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This Month, Virginia Gets In The Spirit

Will Gonzalez | September 17, 2020

Topics: alcohol distilling in Virginia, coronavirus, COVID-19, hand sanitizer, Reservoir Distillery, Virginia ABC, Virginia Distillers Association, Virginia Spirits Month

Since 2016, the Virginia ABC has celebrated September as Virginia Spirits Month. This year, they’re stepping up their campaign to bring some of the recognition that usually goes to neighboring states to Virginia’s liquor distillers.

Though other states in the South such as Kentucky and Tennessee are more well-known than Virginia for their production of spirits like Bourbon and Whiskey, the first place in America where distilled alcoholic drinks were produced was Virginia.

Virginia ABC has only been recognizing the month of September as Virginia Spirits Month since 2016, but the history of distilling liquor in Virginia dates all the way back to four hundred years ago, when English settlers from the Jamestown colony began distilling whiskey from corn. Since then, Virginia has been known as the birthplace of American Spirits, and despite COVID-19, ABC and distilleries around the commonwealth are celebrating 400 years of Virginia spirits with a variety of special events and promotions.

Photo courtesy Virginia Distillers Association

The earliest record of whiskey distillation in Virginia comes from December 1620, when English colonist George Thorpe wrote to John Smyth to tell him he had “found a way to make some good drink of Indian corn … [even better than] good strong English beer.” In the 1780s, George Washington owned the United States’ largest rye whiskey distillery in Mount Vernon, and Bourbon County, Kentucky — the birthplace of bourbon — was a part of Virginia until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Today, there are 73 licensed distilleries in Virginia, and the commonwealth’s spirits industry generates around $1.3 billion per year. 

Dave Cuttino, one of the founders of Reservoir Distillery in Richmond, got his training at a bourbon distillery in New York, before coming to Richmond in 2008. “I think there were five distilleries in Virginia at that point in time,” Cuttino said. Since then, the amount of distilling taking place in Virginia has grown significantly.

For Virginia Spirits Month this year, Reservoir is doing several special limited releases, including Gray Ghost, Holland’s Ghost, and what Cuttino calls a Hazmat bottle, which is over 140 proof. They’re also reducing their delivery fees to $5 for all orders this month. Reservoir’s deliveries are usually very expensive, and have only been possible this year because of COVID-19.

“Virginia ABC and the special session of the assembly allowed us to do direct-to-consumer sales,” Cuttino said. “So I wish to say we made that happen, but this is at the pleasure of Virginia ABC that we’re allowed to do that.”

Photo courtesy Reservoir Distillery

Like many distilleries across the county, Reservoir spent much of the spring and summer making hand sanitizer. 

“My brother’s an E.R. doctor, so I was acutely aware of what the problem was as it was unfolding, and that there was a shortage of not just hand sanitizer, but all P.P.E.” Cuttino said. “I knew that we could make hand sanitizer, and so we started off by making some and then offering it for free at our roller door to first responders, medical professionals, police, and also the public.”

In the spring, as the volume of hand sanitizer made in distilleries began to increase, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade of the FDA loosened restrictions on the production of hand sanitizer, which is regulated by the FDA as an over the counter drug, so that it could be manufactured legally by distilleries and other unlicensed producers. 

“If you make hand sanitizer, you have to have a special license from the FDA to do that,” Cuttino said. “The FDA knew that there was a need and that distillers, by all intents and purposes, make drinkable hand sanitizer. So they said ‘We’re going to give you guys special powers to do this.’”

The formula used by Reservoir, which comes from the World Health Organization and consists of 190 proof ethanol, glycerin, and peroxide, is industrial strength.

“This is not your Purell that you walk into CVS and buy.” said Leslie Grimes, a media spokesperson for Reservoir. From March to August Reservoir made nearly 100 thousand gallons of hand sanitizer.

Photo courtesy Virginia Distillers Association

Since Virginia Spirits Month first started in 2016, sales of Virginia spirits in the month of September has increased by 134 percent. Given COVID-19, distilleries around the commonwealth won’t be able to do in-person events, but according to Amy Ciarametaro, Executive Director of the Virginia Distillers Association, the adjustment has gone phenomenally well so far.

