The Veil Brewing Co.

RVA ON TAP: Pre-Spring Events & Anti-Valentine’s

Caley Sturgill | February 13, 2019

Topics: Center of the Universe Brewing Company, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Pajamarama Bar Crawl, River City Spirits Festival, RVA On Tap, Strangeways Brewing, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Co., Triple Crossing Beer

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, our early spring (as predicted by our groundhog pal Punxsutawney Phil recently) might feel freezing, but it’s opening up some events and releases to get us out of the house after a chilly season of hibernation for the River City.

To start bridging that “I’m freezing and tired but I really want to go out” gap that plagues us all this time of year, Citymixr is hosting the RVA Pajama-Rama Pub Crawl this Saturday… so if you’re debating whether to leave the house because putting on jeans feels like too much work, here’s your ticket to freedom. The crawl will hit six spots throughout the city, starting with Phase 1 at District 5, then moving into Shiplock Brewing and Southern Railway Taphouse for Phase 2. Then it’s off to Cha Chas, AGAVE, and Sine Irish Pub to finish off the evening.

Side note — Citymixr is on its way into RVA with cheap beer prices for groups of friends. I would very much like to get discounted alcohol for bringing a few buds along. More on this soon!

While we’re in the spirit of events, the River City Spirits Festival is also headed to town this Saturday. This one is big news: more than 20(!!) Virginia breweries and cideries are all coming together in harmony out at Stony Point to pour alongside one another. From Richmond: Intermission Beer Company, Steam Bell Beer Works, Ardent Craft Ales, and our friends at Strangeways. We’ve got more on the list from town with James River Cellars, Bell Isle Moonshine and more, plus plenty of awesome distilleries and wineries around the state. Don’t miss out on this one! Tickets are available here.

In new brews this week, Triple Crossing is hosting a Can Jam! First on the list of their triple-whammy can release this Friday is Space Falcon, a 7% Falcon Smash IPA made with Galaxy hops. This one hails from its Falcon forefather, taking the original recipe and dry-hopping with an “exorbitant” amount of Australian Galaxy. The process brings in a large flavor of pineapple and citrus, layered on with Falcon’s dark marmalade-orange character. Head out to Fulton to pregame your weekend with our favorite East-Enders.

#FreshCanFriday keeps up the can releases over at Hardywood this weekend, with Wyldflower hitting the taps and 16oz cans of the 8.8% ABV Double IPA brew. Wyldflower’s made with Wildflower Honey, Denali, Cascade, and Idaho 7 hops, ready to jump-start your days off with a perfect natural-tasting combo.

If you’re looking for fun with a bit more of a learning experience, head out to Hardywood West Creek this Saturday & Sunday for an open-house tour of their beautiful West End farmhouse spot, letting you meet the production team and get behind-the-scenes inside their massive brew room.

Wow, I can’t really think of anything better than this. The Answer Brewpub has a special this week for Valentine’s Day — an Imperial Milk Stout with Oreos and French Vanilla Coffee!!! !! In teeny tiny 8oz cans! Ennol Angus is my dream come true. I know I’m heavy on the dessert beer excitement whenever they come out, but bear with me. This rules.

More Valentine’s specials are on the way with Castleburg Brewery, who are releasing their The Seige Chocolate Raspberry Stout on V-Day itself. This sweet milk stout is brewed with cacao nibs to give the perfect “melting moments of chocolate” to complement its subtle hints of raspberry.

At their Valentine’s Day Market this Sunday, Strangeways dropped an Under The Rose Wild Rosehip Saison made with these very rosehips, found up on their property in Fredericksburg. The addition of these little plants brings in a Saison tea-like flavor, which is complemented by its lemon peel with malty, subtle brandy notes.

Bitter? Alone? Sweet, us too. Center of the Universe has just the fix this Valentine’s Day. Head on over to hang with our buds at COTU and have plenty of beer, live music, food, and “a bunch of like-minded people who want to enjoy a Saturday without getting bombarded by stupid Cupid’s arrows.”

Thank god. Lonely hearts unite!

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

If you’re unlike the former and you do have someone to celebrate this V-Day, make your way over to Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery for a nice beer pairing dinner this Thursday out at their spot in Goochland. The Farm is ready to go and stocked with plenty of brews, like their West-End special Three Chopt Tripel — and my personal favorite, Redneck High Society. They’ve also got a Blueberry Obsession Imperial Stout with graham cracker-crusted cheesecake (mother of god, yum), and Something Loyal. Get out of the city and have some fun on the farm with your honey this week.

