RVA craft beer Archives

RVA Mag’s Guide to Surviving Your Family This Thanksgiving With Local Beers

John Reinhold | November 27, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Blue Bee Cider, Buskey Cider, Castleburg Brewery, craft beer, Final Gravity, Garden Grove Brewing, Hardywood, isley brewing, Legend Brewing, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, RVA craft beer, Strangeways Brewing, surviving the holidays, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving guide, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Co., Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer, vasen brewing

We all know about the best beers to pair with your Thanksgiving meal — but what about the best beers to pair with the crazy relatives you’ll see at dinner? Not to worry, RVA Mag’s John Reinhold has you covered with this encore presentation of our craft beer rundown from last year’s holiday season.

Every year as we get closer to the holidays we like to do some beer pairings, but with a twist we can have fun with. We have done horrible candy pairings, and pairings with your usual holiday feast. This year, as I was trying to figure out what to pair with our local spots this Thanksgiving, I thought about all the relatives gathered around for the feast, and the drama and craziness that can ensue. It’s a horror show of its own kind. So here we have our family-stereotypes/beer pairing!

From your nosy auntie always in your business to that crazy drunk uncle, RVA Magazine takes all those lovely relatives and links them up with some delicious brews to get them good and sloshed. Hopefully, they will then chill out and behave themselves. Or, we can just up the ante and flip everything on its ass. Either way, it’s going to be entertaining for us. So let’s see what I can do for my relatives on this day. Wish me luck — I will need it.

Happy Thanksgiving, and good luck to all!

—

Crazy Artsy Son (that’s me) – Feeding Frenzy by Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

Because I love dank IPAs — and I helped make this one! Plus it gets me ready for the Thanksgiving feeding frenzy that is this nutty family. I need this beer to get my great white shark temperament out and drown it in this double IPA. That way, I can attempt to deal with everyone. Now, time to figure out what brew I’m giving this family in hopes of keeping the peace.

Grumpy Traditionalist Grandpa – Hardywood Park Craft Brewery Gingerbread Stout

Grandpa keeps a tight ship, and can be a bit grumpy from time to time. It’s usually based on timekeeping. He has that watch on his wrist given to him by a former President, I believe. Its always on time, and we get lots of questions. How’s the turkey going? Are we on schedule? Well, boy, you sure slept over huh, how late were you up? Is the table set correctly?

It’s 9 am and dinner is at 4 pm, but we best get this right. Back in my day (lots of that). Generally, he is more preoccupied talking to Uncle Pundit (more about him coming up), and messing with the teenage kids. It’s always a good time when he talks to the goth cousin or the vegan cousin — classic moments there.

It can be a bit difficult getting Grandpa chilled out; triggers all around, you know the deal. So I’m going with a heavyweight holiday classic. You see, Grandpa might be hard from time to time, but this one can take anyone down a notch. When you start to explain this brew to him, you’re going to get a little pushback, but stay strong, because he appreciates that. By the middle of the glass, he is going to say, “You know, this is pretty good.” By the second glass, he’s telling war stories and relating funny incidents involving your dad. Let’s call it a win.

Sweet Grandma – Ardent Craft Ales Sweet Potato and Sage

Grandma is going to be in the kitchen with mom, getting things ready. The awesome thing about Grandma is that she wants things to run smoothly, and for the food to be amazing. She has the most amazing pumpkin pie and deserts to fix. Sweet as can be to everyone, she makes everyone feel warm and keeps the peace. She’s constantly on Grandpa duty, and that’s quite a job. So I have this special brew picked just for her.

The Sweet Potato and Sage by Ardent fits right in with this meal she has passed down. She will appreciate how well it fits into the season – even if she doesn’t have beer a lot, this will work great. It’s festive, you know! It fits well with the main course, so we should consider this one for the table once the meal lands.

Father – Legend Brewery’s Legend Lager

Look, he’s picking up the bill — you know that. If he, of all people, loses it, well, its all going to go downhill fast. You know your pop. You know his sayings, and how he feels about this “craft beer crap.” You’re bound to hear it every time. “I remember when beer was beer!” So let’s cut it all out and get a classic for good ol’ dad.

Legend Lager will be exactly what he needs — a beer that tastes like beer (that’s his line, don’t steal it). We can keep this one rolling all day through the games, food, crazy uncle high fives, and all of it. So grab two and share one with your dad — you know he is no more ready to deal with these relatives than you are. We can break out the spiked Eggnog if things get serious. Thanks, dad!

Crying Mother – 2017 Stella (Rose style) by Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

She has her white pearls on, and could not be more excited to have everyone together. The tears are welling up already. She is proud, super proud. Mom is also very busy, so you have to help her a lot in this kitchen. But first, let’s start by helping her take the edge off. Shoot, we both need this.

