Three Notch’d RVA Collab House Archives | Page 2 of 5

RVA ON TAP: Beer Slushies & Pineapple Brews

Caley Sturgill | August 19, 2020

Topics: Ardent craft ales, bars richmond va, beer, beer column, Black Heath Meadery, Bryant’s Cider, Center Of The Universe Brewing, craft beer richmond va, craft beer RVA, Dragon Run Brewing, Final Gravity, Fine Creek Brewing Company, garden grove, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Intermission Beer Company, Isley Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek, RVA On Tap, Starr Hill, Stone brewing, strangeways, the answer brewpub, the veil brewing co, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, triple crossing, Vasen Brewing Company

What’s happening, craft beer lovers of RVA?! Welcome to this week’s RVA On Tap, RVA Magazine’s weekly column for all the Booze News your hearts desire.

As the River City slowly transitions into a new normal during the pandemic, we’re highlighting the best local brewers. From in-person outdoor events to take-home and delivery beers, let’s support our local businesses together — and stay safe in the process.

We’ll be bringing you fresh news in the beer world with guidelines on safety. If you’re planning to venture out during the pandemic, your RVA Magazine team wants to stress the importance of wearing your mask. As we all support our favorite brewers, let’s also support the community by taking precautions to ensure everyone stays healthy.

We’ve got pickup and delivery services from locals like The Answer Brewpub, Ardent Craft Ales, Black Heath Meadery, Bryant’s Cider, Center of the Universe Brewing, Dragon Run Brewing, Final Gravity, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Garden Grove, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, Isley Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek, Starr Hill, Stone Brewing, Strangeways, Three Notch’d RVA, Triple Crossing, Väsen Brewing Company, The Veil Brewing Co. and more.

Drink up, Virginia!

The Answer Brewpub

At The Answer Brewpub, fresh brews are here to cool down these hot summer days.

Takeout is available, and you’ll want to keep up with The Answer on Facebook to see updates on pre-sales for their latest recipes. This week, we’ve got a brand-new beer available, along with a few special releases from the summer.

Pickup: To-go locations and info updated regularly on Instagram.

THE LATEST BEERS

CAFE CON LECHE COCONUT BANANA — Now available on the Frozan machine at The Answer.
HEH HEH HEH HRR RRR HEH HEH HEH HEH HUH RAKAU! HA HRR DIPA — Double IPA. A mouthful just to speak aloud. This is Batch 3 of The Answer’s New Zealand Rakau DIPA, with an excessive triple dry-hop treatment for stone fruit, peach, and apricot flavors.
YOU PUT YOUR WHEAT IN THERE — Huge body from its wheat heavy grain bill, and “jumps out of the can” with intense candied citrus aroma.
HARD TO GET A TICKET — 100% Mosaic DIPA ready in a fresh batch. Described as a “tropical fruit bowl,” the Double IPA is available in 4-packs.
SUMMER SHOWERS — 6.5% ABV Citrus IPA. Ready to carry you through clear skies or summer rains, this pillowy-soft IPA is available in 4-packs.
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL — 10% ABV Imperial Stout. This glittering brew came as a collaboration for the Black Is Beautiful equality and inclusion campaign, and all proceeds go to the Sister Fund RVA and Campaign Zero. With maple syrup, New Guinea vanilla beans, a touch of cinnamon, Roanoke Coffee, and shimmering edible gold glitter, this recipe was inspired to end injustices against POC and promote equality in our community.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Ardent Craft Ales

Curbside pickup and delivery are available at Ardent Craft Ales, along with beer shipping across Virginia and D.C. Ardent partially reopened their beer garden last month, and they’ll be serving food every day as well. Don’t forget to check out their full menu for food, as well! Be sure to check out their new policies during Covid-19.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

