Stone brewing Archives | Page 3 of 6

Roll Out The Red Carpet For Top Virginia Beers

Lee Graves | June 21, 2019

Topics: 1781 brewing, 2 silos brewing, 2 witches winery, 2019 craft beer cup, 7 dogs brewpub, adventure brewing, Adventure Brewing Company, alesatian brewing, alewerks, Apocalypse Ale Works, backroom brewery, bald top, Ballad Brewing, barrel oak farm, beales beer, beer, beltway brewing, beltway brewing company, big ugly brewing, bike trale brewing, bingo beer, black hoof, blue mountain, Blue Mountain Barrel House, broken window, brothers craft, brothers craft brewing, caiseal beer, Castleburg, Center of the Universe, Central Virginia, Chaos Mountain Brewing, Coelacanth Brewing, craft beer, fair winds, Final Gravity, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Front Royal Brewing Company, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery, Gloucester Brewing Company, great valley farm brewery, house 6 brewing, Lake Anne Brew House, Lickinghole Creek, Makers Craft Brewery, maltese brewing, MoMac Brewing Company, Mustang Sally Brewing Company, new realm, new realm brewing, new realm brewing company, old bust head, Old Bust Head Brewing Company, Old Ox Brewery, parkway brewing company, pleasure house, Port City Brewing Company, precarious beer, Pro Re Nata Brewing Company, random row brewing, reaver beach brewing, restless moons, rip rap brewing, RVA beer, seven arrows, Seven Arrows Brewing Company, skipping rock, smartmouth, south street, Spencer Devon Brewing, St. George Brewing Company, Starr Hill, Stone brewing, strangeways, Sweetwater Taverns, That Damn Mary Brewing Company, The Board Room VA, the bold mariner, the farm at broad run, Three Notch'd Brewing Company, three notchd, Tidewater, tradition brewing, Trapezium Brewing, Tredegar, twin creeks, vasen brewing, virginia beer, virginia beer company, virginia craft beer cup, Virginia Craft Brewers Guild

Old-timers in the Virginia beer community can remember pitching tents in the woods and meadows of Nelson County as part of the annual ritual to taste and toast the best of craft beers in the Old Dominion.

The 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gala on Monday, June 17, was a bit different. Yes, we were under a tent, but the setting was decidedly more elegant, among the venerable stone buildings of the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond.

And yes, it was billed as a gala. “When they originally mentioned it was going to be a ‘gala’ event,” said a friend of mine, “I was thinking red carpet, round tables and creative gala attire. But everyone came as they were.” Yes, you have to love a gala where a guy wearing a T-shirt, cutoffs, and sandals takes the stage amid hoots and hollers to accept a medal for a well-made beer.

Virginia’s contest, sponsored by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, is the largest among state competitions in the country. This year, there were 342 entries in 35 categories. Judges — 39 in all, led by former James River Homebrewers president Anna Shore — followed the guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program.

“We have purposefully focused on the quality of our judging,” said Brett Vassey, president and CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, which is the umbrella organization for the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. Beers were judged in the categories they entered, a stricter standard than in past years. “That’s a big deal,” Vassey said.

More focused judging and a record number of entries made it a big deal to receive a medal, and you could tell from the energy crackling from the 300 or so brewers, brewery owners, and beer lovers under the tent that having your name called was special.

http://leegraves.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/New-Realm-924x1024.jpg — *Bob Powers (left) and Bill Wild of New Realm Brewing (Virginia Beach, Atlanta) hoist the Best in Show trophy for Euphonia Pilsner at the 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gala. Photo by Lee Graves*

“We’re totally blown away,” said Bob Powers after New Realm Brewing Company won the first-place Best in Show for Euphonia Pilsner. Powers is director of sales and marketing for the brewery, which he cofounded with Mitch Steele (former head brewer at Stone Brewing Co.) and Carey Falconer. Based in Atlanta, New Realm moved into the Virginia Beach facility vacated by Green Flash in 2018.

Steele is known as a master of IPAs (he wrote a book on the style’s history and evolution), so taking Best in Show for a German-style pilsner is an eye-opener. “It’s really the beer he’s most proud of, and he’s won a few other awards since we’ve had it out,” Powers said.

Last year’s best in show winner also was a lager, the Lil’ Hellion Helles by Brothers Craft Brewing in Harrisonburg (a silver medal winner this year). Though IPAs dominate the marketplace, it’s the nuanced, delicate balance in lagers — pilsners in particular — that reflects the height of brewing arts and gets high scores from judges.

Just as the stylistic pendulum has swung, the spotlight also has broadened as the state’s brewing scene has matured. Gone are the days when Devil’s Backbone dominated contests.

“The [medal] distribution is amazingly statewide,” Vassey said. “The distribution among startups, new breweries and senior breweries — those that have been around a while — is amazingly distributed.”

Numbers bear him out. Breweries in the Tidewater area took home 21 medals, if you count New Realm winning two for Euphonia Pilsner (one for winning its category, one for Best in Show). In the Richmond area, the count is 14 medals; in Central Virginia (Charlottesville and beyond), 13 medals; in the Roanoke area and Southside, nine; in the Shenandoah Valley, 10; in Loudoun County, eight; in outer Northern Virginia (including Fredericksburg), 10; in inner Northern Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, etc.), also 10.

