The Veil Brewing Co. Archives

RVA ON TAP: Earl Grey Ales & Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stouts

Caley Sturgill | January 15, 2020

Topics: Ardent craft ales, bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, Canon And Draw, craft beer, craft beer richmond va, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, final gravity brewing co, Fine Creek Brewing Company, garden grove, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, The Veil Brewing Co., things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Triple Crossing Beer, Väsen

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

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

This week, a major multi-release comes out at The Veil Brewing Co. with fresh recipes and collaborations from all around. Hardywood drops a summer recipe in cans on Friday before a Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stout on Saturday, just in time for snow to hit the city. Ardent Craft Ales is bringing back their Earl Grey Brown Ale, and Final Gravity Brewing Co. releases an arcade game-inspired brew. Don’t miss a special double release at Triple Crossing Beer, a sunburst at Väsen Brewing Company, fresh Saisons at Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery and Fine Creek Brewing Company, and the Three Kings of hops at Canon & Draw.

Distorted Perception can release & Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stout at Hardywood

A recipe from the summertime is back in cans to remind us of warmer days, as we venture further into January with hopes of snow on the horizon for this weekend. Distorted Perception is back at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery this Friday, just in time to grab a few before the real winter weather hits on Saturday.

This 7% ABV hazy IPA was flavored with papayas, mangos, and cantaloupes after its dry-hop process with Cashmere and Mosaic hops. You’ll catch strong aromas of fruit, along with some brighter notes of honeydew and lime, in this sweet and smooth brew.

For the colder weather, Hardywood’s bringing out their Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stout on Saturday. A “dessert beer to the core,” this stout is packed with chocolate malt, cacao nibs, and late-season red raspberries from the local Agriberry CSA and Farm. Its brewers describe it as a raspberry truffle in liquid form, and I can’t picture something more up my alley than this one.

The Bourbon Barrel Raspberry Stout was made with Madagascar vanilla beans and smooth, rich dark chocolate that add together perfectly with its ripe red raspberries. To grab a glass of your own, head out to Hardywood this weekend — and maybe even catch a few snowflakes while you’re there.

Earl Grey Brown Ale at Ardent Craft Ales

A fan favorite is returning to Ardent Craft Ales this Saturday with their Earl Grey Brown Ale. Originally brewed in collaboration with Potter’s Craft Cider out of Charlottesville, this ale is a special one that brings out flavors from the classic tea in its brewing process.

The tea itself gets its unique taste from its additions of oil of bergamot, which pairs perfectly when a bit of milk is added into the mix (in the most British of traditions). Ardent made a modern spin on the ages-old recipe by combining it with an English Brown Ale, and brought a little local into the process — with Earl Grey that comes straight from Richmond’s own Rostov’s Coffee & Tea. At 6.5% ABV, this one’s an easy drinker with a citrus-forward fragrance to balance out its black tea and bergamot flavors.

Multi-Release at The Veil Brewing Co.

Kicking off The Veil Brewing Co.’s big release this week, Nerve Endings (pictured above) came out as a brand-new IPA from the Scott’s Addition favorite. It dropped in cans last night, and the 6% ABV brew drinks smooth with all its red wheat, El Dorado, and Nelson hop additions.

Next up in their releases, We We Ded Ded — beloved by The Veil, according to its brewers — also released in cans. This double dry-hopped Triple IPA was brewed with the classic Citra hops that give so many IPAs their signature flavor. It hits in at 11% ABV, so at a higher alcohol level, it packs a bigger punch than Nerve Endings and lives up to its name.

A new bottle release also came with Open Up and Love Again, which was brewed as a collaboration with American Solera, Cloudwater Brew Co., Monkish Brewing, and TRVE Brewing Co. Open Up and Love Again was dry-hopped with fresh Nelson Sauvin hops after its barrel aging process, and has a mixed culture of Saison yeasts along with raw and malted wheat. You’ll catch notes of rounded soft stonefruit, fruity sour candy, orange juice, and white wine in this 7.1% ABV brew.

Apri-Guav Tastee released last night, and this smoothie-style Sour Ale features apricot and guava purée in its flavor profile. At 5.5% ABV, it’s lighter on the alcohol and heavy on the flavor with its milk sugar recipe.

Petalz Orange came as a collaboration with Jester King Brewery. It was originally brewed two years ago this month, with Texas raw wheat, Virginia corn grits, spelt, and aged whole leaf hops in the perfect “Mixed Fermie” combination. With 600g/L of Texas-sourced oranges, it’s bright with the fruits of the Lone Star State and tastes a lot like a pineapple-orange juice mimosa with a farmhouse yeast profile, according to The Veil.