MOORE ST. DIPA — 9% ABV Double IPA. Moore St. is the biggest, boldest addition to Ardent’s series featuring streets from Scott’s Addition. Double dry-hopped with Galaxy and Amarillo, this brew is full of flavors like orange and pineapple in a soft, smooth, minimally-bitter DIPA.
ATLANTICO — 4.4% ABV Mexican-Style Lager. This summertime crusher is brand-new, and was brewed with flaked corn and rice for a dry, refreshing finish. Light-bodied with minimal bitterness, Ardent says this one is the perfect beer on a hot summer afternoon.
MIXED BERRY GOSE — 4.4% ABV Gose. Brewed with raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, and black currant, Mixed Berry Gose pours a distinctive purple color with a sweet, jammy flavor to balance the tart acidity of the style.
SPILLMATIC — Collab with Short Throw Brewing and Equilibrium Brewery. 10.1% ABV Triple IPA. Adorned with copious amounts of Strata, Galaxy, and Citra. Dry-hopped with the same varietals. Tangerine, pineapple, mango, and citrus notes dominate the palate and aroma, paired with a smooth, unobtrusive malt bill.
RESTING MY GREATNESS — Short Throw Brewing Co. available at Ardent. 11.8% ABV Imperial Stout with coffee, Vermont maple syrup, and whole vanilla beans.
IMPERIAL STOUT WITH VANILLA & CACAO NIBS — 11% ABV Imperial Stout. Bold, full-bodied beer that pours deep black with a tan head. Rich, chocolatey sweetness complements the roasted malt character for a balanced stout with a smooth finish.
BOHEMIAN PILSNER — 4.8% ABV Czech-Style Pilsner. Brewed with a simple recipe of Czech floor malt, Saaz hops, and a Czech lager yeast. Clear golden color with soft mouthfeel, spicy hop notes, and clean finish.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Black Heath Meadery

Black Heath Meadery has the patio open for plenty of great outdoor events now, so keep up with them on Facebook for the latest updates — and be sure to wear your mask!

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST MEADS

MEAD SLUSHEES — Check out Black Heath’s Facebook page for daily flavor updates! The most recent editions are Blueberry Lemon and Cherry Lime.
JERRY VANILLA — Sour Cherry mead aged in Reservoir bourbon barrels with vanilla beans and cacao nibs.
BLUE ANGEL — Gold Medal Mazer Cup International award winner. Batch 6 utilizes Jonagold apples and VA wildflower honey.
GINGER — Traditional mead fermented with VA wildflower honey and Casselmonte Farms baby yellow ginger.
MEADSAIC — Traditional mead dry hopped with Mosaic.
SOUR CHERRY — Traditional strength mead fermented with VA wildflower honey, Montmorency and Balaton cherries.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Bryant’s Cider

The new Bryant’s Cider location in Richmond opened this summer, and we’re stoked to keep up with their latest releases. They’re offering shipping and pickup, so if you want to drink from home, they’ve got you covered! Stay tuned for more info on their latest project, River City Seltzer, which is opening up in September.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST CIDERS

LEO — The latest in Bryants Cider’s zodiac series, Leo is coming soon… and this special edition is flavored with habanero and pineapple. Stay tuned for release date!
BLUEBERRY LAVENDER AND LIME — A brand-new cider recipe featuring blueberry, lavender, and lime flavors with Crescent Simples.
RED EYE — Coffee collaboration with Recluse Roasting Project. This brut cider is made with a single origin bean from a farm named Cual Bicicleta in Honduras. Bryant’s says, “The coffee is amazing, just like the cider it’s cold brewed in.”
GEMINI — Zodiac series Cider. A blood orange and hibiscus cider made with the air signs in mind.
CANCER — Zodiac series Cider. A blueberry cider with the perfect combination between tart and dry.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Center Of The Universe

Center of the Universe is offering pickup and delivery services, and their Beer Garden is open for business! Be sure to check here before you head out to Ashland, and ensure you’re up-to-date on their new policies to keep everyone safe.