That last group includes the Great American Restaurants group’s Sweetwater Taverns, which has multiple locations in Northern Virginia and Loudoun County. Sweetwater was one of an elite bunch that carried home three medals — firsts for Rusty Roadrunner Lager and Yippee Ei-O Springbock and second for its pale ale. Three other breweries — Center of the Universe in Ashland, 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company in Danville, and Blue Mountain Barrelhouse in Nelson County — won three medals as well.

http://leegraves.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2019-Va-Craft-Beer-Cup-copy-1024x768.jpg — *Some 300 brewers, brewery owners and beer lovers celebrated the best in Virginia brewing at the 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gala on June 17 at Tredegar Iron Works. Photo by Lee Graves*

Winning one medal is a stamp of excellence for one beer. Winning multiple awards is a stamp of excellence in brewing, and 14 Virginia breweries had their name called twice: Seven Arrows in Waynesboro; Lake Anne Brew House in Reston; The Board Room in Arlington; Adventure in Fredericksburg; Old Bust Head in Vint Hill; Old Ox, Beltway and TrAle in Loudoun County; Fine Creek in Powhatan (including second place Best in Show), Three Notch’d, Starr Hill and Bald Top in Central Virginia; and New Realm and Big Ugly in Tidewater.

Given the record number of entries and the continued growth among Virginia’s craft breweries and brewpubs — more than 280 at last count — it won’t be long before future galas will need a bigger tent.

Here’s the full list of winners:

BEST IN SHOW
First Place: New Realm Brewing, Euphonia Pilsner
Second Place: Fine Creek Brewing Company, Dry Hopped Brett Saison

ALTERNATIVE FERMENTABLES BEER
First Place: St. George Brewing Company, Honey Meade Lager
Second Place: Gloucester Brewing Company, DeadRYEz
Third Place: Chaos Mountain Brewing, Glutenless Maximus – Pale Ale

AMBER AND BROWN AMERICAN BEER
First Place: Parkway Brewing Company, Triple “A” American Amber Ale
Second Place: Spencer Devon Brewing, Pulchritudinous Brown
Third Place: That Damn Mary Brewing Company, Easy Money

AMBER BITTER EUROPEAN BEER
First Place: MoMac Brewing Company, Pata De Palo
Second Place: Mustang Sally Brewing Company, Article One Amber Lager
Third Place: Front Royal Brewing Company, Linden Lager

AMBER MALTY EUROPEAN LAGER
First Place: Makers Craft Brewery, Rauche

AMERICAN PORTER AND STOUT
First Place: Stone Brewing, Stone Espresso Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout
Second Place: Old Ox Brewery, Black Ox
Third Place: Adventure Brewing Company, Wicked Nymph Imperial Stout

AMERICAN WILD ALE
First Place: Fine Creek Brewing Company, Dry Hopped Brett Saison
Second Place: Coelacanth Brewing, The Captain
Third Place: Center of the Universe, Red Ale

BELGIAN ALE
First Place: Port City Brewing Company, Optimal Wit
Second Place: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery, Belgian Wit

BRITISH BITTER
First Place: Old Bust Head Brewing Company, Bust Head English Pale Ale
Second Place: Great American Restaurants—Sweetwater Taverns, Pale Ale
Third Place: Lake Anne Brew House, Lord Fairfax

BROWN BRITISH BEER
First Place: Three Notch’d Brewing Company, No Veto Brown
Second Place: The Board Room VA, Bishop Brown
Third Place: Ballad Brewing, Fast Mail

CZECH LAGER
First Place: Pro Re Nata Brewing Company, Nature Boy Pilsner
Second Place: Seven Arrows Brewing Company, Aurora Pils

DARK BRITISH BEER
First Place: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, One Lion
Second Place: Backroom Brewery, Oatmeal Stout
Third Place: The Virginia Beer Company, Elbow Patches Oatmeal Stout

DARK EUROPEAN LAGER
First Place: Great American Restaurants—Sweetwater Tavern, Rusty Roadrunner Lager
Second Place: Bingo Beer, Black Lager
Third Place: Center of the Universe Origin, Dark Side

EUROPEAN SOUR ALE
First Place: Strangeways Brewing, Uberlin
Second Place: Precarious Beer Project, Everywhere You Look There’s Something

FRUIT BEER
First Place: Great Valley Farm Brewery, Peach Farmhouse Ale
Second Place: Seven Arrows Brewing Company, Sour Grapes
Third Place: The Farm Brewery at Broad Run, Dewitt’s Wit

GERMAN WHEAT BEER
First Place: Starr Hill Brewery, The Love
Second Place: 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company, Witch Haze Ale
Third Place: Bike TrAle Brewing Company, Tailwind

HISTORICAL BEER
First Place: Blue Mountain Barrel House, Classic Lager
Second Place: Castleburg Brewery and Taproom, Castillian’s Champagne Grodziskie
Third Place: Beale’s Beer, Gratzer

INTERNATIONAL LAGER
First Place: The Bold Mariner Brewing Company, Frogman Lager
Second Place: Beltway Brewing Company, Batting 1000
Third Place: The Board Room VA, No Limit Lager

IPA—American
First Place: Barrel Oak Farm Taphouse, BOFT IPA
Second Place: 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company, Mosey Along the Dan
Third Place: Big Ugly Brewing Company, Rockers

IPA—Specialty
First Place: Final Gravity Brewing Company, Morning Glory
Second Place: Vӓsen Brewing Company, Cashmere Secrets
Third Place: Twin Creeks Brewing Company, Red Leaf IPA

IRISH BEER
First Place: Pleasure House Brewing, O’Brien Clan Irish Red
Second Place: Old Bust Head Brewing Company, Vixen Irish Style Red Ale
Third Place: Tradition Brewing Company, Red Willie Irish Red

PALE AMERICAN ALE
First Place: Random Row Brewing Company, Mosaic Pale Ale
Second Place: Broken Window Brewing Company, Lucky 13
Third Place: Three Notch’d Brewing Company, Ghost of the 43rd

PALE BITTER EUROPEAN BEER
First Place: New Realm Brewing, Euphonia Pilsner
Second Place: Bald Top Brewing Company, Liberty Light Lager
Third Place: Fair Winds Brewing Company, Quayside Kolsch