*PHOTO: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery*

Barn Burner Saison at Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

A new Saison is out at Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery, available now and ready for you to come out for a glass. At 6.5% ABV, Barn Burner Saison is a nice middle point on the alcohol scale, and it hits in at 15 IBU for a low bitterness and smooth drinking. This brew is fresh with farmhouse flavor, which comes from a great combination of fresh fruit and barnyard spices for an earthy taste — and Garden Grove says this light-and-fluffy French Saison is “a total Toss in the Hay if you ask us!”

Wet Hopped Saison at Fine Creek Brewing Company

Saison season is almost upon us as we roll slowly (but surely) into the spring, and it’s becoming more clear as craft brewers around Richmond gear up their taps for new recipes. Fine Creek Brewing Company is on board with their Wet Hopped Saison release this Friday, a 6% ABV beer crafted from Fine Creek’s own hops, grown steps away from their brewhouse on the farm.

The process is about as farm-to-table (or farm-to-glass, in our case) as it gets — the hops are picked fresh off the vines in their wet hop stage, according to Fine Creek, which allows them to express more of “the unique terroir from their surroundings.” This Saison is filled with lemongrass and mandarin orange flavors, along with spiciness and rye notes that blended into its Brasetto Rye Malt from Murphy & Rude Malting Co. in its late fermentation stage.

Space Falcon at Triple Crossing Beer

Coming up this Friday at Triple Crossing Beer, Space Falcon is making its way to the Fulton brewery. The Falcon series continues; they brewed this variation of their DDH Falcon Smash IPA with Galaxy, boosting the fruit in its original recipe with the tropical notes of these Australian hops. The result is a 7% ABV IPA double dry-hopped to bring out pineapple, citrus, dark marmalade, orange, and pine flavors.

The releases continue on Friday with DDH Falcon Smash, another variation in the Falcon series with hand-selected hops from the brewers’ recent trip to Yakima. Lotus and Amarillo hops came together to bring this beer to your glass, and the brand-new recipe is full of passionfruit and tangelo-like-mango from its Lotus hops, and orange character from its Amarillo additions. This Friday, head out to Triple Crossing and get a taste of your own of either new recipe (or both… we vote both).

The Sunburst Otter release at Väsen Brewing Company

Fresh at Väsen Brewing Company tomorrow night is The Sunburst Otter. In the dreary days of winter, this beer is a burst of sun indeed. A few unique tastes come out in this one with coriander seed and kosher salt, which complement the brighter citrus flavors of the fruity sour beer. According to its brewers, hundreds of pounds of tangerine and calamansi (a tart-forward fruit out of Southeast Asia) make this beer extra-bold for those looking for big flavor.

If you’re looking for a fresh taste along with some entertainment on your Thursday night this week, Väsen’s also hosting their weekly Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at 7pm. Grab your favorite buds for an excuse to get them out of the house in mid-January, and test your knowledge as a team.

Three Kings at Canon & Draw Brewing Company

There are few better combinations for an IPA than Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops, and Canon & Draw Brewing Company’s flagship recipe gets it just right.

With three of the very best in its brewing, Three Kings is the perfect blend to bring together craft drinkers’ favorite style of beer. Most good breweries have a love for IPAs, and this recipe from Canon & Draw has a solid citrus-hop flavor along with a subtle sweetness. It returns to the brewery this Friday, and Jonathan Meadows is headed out as well for live music all night in The Fan.

Star Castle DIPA returns to Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Final Gravity Brewing Co. has something fresh on tap, and their arcade game-inspired beer, Star Castle, is coming to us this Friday for all to try. It brings together the spicy and the sweet, with tropical mango and citrus notes that complement its spicy side for a unique taste, unlike many Double IPAs on the market. It was brewed with Nelson Sauvin and Citra hops, so the brighter fruit flavors of a classic DIPA are present, but with an unexpected twist.

In the spirit of the arcade classic, Final Gravity says that “the defenses have been obliterated, so there is nothing standing in the way of you and this next-level Double IPA” — and on a Friday afternoon, there are few things we’d like to hear more.