Pickup: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

OKTOBERFEST — Traditional German Märzen with a clean, light-malty sweetness. Balanced with a light breadiness and cracker aroma.
THERE GOSE SUMMER TANGERINE GOSE — German-Style Sour. Brewed with heaps of tangerine and a dash of salt, this slightly tart brew will make the “agony of a diminishing summer” a little less dreadful, and much more flavorful. Available in 4-packs and at the brewery.
PINEAPPLE WHIP — 6.5% ABV Oat-based beer. Brewed in collaboration with Origin Beer Lab, this beer was made with whole Madagascar vanilla beans and pineapple juice. The result is a creamy, full bodied-brew that “takes your taste buds on a tropical escape.”
MONKEY’S UNCLE LEMONGRASS TRIPEL — 9% ABV Belgian Tripel. Brewed with local lemongrass, with a light, crisp body and straw color. Fresh lemongrass grown by Village Garden added to the boil for a refreshing treat.
CREATIVE JUICES IIIPA — 10% ABV Double IPA. Big, bold, juicy, and gives back! This DIPA is a collaboration with Connor’s Heroes to help celebrate their 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball, which is virtual this year. $5 from every 4-pack will go straight to Connor’s Heroes.
BLACKBERRY CRYSTAL COTU — Low calorie, gluten-reduced, fruity and fizzy hard seltzer. Available in 4-packs and at the brewery.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Dragon Run Brewing

Dragon Run Brewing is a charming space located to our east. If you’re looking for a new day trip out of the city, this is your spot — and they’ve got plenty of unique recipes to make it worth your while. With a blend of history behind each brew, Dragon Run brings something fresh to the table with every glass.

THE LATEST BEERS

KEY LIME PIE — The latest in Dragon Run’s “Grandma’s Sour Pie” series. This one brings out the down-home dessert flavors with real key lime, plus graham cracker notes and a creamy finish.
MATTAPO-NELPA — Hazy New England Style IPA, back on tap this week.
BORN HERE RASPBERRY LEMONADE SHANDY — 4.4% ABV Raspberry Lemonade Shandy. This one takes the Born Here Pilsner and mixes it with fresh raspberry lemonade for a summertime treat.
BRAXTON’S BITTER — 5.2% ABV English IPA. Named after the local founding father, Carter Braxton, who signed the Declaration of Independence among other things, this English Bitter has a slightly sweet malty taste and then an English Hop bite that is reminiscent of that old English Pub taste.
MARY OF ORANGE — 4.5% ABV Cream Ale. You know William of Orange, but do you know his wife, Mary Of Orange? This beer is brewed for Mary of William and Mary (Or the Queen in King and Queen County). This is a light cream ale that has a subtle taste of both orange and vanilla to remind you of that favorite ice cream treat, perfect for a warm summer day.
TOM’S “COFFEY” STOUT — 6.6% ABV Coffee Stout. This coffee stout is a coffee lover’s dream. Big, bold coffee taste, combined with the malty fullness, and finished with a creamy top provided by the nitro tap. Just like drinking a cold-brew coffee. Named after the brewers’ maternal grandfather, Tom Coffey, who was a legend in his own time, made this beer to be worthy of his namesake.
BLACK CHERRY HARD SELTZER — 4% ABV Hard Seltzer. A hard seltzer for those that want a gluten free option. Touched off with with fresh fruit juices for a refreshing taste.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Final Gravity Brewing Co. is open for pickup and delivery. To-go pours are available for every brew you could dream of: all you need to do is grab a Crowler! The brewery will be hosting food trucks and some new events as well, so be sure to stay safe and wear your mask.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