You know she’s not into beer – of course, she would take it and shoot you loving looks. But let’s try to get something she’ll enjoy, for the woman that put up with all your shit over the years. Plus, by the end she’s going be in a ball of tears, with lots of kisses and hugs – so let’s all prepare for that. I think this beer/wine hybrid is the way to go — it’s refreshing, and it gets the job done. It’s early enough to not bomb her out into a crying mess, and should make her feel very warm and loved. Give her a hug and a glass – and get to work! She deserves it.

Drunk Uncle – Three Notch’d RVA Collab House‘s Last Call Bourbon Brown

It’s that time again; time to deal with my drunk uncle, and hope I don’t become him in the future. But let’s not think about that right now. I just hope Dad does not assign me to be his handler again. Whenever that happens, I’m cornered by his crazy ramblings and political rants before I can even sit down with a plate. Trump is coming up, for sure. It’s going to be a YUGGEE hot mess.

“Dude — yeah totally, high five again. Talked to your wife earlier... I mean, you said it, not me. Ok fine, HIGH FIVE! Yeah, I have been bringing some pretty good brews this holiday. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget you. Here — I got you Last Call Bourbon Brown, from Three Notch’d. You should consider the branding for that as a life goal... Hey, stay away from other people’s stuff! Ok?”

Little Sister – Plain Jane from Isley Brewing

Dear god. Being big brother is not always fun. You have to take care of your sister and get her something. I know I’m a few drinks in, but this dude she brought? I’m not sure about this guy. Dad is already eyeing him up and down. I trust her, but sometimes my protective instincts kick in. But I gotta keep it together. It’s not like this is easy for her — or him. I’m supposed to be the cool one, so I gotta reach out my hand first to try and keep it cool.

Mom already kissed him on the lips, and that was a little odd – but that might be my fault for giving her multiple Stellas. Drunkle and he are buds now, it seems — they already did two high fives. I’m keeping a chart. At least my sister and I are in on the jokes. She has given me a few eye rolls – so yeah, I gotta hook her up. So I’m playing it safe and getting her Isley Brewing’s Plain Jane; it’s easy to drink and in her wheelhouse. Still, though… I’m watching that dude.

Little sister’s Jock Boyfriend – The Veil Brewing Co.’s Creep

This guy. He was third-string quarterback and going back to his old high school has him acting like Tom Brady. Overcompensating much? Or is he just that good? It’s hard to tell. Dad is not impressed, but Mom would adopt him if she could. If he comes in and wins one game, however, I’m sure Dad’s story will change and I start seeing pictures of him on the wall. Wait, am I feeling jealous? Ok, so maybe I was never the gifted athlete, but I graduated from college with a performing arts degree, dammit. I played Hamlet! I can surely play an amazing football legend… onscreen.

Now he’s talking to Uncle Pundit; no way he comes out of this unfazed. Oh great, my Uncle Asshat just put his arm around him. This is going south fast. Now drunk uncle is hitting him with the high fives. I guess I should say hello, so let me try this: I’m getting this oh-so-cool dude Creep by the Veil. Fits him perfectly — I have four of these with his name on it. I’m gonna keep feeding him these and see how long it takes for him to bomb out.

“Hey dude – nice to meet you. I got you this!”

“Oh, thanks man! I love the Veil – great beers. Had this the other day with the head brewer. Great hop profile!”

OH HELL NO…

Nosy Aunt – The Answer Brewpub’s Mind Games

Oh, my aunt. Full of ideas for my life, she has all the answers.

“Why yes, life has been going well! …no, she went a different direction in her life. Yeah, I guess she wasn’t marriage material. I know, it was very exciting that I got that extra part in the movie… Life insurance? Yeah, I thought about it. Yeah, the kids are great. Other jobs? Yeah, I have been looking. Oh yes, good idea! I should apply to Google soon… HEY, CAN I GET YOU A BEER? Here, check it out — I got you two growlers of Mind Games from The Answer. The cool kids drink it straight from the growler… You can share it with your amazing husband. Yes, I know he likes beers like this… Where is he? Well, he’s on high five number eight with that fine young gentleman my sister brought. You should meet him, he said he wanted to meet you and talk about family planning. No problem! Bye bye now.”

UGH.

The Black Sheep Cousin – Buskey Cider’s 45 and Trying & Blue Bee Cider’s Harvest Ration

I usually feel pretty bad for her, because I was her a few years ago. Wait — maybe I still am. Anyway, she just does things differently. Most of us fall on a political spectrum that’s at odds with the people we only see at these family gatherings – but she is even outside of that. She is WAY into conspiracy theories; she talks lizard people and the flat earth quite a bit. You know how people are going to argue over health care? She’ll say something like, “Well, if the aliens would just come out and give us the real cure…” She might watch The X-Files as much as I do.