If you’re looking to completely ditch Richmond this weekend and hard-avoid bumping into your ex in public again, check your tires and fill up your tank, ‘cause The Veil Brewing Co. has a road trip for you! Head down to Norfolk this coming Sunday for a meetup with their head brewer, Matt Tarpey, and hit up “Table Manners.” They’ll be hosting a close dinner with their chef and brewer with five courses and beer pairings down near the beach.

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: Fizz The Season! New Year, New Beer

Caley Sturgill | January 2, 2019

Topics: 2019, Black Heath Meadery, Castleburg, Final Gravity, fine creek, Lickinghole Creek, midnight brewery, new year, RVA On Tap, strangeways, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Co., three notchd

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

Hope you’re not too beer-ed out from NYE, because we’ve got a lot of great new brews coming out this week and plenty of fresh recipes to bid the holidays adieu and start rolling towards spring.

Cheers to 2019! Fine Creek Brewing Company toasted the new year with their very own champagne of beers, Brut IPA. It’s extra carbonated to give that authentic champagne feel, and with its Lemondrop and Hallertau Blanc hops, it’s nice and fruity. With low bitterness and dry hops, this beer stays very crisp and dry according to its brewers, and has a sharp white wine flavor — perfect for the first moments of our next trip around the sun.

Congrats to Black Heath Meadery on finalizing their new production facility! The meadery is spreading its wings with the new space to bring their meads to new areas of Virginia, and expand their footprint here in town. As Central Virginia’s first and only meadery, Black Heath has always brought something special to the table in a crowded beer scene around Richmond, so I’m extra excited to see them do so well. The new beehive will grow the Scott’s Addition tasting room, and its fundraiser also helps them set up new beehives around Virginia. If you’re a big fan of meads, head over and donate. I hear they have a few perks up their sleeves, too!

Over the weekend, Triple Crossing dropped a surprise. 500 is their “cleverly-named 500th mash,” and it’s their first try at putting their purpose-built imperial stout into bourbon barrels. Through experimentation and evaluation, they came about two variants — one vanilla, one coconut — from the bourbon-aged brews, then blended each of those unique flavors with a brand-new, clean imperial stout. The candied, burnt vanilla bean flavor of 500 With Vanilla is laced with brown sugar ice cream, which gives off dark and cacao-like malt flavors. 500 With Coconut, on the other hand, comes across more as a dark chocolate-like devil’s food cake, with an unsweetened coconut, raw sugary bourbon finish. Both of these beers are complex (and look beautiful, to be honest), and the brewers put a lot of calculated effort into making them just right.

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is stoked on their redneck name: With the release of Redneck High Society, they’re wearing it proudly. This Belgian-style Quad is French Cognac barrel-aged, and these barrels add a grape tannin flavor to the mix. Proceed with caution, Lickinghole Creek says, and “You’re welcome, RVA.”

The Answer Brewpub gained a brand-new beer this weekend, as well. Slice of Beer is “something crushable after all of those glasses of pizza” — and thankfully, there’s no pepperoni to be found. If you’re looking for a nice flow down the hatch, Slice of Beer is your go-to Mexican-style lager, unfiltered and crisp to drink nice and easy.

The Veil Brewing Co. whipped up something special for the new year, too. Yesterday, the Scott’s Addition sweethearts brought back Dirt Nap³, a triple dry-hopped DIPA packed with Mosaic, Citra, Nelson, and Galaxy hops. This 8.8% ABV was probably a fantastic hair-of-the-dog for its January 1st drinkers, and the new version of this classic Veil brew seems as rich as its predecessor. The OG Dirt Nap is praised for having an “insane” aroma and flavor profile, and as the brewery’s second go at DIPA’s (after Crucial Taunt), it’s got an original feel. I’m looking forward to giving this one a try.

Every week, Three Notch’d Brewing Company hosts Tap That Thursday, and everyone in the taproom gets a free taste of the newest recipe on deck. This week’s release was a special one, with Fantom of the Hopera, an Imperial Red IPA. I had the pleasure last week of joining Three Notch’d at their location in Roanoke for the occasion, and although they took over a beloved spot of my parents’ since I was a kid, I was pleasantly surprised by how well I dig having Three Notch’d in the location. In Charlottesville, Fantom of the Hopera was released last Thursday after our RVA On Tap post-Christmas, with Three Notch’d Brewmaster Dave Warwick and their special guest, David Hunter (founder of Fans of Virginia Craft Breweries). It’s available at their RVA Collab House, so give it a taste while it’s still out there.