“Unfortunately, this is the world we live in right now, where everything has to become virtual, and so that does limit the depth of different types of events we can do,” said Ciarametaro. “But for this year, a lot of folks are going to do educational events online, whether it’s tasting with Virginia distilleries, how to cocktail tutorials, or tours of the distilleries via virtual videos.”

Top Photo courtesy Virginia Distillers Association

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

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, 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.

PHOTO: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

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!

PHOTO: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

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.

PHOTO: The Answer Brewpub

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.

PHOTO: Scott’s Addition Booz Crawl

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.

PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

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.

PHOTO: Isley Brewing Company

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.

PHOTO: Väsen Brewing Company

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.

PHOTO: Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

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.

PHOTO: Castleburg Brewery and Taproom

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. 

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: 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

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, 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. 

PHOTO: Hardywood

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. 

PHOTO: Isley Brewing Company

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. 

PHOTO: Ardent Craft Ales

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. 

PHOTO: The Veil Brewing Co.

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. 

PHOTO: Final Gravity Brewing Co.

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. 

PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

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. 

PHOTO: Center of the Universe

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. 

PHOTO: Fine Creek Brewing

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. 

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: The Big Release

Caley Sturgill | August 6, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, breweries, Buskey Cider, courthouse creek cider, events, final gravity brewing co, fine creek brewing, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Isley, local beer, Reservoir Distillery, richbrau, RVA On Tap, scotts addition, scotts addition beer, Starr Hill, strangeways, the answer brewpub, the big release, The Veil Brewing Co., three notchd, Väsen

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 some great returns of old favorites, plus a brand-new festival: the Scott’s Addition Big Release. All the brewers in Richmond’s booziest neighborhood are coming together for the first annual collaboration release, so if you’re looking for some new flavors in your life, the beer family of Richmond has you covered. 

PHOTO: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Summer is slowly coming to an end (thank god for me, and maybe a bummer for some of you), and our pals at Hardywood are dropping one of their early-spring favorites in cans this Friday to bring the season of fruity beers full-circle. The Original Five Flavors came out at Hardywood back in May alongside Dreamlike — which sounded like an actual dream, and incredibly tasty — and it’s making its second debut in cans. Dreamlike made its debut again back on August 2, along with Kiwi Lime Berliner Weisse. 

The Original Five Flavors is a candy lover’s delight. This one was made to match the early days of Lifesavers candy, and comes in the classic flavors of cherry, orange, lemon, lime, and pineapple. Dreamlike, on the other hand, is a pillowy-soft DIPA, with nice, fresh hops released with Kiwi Lime Berliner’s hot-day flavors. 

“What’s that in the clouds over there?” says Hardywood, “A Dog? A Bunny?” Nah, booze. There’s no rush to wake up from this dream. 

PHOTO: Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Also returning this Friday is Final Gravity Brewing Co.’s Absolute Magnitude Double IPA. This one was brewed with 100 percent Citra hops to really bring out the fresh hop flavor, and focus in on a widely-loved favorite in the brewing process. Citra brings out orange zest, grapefruit, and lemon tastes that bring this Double IPA up to 8% ABV — and according to the brewers, it “radiates” with its astronomical sum of citrus, magically brewed with a velvety finish. 

I’m a big fan of a soft finish to an IPA, and the trend of these fruity IPAs with soft finishes is delicious. Final Gravity never disappoints, so this is definitely one on my list to try for the week! 

PHOTO: Scott’s Addition Big Release

Are you looking for a party where you can brewery hop around the neighborhood and try something brand-new at every single one? Yeah, these don’t come around too often. That’s why you’re going to want to head out to Scott’s Addition this Saturday for The Big Release, a massive collab between the booziest area in town with breweries all cooking up fresh recipes for a full day of new brews. 

A few of the new releases I’m most excited about on this list start with Blue Bee Cider’s Hot Honey Gold Rush cider. This barrel-aged cider comes from an apple brandy barrel that started off with jalapeño-infused honey, so you’ll get an awesome kick of spice at the end to round out the brandy and honey flavors. Another I can’t wait to try is Three Notch’d RVA Collab House’s Lush-ious — this one looks SO good, y’all. This Maple Pecan Brown Ale (holy wow, I’m in heaven) was brewed in collaboration with Lush Cupcakes. If you haven’t heard yet, Lush makes alcohol-infused cupcakes, and just celebrated their opening in Scott’s Addition. Their Lush-ious collab with Three Notch’d set off to create something similar in beer form, and landed on maple and pecans added into a Three Notch’d brown ale that started off with biscuit and chocolate undertones to create the best dessert-brew flavors ever. 