Most at the party will stay clear of her, but they always invite her, because “That’s what family does.” I’m not sure it’s helping her self-esteem, but she comes and enjoys the food at least. She also likes me, so I try and keep her happy. I got her cider because she does not like yeast or something like that. I forgot exactly why she doesn’t like yeast, but I’m going with it. And we’re giving her two, because she’s the Black Sheep, and needs a little something extra just for being the Black Sheep. I got her Buskey’s 45 and Trying — because, well, we are both there — and Blue Bee’s dessert cider — because she deserves to TREAT herself for being the outcast of the family.

Truck-driving Aunt – Triple Crossing’s Wherever I May Roam

If things get out of hand, I always have her help. That’s only one of the things that makes this aunt awesome. One year, she wrestled drunk uncle after telling him and Uncle Pundit to shut it. Uncle Pundit just cowered, but then drunk uncle made a mistake. It was like Wrestlemania here — a top family moment if you ask me.

She can drink us all under the table, no doubt. She is who we call when we need help with cars, or around the house on projects. She can build anything — the kegerator she built is one of my favorite things I own. So I got her Triple Crossing’s Wherever I may Roam — it fits her well. She knows brew, loves IPAs, and is usually on the road. She is my favorite.

Intense Vegan Cousin – Lickinghole Creek’s Spit Roaster

I totally respect her choices and I’m all about making sure there is stuff on the table for her. But the rest of family, minus my truck-driving aunt, has no idea how to deal with her veganism, so they usually bring food just for her. I always get her drinks, and we talk our usual hippy-dippy stuff.

The best time with this cousin is when the food comes and she says things like “Thanks for putting dead carcass on the table!” And, “Ooh, look — what a nice spread of murder I’m surrounded by.” Or, “I’m glad no one here cares about the earth.” Classic stuff. Love it. I mean I eat the meat, but I appreciate her getting everyone all worked up.

So I got her this Spit Roaster, as a fun poke at her. I think she is going to like it! I mean, she can totally drink it, no problem. If she hesitates, I’ll tell her I’m gonna feed it to drunk uncle – that will probably get her to drink it. Plus, I have a special brownie I saved to win her over with anyway.

Chatty “going-through-things” Aunt – Vasen Brewing‘s The Sour Cherry Walrus

Oh this poor thing. Every time I see her there is an issue — something new that’s the talk of the day. She will get everyone going on this stuff, and it becomes something that keeps coming up all day. Drives my Dad crazy. I even thought about making a sign that says “Moving on” to put up at the table – but I’m not trying to start things.

Between her and her husband (Uncle Pundit), it’s non-stop jibber-jabber. Whatever’s going on, it’s always somebody else’s fault, and usually goes into some kind of greater issue she has with people in the world. Good times.

I’m getting her The Sour Cherry Walrus, because it makes sense. It’s dark and sour, and might help me get her off her constant whine about the state of things. I don’t know — I’m trying here.

Uncle Pundit – Final Gravity’s Irish Goodbye

Honestly, he is the one I most want to catch a cold and miss the party. Boy does he have opinions — and they are always about politics. Not 30 seconds after he gets in the door, he is going, “Did you see Fox news today? Blah blah blah blah.” I tune it out at this point. Do not engage!!

Under it all, he’s a great guy — for real. But there comes a point when I don’t want to talk politics or religion with him, and that point is pretty much always. Anyway, there are times when I can get him to chill with enough booze. Video games worked on him once — he got into that and we actually had a good time. Movies are good as well, but I’ve gotta make it until the time for movies after the meal, so I’m going to give him something I know he likes. He sticks with the classics (surprise), so I’m getting him an Irish Goodbye, a classic Irish stout from Final Gravity. Maybe I can convince him to do car bombs with this, because that is serious. Wish me luck.

Debbie Downer Goth cousin – Strangeways Brewing’s Rot In Hell & Castleburg Brewery’s Murder Hole Mango DIPA

Image result for rot in hell strangeways

We all have met old Debbie Downer in our life somewhere – and this special lady is Goth, to make it even better. Actually, most of the time, she is wearing a black t-shirt featuring a band I really like, so we have more in common than she knows. Before we get to the prayer, before we eat the turkey, we have to get her chilled out. Last year she was sure she was dying from 12 different ailments. Of course, she had to describe them all – and explain that we are all doomed as well.

I’m getting her two brews and a pack of cloves, in the hope she might smile – and might not reduce either of my aunts to tears. Rot in Hell is right up her alley — it’s sour and has that clove background. Plus, she is gonna love talking about it. Then, as she gets further down the spiral, I always have the Murder Hole Mango by Castleburg in reserve. Either this will set me up for a big win this year, or yet another repeat watch of Requiem for a Dream.