Coming up this Friday, a smoooooooth and hazy DIPA is heading back towards Final Gravity. Vapour Trail is filled with grapefruit, floral, and tropcial flavors, brewed with Falconer’s Flight and Citra hops. It first showed up earlier this spring, and like its first release, it’ll only be here for a limited time. Vapour Trail will “soon fade away, like voices in a hurricane” its brewers say, so grab a crowler while it’s around.

Two new brews popped up over the weekend at Strangeways. Bohemian Grove and Geomancy are both fresh to the taproom — Bohemian Grove is their new Lactose New England IPA, which marries a citrusy, dank hop profile to a lightly-sweet, full body. With notes of tropical fruit, black currant, pie, and gooseberry, this recipe is named appropriately. Geomancy is Strangeways’ new boysenberry table beer, a “refreshing and fruity Belgian style, brewed with Virginia-grown barley.” Strangeways has a wonderful tradition of brewing with Virginia-grown resources, and these hail from Epiphany Craft Malt and Murphy & Rude Malting Co.

Fizz the season from Center of the Universe! Bottle Poppin’ Brut IPA is here, and this ultra-dry, champagne-like beer has a light body full of lingering vinous fruit and minerality — but still full of hops. They made it with Simcoe and Mosaic hops, and get ready to pop bottles, they say. This one’s a celebration.

Midnight Granite is back at Midnight Brewery, and this rich oatmeal stout sounds like a dream. It’s a medium-bodied brew, and it comes alongside 623, Midnight’s mix of half-stout, half-Not My Job Brown Ale. With subtle roast and smooth chocolate notes, Midnight Granite will carry you through the coldest weeks coming up. Even though 623 isn’t listed on the board, its brewers say it should be easy to remember…..it’s the route number you’ll take to get there.

For the love of beer, Castleburg Brewery is bringing back a favorite. For the Love & Intrigue returns this Friday, and the cranberry and star-anise Saison will make you fall in love, they say. The 6.8% ABV recipe is also gluten-reduced, so if you’re trying to purge a few inches this month like everyone else, now’s your time to shine: For the Love & Intrigue should fit great in your diet.

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!

Richmond Snags #1 Spot on VinePair’s Top Beer Destinations in the World for 2018

Amy David | January 30, 2018

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer destination, craft beer, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Legend Brewing Company, mekong, RVA craft beer, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Co., Triple Crossing Beer, VinePair

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you’re aware of the craft beer explosion in Richmond. Since 1994, Legend Brewing Company has been our staple, but it wasn’t until Hardywood Park Craft Brewery came along in 2011 that the local beer scene began to pick up a bit. If you stepped outside in just about any neighborhood, or keep up with my weekly Tapped column, you’ll see that the city’s craft beer industry has grown by leaps and bounds.

Over 30 breweries are open in the area now, and recently, the city’s craft beer scene received a pretty awesome accolade from VinePair, a publication dedicated to wine, beer, and cocktails. The online magazine just released a list of “The World’ Top Beer Destinations for 2018,” and Richmond took the number one spot, beating out places like Beijing, St. Louis, Chicago, and New York.

“From one craft brewery to 22 in less than 10 years, RVA is officially on the map,” VinePair said of our craft beer hub.

Both Hardywood and Legend get mentions of course, but VinePair also gives shout-outs to Mekong, which has won best beer bar in America from a number of publications, along with The Answer Brewpub, as well as Scott’s Additon’s Ardent Craft Ales and The Veil Brewing Co. for its IPAs.

Triple Crossing, which started out downtown on Foushee, but has since expanded with a second, bigger location in Fulton got a mention for their fruity IPAs, and Carytown’s Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery was also given some recognition from the publication for their beer-wine hybrids.

Cheers to all of the breweries who received a mention, as well as Richmond’s craft beer scene as a whole, which looks to only continue to be on the rise with Dogtown Brewing in Manchester coming this year, along with Chesterfield’s Steam Beer Beer Works new Fan location Canon & Draw Brewing opening in March, Tabol Brewing opening in Northside, Hardywood’s Goochland spot slated to open its doors to the public in April, You can see the entire top 10 list of brewery cities who made the list here.