You’ll catch your favorites like Ardent Craft Ales and Strangeways, plus Starr Hill, Vasen, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Isley Brewing Company, Buskey Cider, Black Heath Meadery, Courthouse Creek Cider, Blue Bee Cider, Reservoir Distillery, and The Veil… who has an extra surprise up their sleeve this week as well.

PHOTO: The Veil Brewing Co.

Last night, The Veil Brewing Co. released four debuts and one return to fill glasses for every taste. 

Kicking off the releases, Very Berry Tastee (pictured above) brings the sour and the smoothie to one perfect combination. This thick, fruity ale is the product of combining raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, and strawberries with milk sugar to pull the fruits together in a smoothie-style sour ale that hits in at 5.5% ABV. 

Next up comes Steady Incline, a light-orange colored Double IPA with Citra, Galaxy, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops at 8% ABV. Strong Enough follows, and this brand-new IPA release combines some flare with flavors like El Dorado and Vic Secret in addition to its Galaxy, Mosaic, and Citra with a bright color in the glass. Strong Enough is a lighter 6.5% ABV beer, and it comes with Color of Blood’s high 11% ABV for the stronger drinkers out there. Color of Blood is a triple IPA that benefits from hops like Wakatu and BRU-1 to complement Galaxy, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Nelson, and although it pours with a crispy orange juice color, its heavier ABV and bold taste bring out its name. 

Another featured release in the bunch is Brenner Pass: Grand Cru, which is returning to commemorate the second anniversary of the beloved local restaurant. This brew is unlike the rest, and drinks more like a fine table wine with textures like Chardonnay coming from its spelt, raw wheat, and floral American hops from the brewing process. The Mixed Fernie is funky and dry with a subtle acidity, and was stowed away and inoculated with The Veil’s house culture to prepare for the anniversary celebration. 

All in all, The Veil has a beer for just about every preference out right now, and all of them bring something unique to the table for every kind of drinker. If you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to bring your wine friend or your daiquiri friend to a brewery, now’s your chance! 

PHOTO: Väsen Brewing Company

Summer may be slowly making its way out the door, but the brutal August heat of the River City is still to come before we can lay this hell season to rest and get back to the good stuff: pumpkin picking, hay rides, getting lost in corn mazes, haunted houses, chilly mornings, hot chai, sweaters, bonfires (!!), weekend trips to the mountains, colorful leaves falling on Monument Avenue, SNOW, the good food and fam time of the holidays, and pretty much everything else that makes cold weather good and summer awful. Halle-fucking-lujah. 

Anyway, we’re not there just yet, and it’s going to be a rough one for these next few weeks. Thankfully, Väsen Brewing Company is here to take the heat off. 

The Watermelon Puffin is on its way to Väsen this Saturday, and this crisp, refreshing American-style Berliner Weisse is the perfect beer for the end-of-summer hear, according to its brewers. The Watermelon Puffin brings out some slight sour flavors in addition to its watermelon puree to give you all the fruity twists you’ll need when the temp gets above 100° — and you know it’s coming, whether we like it or not. Cool down with these blueberry and lychee notes in a watermelon brew, and try to stay out of the heat (lord knows I will). 

PHOTO: The Answer Brewpub

Out at The Answer Brewpub, a fresh beer made its way in cans right after we got together for RVA On Tap last week. Corporate Headquarters is a Double IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and a touch of Columbus to come together in a nice, pale-orange pour that looks as crisp as it is creamy. Is there any better combination in a beer? I haven’t found one yet, and I don’t plan to as long as these awesome Double IPAs are around. 

The Answer also dropped FRESH AF, which is as green as it gets: 

PHOTO: The Answer Brewpub

This Session IPA was double-dry hopped with Ella, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops, and according to our buds at The Answer, this crusher “bursts with aromas” of mellow mango before its grapefruit finish. If you’re in the mood for one, go grab one while you can, and don’t forget to give The War on Glycol a taste while you’re out there. 

PHOTO: Fine Creek Brewing and Väsen Brewing Company

This week, we also saw an awesome beer feature in a collaboration between Fine Creek Brewing and Väsen Brewing Company. The International dropped as a mixed-fermentation Bière de Garde to celebrate the international collaboration with the Farmhouse Ale Appreciation Society, and it came as part of the International Craft Beer Weekend Red Paint hosted in Richmond last week. 