There you have it – my choices for my relatives, as we work on getting through these holidays. You can’t go wrong with any of these great local brews, as long as you know which ones to offer which picky relatives. I certainly hope you have a very good Thanksgiving with your friends, family, dog, or whoever you enjoy your holiday with! Cheers to surviving — I hope these brews provide you with some sort of relief.

Name that IPA: RVA Mag tests its knowledge in beer challenge

Amy David | October 9, 2019

Topics: craft beer, IPA blind taste test, RVA craft beer, va craft beer, Virginia Craft Beer Month

The IPA has remained one of the most popular and proliferated beer styles in America for the last five to ten years, and while the reasons behind that might be beyond those that still haven’t acquired the taste for hoppy beers, it’s easier to see why, as someone that desires some form of hop-forward beer to be in the fridge at almost all times: there’s actually a ton of variation under the umbrella of “hop-forward ale.” The amount of hop varieties available to brewers these days is greater than ever before, which has broadened the spectrum of aromas and flavors that can be derived from one of the four core ingredients of beer. Not only that, but creative brewers have been innovating with hopping techniques: double dry-hopping and triple dry-hopping can lead to more overt aromatics, and adding large amounts of hops late in the boil and fewer early in the boil leads to softer, more fruit-forward hop flavors. Newer hop varieties have presented brewers with new possibilities as to what flavors can be coaxed out of beer, and using products like lupulin powder can lead to explosive aromas without the more vegetal aspects of dried hops or fresh “wet” hops mixed in. Fruited IPAs, sour IPAs, hoppy variations on sour beer styles, and other deviations from the West Coast style of IPA further illustrate how the style has broadened and acquiesced to the desires of both beer brewer and beer drinker.

So with that much variety, and therefore choice, how is one to assess the landscape of modern IPAs and other hop-forward ales? By tasting some of the most renowned hoppy beers available in Richmond. In order, we tasted Hardywood’s Tropication, Tröegs’ Nugget Nectar, The Veil’s Raindropz, Triple Crossing’s Double Falcon Smash, Ballast Point’s Sculpin, The Answer’s Piece of the Action, Bell’s Hopslam, Hardywood’s Great Return, and The Veil’s Frozen Ocean. The panel was made up of myself, RVA Mag president John Reinhold, RVA Mag beer writer Amy David, and Matt McDonald, the beer buyer for Joe’s Inn, The Broadberry, and The Camel. We felt that bringing in a beer-savvy mind outside of our circle would do some good in providing a different perspective on the state of hop-forward beer, and Matt certainly knows his stuff, which you can tell just from looking at any of his draft lists. John did the work of putting together the panel of beers that we tasted, taking care to include a good amount of local beers, along with a few curveballs in the form of some well-known beers from out-of-town breweries.

We as individual beer drinkers came into the tasting with our own preferences and experiences, which certainly influenced our thoughts on each beer that we sampled. I am a fan of hoppy beers with a lot of aroma, and bitterness that’s not too overwhelming. Citrus and tropical fruit flavors are some of my favorite aspects of hop varieties such as Amarillo, El Dorado, Citra, Galaxy, and Mosaic. John is a big fan of smooth, high ABV IPAs with tropical fruit characteristics, so he’s a Citra and Mosaic enthusiast. Amy is much the same, although she prefers her IPAs easy-drinking and not crazy hoppy — also a proponent of Citra-hopped beers. Matt’s preferences are a little more traditional: big, chewy West Coast IPAs, although he does like brighter, juicer hop character when it comes to double IPAs. His favorite hop is a classic IPA hop, Centennial, prized for its pine and bitter citrus characteristics. With all of that in mind, the difference in our opinions on each beer may still surprise you.

Matt and I ended up liking The Veil’s Frozen Ocean, the last beer of our blind tasting, most. It had basically everything that each of us like in a double IPA — a vibrant aroma bringing to mind tropical fruit in general, and for me, passionfruit in specific. The taste was bright, juicy, and fruit-forward with notes of passionfruit, peach, mango, and virtually no bitterness to speak of. One might have thought Matt might steer more towards Ballast Point’s Sculpin or Hardywood’s Great Return, but he sided with a juicy DIPA. John and Amy ended up enjoying Triple Crossing’s Double Falcon Smash most, which set itself apart with an aroma boasting notes of honey, peach, and subtle floral characteristics. There wasn’t much bitterness to speak of, and we all enjoyed the peach and citrus flavors of the beer, along with the smooth and somewhat rich mouthfeel, and its drier finish. While Amy prefers easy-drinking beers that aren’t overly hoppy, she liked an eight percent double IPA most. While John correctly guessed the identities of Tröeg’s Nugget Nectar (as did I), Ballast Point’s Sculpin, and Bell’s Hopslam, it was a surprise for some panelists to discover that those distinctive beers did not jump out to them during the blind tasting.