Top Photo Credit: Triple Crossing Beer

Ring in 2018 in Style With RVA Mag’s NYE Guide

Amy David | December 28, 2017

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Belle & James, Decemberween, Great Gatsby, Havana '59, isley brewing, Jackass Flats, Kabana Rooftop, Mike Ledesma, New Years Eve, New Years Eve Parties, NYE 2018, NYE parties rva, parties, Party Liberation Front, Party Libertation Foundation, richmond parties, Roaring 20s, Southern Belles, Strangeways Brewing, The Camel, The Hippodrome, the Hof, The National, The Roost, The Veil Brewing Co.

Christmas has come and gone and we’re nearing the end of 2017. It was a whirlwind of a year with highs and lows, and I think its safe to say many more lows this year than anything else politically, but we can only hope 2018 will be better. Now this post wasn’t meant to get you down, get you dwelling on the past year, or worrying about your New Years Resolutions, but rather send you into 2018 with a bang with a slew of kick-ass parties in Richmond this Sunday.

RVA Mag has put together a guide of some of the best parties around town from burlesque and comedy at breweries, to live music, to DJs and fire-spinning, to glammed up costume parties with champagne toasts, ball drops, and arcade fun. There’s sure to be something that will get you up off your couch and ringing in the New Year with your friends, significant other, or crazy uncle who can drink anyone under the table and always has a good story. And without further ado, here is our NYE Guide for Richmond. Be safe, have fun, get a little weird and we will see you in 2018. Happy New Year!

Decemberween 12

The wild and crazy group known for throwing some of the best shindigs in town, Party Liberation Foundation is back again with their annual NYE celebration Decemberween. Now in its 12th year, the party will be bigger and better than ever with two stages of music featuring headliner Soohan, a Maryland based producer, local dance-punk favorites Toxic Moxie, Mr. Jennings, Bunk Buddha and more, art installations inside and out including fire sculptures, Ziggy Sawdust will be carving wooden portraits of partygoers with a chainsaw, live, Man Camp! crew will be constructing a roving Trojan Mop Bucket, and Davina the Dragon will return for her first PLF event in years. PLF’s legendary pyro circus will also be returning and the group is adding a third bar in their speakeasy/cabaret lounge. All proceeds benefit PLF. Make sure to wear your best costume! Decemberween 12 will be held at Diversity Richmond, Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased here. 8pm-4am.

NYE 2018 Gatsby Soiree at Kabana Rooftop

If you feel like getting fancy, time traveling back to the ’20s and channeling your best Jay and Daisy impersonations, then Kabana Rooftop’s Gatsby Soiree. Dress as a flapper, a dapper gent, or silent film star or in your finest garb and head out to Kabana Rooftop for a night on the town you won’t forget. Well, depending on how much you have to drink. Music by local DJ favorite MASS FX and Bobby LaBeat. Tickets are $45 for General admission, $75 for couples, $60 for entry and 20s-themed buffet created by the wonderful head chef Mike Ledesma or $115 for couples and it goes up from there if you want to book a room or reserve a VIP table. All tickets include a champagne toast at midnight, party favors, a live feed of the ball drop. Grab yours here. Kabana Rooftop: 700 E. Main St. 7pm-2am.

NYE at Vagabond

Hosted by Kelli Lemon with tunes courtesy of DJ Lonnie B, Vagabond is ringing in 2018 with an appetizer Buffet and Champagne Toast. Limited reserved tables available. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased here.

New Years Eve at The Hof

The HofGarden, a three-story event venue and German beer hall inside Scott’s Addition’s The Hof Building on West Broad Street is bringing back one of Richmond’s most beloved NYE traditions with The Ball Rise. Originally started above the Byrd Theater in 2006, partygoers packed the streets to countdown the new year while watching the big ball go up. The 40-foot ball rise became too expensive so it ended in 2012 with a brief appearance at Hardywood in 2013, but hasn’t been an event in RVA since. The Hof will host the Ball Rise on their rooftop bar this year for their annual NYE party, whose theme is based on Rio de Janeiro’s Rio Carnival. Musical performances by DC’s gypsy/jazz/funk group Black Masala will perform, along with Andrew Alli & the Mainline, as well as DJ Duffy and carnival dancers. 2818 W. Broad St. 7pm-2 am.