PALE MALTY EUROPEAN LAGER
First Place: Great American Restaurants—Sweetwater Tavern, Yippee Ei-O Springbock
Second Place: Brother’s Craft Brewing, Lil’ Hellion
Third Place: Black Hoof Brewing, Reh of Sunshine Helles

SCOTTISH ALE
First Place: 7 Dogs Brewpub, 80 Shilling Scottish Ale

SMOKED BEER
First Place: Bald Top Brewing, Secretly Smoked Lager
Second Place: Alewerks Brewing Company, Pancake House Stout
Third Place: House 6 Brewing, Smoke Eater

SPECIALTY BEER
First Place: South Street, Soft-Serv Ice Cream Porter
Second Place: Smartmouth Brewing Company, Mount Up
Third Place: Blue Mountain Barrel House, Raspberries on Acid

SPICED BEER
First Place: Starr Hill Brewery, Little Red Rooster Coffee Cream Stout
Second Place: 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company, “Just-In” Time for Breakfast
Third Place: Caiseal Beer & Spirits Company (The Vanguard Brewpub), Coffee Blonde Ale

STANDARD AMERICAN BEER
First Place: Reaver Beach Brewing Company, House Lager
Second Place: New Realm Brewing, United Craft Lager
Third Place: Trapezium Brewing Company, Mexican Lager

STRONG AMERICAN ALE
First Place: Beltway Brewing Company, Changing Lanes
Second Place: Alesatian Brewing Company, Hopsneeze Gen2 IPA
Third Place: Rip Rap Brewing, Wind’s Eye

STRONG BELGIAN ALE
First Place: Maltese Brewing Company, Barnfire Saison
Second Place: Bike TrAle Brewing Company, Strongman
Third Place: Lake Anne Brew House, New Year’s Ale

STRONG BRITISH ALE
First Place: Adventure Brewing Company, Black Sail Scotch Ale

STRONG EUROPEAN BEER
First Place: Restless Moons Brewing, Inked
Second Place: Big Ugly Brewing, Accelerator
Third Place: 1781 Brewing Company, Kӧnig Fruhling

TRAPPIST ALE
First Place: Center of the Universe, Monkeys Uncle
Second Place: Apocalypse Ale Works, Brohead Fred
Third Place: Skipping Rock Beer Company, Belgian Dubbel

WOOD BEER
First Place: 2 Silos Brewing, Old Dominion Barrel Reserve Series
Second Place: Blue Mountain Barrel House, Chocolate and Coffee Dark Hollow
Third Place: Old Ox Brewery, Cooper’s Cloak Bourbon Barrel-Aged Quadrupel

This article originally appeared at leegraves.com, reprinted by permission. Top Photo by Lee Graves. For more information from Lee on the local beer world, check out his book, “Virginia Beer: A Guide from Colonial Days to Craft’s Golden Age.” Published by the University of Virginia Press.

Tierra Caliente: Stepping Into Another Culture With Solana

Jimmy O'Keefe | June 21, 2019

Topics: Carolina DM, fashion, Mexico, shoes, Solana, Stone brewing, Yasmine Idriss

This Saturday at Stone Brewing, Solana brings a taste of Mexico to Richmond fashions.

This Saturday at Stone Brewing, Solana will be launching a new collection that put the spotlight on Mexico at an all-day pop-up event. Solana is a shoe brand that uses the power of art to promote worldwide solidarity and cultural understanding. Based in New York, Solana travels the world collaborating with local artists to design shoes that highlight cultures and places that are too often overlooked or misunderstood.

Founder Yasmine Idriss’ travels throughout the world inspired her to start Solana. “I was born in the US, grew up in the Middle East, and was educated in Europe before university in the States,” she said. “By the time I turned 20 years old, I had already visited nearly 40 countries.”

Today, Idriss still continues to venture all across the globe. She says that Solana is a way for her to share her experiences with the world and inspire a love of traveling in others. The shoes are a medium by which artists working with Solana can share a slice of their culture with the world.

“The goal is ultimately for people to hear these stories and step into another culture,” Idriss said.

The debut collection of shoes from Solana featured artists from Lebanon. “Lebanon has been war-torn for almost 50 consecutive years, and yet life goes on,” Idriss told the Del Mar Times. “People are cheerful and, despite a permanent nostalgia that you feel when talking with the Lebanese, they are always hopeful.”

Sales from the Lebanon collection helped Solana to give back to an NGO that educates Syrian refugees in Akkar, Lebanon.

The brand will shift its attention on Saturday with the launch of its Mexico collection. “We chose Mexico for our second collection after visiting Mexico City and falling in love with the place,” Idriss said. “It was raw and beautiful. We saw bright colors mixed with a darker side that’s somewhat like the inside of a heart.”

The Stone Brewing pop-up event will feature seven shoes and seven shirts. After a call for submissions, the collection’s artists were picked once Solana conducted a vote that thousands participated in. “We were overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of submissions,” Idriss said. “We used the public vote and our own panel’s votes to choose the final designs.”

*Carolina DM’s Tierra Caliente shoe. Image courtesy Solana*

Ultimately 14 artists, ranging geographically from Baja in Mexico’s northwest to Yucatan Peninsula in the country’s southeast, are featured in the collection. Though Idriss compares picking a favorite shoe to picking a favorite child, she is willing to grant “Tierra Caliente” the title of her favorite shoe in the collection. Designed by the artist Carolina DM, the shoe symbolizes the past, present, and future of Mexico.

“This shoe is what we endured, what we dream about, what we live day to day in our country,” the artist said. “This illustration is for Mexico, my Mexico.”

Having spent six weeks traveling throughout Mexico, Idriss hopes that the collection helps to promote a greater understanding of the country. “I think for the average American, Mexico is a place people go on vacation and a place where their workers come from. That’s the sad truth,” Idriss said. “At worst, when vilified, it’s seen as a dirty or dangerous place.”