Although the three out-of-towners (Nugget Nectar, Sculpin and Hopslam) did not receive uniformly low ratings, the group did favor local beers on average. There a few factors that likely had something to do with this, one being that local beer is almost guaranteed to be fresher than anything from out of town. While there’s nothing unsafe about consuming beer that isn’t fresh, consider the hop. Hop oils, which carry the bittering and aromatic qualities that make hoppy beers hoppy, are fairly volatile. They break down quickly, and the wonderful attributes that they contribute to beer go with them, meaning that a three month-old IPA is not even close to being the same beer that the brewer intended you to experience. Refrigeration of course helps, and there are debates on exactly how fresh an IPA should be (extra green IPAs are considered “hop water” by some), but the bottom line is that hop-forward beers are best fresh.

Another factor to consider, regarding the group’s general favor of the local selections, is the fact that most of them are somewhat stylistically different from the non-locals. The selections from Tröegs, Ballast Point, and Bell’s deliver more aggressive aromatics and flavors, utilizing more traditional hop varieties for the IPA style. Hardywood’s Great Return also has a more traditional American IPA flavor profile. Hardywood’s Tropication, The Veil’s Raindropz and Frozen Ocean, Triple Crossing’s Double Falcon DIPA, and The Answer’s Piece of the Action generally delivered softer, fruitier aromatics and flavors. All of those beers utilize newer hop varieties and new hop-derived products, along with some creative applications of technique. Frozen Ocean’s huge tropical aroma and flavor are due to the use of a new, quickly-growing-in-popularity hop by-product called lupulin powder, which is essentially just the leaf and lupulin-containing oil of the hop plant isolated from its more vegetal stem, which is normally included in dried pelletized hops. Lupulin powder seems very effective at creating extra-vibrant flavors and scents, without some of the more herbaceous and vegetal qualities of hops. Dry-hopping is by no means a new technique, but the penchant that breweries like The Veil and The Answer have for double or triple dry-hopping beers is fairly new. Combining that kind of dry-hopping with little to no hops used for bittering (the epitome of this being The Veil’s 0 IBU IPA series—IdontwanttoBU, et al.) creates a remarkable kind of imminently drinkable single or double IPA.

A few years ago, the natural evolution of the now-classic American IPA might have seemed to trend ever upwards in terms of IBUs (International Bitterness Units), brewers striving to create the most resinous, earthily bitter hop bomb imaginable. Here’s the thing though: that’s been done before. The “juicy” IPA, or more specifically the Northeastern-style DIPA, is in a way contrarian; a subversive inversion of the last thirty or so years of IPA brewing, a hops-arms race centered on aroma bombs instead of bitterness bombs. That’s not to say that the enjoyment of one style of IPA makes one diametrically opposed to another style. Some of us on the panel enjoy both more traditional and more experimental IPAs, although we generally rated the softer, more aromatic beers higher when tasting them. Maybe it’s just that when presented in contrast to one another, our selections’ differences were thrown into sharp relief, and had the order of the samples been different, our opinions may have also been different. The point is, the landscape is changing, and as brewers continue to innovate and adapt to new technology and agricultural advances, it will continue to grow and flourish as the scope of what beer makers can do with the hop broadens. It’s an exciting time to be a beer drinker in Richmond, Virginia.

James River Jubilee @ Hardywood

Justin Mcclung | August 20, 2019

Topics: james river, live music, music, RVA beer, RVA craft beer

In collaboration with the James River Association, Hardywood is proud to bring you the first-ever James River Jubilee, a family-friendly event that’s all about celebrating our favorite Richmond River- the James!

The day will be packed full of interactive vendors, jubilant music, cold beer, and tasty food truck offerings- all to benefit the James River Association.

MUSIC
Andrew Alli and Josh Small
Church Hill Music Co.

RVA On Tap: New Author, Spooky Brews, Fall Fests & VA Wins at Great American Beer Festival

Caley Sturgill | September 26, 2018

Topics: craft beer, craft beer events, RVA breweries, RVA craft beer, RVA On Tap

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

I’m Caley, and I’m your new go-to for booze news at RVA Magazine (and local beer enthusiast). You can usually find me on a porch with a 12-pack of PBR, but as our latest RVA On Tap columnist, I’m here to be your Resident Beer Fairy — so drop me a line anytime. Cheers!

If you missed last week’s RVA On Tap, 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. Hold on to your mugs, y’all.

Last week, we checked out the best new fall brews, including Intermission Beer Company’s All Hallows Ale, Isley’s Marshmallow Brown Ale, Midnight Brewery’s Mitternacht Oktoberfest, and Vasen’s Festbier dropping around Virginia. RVA’s keeping it spooky this week with more seasonal releases, and plenty of pumpkin for all our #PSL fanatics out there. We see you, and we aren’t judging (too much, at least).