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: Booze Clues, Local Hard Seltzers, & Lebowski Fest

Caley Sturgill | January 8, 2020

Topics: Ardent craft ales, bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, Black Heath Meadery, Center Of The Universe Brewing, craft beer richmond va, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, final gravity brewing co, garden grove, happy hour richmond va, Intermission Beer Company, other half brewing company, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, The Veil Brewing Co., things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Triple Crossing Beer, Vasen Brewing Company

This week, our local beer family brews up a new recipe in honor of Garden Grove’s late owner, Mike Brandt, and more new releases hit the taps in town. Final Gravity and Väsen Brewing Company team up for a collab can release, and The Veil Brewing Co. hosts Other Half Brewing Company straight out of NYC. A brand-new hard seltzer comes to Intermission Beer Company, while Altbiers and Stouts are fresh at Ardent Craft Ales and Triple Crossing Beer. Don’t miss Booze Clues live at The Dark Room, plus a lavender-honey mead at Black Heath Meadery and Lebowski Fest at Center of the Universe Brewing.

Before we jump into what’s new this week, we wanted to note that something great is brewing among Richmond’s finest craft beer family: a new beer in honor of Garden Grove Brewery and Urban Winery’s late owner, Mike Brandt. This one is coming together over at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, and it’s made with love from many of our favorite folks around town. It’s not ready to hit the taps just yet, but keep an eye out for it, and we’ll make sure to provide you with all the details when it’s available. All our love to Garden Grove!

*PHOTO: Final Gravity Brewing Co. & Väsen Brewing Company*

Hyperborean Galaxy can release collaboration with Final Gravity & Väsen

In more local collaboration news, this fan favorite is making its way back to Final Gravity Brewing Co. and Väsen Brewing Company tomorrow night. Hyperborean Galaxy, a New England Double IPA, is returning in cans in all its imperial glory. It was brewed with Galaxy, Citra, and Mosaic hops and used the signature kveik New England DIPA recipe from Väsen.

Hyperborean Galaxy came out along with The Velvet Walrus, which also released in cans as another collab between the two local favorites. The Walrus is a velvety-smooth milk stout, according to its brewers, and came together with the delicious combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and local coffee beans from Rostov’s right here in Richmond. Look out for these two this week, and swing by the brewery for a can of your own.

Other Half Brewing Company comes to The Veil

The Veil Brewing Co. is bringing the big city to Richmond. Other Half Brewing Company, based in New York City, is heading to Scott’s Addition next Tuesday for a Tasting Room Remix you won’t want to miss.

You’ll get to try plenty of brews fresh from The Big Apple itself, with Other Half’s latest on tap at the brewery and to-go cans to bring them home with you. Other Half’s Co-Founder and Head Brewer, Sam, will be in town as well to hang out with Richmond’s craft beer lovers and get to know the River City.

The pop-up is continuing on January 15 at The Veil’s Norfolk location, too, so our Virginia Beach folks can share the love.

Raspberry Hard Seltzer at Intermission Beer Company

If you’re among the crowd that’s looking to start the year off a bit healthier, Intermission Beer Company has you covered. We’ve seen the rise of White Claw over the last year — in many cases, actually selling out at gas stations and grocery stores across the country — and craft breweries are starting to create their own seltzers to throw a dash of local recipes into the mix.

Intermission’s Raspberry Hard Seltzer is just the thing: the clear, low-calorie, low-carb, gluten-free drink that many folks are looking for in their after-work alcohol these days at the top of the year. Along with other favorites like Hardywood Park Craft Brewery’s Suncrush series that released last year, these lighter brews are a great way to drink happy without all the full feelings of the heavier beers we know and love. So if you’re keeping things light but still want to enjoy a drink at your favorite local spots, you no longer have to choose between the two. Intermission’s Raspberry hits in at only 5% ABV, with the perfect fruited flavors to await warmer days and a brighter feeling to seem like they’re already here.

Booze Clues Live Podcast returns to The Dark Room

Our favorite local podcast is back! Booze Clues is hosting another live recording of the podcast at The Dark Room at The Hof this Sunday, so put this one on your calendar — it’s worth the trip to warm up a cold Sunday night with plenty of jokes and comedy.

If you don’t remember from the last few episodes, Booze Clues hosts comedians, podcasters, and performers to “investigate” the world’s most spirited booze-related news headlines together. They dive in to tell us of all the drunken crimes and debaucherous activity from around the world each episode, with stories like “Elbow Drops of Jesus,” the “Naked Clown Frogger,” “Aerodynamics Of A Nissan Versa,” and more… and if you’re feeling as curious as we are about what happens when a Nissan sedan goes airborne, you can check out past episodes of the podcast here to gear up for the next show on Sunday.