With Solana’s Mexico collection, Idriss hopes that she can tell a more accurate story about a place that is often misunderstood and misrepresented in the United States. “If you want to know someone, you have to step into their shoes, to walk their path, to see with their eyes,” Idriss said.

Aside from the Solana shoes, Saturday’s pop-up event at Stone will feature food, live music, and craft beer. Stone Brewing will also be announcing the lineup for Throw Down in RVA, a music festival hosted by Stone on Brown’s Island in September.

“To tell the most authentic story possible, a lot of time has gone into producing these shoes and shirts,” Idriss said. “It’ll also be just about one year since the launch of our debut collection in Beirut, so we’ll be celebrating no matter what.”

The celebration will take place at Stone Brewing’s Richmond location, at 4300 Williamsburg Ave. in Rockett’s Landing, from 12 noon til 9 PM on Saturday, June 22. For more info, click here.

RVA ON TAP: Beer, Bourbon & BBQ

Caley Sturgill | June 5, 2019

Topics: beer, beer bourbon and bbq, beer bourbon bbq best, beer column, Canon And Draw, Castleburg, castleburg brewery and taproom, Center of the Universe, final gravity brewing, Hardywood, Isley Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, richmond raceway, RVA On Tap, Stone brewing, triple crossing

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’re rolling further into the summer with tons of awesome new releases (plus a special America-themed release, because America), and awesome events to jam through summer in the River City. Drink up.

Over the weekend, I got a chance *at last* to check out Stone Brewing Richmond in-person. If you remember back a month or two, Stone celebrated the release of their movie, which followed the trials and tribulations of opening their brewery in Berlin. The German location was the very first American Independent Craft Brewery to expand into the EU — a big deal, to say the least. Anywho, the movie premiered at Richmond’s very own Bow Tie Cinemas earlier this spring, and Stone’s founder even attended the event and its afterparty at River City Roll, complete with actual beers from their Berlin spot.

In the film, a large, empty building slowly takes its shape with their famous gargoyle hanging overhead in a gray-sky, intriguingly-eerie looking space. To bring it full circle, when I visited the Richmond location, I was quickly reminded of the architecture, and felt familiar in a place I had never been, thanks to the cohesive style across their locations. It may not feel like walking into Berlin, but it does feel like walking into Stone. And that’s a feeling like no other, especially in a city packed with a lot of places that can look the same.

In new-news, for all of you who *have* been to Stone and didn’t take way too long to finally check out one of the city’s best spots, over the last week they released Enjoy By 07.04.19. Memorial Day Weekend marked the unofficial start of summer, according to the brewery, so they’ve released their America-themed brew to commemorate the changing season and give us something to enjoy (in the summer only).

For our Richmond-bred locals, the River City’s sweethearts at Hardywood are dropping a brand-new #FreshCanFriday release, and it sounds delicious. I know I’ve said it before, but I don’t think Hardywood is capable of making a bad beer. Distorted Perception follows suit as a hazy IPA, flavored with papayas, amngos, and cantaloupes after its dry-hopped process with Cashmere hops. You’ll also catch notes of honeydew, papaya, and lime in this sweet and smooth brew.

Meanwhile at Hardywood, the brewers have teamed up to support the 5th Annual Rockin’ on the Avenue tomorrow night at St. Mary’s tomorrow night. The annual fundraiser started off with a few smaller organic goals, and with lots of community support, it’s taken off to become a long-term gig. They’re rockin’ again this week, so join them for great food and local businesses for the cause.

Over at Final Gravity, Morning Glory Double IPA is making its way back to the taps on Friday. You’ll catch some cantaloupe aromas here, but you’ll also catch some droolworthy notes of candied orange slices and coconut, with some peach and tropical fruits sprinkled in. This 8% ABV brew was dry-hopped with Cashmere hops and a later addition of Azacca to give a nice blended taste, and it’s available by the glass and in crowlers to start relaxing into your weekend with its release.

Triple Crossing has done it again… in a set of the most beautiful cans I think I’ve ever seen in my life. Even if I didn’t want to try this beer, I’d want to buy it just to look at it. It’s dreamy, y’all! Tiny Pils is their newest addition to their perfectly-balanced recipes, a beer designed with the “sometimes need to manage our collective sobrieties” in mind — so it’s got a low ABV that’ll set you down gracefully. Raw clover and a sweet, oak-like baking spice hop character takes this one, with more flavors of lavender and a honey-like malt depth. It’s available on draft, but obviously better in cans, so grab one while they’re available, starting this Friday.

Isley Brewing Company has a new addition to their draft list as well, with a Banana Infused Belgian White Ale. I just had my first taste of a white banana beer recently (at Stone, if I remember correctly), and I’ve got to say, it was better than I expected, as a person who’s not really a banana enthusiast in most flavors. Except for actual bananas, which ironically, I love. Regardless, I was surprised at how much I genuinely enjoyed the combination of bananas and brews, and I don’t doubt that Isley’s recipe will be delicious as well.

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

This week, a Strawberry Hefeweizen made its way to our pals at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery. If you need an excuse to get out of the city, make your way to the farm for a new brew with some of our favorite outside-towners and catch live music — plus some awesome food trucks like SandTopia, Papa vs. Carolina BBQ, and more. The Jerry Wimmer Trio and Genu Jay will be performing through the weekend at Lickinghole Creek to keep the jams on and the beers cold.

It’s Hawaiian shirt time! Canon and Draw Brewing Company is hosting a Pre-Summer Luau Party this Friday, so grab your tackiest attire and tourist it up in your own town. Justin Golden, Scott Lane, and Charlie and Darlings will be performing with live music all day to accompany popsicles, beer specials, games, and a gift card raffle in the perfect city luau.