PHOTO: Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO.

A big congratulations is in order to several Virginia breweries for their medal-winning beers in the Great American Beer Festival, which went down over the weekend in Denver, CO.

Statewide winners include Richmond’s Hardywood and Ardent, Rocket Frog Brewing Co. from Reston, Gordon Biersch in McLean, Lost Rhino in Ashburn, the Sweetwater Tavern in Centreville, and Big Ugly Brewing Co. in Chesapeake. All of these stellar brewers won awards from around the state, putting the Commonwealth on the map once again for its alcohol enthusiasts, which may or may not be a good thing. We’re pretty stoked to keep up that reputation either way.

Not without a bit of favoritism, El Duderino from Center of the Universe is first on our list for new drafts out this week. Your author is biased from a lifetime of drinking mudslides, so this stout wraps up all of our (my) Western dreams in one creamy, mellow brew. Eight different malts and whole vanilla beans come out midnight black, with a tan, pillowy head to top off this chocolate espresso beer. It’s a White Russian disguised with a beer label, and we’re gonna be on this one well into the winter. Come out to try it at the Ashland brewery this Sunday the 29th and check out their 13 beers on tap.

This week around town, more seasonal draft releases start with Hardywood’s Rum Barrel Pumpkin. The flavors in this one are begging to be enjoyed around a fire pit, so grab a few friends and some firewood for us to try it out. The nostalgic autumn brew is full of fall spices with soul-warming blackstrap molasses. According to the brewers, it’s aged over several months in Caribbean spiced rum barrels with brown sugar and spiced rum notes. The 10.5% beer will be kicked off on Saturday, October 6th at Hardywood’s Richmond location, featuring free live music from Deau Eyes, The Head, and Landon Elliott.

Up next is Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery’s fifth birthday celebration this Saturday at 12PM. The countryside brewery in Goochland is celebrating five years at The Farm, with their fall harvest of sunflowers blooming and live music all day. They’ll be releasing their Communist-dictator referencing Supreme Leader and Eternal President beers in a family-friendly anniversary fest. Come out to see Bill Roberts and The Oak Crest Boys accompanied by the Woodheads Grill and Firesides food trucks for a full-on farm fest, in true Virginian fashion.

The land is also home to a gorgeous array of sunflowers, and occasionally hosts All-You-Can-Pick Sunflower Weekends — so if you missed the recent festivals around the state, this is a great chance to see the yellow giants.

Fingers crossed for some chilly nights to try this coffee and chocolate Nightlands Imperial Stout from Triple Crossing. It looks like the cold weather is still holding off (boo) but we can’t wait to sweater up and sit outside with this one. It’s brewed with Colombian Coffee from Ironclad Coffee Roasters with a dark cocoa taste — and unlimited crowlers. Hallelujah! We’re gonna need it.

Coming up on Friday is a new Lodestar Double IPA from Final Gravity Brewing Co. The spacey draft brewed from Galaxy and Mosaic hops will have mostly fruity tastes like peach, citrus, and lemon. Join them at their spot on Lakeside Avenue this weekend at 11AM to give it a try and hang on to the summer a while longer.

Final Gravity is also part of this fall’s 3rd Annual Urban Farm Tour + Party, put on by Real Local RVA. The tour features four urban farms around the city, introducing our residents to the urban agriculture farmers right here in our own neighborhoods. It starts at the Lakeside Farmer’s Market on Saturday at noon, and showcases the missions our local farmers have behind growing their food. Grab your tickets on the event page here, and hold your excuses for ticket prices, because they’re 25 percent off with the code RVA25. See ya there!

In case you can’t fit all your booze events into one week (unlike me), head over to Strangeways any day between now and Halloween to celebrate Oktoberfest. Technically, Oktoberfest runs up on the 6th, but this brewery is keeping it going ‘til November comes with giant keepsake steins and cheap beer. They’re running deals on craft brews all month, and we’ll keep you posted on more news to come like in-house features and specials from your favorite food trucks.

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, shoot over a message anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

Tapped: Intermission’s All Hallows Ale, Isley’s Marshmallow Brown Ale, & Midnight’s Oktoberfest

Amy David | September 19, 2018

Topics: craft beer, RVA breweries, RVA craft beer, RVA On Tap

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

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

So last week we told you about The Answer Brewpub celebrating its four-year anniversary. The West Broad Street brewery, founded by Mekong owner An Bui, kicked off events this Monday, and will have festivities for every day of the week and no tickets are required, just your beautiful faces! They have a ton of releases and special edition glasses for sale. Check the link for details and make sure you stop in and celebrate with them for giving us four years of delicious brews.