Lebowski Fest at Center of the Universe

This Saturday, Center of the Universe Brewing is hosting their Lebowski Fest — a day full of awesome food trucks, music, and all their Lebowski-themed beers for a day “of dudelike proportions.”

Along with the Freekin’ Rican food truck and live music from The Royal We, COTU is celebrating all things Dude with all of their best brews from the series inspired by the cult favorite. If you somehow haven’t managed to get a taste of them yet, you’ll get the opportunity again to try El Duderino (the White Russian Stout), The Donny (the Southern English-Style Brown Ale), The Jesus (the Imperial Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout, and my favorite among the series), and The Brandt (the Imperial Stout). They’ll have taproom favorites and plenty of eats and entertainment, so if you’re looking to brighten up your Saturday with the spirit of The Dude, make your way up to Ashland and pay the fine folks at COTU a visit.

Altbier release at Ardent Craft Ales

Altbier is fresh at Ardent Craft Ales this week, and you can catch its release tomorrow night at the Scott’s Addition brewery. With a malty base and clean finish, this brew comes as a traditional German recipe that pours at an easy-drinking 5% ABV.

In more news from Ardent, the local spot is heading out of the cold and into the sunny city of Miami, FL on January 11 for the Juicy IPA & Sour Beer Festival hosted with Brewed Events. This festival brings together breweries from all around the nation, with 30 different spots joining up to celebrate the best craft brews. While we’re too far away to celebrate with them, we’re wishing all the best to Ardent as they embark on their journey down the coast to show Florida what Virginia brewing is all about.

Slow Descent at Triple Crossing Beer

Fresh at Triple Crossing Beer this week, Slow Descent is the heavy stout of your dreams — and it pours jet black like the coffee it was brewed with. Coffee isn’t the only flavor you’ll find in this one, either, as it’s packed with 62% private select dark chocolate to complement its black malt-roasted tastes.

At 7.2% ABV, Slow Descent is on the lighter side of stouts, which means you can drink happy knowing you’ll get to enjoy it and probably still drive home after (and if you lean toward one of their higher-alcohol brews, Uber is your friend, folks. We’re staying safe and smart in 2020). This one is a “full-on expression of carefully-chosen British roasted malts,” according to Triple Crossing, and it was created for those who want to keep this dark, delicious goodness all to themselves.

Lavender Reflection at Black Heath Meadery

Our friends at Black Heath Meadery have something fresh on tap this week, with their Lavender Reflection at the meadery. This recipe combines the fruity with the floral, bringing tangerine and lavender together along with local honey to soothe the winter blues. If you’re craving a glass, be sure to head to Black Heath to try it while it lasts, because this one is available on tap only.

Black Heath’s honey was also used for the latest Three Notch’d Collab House collab with River City Wood Fire Pizza. Raspberry Honey Belgian Wit is releasing this Friday, so sweeten things up and head to Pizza Wit Beer at Three Notch’d this weekend for even more honey-brewed recipes.

RVA On Tap: Holiday Jams, Brewery Markets, & Music Collab Beers

Caley Sturgill | December 18, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, canon and draw brewing company, Center Of The Universe Brewing, craft beer richmond va, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, fine creek brewing, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Intermission Beer Company, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Co., things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer, Vasen Brewing Company

This week, we’re getting ready for the holidays with tons of great events and releases.

Don’t miss Three Notch’d RVA Collab House’s statewide can release in their collab with Richmond band New Lions, Intermission Beer Company’s Fun Reimagined holiday market, and a great holiday party with Justin Golden at Canon & Draw Brewing Company.

We’ve also got juicy citrus brews at The Answer Brewpub, big awards for Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Crowl-A-Thons with Fine Creek Brewing, Center of the Universe Brewing’s Big Lebowski craft beer gift packs, Triple Crossing’s Classic Christmas, and new releases from Väsen, Ardent, Steam Bell Beer Works, and The Veil Brewing. Drink up, Virginia!

Pouring fresh at The Answer Brewpub this week is the juicy citrus punch we need to bring some bright flavors into the holiday season. With lighter hop notes and a strong fruit taste, I Need An Adult has already become a fan favorite at the brewery — and one drinker noted it might be their new favorite beer from The Answer entirely.