Bonus points: If you dress well enough, you can put your name in the raffle for a chance to win best costume and get a prize for your wardrobe. Bust out the Hawaiian shirts, flip flops, bathing suits, luau gear, and anything else you can think of to come out and win. Plus, above all else, it’s a reason to hang out in a bathing suit in public, and it’s always sweet to beat the heat.

This Saturday out at Richmond Raceway, don’t miss the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival that’s got *a lot* cooking. With your ticket, you’ll get unlimited beer and bourbon tastings (as long as you keep it moving from table to table, and tent to tent — don’t get too wild out here, y’all) plus BBQ galore. With pulled pork from whole hogs, ribs, brisket, chickens, sausages, and “any fixins’ you could imagine,” the Raceway says they’ll keep the portions heavy and the prices low.

During the festival, live rock and blues music will be jamming all day, with bluegrass on the main stage to set the best Southern feel — because BBQ and bluegrass just belong together, if you ask me. They’ve also got a Pork-A-Licious VIP Whole Hog session for the extra-committed meat lovers, so get a full plate plus two extra hours of fun with special beer and bourbon tastings to round off the day.

Center of the Universe is throwing an awesome show tonight with Scattered Smothered and Covered for Tail Waggin’ Wednesdays, and they want to remind you that there’s nothing better than a mid-week “having a few” break. Who can blame them? I don’t know how you Summer-In-Richmond, but when I Summer-In-Richmond, I want to be out and about every day to take it all in.

Release the hounds tonight with our buds at COTU, and don’t forget to catch their Beer, Bingo, and Bloodies event coming up again this Saturday. This one used to happen at COTU and was brought back by popular demand — so now that it’s here to stay, if you haven’t made it out yet, here’s your chance!

The Run The Gauntlet Challenge is back at Castleburg Brewery and Taproom. If you remember back when #1 came out last year, Castleburg’s Gauntlet Series of challenges is unlike those you’d find in medieval Europe in that these don’t strike you with physical punishment — they strike you with pale ales. Thank god, right? #10 is here, and its earthy, floral flavors with hints of citrus come from its Centennial hops brewing process. Head out for a punishment that actually doesn’t seem so bad, and tell us how it was!

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: American Craft Beer Week & History in the River City

Caley Sturgill | May 15, 2019

Topics: American Craft Beer Week, beer, beer column, beeristoric tour, castleburg brewery and taproom, final gravity brewing company, Garden Grove Brewing, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Intermission Beer Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, RVA On Tap, smartmouth brewing, Stone brewing, Stone Brewing-Richmond, The Veil Brewing Company, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, three notchd, Triple Crossing Beer, 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.

This week, we’re celebrating American Craft Beer Week and taking tours all around the city to celebrate the great history of beer in Richmond, from brand-new brews releasing to old-school locations from breweries in centuries past.

Before we jump into all the stellar brews coming out around town this week, Happy American Craft Beer Week, everybody! Some of our favorite locals at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House will be celebrating the occasion this week with special events across all four of their locations. Here in Richmond, the festivities started off on Monday with a special tapping of an old favorite, Big Poppa Biggie S’mores, and a Sour House tasting last night at the brewery. Tonight, you can catch Music Bingo at 7pm, or head out tomorrow night for their Flagship Thursday Happy Hour. Passion For A Cure drops Friday at the brewery, a Passionfruit-Mango Gose which was collaborated with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, in addition to their 65 Roses Hibiscus Blonde Ale. To close things out on Saturday, they’ll be doing special limited tappings of Cherry Current and American Sour with Apricots all evening, so head on out and drink up!

*PHOTO: Beeristoric Historic Taverns Walking Tour*

Starting off the history theme this week is Richmond’s 10th Annual Beeristoric Historic Taverns Walking Tour. If you remember from last fall, Beeristoric rode around in November, but this weekend’s tour marks the event’s first walking tour around historic tavern sites downtown. Supported by the organization and by An Bui of The Answer Brewpub, they’ll be visiting sites this Saturday like breweries from the American Revolution, 19th-century German immigrant spots, Christopher Newport’s “beer share” with Powhatans on Fulton Hill in 1607, and James River Steam Brewery — built by David G. Yuengling Jr., which is, you guessed it, the OG Yuengling’s son.

Brown Distributing has teamed up with Mike Gorman, a professional historian. “This is a celebration of our city and our scene, and I didn’t want to lose it,” Gorman said. “As long as there are people that want to hear about the past, present and future of Richmond’s beer community, I want to be there for them.”

Our River City is full of history, and this is a great way to be a part of it. If you’re up for the trek, the tour will walk about 1.5 miles in 2 hours (which really isn’t too far, if you’re familiar with walking around town), and will stop by places like Lickinghole Creek’s Shockoe Location and a few pubs along the way. They’ve only got 30 tickets available, so if you’re into it, get ‘em while they’re hot.

On to the next! Richmond Historic Haunts has teamed up with Three Notch’d Brewing, Buskey Cider and Bingo Beer Co. to do a similar walking tour through Scott’s Addition. Richmond Historic Haunts is the company that brought us some of our favorite Halloween events, and they’ve got even more on the books right now for history buffs. They’ve got Uncivil Wards (which finds the city’s lost Civil War hospitals and prisons), Rails & Sails (through the city’s oldest neighborhoods, to see how the James and trains contributed to the city’s rise), and now Brewing In Richmond to highlight over 300 years of fermenting.

Speaking of history, one of our favorite beers from last fall just made it. If you remember Smartmouth Beer’s Saturday Morning release in Norfolk, it was a Lucky Charms-flavored beer meant to recreate those delicious mornings from your childhood in front of the TV watching TV history’s best cartoons. Saturday Morning ended up becoming the most-hyped beer *in craft beer history,* which is a huge deal considering how many brews get the national beer scene pumped every season. They only had 100 cases to sell, and they ended up in the papers and on television even down to Florida — which is pretty impressive for a single beer, to say the least. A big congrats to Smartmouth on this one, and I hope another run comes soon so we get to taste it in Richmond!