This brew came together with Murphy & Rude Pils malt and raw wheat, and was hopped with Saaz and Strisselspalt — but the real kicker on this one is its unique, prolonged 5-hour boil in addition to primary lager fermentation and secondary wooden barrel fermentation that brings out its funky Brett tones and citrus and grape skins. It’s got a mouth-puckering acidity with a dry finish, so if you’re into the sour and the sweet, these breweries have plenty of options to get your week rolling. 

PHOTO: Richbrau Brewing

For National IPA Day, Richmond’s oldest craft brewery dropped an awesome new Citra-hopped beer. Richbrau released Psychic Horse with the tale of its origin: 

“Born in 1924, Lady Wonder was a prophetic horse that lived on the southside of Richmond. Taught to communicate on blocks with letters of the alphabet, Lady Wonder answered questions daily from noon to three, 3 questions for $1, and was visited by more than 150,000 people over 30 years. Her prognostications included Truman’s presidential defeat of Dewey, 28 of 28 winning horses at a Baltimore race track, and she garnered national recognition in 1952 for helping police locate the body of a missing Massachusetts boy. Lady Wonder died in 1957 at the age of 33, three years later than she predicted.” 

And the horse girls of the world rejoice. Lady Wonder sounds like she really was a wonder to the residents of Richmond in the last century, and I’m not gonna lie, I’m bummed she’s not around in our time. Thankfully, her legend lives on, and like the horse that came from historic Richmond, the brewers who keep her name alive are a big part of our history as well. Richbrau has been a staple of the River City for decades, and now that it’s back, you can get a taste of history at their brewery (and learn something about Richmond’s legends, too). 

PHOTO: Black Heath Meadery and Buskey Cider

Coming up this Saturday at Black Heath Meadery, an awesome new collab with Buskey Cider is making its way to the taps for the Scott’s Addition Big Release. 

Buskey Orange Ginger Cyser was crafted between the brewers with local ingredients like Virginia apples and Virginia wildflower honey, plus baby yellow ginger from Casselmonte Farm and orange peels. 

According to the brewers, this one’s getting drier by the day, and it’s fermenting in the tank ready to make its way into your glass this weekend. 

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: Party Time! Excellent! Scott’s Addition Booz Crawl, and Richmond’s Best-In-Nation Brews

Caley Sturgill | October 17, 2018

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer crawl, Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, booz crawl, Buskey Cider, Castleburg, courthouse creek, Isley, Reservoir Distillery, RVA On Tap, Scott's Addition, Steam Bell, stone, the beer travel guide, The Veil, three notchd, Väsen, waynes world

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 with news this week, from beer releases to festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

Last week, we checked out a few awesome beer events and even found a boozy haunted house for Halloween. We’ve got even more exciting stuff coming up, and RVA made the news once again for being one of America’s top beer destinations (surprise, surprise).

PHOTO: The Beer Travel Guide

This week, Richmond was named the “Ultimate craft beer destination in Southeast America” by The Beer Travel Guide, with a note that good ol’ RVA has the best craft beer east of the Mississippi (can’t argue with that). According to the travel guide, we not only have a rich number of breweries, but also have some of the nation’s most elite right here in the city limits. They report:

“Any serious beer trader has a few Richmond breweries on his or her ‘In Search Of’ list. One could easily spend a weekend in Richmond doing nothing but drink craft beer and *still* feel like there wasn’t enough time to get everything done.”

Ain’t that the truth. Since RVA is just so-damn-great, we actually get two parts to our chunk of the country’s guide, all to ourselves. They released Part 1 this week, and some of our favorites made the list.

Final Gravity Brewing Company came in at #3 for its world-class IPAs (with The Doppler Effect recently ranking as the 12th-best IPA in the country). Up next was The Answer Brewpub at #2, where the travel guide remarked, “If the question is ‘Where can you find some of the best beer in the country?’ the answer is…well, The Answer.” #1 on the list is the entire neighborhood of Scott’s Addition (lol) and honestly, they’re totally right.

I’ve been saying forever that RVA is one of the most unique beer cities for its ability to go brewery-hopping (Seriously, where else is that a thing?) and our friends at The Beer Travel Guide found the same to be true.