From the brewers themselves: “If you are in our brewpub and feeling unsure, just loudly and clearly say, ‘I need an Adult’,” and they’ll promptly bring you their latest juicy Double IPA from the taps. This DIPA was double dry-hopped with Mosaic, El Dorado, Cryo Simcoe, and Samba hops for a bold, rich brew that’s quickly becoming popular among its drinkers.

Center of the Universe is back with these limited edition Big Lebowski Gift Packs. With four of their best brews, COTU celebrates The Dude in all his glory with El Duderino, The Donny, The Jesus, and The Jeffrey.

Kicking off the brews, El Duderino is a White Russian Stout that brings the classic tastes of the milky, coffee-like mixed drink into a beer. The Donny is a Southern English-style Brown Ale for a bit of a lighter — but equally full-flavored — recipe, and it’s complemented by the Mecxican Hot Chocolate Stout-centered The Jesus. A special one in the bunch is The Jeffrey, which is only available before the holidays in these limited-edition holiday packs. Aged in Apple Brandy barrels, this Imperial Milk Stout even came with prizes on its details in last week’s Trivia Tuesday.

For more Big Lebowski-themed drinking, be sure to join COTU after the holidays for their Big Burleski event on the 27th (but stay tuned for more details on that next week).

Over at Hardywood, be on the lookout next week for a special Raspberry Stout release. In the meantime, we’ve got some awesome news in awards for the brewery. Hardywood’s Distorted Perception was recently named one of the Top 50 Beers for 2019 by Vinepair, and this juicy IPA got its name for a reason: Vinepair says “With our eyes closed, we could swear this was actual juice.”

The New England IPA is a hazy dream, and it was created to reflect some of the best fruit flavors in its honeydew, papaya, and lime notes. In its brewing process, Distorted Perception was dry-hopped with both Cashmere and Mosaic hops (one of my favorite combinations!) for a smooth 7% ABV brew. It originally came out back in late September as part of their #FreshCanFriday series, and if you’re looking to try it, keep your eyes peeled next year for its return to the brewery, along with many more fruit-forward IPAs.

In more Saturday releases, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House is dropping their New Lions Blonde Stout in cans this weekend in collaboration with Richmond’s New Lions band. This is one of their most popular collab beers, according to Three Notch’d, and we can see why: along with the awesome name of New Lions’ music attached to it, this blonde stout is a very unique brew.

Made with vanilla, cacao nibs, and local coffee from Rostov’s, this beer is about as local as it gets. Blonde stouts can be hard to come by, so it’s definitely one you’ll want to grab a can of — plus this release is its very first in cans to be distributed statewide, and this is your chance to get the first batch in Richmond. It’ll also be on draft at the brewery in a $5 special, making it the perfect time to try it yourself (especially if you’re operating on a holiday budget like most of us these days).

Intermission Beer Company is also diving into the holiday events this week, with their Fun Reimagined Holiday Market this Saturday — and they’ve got the right idea bringing local vendors in to encourage holiday shopping with small business. With their Winter Warmer brew on draft, Intermission is ready to bring out their own holiday-spiced creation with vanilla, clove, and ginger flavors inspired by their friend’s ginger molasses cookies.

In this special holiday market, you’ll get an experience along with plenty of options for finding gifts. Vendors will get to take over the brewery for 15 minutes each during the event, giving demonstrations and teaching attendees about the process behind the product.

Participating vendors include Dharma Boutique RVA, Fairytale Fiberworks, Mug It All, Stephanie Mayton Illustrations, and Fun Reimagined: Richmond’s source for fun and unique card games. In that order, each vendor will get their time to shine in demonstrations like macramé bracelet-making, wool processing from raw fleece to spun yarn, mug-making, art tutorials, and how to play several of Fun Reimagined’s games.

The event starts at 3pm and runs until 7, so make sure to head out by 4 to catch all the demonstrations and learn more about your local vendors.

If you’re looking for plans on the Sunday before Christmas, Fine Creek Brewing has you covered. They’re hosting their Christmas Sunday Celebration & Crowl-A-Thon on December 22, and they’re ready to get you in the holiday spirit.

With plenty of Christmas music from Koontz & Kellner and special Chocolate Peppermint desserts from Fine Creek Provisions, come cozy up at the farm and start your celebration week off right. For the beer, they’ve got discounts on crowlers (15% off with 3 or more!) in the Crowl-A-Thon to let attendees stock up on good brews to bring to all those holiday parties, where often there’s nothing outside of Bud Light, Miller, and that bottle of wine your grandmother has been keeping in the cabinet since last year. They also make for awesome gifts, so if you’re still in the last-minute shopping scramble, you can treat your loved ones to something we all appreciate: booze.