We also told you about Final Gravity Brewing Co. third anniversary. Due to the hurricane, festivities were rescheduled for this Saturday so don’t fret if you couldn’t make it out! The Lakeside brewery and they will be taking over the large parking lot out back and bringing in food from Pizza Nostra RVA, Charm City Crab Cakes, & Gaucho, a plethora of amazing guest taps from local and regional breweries, special Final Gravity Anniversary brews, tunes by DJs PJ Sykes and Melissa Koch, live music by East of Afton, and special anniversary merchandise. 12-6 PM.

Intermission Beer Company in Glen Allen will release their All Hallows Ale, an autumn harvest ale with maple and cinnamon this Friday for their Fall Kickoff Party, which they are throwing with the creepy folks over at Red Vein Haunted House. Join them for scares and door prizes, a Halloween Costume Contest, food from Firesides, and boozy cupcakes by Lush Cupcakes,

Hardywood has its Autocorrect and Mango VIPA releases for you this Friday at both locations. AUTOCORRECT is a hazy IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Mandarina Bavaria, then dry hopped with El Dorado. The brewery has also added mango to their VIPA flagship brew for an extra punch of fruity flavor! Draft and growlers.

And On Sunday, make sure you stop by Maymont for a beer dinner featuring several top Richmond chefs which will be serving up five courses paired with five Hardywood brews. $175 per person (all inclusive, includes gratuity). Snag your tickets here.

Isley returns this Friday with its weekly infusion. This time, it’s a toasted marshmallow brown ale to get you all geared up for fall. They first tried out this brew two years ago, and now they’re bringing it back so, make sure you get some if you didn’t have the chance to the first go around. Food from La Bete.

Midnight Brewery will release its Mitternacht Oktoberfest this Saturday, a Bavarian-style Amber Lager that gets you right in the spirit of Oktoberfest festivities. Prost!

Triple Crossing’s got a triple release for you so hope you’re thirsty! This Friday, at their Fulton spot they will have their Falcon Heavy, an 8% DIPA with notes of peach, mango, and papaya and Citra, Falconers Flight and Vic Secret hops. The brewery will also have Infinite Reflections, a 10% Imperial Stout. This brew gets conditioned on judicious amounts of vanilla, cacao nibs, and cinnamon. Vanilla, bakers chocolate, and smoky cinnamon sweetness round out this beautiful brew. Finally, we have their Mosaic Triangles IPA, a bright and citrusy brew with notes of fresh clementines and tangerines.

Vasen is getting into the Oktoberfest spirit this Friday, with some live polka music, the release of their Festbier, and German fare from Bon Are Provisions who will be serving up brats, kielbasa, and freshly made sauerkraut all evening. Prost!

Castleburg’s back this Friday with None Shall Pass, an Oatmeal Porter with notes of chocolate and coffee that will knock you right in all your Fall feels.

On Monday, Garden Grove Brewery & Urban Winery will host a beer dinner with Chef Craig Perkinson of Southbound. Five courses will be matched with five of GG’s brews. $39/per person. Grab your tickets here.

This Saturday, Buskey Cider will release its Thai Chili Ginger Plum cider for those looking to venture outside beer for something with a little kick.

This Friday, Ardent Craft Ales will release its brew, “Old Molasses Ale,” a collaboration with the John Marshall House. They brewed this special historical beer to celebrate John Marshall’s birthday. This beer was based on a recipe from John Marshall’s cousin, Mary Randolph, that she brewed in the late 1700s and featured a late addition of molasses in the boil.

Three Notch’d RVA Collab House returns this Friday with its Double Dark Chocolate Biggie Smores Imperial Stout with live music from QNA.

Fine Creek will celebrate Oktoberfest this Thursday, Sept. 20- 30. The Powhatan brewery will have quite a spread from their kitchen including Weinerschnitzel Sliders; Pretzels with Beer Cheese; Brats and Sauerkraut w. Whole Grain Mustard on a pretzel Bun; Flammkuchen Pizza w. Sour cream, Onions, Potatoes, and Bacon; Black Forest Cake w. Kirschwasser soaked Dark Cherries, Chocolate Cake, and Whipped Cream. Fine Creek will also be releasing their Oktoberfest Marzen Lager, Ruachtoberfest Smoked Marzen, Dunkelweisenbock, Helles Lager, and Bavarian Hefeweizen.

Get your steins ready and get out your lederhosen! This weekend, St. Benedict kicks off its 14th Annual Oktoberfest celebration. Free admission, over 50 beers on tap, tons of delicious German eats, polka, dancing, and a stein-holding competition. Prost!