PHOTO: Scott’s Addition Booz Crawl

Speaking of Scott’s Addition, one of the neighborhood’s best beer events of the year is next! weekend!

Once in a blue moon, we get an opportunity for the whole city to day-drink together, and nobody gets to judge us for it. Richmond’s self-proclaimed Booziest Neighborhood has brought that opportunity back this Saturday, for a full day of adult Trick-Or-Treating in the Scott’s Addition Halloween Booz Crawl.

The crawl this weekend hits 10 different spots in a day, full of beers, ciders, meads, and whiskeys. On your way, make sure to pick up Booz Crawl cards anywhere that’s participating. If you get three unique stamps, you’re entered to win a $25 gift card for each location.

They’ve also included a Lyft voucher for 25 percent off rides, so Trick-Or-Treat responsibly. Participating spots include: Ardent Craft Ales, Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, Buskey Cider, Courthouse Creek Cider, Isley Brewing Company, Reservoir Distillery, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Väsen Brewing Company, and The Veil Brewing Co.

PHOTO: The Veil Brewing Co.

Party time! Excellent!  Yesterday, The Veil Brewing Co. brought Crucial Taunt back at the taproom, and it won’t last long. Straight from Wayne’s World, Crucial Taunt is Wayne’s girlfriend Cassandra’s band, known for their impressive Jimi Hendrix and “Ballroom Blitz” covers that really jam. The New England-style double IPA is extremely hoppy, dank, and has a low bitterness to accompany its juicy, small-malt taste. As a longtime WW fan, I’m extra stoked on this one — and the brewers have warned it may be gone by Thursday, so hop on it, Richmond. 

PHOTO: Castleburg Brewery

Castleburg Brewery dropped their Above the Salt Gose this week on a berry-blend randall. The Leipzig-style brew is light and tart, and according to Castleburg, it’s the perfect poolside drink as a 50 percent wheat beer that’s crisp and refreshing. It’s Castleburg’s first sour beer, and it hits at a nice medium with a 4.7 ABV. A reminder from the brewers: “Just don’t call us Salt Bae.” 

PHOTO: Stone Brewing

The first full-time brewed and bottled West coast double IPA on the planet is back at Stone Brewing. Ruination 2.0 is the second round of the groundbreaking pale ale, dry-hopped and hop-bursted to get “every last drop of piney, citrusy, tropical essence” that gives this beer its character. It’s also the second stanza in the brewery’s Liquid Poem to the Glory of the Hop. 

Stone’s also got their Bikes and Beers event coming up this Saturday for all the athletes out there. Gear up for 15- and 30-mile rides leaving the brewery (rest stops included, thank god) and circle back to Stone to get a glass, koozie, and two free beers! It’s similar to Hardywood’s motorcycle event last weekend, but for analog motorcycles (bicycles), and it’s got a raffle just the same. If you participate in the ride, you get a free raffle ticket — and if you’re anything like me, you might have so much fun you win back your own day-beer lost-belongings in the raffle. 

Proceeds go to Bike Walk RVA to improve cycling conditions in RVA, so even if you don’t ride, swing by for a beer and make sure to check this one out! 

PHOTO: Steam Bell Beer Works

Out in Midlothian, Steam Bell Beer Works just brought back Dueling Hops. The American-style IPA, brewed with Mosaic and Amarillo hops, has notes of mango and stone fruit for an easy-drinking fruit bomb. 

The brewery’s also a stop on the Richmond Beer Trail (with more than 30 craft breweries — no wonder we’re top in the country). Pick up a map and hit five RVA breweries for stamps, and get one of these sweet trucker hats fo’ free! 

PHOTO: Ardent

In more new-beer news this week, the cold weather is back, and so is stout season! Swing by Ardent tomorrow for the release of their Imperial Milk Stout. This bold, rich chocolatey-sweet stout is balanced with a roasty base and has a silky smooth finish — unlike “the boozy burn” that often comes with a 10 percent brew like this.

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!

Scott’s Addition distillery finds success with small-batch whiskey varieties

Amy David | April 5, 2016

Topics: Reservoir Distillery, rva whiskey, scotts addition, whiskey, whiskey distillery

Jay Carpenter and David Cuttino’s idea for their business sparked over a bottle of whiskey.

[Read more…] about Scott’s Addition distillery finds success with small-batch whiskey varieties

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