In more holiday celebrations, head out to Triple Crossing Beer this Sunday for their Classic Christmas event. They’re getting extra-festive for the occasion, with tons of different activities to keep the whole family (and friend group) entertained.

Selfie-booth lovers will be pleased, so make sure to dress up accordingly to take photos and remember the day. Triple Crossing will also have blasts from the past with old-school Christmas movies, plus live Christmas music and wood-fired beer marshmallow s’mores. Keep up with their event page for more info on specific movies and times running through the day, and bring the kids out for the free all-ages event.

Väsen Brewing Company’s got a double release coming up tomorrow night, with two fresh brews coming to the taps. First up is Moonbear Dubbel, a Belgian abbey-style ale created to warm its drinkers up in the midst of these chilly nights. With Madagascar vanilla beans, dark malts, and a light roasted taste, this beer is packed with all the perfect chocolate-vanilla combination. Väsen’s also releasing their Winter Harvest Double IPA on draft tomorrow, brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo hops. Along with playing in their Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night, you’ll get to try this unique DIPA that brings out more than just fruit. Its flavors are full of dried fruit along with mango and pine, plus brown sugar to bring some holiday sweetness into the mix.

Over the weekend, our pals at Ardent Craft Ales dropped their Amarillo Pale Ale. This 5% ABV recipe was brewed with Amarillo hops, dry-hopped and filled with lots of floral tastes to bring out its bold flavor. It came together with oats and wheat, along with English yeast, and according to its brewers, it drinks with a soft body and mild bitterness.

In events with Ardent, be on the lookout for A Christmas Vacation Kick-Off this Saturday at Lunch and Supper in Scott’s Addition. They’ll be selling tickets here before the event, so grab yours for all their food and wine pairings, along with festive cocktails from Lunch and Supper, throughout the evening until 11pm.

Here’s one I’m especially excited for. Canon & Draw Brewing Company is hosting a holiday party by one of my current favorite local musicians, Justin Golden, this Saturday at the brewery. Golden has played a lot of shows I’ve attended recently, most notably when he opened for the Tim Barry Novemberfest shows last month — and he’s got a great folk/country/indie sound. The lineup for this week’s event will showcase Sid Kingsley (another favorite Richmond musician of mine, who somehow I only manage to see when I’m in Roanoke), Tim Beavers II, Andrew Alli and Josh Small, and Tyler Meacham.

Along with great music, Canon & Draw has had a ton of great beer releases in the last couple months. Their taps are stocked with plenty of fresh recipes, so if you haven’t had an opportunity yet to get out and try some, this is a fantastic chance to see some great music and pair it with delicious beer.

The fine folks at Steam Bell Beer Works are bringing their Bourbon Barrel Tiramisu Stout back to the taps on Friday, and this one sounds especially awesome to me. After years growing up watching my mother eat tiramisu for breakfast, something about this sweet dessert just feels like home. I’ve also got a soft spot for it from working next to Virginia’s absolute best Balkan restaurant, Euro Bakery in Roanoke, for years — and eating its owner’s homemade tiramisu probably 5 days a week (plus more whenever a coworker at the bar didn’t finish their slice). It doesn’t get better than that, friends. At least until my body finally starts to reject the amount of sugar I’m capable of putting into it.

But still, there’s nothing quite comparable to a soft, fluffy tiramisu in all its ladyfinger-and-coffee glory. Steam Bell did an awesome job with this brew, and in addition to its classic dessert flavors, it was aged in A. Smith Bowman Distillery barrels to seal the deal. With vanilla beans, oak, and bourbon, this variation is full of “warmth and richness,” according to its brewers, that perfectly complement the roasted chocolate notes of the original Tiramisu Stout recipe.

Last night at The Veil Brewing Co., a December special made its way into the brewery. Holiday Treat Whangdoodle is made for coffee lovers, and the Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout is packed with flavors. You’ll catch maple syrup, cinnamon, and Colombian coffee (the best coffee out there, imho) from Blanchard’s Coffee, one of Richmond’s very best. According to its brewers, Holiday Treat Whangdoodle brings forward warming, viscous liquid fudge, baking spices, and holiday cheer. It’s out now in bottles, and to grab one of your own, head over to The Veil this week for a chance to bring the 10.5% ABV stout home with you before it’s gone.