Here’s the summer release I’ve been waiting for: Southern Peach Suncrush at Hardywood! If y’all couldn’t tell by my drooling over last week’s peach cobbler beer, I’ve got a soft spot for this fruit. Southern Peach Suncrush is hitting the taps on Saturday, and they’ve got a few can releases this week as well:

Dreamlike and The Original Five Flavors are coming out for #FreshCanFriday, and they’re suited to their names. Dreamlike is pillowy-soft, big-bodied and full of citrus. “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.

The Original Five Flavors is inspired by Lifesavers, and fruited to match the early days of a classic candy: with cherry, orange, lemon, lime, and pineapple. In beer form, it’s a tart ale, and this 5.0% ABV brew hits in pretty low to enjoy any day of the week.

Happy birthday, Castleburg Brewery! These guys are celebrating their third trip around the sun this year, and they’re throwing “one heck of a party” for it. For the occasion, head over to their spot on Ownby Lane this Saturday to eat, drink, and be merry with live music and free stuff! Yep, the first 200 people through the door get a free gift — so happy Castleburg’s birthday to you, if you make it over in time. They’ll have bands like Cashmere Jungle Lords and King Easy jamming throughout the day, with guest taps like Oozlefinch Craft Breweries Dude Blanket New England IPA, and Blue Toad’s Apple Blueberry Cider. Castleburg’s also bringing the return of the Queen to their castle, with The Queen’s Garde, Bier de Garde back to their taproom.

This week we’re also celebrating the 3rd birthday of the Richmond location for one of the nation’s largest craft brewers, Stone Brewing. Stone is not only one of my most favorite beers I’ve ever had, but an American favorite from coast to coast — and like we learned a few weeks ago at their movie release party, even across the Atlantic Ocean at their brewery in Germany (as the first American independent brewery to jump the puddle to Europe). On Saturday, come out and celebrate the awesomeness that is Stone Brewing at their RVA spot with unique variations of your favorite Stone brews, vintage releases, barrel-aged beers and plenty more.

Last night, The Veil Brewing Co. brought back Dub Razz Tastee. This extra-special release from our favorite Scott’s Addition folks is a smoothie-style sour ale, and even the color itself is enticing enough for me to want to go grab a glass of it myself. It was flavored with double raspberry in its creation, and it shows. If you’re in the market for a taste, head on out to The Veil while it’s still around, and grab a 4-pack while you’re at it.

Are you a lover of Hanover’s Strawberry Festival? Growing up, my hometown had a major-awesome strawberry festival every year, and some of my favorite days were spent there as a kid. For all of us Richmonders, the Hanover Vegetable Farms 4th Annual Strawberry and Wine Festival is coming up this weekend, and Intermission Beer Company brewed up something special for it. Strawberry Blonde is coming out on Saturday along with the festival, so grab a glass of this American Wheat Ale while you can — it’s got a light body, low bitterness, “and of course: Strawberries!”

Out on our favorite farm, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is putting the ass in glass with this donkey-painted brew. Juicy #11 is fermented “hot and fast” with Kveik isolated from the Horrinfal region of Norway, according to its brewers, and its intense-hopping process with El Dorado, Lemondrop, and Idaho Gem hops push out a strong taste. Look forward to full-flavored notes of pineapple, fresh-squeezed lemons, and a bit of pithiniess in this one. You can grab one out on their beautiful 300-acre farm this Friday and sit back with live music and great grub as well.

Our friends at Strangeways Brewing have their second can release dropping this Saturday, the Vegan Vampyre. This 4.8% ABV Gose with raspberries and lactose pours from the vampire-esque can with a slight pink tint, and according to its brewers, it’s fruity, tart, and refreshing with “just enough sweetness from the addition of lactose to balance out the pucker.” In its creation, it’s made with white wheat soured in a kettle before being boiled with sea salt, Huell Melon hops and the additions of lactose with coriander. You can grab a pack this weekend, and they’ve got more on the way in the series coming up.

*PHOTO: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery*

In darker (and delicious) news, DEATH is coming to Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery this Saturday. No, not real death — if it was, I wouldn’t sound so excited about it. Garden Grove’s Belgian Quadrupel, promptly called DEATH in the 10% ABV beer, is being resurrected into the taproom after its start in their brewery “on a cold Winter’s day” more than a year ago. This one’s for the heavy beer fans, with ripe and dark fruit flavors aged over 14 months in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. DEATH is also a double-medal winner, with awards taken home in both the 2016 and 2017 Virginia Craft Beer Cups.

Blast Off! Gyrus Double IPA is heading straight through the Earth’s solar system this Friday at Final Gravity Brewing Company.

“The force field is strong,” they say, “and your defenses are weak against this one.”

Brewed with Loral, Calypso, and Amarillo hops, this recipe is packed with floral, grapefruit, tropical, and apple-pear tastes. Catch it this weekend, and head over to Final Gravity tonight for Dart Night if you’re looking good on the board and looking for prizes. Come one, come all, because teams don’t matter: your teammate will be drawn randomly, which means single players are invited to come try their hand as well. And if you’re really into it, you can even bring your own darts. Game on!

Väsen Brewing Company’s got a secret. This Saturday’s can release is a not-so-well-kept secret they let out on purpose, because it’s too good to keep to themselves. Cashmere Secrets is a velvety-smooth DIPA made with Cashmere, Vic Secret, and Mosaic hops and packed with flavors like pineapple, peach, raspberry, and smaller hits of coconut and pine. It’s dry-hopped and ready to make its debut into your mouth, available in cases as well.