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

Top Photo By: Midnight Brewery

Tapped: The Answer Turns 4, Final Gravity Celebrates 3 Years, & Kindred Spirit’s Spacehead

Amy David | September 12, 2018

Topics: craft beer, RVA breweries, RVA craft beer, RVA On Tap

This Friday, Hardywood will release its But Does It Make Sense, a New England-style DIPA, with mosaic lupulin powder and Galaxy hops. Saladworks will be serving up good eats!

On Monday, through next week, The Answer Brewpub is celebrating its four-year anniversary. The West Broad Street brewery, founded by Mekong owner An Bui, will have events for every day of the week and no tickets are required, just your beautiful faces! Be on the lookout for updates!

Final Gravity Brewing Co. will also celebrate an anniversary. This Saturday marks three years for the Lakeside brewery and they will be taking over the large parking lot out back and bringing in Go Go Vegan Go, Intergalactic Tacos, & Pizza Nostra RVA, to feed your hungry faces, and offer a number of amazing guest taps from local and regional breweries, along with special Final Gravity Anniversary brews, tunes by DJs PJ Sykes and Melissa Koch, live music by East of Afton, and special anniversary merchandise. Featured guest breweries: The Answer Brewpub, Ardent Craft Ales, The Veil Brewing Co., Red Dragon Brewery, Precarious Beer Project, Aslin Beer Company, Equilibrium Brewery, American Solera, Triple Crossing Beer, and Benchtop Brewing Company. 12-6 PM.

On Thursday, Ardent Craft Ales will release its Sweet Potato & Sage Saison to get you in all your Fall feels. The brew is a dry, farmhouse-style saison. Earthy notes from the sweet potatoes are balanced by the fragrant aroma of fresh, local sage.

On Thursday, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House returns with its weekly collaboration. This time, it’s “Here To Serve,” an American Brown Ale made in partnership with Ford Stephens and Leadership Metro Richmond. Ford Stephens won a charity auction to help brew a beer at the Collab House. Through Ford, Leadership Metro Richmond joined in the collaboration. LMR brings together a diverse group of people and creates leaders to serve the Richmond community. Pint Specials from 4-7pm.

And on Saturday, Three Notch’d RVA will release its “As You Are” Pineapple and Mango Gose in honor of the Scott’s Addition Pride Crawl. The theme for the bar crawl was cocktails, and the brewery set out to make a beer as close to a cocktail as possible. A ton of organic pineapple and mango fruit purée was added to this beer. While Florence may bring her wrath this weekend, let this brew take you away to a tropical paradise.

This Thursday at Triple Crossing‘s Fulton spot they will have a special early release of The Proposition, an 8% DIPA, appropriately hopped with Galaxy and Nelson. Notes of super soft chardonnay grape, touches of bright dankness with tropical fruits providing the majority of the presentation on this one to keep you calm during the storm.

Lickinghole Creek will release its Nuclear Nugget brew, an Imperial Honey IPA this Friday. The Goochland brewery will have it in 16oz cans in 4packs so venture out there and grab enough to hold you over during Florence.

Today, Kindred Spirit Brewing in Goochland will release its Spacehead in cans. This rich and juicy IPA will be available on draft too, so either get it to go or kick your shoes off and stay for a drink or three…well maybe don’t take your shoes off. No one wants to see that.

Fine Creek is hosting another Bluegrass Jam this Thursday, as well as a Teacher Appreciation Night! Bring in your teacher’s badge and get 15% off your tab. Fine Creek will have live music this Saturday. Next weekend is the beginning of Fine Creek’s Oktoberfest, where they will be offering fiver German beers and 1 Liter Steins!

On Saturday, the Scott’s Addition Pride Crawl will brave the hurricane to kickoff Pridefest. OutRVA and VA Pride have partnered with the neighborhood breweries, cideries, distilleries, and meaderies, to offer up a day of beer and fun festivities. With your Pride Passport, you can get it punched after purchasing beers at any of the participating locations, and after five punches, drop your passport off at the Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre for a chance to win a gift certificate from your favorite spot. Check the link above to download your passport and check out the participating breweries and other spots.

Check out the fresh delicious batch of brews The Veil released for their can drop on Tuesday. they need no further details so just feast your eyes and go stop by there and snag what’s left!

Courthouse Creek Cider will host Slurp & Sip, an oyster and cider flight event featuring oysters from Rappahannock River Company this Thursday.

This Friday, Isley returns with its weekly infusion, an Oreo Oatmeal porter. Hits the taps at 4 pm. Available In-House & To-Go. Get some!

And on Saturday, the Mos Eisley Brown Ale returns to Isley. A traditional brown ale, the brew is inspired by the barren expanses of Tatooine. Brewed with a careful blend of roasted and caramel malts, it seeks to quench the thirsts of those who live in the shadows. Get out there and have some brews and food from Shakedown eats.

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

Tapped Photo By: The Answer Brewpub