that you can enter if you please, so get cookin’ and bring out your best recipes to take home the name of best cornbread in the state from the festival. All-around, this is going to be a day of bigtime good food, so bring your appetite and fast for food that morning if you have to. Lord knows I probably will.

Out at Fine Creek Brewing, a new Lemon Wheat came out over the weekend that sounds delicious. Already a favorite among fans, this American Wheat Ale brew hits in at 5.2% ABV and brings out all the refreshment you need for these hot summer days. It was brewed with Callista, Saphir, and Nugget hops in addition to its fresh lemon peel additions, and you can grab it to-go as well in Growlers and Crowlers.

They’ve also got their beloved Turf & Twig Brown Ale back on tap, which has just the right amount of sweetness to complement this dark-style Brown Ale. You’ll catch dessert flavors like nutty coffee, baker’s cocoa, and pumpernickel bread to bring out its rich maltiness, and a clean finish with just that hint of sweetness to round it out.