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.

RVA On Tap: Bourbon Barrel GBS & Mint Chocolate Chip Beer

Caley Sturgill | November 6, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, Castleburg Brewery, Center of the Universe, craft beer, Hardywood, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, Strangeways Brewing, The Veil Brewing Co., thrashgiving, Triple Crossing Beer, Väsen

This week, Strangeways Brewing hosts Thrashgiving, a benefit show that brings the best beer together with local metal music. We’ve also (finally!) got the return of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery’s Bourbon Barrel Gingerbread Stout, and Väsen Brewing Company makes the perfection of mint chocolate chip ice cream into a beer. Don’t miss Center of the Universe’s Pickled and Fermented Festival in Ashland and Triple Crossing Beer’s Covenant Beer Fest, plus new releases with Ardent Craft Ales, Steam Bell Beer Works, Castleburg Brewery, and The Veil Brewing Co.

Not only does the start of the holiday season mean more good food, it always means lots of awesome shows and events in Richmond. That’s especially true this year, as we kick off November with Thrashgiving at Strangeways Brewing: the 4th annual metal show hosted to benefit military families, wounded veterans, and our local food bank.

Thrashgiving gears up this Saturday evening at the Scott’s Addition spot, with tons of great bands on the lineup. You’ll get to catch Vulcanite, Genosha, The New Mutiny, LAIR, Murdersome, Alluvion, Site of Suffering, Cut The Architect’s Hand, Sentius, and more — and all alongside great craft beer to drink for a cause.

The organization behind the show is Operation Finally Home, which you can donate to here if you’re unable to make it out. The organization helps families with mortgage-free homes for wounded veterans and service members, and the event is also hosting a food drive, suggesting folks bring canned goods along with them. There’s a full list of acceptable donations on the event page, so if you make it out, try to bring along some contributions if you can (bonus: you’ll get half-off ticket prices if you do).

Times like these are when Richmond’s foodie culture really shines. Center of the Universe Brewing is hosting their 4th annual Pickled & Fermented Festival this Saturday, and it’s packed with a lot more pickling than you’d expect.

From fruit to veggies, hot sauce to kimchi, and beer to kombucha, the hands behind these dishes and drinks aren’t afraid to try something new… and as COTU says, the festival is a Pretty Big Dill (nice). They’ll have specialty vinegars, sauerkraut, sweet pickles, savory pickles, Dill Pickles, bread and butter pickles, kimchi, kombucha, shrubs, kefir, sourdough bread, and relishes like Chow-Chow, Pickle Relish, Chutney, and Piccadilly. If all that’s not enough of a mouthful for you, you’ll also be able to try COTU’s pickles, made in-house with their very own beer.

They’ll also have live music from Buckville Hootenanny on deck (with an original Pickle Opera, Dr. Pickeloptepus), food trucks, craft vendors, face painting and more — plus the most important part, the beer! COTU is bringing back their Pickled Gose Ale for the festival, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Check out their event page for a full list of vendors, and we’ve got a special S/O to Richmond’s beloved artist RVA Coffee Stain for drawing up these awesome posters.

Of all the Gingerbread Stout variations in all the taps around the land, I think it’s safe to say Hardywood’s Bourbon Barrel GBS is one of the most favorite brews out there.

It’s making its return to Hardywood this Sunday, and it’s cause for celebration. The 11.5% ABV stout is full, rich, and packed with all the tastes of the season, with an extra punch from its time in bourbon barrels. This recipe came together by taking the original GBS batch and aging it in a combination of both A. Smith Bowman (Virginia’s oldest distillery) and Heaven Hills Bourbon barrels. If you haven’t been able to tell from the buzz around town and excited gasps from your friends at bars (“What?! Bourbon GBS is back!”) every November when it returns, this beer is well-loved in the River City.

It’s also got a 2017 Gold Medal and title as one of the Top 20 Milk Stouts in the World to its name, so you’ll want to head out this weekend and grab a taste before the city drinks it all away.

The Covenant returns to Triple Crossing Beer this Saturday. The Fulton brewery is bringing back its Covenant Beer Fest, and with it are world-class brewers making their way to Richmond.

The event goes through the day from 11am-5pm, with options for VIP session tickets and glassware available as well. Get these here ahead of time, because they’re not selling VIP the day of the event! They’ll have all the best Triple Crossing brews out for pours, plus beers from other great breweries we don’t see too often. Five tickets gets you a custom Gold Foiled Covenant Glass, and if you end up with too many tickets for the festival, you can always redeem them for pours of Triple Crossing beers on regular draft that day.