RVA ON TAP: Daytime’s for Drinkin’

Caley Sturgill | May 8, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, Center of the Universe, champion brewing rva, craft beer, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Intermission Beer Company, Kindred Spirit Brewing, legend brewing co, midnight brewery, RVA beer, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, Stone brewing, Stone Brewing-Richmond, strangeways, triple crossing

This week, we’re kicking off the beginning of Richmond’s hot-hot summer days with tons of beer releases to cool on down. With Southern dessert flavors like Peach and Blueberry cobbler beers to pair with Pina Colada and Banana Split classics, River City brewers are telling us to treat ourselves. And lawd, we will.

Oh boy, the Southern girl in me is drooling. Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is dropping Mamaw’s Mean Cobbler in a can release this Friday, and if it tastes anything like the cobblers of the Mamaws I’ve known in my life, we’ve got a reason to celebrate, my friends. This Belgian-style Tripel is a new variation off Hardywood’s Peach Tripel, and this one’s packed with vanilla, cinnamon, coconut, and sugary milk additions to marry beer with the classic tastes of a peach cobbler fresh from your grandma’s kitchen. YUM! This one’s going on my to-do list, y’all. Sign me up.

The summer seasonals are on their way back to Legend Brewing Company, and their own favorite brew is coming back soon. They just started up their sneak peeks of Z DAM over the weekend, brewed with fresh lime and ginger to add a light body and clean-malt flavor to the pale, golden ale. It’s best-served on the patio in the sunshine or to toast a successful descent through the rapids of the Mighty James, according to Legend (nice)… which is suited extra well, because I spent one of my first Legendary nights with a group of kayakers who had just conquered the river and came out to the deck to celebrate. With a balance of late kettly hops and ginger, orange, and lime flavors in the boil, Z DAM brings in a zestiness and refreshing taste to summertime in Richmond.

The Sleaze is coming to Strangeways. This Saturday, grab a taste of Sleazestack, the brewery’s first-ever can release. This New England IPA with Lactose hits in at 7.3% ABV and all the can releases are part of their “Parody Project,” with every new release coming out with special labels. Be sure to collect them all — the next one up will be Vegan Vampyre following this week’s fresh can.

In another release the same day, Strangeways is dropping Albino Monkey Wheat Ale in three new additive flavors: Pina Colada, Blueberry Cobbler, and Banana Split. I’m a sucker for a banana split, so this one’s definitely on my list!

Are you a mom? Are you celebrating a mom? Are you not a mom or celebrating a mom but just want an excuse to go get some brunch and day drink? Awesome! If you’re none of those things, I can’t help you. If you are, Center of the Universe can.

On Sunday, take yourself or your mama or whoever suits your fancy out to COTU’s Mother’s Day Brunch, set up to give all the moms a day off and treat them to a full day in the sun with Beer Bloody Marys and MOMosas, plus a delicious brunch by Freekin’ Rican, Richmond’s fav Puerto Rican food truck.

If you’re celebrating this holiday, be thankful to have the occasion. Don’t forget that many of your friends and loved ones might not have their mamas, or might not have the best mamas, so give them some extra love as well. Either way, happy May to you all, and happy start to sunny days finally sticking around!

YEET HAW, this is one I can get behind! Put your stash flasks away and day drink freely. Kindred Spirit Brewing Company is throwing a Day Drinkin’ Festival this Saturday with Fine Creek Brewing Company and Midnight Brewery, and I know damn near everyone in this drunken city can hold their own in one of these. Come friends, come family, come neighbors, they say, and join five breweries, a winery, and a cidery at the festival in a day of games like cornhole, ping pong, big jenga, giant beer pong(!!), and more. Does it get any better than that? Giant Jenga is definitely coming down on someone, and I hope I get to see it.

Happy birthday, Midnight Brewery! Our beloved Rockville folks are turning 7 this Saturday with a huge bash at their spot. All day long, you can hang at the brewery with Road Kill Roy and South of James playing sweet tunes — plus you can beat the heat, because the weather’s set to be cool & a little cloudy in the forecast. That’ll probably change 100 times between now and Saturday, but so far, it looks like the perfect chill day to hang in Rockville and celebrate our favorite outside-the-city brewers in good ol’ Virginian fashion. Drink up!

This Friday at their Fulton spot, be the first to taste Triple Crossing Beer’s Pathway Pils, a house pilsner perfectly-crafted with 100 percent German Pils malt. Known for their carefully-balanced ingredients, Triple Crossing filled this one with a sweet-honey-straw flavor of florals, lemons, and hay to create the soft-bodied lager. In their “constant state of refinement and evolution,” the brewers have named this recipe their house Pilsner (so you know it’s a special one).

Over the weekend on Star Wars Day, Steam Bell Beer Works dropped two new variants to add into their Extra Plenty Gose series, Red Wine Sangria and Margarita. I can’t tell you how many friends I’ve seen drinking Strawberitas and Limearitas down by the river in the summertime, so if you’re looking to get a little classier (and tastier, by far), Steam Bell’s got your gals right here. These two beauties bring the mixed-drink faves of the season into their beer, so you can ditch the gas station tallboys that overheat too fast and get in on somethin’ good.

Back on deck at Champion Brewing Company this week is a brewery favorite: Melee. Their Session IPA is cooked up with Citra and Amarillo hops, a classic combination to its style of brews that brings out the crisp, refreshing taste we’re all going for in an IPA. On the hottest of days — which, whether we like it or not, we’re gonna be in for a *lot* starting pretty soon — an IPA down the hatch tends to do the job.

After their perfect pet events starting off the month, Ardent Craft Ales is keeping the pup theme going with their Garden Pawty Adoption Event partnered with the Richmond SCPA on Saturday. If you’re looking for a furry addition to your household, join Ardent with Bingo Beer Co. and Courthouse Creek for local beer and giveaways, with vegan-friendly BBQ plates (rare and delicious) and an exclusive cider. The event’s going down in the beer garden of Lunch & Supper in Scott’s Addition, so grab your pup and head on over.