Editor’s Note: At this time, the only package available for this event is the Couples Graduate Hotel Package for $307.88. Includes two GA tickets to The Hof party, a room at The Graduate hotel, transportation to and from the graduate and the hof, and brunch at the hotel on new years day. Tickets here.

New Years Eve Fiesta at Havana ’59

Havana ’59 returns for NYE with its annual celebration of dinner, Djs, and Salsa music. Dinner includes a three-course meal, drink, and additional champagne toast. Time slots for dinner reservations: 5:00pm, 7:00pm, 9:00pm. Dancing takes place upstairs, and Salsa begins at 10pm. A DJ will be providing the Salsa music for the evening. Dancing: $30, Dinner: $60, Dance/Dinner: $70. Champagne toast included. Call to reserve your tickets now! (804)780-CUBA. 16 N. 17th St. 5pm-2am.

Cirque Du NYE Hippodrome (RVA Escape into the 2018)

Step into the multi-act sideshow and entertainment extravaganza at The Hippodrome for NYE. The Jackson Ward venue is channeling Cirque de Soleii for their celebration with aerial dancers, stilt walkers, hula dancers, jugglers, shadow dancers, human blockheads, along with a DJ, buffet from 9 to 11 pm, red carpet style photo, prop photo booth, *Semi-formal attire required. Tickets $25-$40. 528 N. 2nd St.

Skyball NYE 2018- Belle & James

Kabana Rooftop may be celebrating Great Gatsby style, but Belle & James, the restaurant below the rooftop bar, is throwing its annual Skyball NYE bash Party. The event features a live DJ, with midnight toast, live video feed for the ball drop, complimentary party favors, signature Bond cocktails and more. Tickets $25-$45. 700 E. Main St. 10pm-2am.

New Years Eve Party at The Roost

Lunch/Supper’s event venue/ brunch market in Scott’s Addition, The Roost is ringing in 2018 with a celebration all their own. Tickets are $110 and will each include: passed hors d’oeuvres and appetizers, full dinner buffet with all your Supper! favorites, four drink tickets with choice of specialty beer/cocktails featuring Belle Isle Moonshine, champagne toast and celebration at midnight, and dancing all night with music from DJ Mike Murphy. A cash bar will be open all night for additional drinks and full VIP table reservations are available by request. Please email [email protected] for VIP requests. $10 of each ticket will be benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of RVA Tickets here. 1213 Summit Avenue. 8pm-1:30am.

Two Nights! NYE with The Southern Belles and Jackass Flats

Psychedelic-rockers and Richmond favorite The Southern Belles are ringing in NYE with a two-night event at The Camel with fellow RVA bluegrass band Jackass Flats, Shows Dec. 30 and NYE both $10. Tickets for Saturday’s show are $10 and can be purchased here and Sunday’s are $25 ADV and $40 DOS which you snag here. Doors at 8pm, Show at 9 pm.

New Year, New You at Gallery5!

The folks over at Gallery5 are celebrating big for New Year’s Eve. The space has a stacked lineup for the night with performances by Dazeases, Sammi Lanzetta, Citrus City shoegaze guys Fat Spirit (go see them if you haven’t already!), Pete Curry’s new project FM Skyline, along with DJ Skrt Skrt (christian something / Christian Nöthing), DJ Baby Maria (Maria Applegate) Free champagne toast & photo booth. Doors 8pm / Bands 9pm // $10. Keep an eye on the event page for details.

All That Glitters is Gold NYE 2018-Cha Cha’s Cantina and Society Social Club

Dance into the night and jump back and forth between two nightclubs in Shockoe Slip for Cha Cha’s and Society’s All that Glitters is Gold NYE Celebration. Buy a Gold ticket for access to both bars for the entire night along with drink tickets, buffet, and toast. DJ Bryan One and DJ Joe Fu will be spinning tunes, there will be a live feed of the Times Square ball drop, along with a free champagne toast. General Admission- $20 and Gold tickets are $60. Snag yours here. For VIP Inquiries Contact: 804.648.5100 | [email protected]
Doors at 730PM. 1419 & 1421 E. Cary St.

Richmond Brewery NYE Parties:

Several breweries in town are hosting their own celebrations if you aren’t the dancing type and prefer craft beer over fancy cocktails. Check out the rundown here.