Participating breweries include: Angry Chair Brewing, Bellwoods Brewery, Brasserie Dunham, Brew Gentlemen, Burial Beer Co., Casita, Charles Towne Fermentory, Creature Comforts, Dancing Gnome Beer, Equilibrium Brewery, Foam Brewers, Great Notion Brewing, Grimm Artisanal Ales, Horus Aged Ales, Resident Culture Brewing Company, and Schilling Beer Co.

Get ready to head over to Ardent Craft Ales for their Helles Lager release tomorrow night. Ardent’s keeping the German beer theme going well into the fall season, introducing more brews like the Oktoberfest recipes we saw all through last month and even in late September.

Helles Lager is a Munich-style beer brewed with all German malt and hops before being lagered for more than a month. This 4.5% ABV beer is the full-bodied, pale-lager result of the process. It comes together with a mild, malty sweetness and a balanced hop taste to complement its golden straw pour color with a full head.

Here’s one for our dessert lovers (myself included): our friends at Väsen Brewing Company figured out how to make the perfection of mint chocolate chip ice cream into a beer. Velvet Walrus on Vanilla and Mint debuted in the tasting room earlier this week to truly make my dreams come true.

With a deep chocolate and mint flavor, this smooth, dark ale is balanced by the “unmistakable” aroma of fresh Madagascar vanilla beans, according to its brewers — and I can’t wait to get a glass of it for myself.

This Friday, Steam Bell Beer Works has a double release planned for the taps. In true white-girl-in-the-fall spirit, they’ve created a masterpiece that marries all the best parts of Pumpkin Spice Lattes with beer.

I hope by now everyone has learned that people can enjoy things without being made fun of for it, and that anyone (not just white girls) can get behind the awesome flavors of fall spices. Steam Bell’s latest P.S.L. brings it to a new audience of drinkers, and this Amber Ale was conditioned on all the spices of autumn.

Extra Plenty Autumn Gose is also debuting, and it’s the next variation in their Extra Plenty series. This recipe was brewed and conditioned with orange peel and cinnamon for the perfect rounded out fall flavor — so, as Steam Bell says, “Strap on your fur-lined boots and throw on the fleece, you aren’t going to miss this release!”

Last night, The Veil Brewing Co. did what they do best every week: release a plethora of beers all in one day that sound delicious.

Never Never Catch Me Catch Me debuted for the first time last night, and this brand-new Gose was brewed with double watermelon and double lime to come together in a perfectly-low 5.1% ABV for an easy drinker. whitemiata, a crowd favorite, returned in all its Galaxy and Citra glory — and the luxuriously-hopped 6% ABV beer is a dream of an IPA.

Heavier debuted for the first time as well, with oats and raw wheat in addition to its Galaxy, Citra, El Dorado, Simcoe, BRU-1, and Mosaic hop combinations. It’s higher than the others so far at 10% ABV, and the Triple IPA sounds like all my favorite things in a beer wrapped up in one glass.

The Veil hosted two more brand new beers, starting with Burn, its Notch Brewing collab made during the brewery’s visit a while back to The Veil’s Forever Summer Festival that ended the season with a bang. Burn was made with floor-malted wheat, a traditional decoction mash process, smoked wheat, and fresh Saaz with aged whole-leaf hops. After cold-conditioning it for two months, Burn finally got ready for its release this week at 5% ABV.

Sincere finished up the releases, and the farmhouse-inspired beer brings out some great earthy flavors with its oak-fermented process. The IPA was dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic hops to come in at a nice 6% ABV.

Over the weekend, Castleburg Brewery and Taproom made a great tribute to the season: Symphony of the Knight Stout. This brand-new stout is packed with dark, bitter chocolate and roasted coffee flavors, and with a full body, it’s nice to see that it comes in low at 4.9% ABV so it’s acceptable to drink a few. Usually these stouts hit high, and one of them is enough for anyone, but finally we’ve got an opportunity to have a couple (remind me of this on Thanksgiving, for real).

As Castleburg says, “You’ve been hard at work slaying vampires with nothing but your whip and some holy water that you got from that weird priest. It’s time to kick back and relax with a delicious beer.” Ain’t it always?

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

Caley Sturgill | October 23, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*PHOTO: Cobra Cabana & Stone Brewing Collab*

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

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

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

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

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

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

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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