In more Mother’s Day celebrations, Intermission Beer Company has all the mom-miest things for your special lady’s holiday. With Beermosas, Bingo, and Books all day, you’ll get to win prizes in the game contests with cards free with your beer (or raise your odds with extras for 2 bucks), and all the proceeds are being donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. They’re also starting up their very own Little Free Library for the day, so bring out your old favorites to donate and spread the love.

Fresh to the taps over at Stone Brewing Richmond is 2015 Double Bastard, an Imperial variety of one of their oldest, most well-known beers — and for me, a testament to what a bastard of a year 2015 was. This brew sounds a hell of a lot better than the year, and with its smooth, caramel-malty goodness, it’s a great addition to Stone’s draft list. If you haven’t made it out to give it a taste yet, it’s one that’s worth the trip.

*PHOTO: some dark corner of the internet*

Inspired by today’s cover image, I’ve decided to start publishing a #DogOfTheWeek in each beer column. You can submit photos of your own dogs kickin’ it with a cold one, or just enjoy the amusing pics I discover in the dark corners of the internet. I’d prefer to see your pretty pups, so let’s get that rolling, y’all.

RVA ON TAP: Stone Brewing Makes A Movie, The Return of Richbrau & More

Caley Sturgill | April 24, 2019

Topics: beer, beer column, craft beer, final gravity brewing, fine creek brewing, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Hardywood West Creek, Legend Brewing Company, richbrau brewing company, richmond, RVA On Tap, Stone brewing, Stone Brewing-Richmond, Strangeways Brewing

Last week, we were so packed with events we couldn’t pick which one to go to. It’s keeping up this week, with Stone Brewing’s founder in Richmond set to after-party at River City Roll following his movie premiere (yep, you read that right) at Bow Tie Cinemas here in town. We’ve also got dog-lover events with Strangeways, the return of Richbrau Brewing to Richmond in Shockoe Bottom, and lots more to keep your week full.

Did you have a good Easter? Our own freshly 25-year-old Legend Brewing Company did, along with lots of other great spots around town. Last year, I spent my holiday in Richmond, Easter Beer Hunting around alleys in town, collecting hidden beer cans and hidden treasures for my first time partaking in the small local tradition. This Easter weekend, I got to visit a few awesome spots down home like Big Lick Brewery and Olde Salem Brewing Company for some tasty Appalachian brews with the fam. Here’s hoping all of you had a great spring weekend in RVA, and we’ve got plenty more to make sure you keep the party rolling into the rest of the month.

In event news, Stone Brewing Company’s founder, Greg Koch, is the star of a new documentary called The Beer Jesus From America. The film follows Koch’s journey taking Stone outside our nation’s borders, as it became the first independent American craft brewer to build, own, and operate its own brewery in Europe.

The event is going down tonight at Bow Tie Cinemas, with a pre-mixer at Movieland at 6:30 and an after party across the street at River City Roll. Greg and Matt Sweetwood (Stone Director) will be out at the event, and you can even grab special tastes of Berlin brews at the afterparty. As they say, this one’s not to be missed!

Finally! Richbrau Brewing Co. is coming back this summer, the OG Richmond brewers (even before Legend) who operated down in Shockoe Slip back from 1933 until 1969, and again from 1993 until 2010. The revival is music to our ears, and it’s coming back to its Shockoe neighborhood that it once called home. The new spot is set to open this June — and with a location down on South 20th street right by Canal Walk, it’ll be even better than before.

If you’re ready to jump into a big blue pool now that the 80° weather has finally come, you’re not alone. Final Gravity Brewing Co. is dropping their Splashdown Double IPA to cheers the new season, with bursts of grapefruit, citrus, melon, and lime. It’s brewed with Citra and Apollo hops, but according to the brewers, it drinks nice and smooth with its finishing flavors. This 8% ABV will definitely get you river day ready, and it drops this Friday morning.

Out at Fine Creek Brewing Company, a Dark Sour with Cherries came to the taps over the weekend. This cherry pie brew brings out the bright and tart tastes of the classic dessert, and aged in bourbon barrels, it was refermented with sour cherries to get the perfect balance. It also packs some acidity with light notes of chocolate and dark fruits that come in at 7% ABV for the sour. Get ‘em while they’re cold!

Triple Crossing Beer also had a release on Friday, a surprise crowler made with “assertive” amounts of Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops. Fierce Abandon, a 5.5% IPA, has some less-seen fruits like apricot and ruby red grapefruit to complement its clementine oranges.

In more events, tonight you can head out to Hardywood West Creek (one of my personal favorite brewery locations in the Greater Richmond Area, btw) to check out the Richmond Symphony playing live in a concert hosted inside the massive modern-farmhouse building. Richmond Symphony does a lot of really neat events around town, and they’re the same people bringing you the Star Wars: A New Hope symphony concert!! — how cool — on May 4. That’s one you definitely won’t want to miss, either!

Down at Strangeways Brewing this weekend, a few special things are happening. On Saturday, they’re hosting Groove Fetish from North Carolina in a free show that combines “driving rhythms, seductive melodies, and incredible solos with flavors of rock, fusion, funk, and progressive.” Top that off with soulful vocals and some powerful harmonies, and you’ve got Groove Fetish.

On Sunday, head out for their Bow Wow Meow Luau at the brewery. With beers, dogs, food trucks, pet vendors, prizes and more, they’ve got everything for you and your best four-legged pal to close out the weekend together. The event supports the local animal rescue community, so you can drink happy knowing you’re helping pets across the area find good homes.

Before you take your pup out for the day, be sure to swing by Stone Brewing Richmond for another event of theirs this week, their Farmer’s Market in the morning. They’re hosting yoga with RVAbrews to start off the day, then brunch with Ita’s Food Truck to complete the perfect start to your Sunday.