Saved by The 90s: A NYE Party with the Bayside Tigers-The National

New York City’s 90s tribute band Bayside Tigers hits The National NYE for a party that’s sure to be all that and a bag of chips. (Sorry, in advance for the puns in this post.) Performing everything from Beastie Boys, to No Doubt, to Spice Girls, and Third Eye Blind they’re sure to bring back all sorts of nostalgia feels for you 90s kids. So grab your flannel, chockers, denim, and crop tops and party like its 1999. Tickets $25-$40.

Brew Years Eve Party at The Circuit Arcade Bar

If you’re a gamer, craft beer lover, or both, and rather spend your new year kickin’ it old school, hit up the new Circuit Arcade Bar in Scott’s Addition. Filled with over 60 throwback arcade games, pinball machines, and other vintage classics like skeeball and air hockey, along with a self-serve bar wall with 50 taps flowing with craft beer, cider, and wine send you into the new year the right away. For their celebration, The Circuit will host a Brew Years Eve party, working with a number of local and Virginia breweries that will bring an exclusive selection of seasonal, limited edition and newly released beer for just Sunday night. Wax Moon Records will be playing the tunes, and the barcade will also have a raffle with prizes, brewery giveaways, lip sync battles and even more. Access to our exclusive New Years Eve beer selection available only for one night. Tickets are $35 ADV/ Door: $40 and get you free food, free token cup with 20 tokens, one free raffle ticket, door prizes, and everything from Jurassic Park pinball, to Ms. PacMan, Dig Dug and more to play. 3121 W. Leigh St. 8 pm. (For an inside look into the arcade and bar, check out our interview with them in our latest issue here.)

Our sister publication, GayRVA.com also has a pretty sweet NYE rundown, you can check that out here.

Tapped: Midnight Brewery turns five, Garden Grove’s One Trick Pony IPA, & Mother’s Day celebrations

Amy David | May 10, 2017

Topics: Blue Bee Cider, Buskey Cider, Center of the Universe, Garden Grove Brewing Company, Hardywood Brewery, Isley Brewing Company, midnight brewery, RVA, RVA beer, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, Strangeways Brewing, The Veil Brewing Co., Three Notch'd Brewing Company

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

Our cup is overflowing with news this week, but first head over here to check out what awesome brews were released in Richmond last weekend.

So 2017 started off pretty crazy and it seems it’s just getting crazier by the day, but one thing you can count on is RVA Mag will always have the scoop on where you can go to get the finest craft beer in town! This week we have new beer releases, events, and other cool happenings around town, so hold on to your mugs because we’re getting ready to tap this thing!

Midnight Brewery is celebrating five years this Saturday, May 13 with live music, food, and a new beer release. The brewery will be pouring Summer Down Under, a new Pale Ale that has a twist with the fruit of Guava.

This Friday, Isley is back with their weekly infusion, this time its a Bloody Mary version of their Fifth Circle IPA.

Isley Brewing is also celebrating mothers all month long with specials and events all around the Choosy Mother Peanut Butter Porter! Regular glasses of their signature porter will be priced $1 for the entire month, and customers will receive $5 off the purchase of three 32oz. crowlers to go!

The weekend of May 20th will be jam packed with events for the whole family to enjoy. Saturday, May 20th they will have Strawberry Fields florist on site (since Mom enjoys flowers this week as well), and will feature music from 2:00-9:30 from Zack Artis, The Royal We and more! On Sunday, May 21st, local bakers will compete for the title of Choosy Mother Bake-Off Champion with a judged competition to see who can create the best recipe using the Choosy Mother as an ingredient. For more info or to reserve a spot in the contest, please contact [email protected].

Center of the Universe is celebrating moms on Sunday with a special brunch. Moms are invited to sip on MOMosas and beer bloody marys, sample cheeses from Truckle Cheesemongers, dine off of the menu provided by The Grapevine, and walk away with a special limited edition stemless wine glass.

On Thursday, Strangeways Brewing will release three Totally Tublar Radler variants including Apfelsine (Orange, Pampelmuse (Grapefruit), and Kirsche (Cherry) go try them all!

On Mother’s Day, Strangeways is also treating moms to a Southern-Fried Drag & Variety Brunch. Hosted by the one and only, Magnolia Jackson Pickett Burnside, this fun, campy, raunchy DRAG & Variety show is not for those fancy, tea-sippin’ mamas out there. Add some fresh chicken n’ waffles from Mama J’s, a side of beermosa specials, and a sprinkling of raffle prizes throughout the show, and you’ve got a recipe for one fabulously fun feast! Advanced tickets are $25 and include admission to the show, a reserved seat for your party, a beermosa ticket, chicken n’ waffles, a your first raffle ticket, beermosa specials, and mor

Hardywood has quite a few events and releases happening this weekend. On Friday, the brewery will do a small batch can release of Road to Idaho, a citrusy IPA.

On Saturday, Hardywood will release a Boysenberry Berliner Weisse, a new fruited variation of of of their warm weather brews.

On Sunday for Mother’s Day, Hardywood will host a market with Studio Two Three To Go. They will have vendors on site with handmade gifts for the special Mama in your life! The S23 To-Go truck will be on site live-printing small prints/mom inspired cards, totes, and koozies! Bikini Panini will be here serving up good eats for the whole family! Live music by Lemon Sky starts at 3pm.

Garden Grove Brewing Company has two special releases for you this weekend. First up is One Trick Pony, a 6.4% juicy, tropical IPA. The Carytown brewery will also release Virginia Pale Ale, a 4.6% brew highlighting Meridian and Calypso Hops.

On Monday, May 29 GG will host their next great meal in their ongoing Taproom Dinner Series featuring Wild Ginger Asian Fusion & Sushi! Five courses of mouth-watering cuisine will be matched with five of their beers. $39 plus tax & tip, Reservations Required.

The Veil Brewing Co. is celebrating Mother’s Day teamed up with Commune RVA to provide a vendor market with plenty of gift ideas to shop with or for mom.

From 2p-6p Indigo Therapeutic Massage and Healing Arts will have two chairs set up offering free 10-minute massages. Sign up sheets available on-site. Goatocado will be slinging food all day starting at Noon and we will have some amazing treats from Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt starting at 2p.

Three Notch’d Brewing Company RVA Collab House returns with their weekly beer collaboration on Thursday. This time, they’ve partnered with Joey Johnson who has spent years in the beer industry and as an accomplished homebrewer to make the “Juicy J” IPA.

Steam Bell Beer Works recently announced they planned to open a 5,000 square foot brewery and taproom called Canon & Draw Brewing Co. in the Fan on West Main Street. Check out our interview here.

Taste and check out over 30 Craft Beers from some of the best breweries in Virginia at the Virginia Hops & Barley Festival this Saturday at Westchester Commons. 1 pm-7 pm. Tickets $10-$50 which can be purchased here.

Blue Bee Cider is celebrating Mother’s Day with their in-house sangria, made with raspberries and blackberries soaked in their Harvest Ration dessert cider, plus delicious eats from Continental Divide Richmond taco truck.

Today, Buskey Cider will release their mouth-watering collaboration with Sugar Shack, a Jalapeño Lime Randall’d Cider. Get their donuts specially made with Buskey’s Jalapeño Lime Cider at this event served off their gluten free donut truck and pair this dessert with a pint of Buskey

On Mother’s Day, Buskey Cider will have sangria pints and produce from Ellwood Thompson’s! Details here.

Send all craft beer-related submissions to Amy at [email protected]. Cheers!

Words by Amy David. Top Photo credit: Midnight Brewery

Escape to tropical paradise tonight at Metzger Bar & Butchery’s Hawaiian pop-up ‘Iki Kai’

Amy David | March 27, 2017

Topics: community, GOOD EATS RVA, Hawaiian, Metzger Bar and Butchery, pop-up, The Veil Brewing Co., tropical

It’s Monday and rainy and you might be feeling a bit blue, but Metzger Bar and Butchery has an event tonight that will take you away to paradise, well temporarily that is.

The Church Hill restaurant will host “Iki Kai“, a Hawaiian-influenced pop up tonight featuring tropical cocktails from Brandon Peck of The Roosevelt and James Kohler of the upcoming Brenner Pass and poke (raw fish salad) from Chef Brittanny Anderson.

Guests will also get to try a special early release of The Veil Brewing Co.’s Never Aloha,a Hawaiian Punch-inspired Gose with Passionfruit, pineapple, mango, blood orange, and cherry purée.

The brewery will debut the brew tomorrow.

Pop-up starts at 5 pm. No reservations. 801 N. 23rd St.

Starting at 5 until we run out! No reservations