DOPPLER EFFECT IPA — 7% ABV Flagship IPA. Back on tap, brewed with all Mosaic hops! Juicy New England-style IPA, crisp and clear like West Coast style.
ITALIAN STYLE DRY-HOPPED PILSNER — Also back on tap this week (so get it while you can)! Dry-hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Hallertau Blanc hops.
JUICE BOX HAZY DOUBLE IPA — 8% ABV Double IPA. This hazy beauty was brewed with Strata, Belma, and Citra hops.
TANGERINE GOSE — Ancient Mariner and Habanero Mango.
VAPOUR TRAIL HAZY DOUBLE IPA — 8% ABV Hazy Double IPA brewed with Citra and Falconer’s Flight hops.
STEPPING STONE BLONDE ALE — 5% ABV Blonde Ale.
CASSIOPEIA HAZY DOUBLE IPA — This fan favorite is back in the online store, and it’s no wonder it’s been so well-received in its time. Dry-hopped with Cashmere and Mosaic hops, Cassiopeia is full of tropical fruit notes, pineapple forward with a touch of dankness and a smooth finish.
STARDUST HAZY IPA — 6% ABV. Hopped with BRU-1 and Mosaic, Stardust IPA has bright, floral characteristics and a pineapple punch.
RITES OF SPRING GINGER HONEY LAGER — 5.5% ABV.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Fine Creek Brewing Company

Beer delivery and pickup is available at Fine Creek Brewing Company! Check out their website for a full list of beers available, and below for new brews on tap. With brand-new recipes and old favorites back in stock, there’s something for everyone at the Powhatan farmhouse.

The Wild & Weird Festival is back!! This festival is one of my favorites each year, because it brings together all the best styles of beer that aren’t your regular IPA. All of September will be showcasing some of Fine Creek’s favorite beers brewed at the farm, and some brewed with their friends as well. All seating will be outdoor, and orders and pickups will take place at the bar if you’re heading out to spend the day with these awesome brewers.

Some more exciting news from Fine Creek: they’re now Craft Malt Certified. That means they’ve committed to purchasing more than 10 percent of all the malt they use from craft malthouses inside the Craft Maltsters Guild. A note from Fine Creek: “We buy a lot more than 10 percent, and often brew beers that are made with 100 percent locally-sourced malt. This is important not only to the end product of what we produce, but to the very essence of everything we do.”

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

RKATSITELI SOUR — 6.6% ABV Golden Sour collab with Blenheim Vineyards. Rkatsiteli is a grape often used to produce white wine, and is one of the oldest cultivated grape varieties. The beer has a funky, floral aroma with notes of gooseberry, peach skin, and subdued oak. The flavor leads with a predominant combination of white grape and tart lemon, which gives way to layers of spice and mixed berry. Despite an initial juicy and round mouthfeel the beer finishes with a refreshing, drying tartness.
GOLDEN SOUR — Bottled Sour Ale. The barrels layered this beer with notes of mixed berries, red wine, oaky tannins, and vanilla. Golden sour culture brought a bright acidity, along with flavors of lemon and fresh pineapple. This beer combines deeper wine barrel tones with a refreshing tart palate and a dry and tannic finish.
GERMAN PILSNER — 4.8% ABV Pilsner. Light Bodied, malt-forward. Floral, grassy, & herbal hop notes.
PROTOSCIENCE IPA — 7.3% ABV IPA. Orange, papaya, and mild grapefruit flavors with a rich, fruity character.
RAYGUN GOTHIC IPA — 7.5% ABV IPA. Pineapple and tropical fruit flavors with a full mouthfeel.
CITRUS HONEY SAISON — Back on tap! The last keg of this beloved brew is coming back this Friday, and it’s only available for a limited time. It goes fast, according to Fine Creek, and it’ll also be available on the next canning run.
VITALISM IPA — Hazy IPA. This new release was dry-hopped with Kohatu and Mosaic hops, combining for a sweet aroma of bright tropical fruit, with notes of freshly cut papaya and pineapple. Earlier additions of Idaho 7 and German Amarillo hops contribute more to the flavor, which features fruity tones alongside black tea, citrus zest, and a mild floral note. Vitalism has a medium body and a round mouthfeel that is paired with enough bitterness to avoid feeling too rich.
AMERICAN STOUT — 7% ABV. The latest batch comes from English Pale malts from Murphy & Rude Malting Co. in Charlottesville, and with a nutty and sweet backbone, this one was layered in Toasted Oats and Crystal Wheat to build up a sweeter tone of whole grain cereal and baked goods. Toasty notes of black coffee and baker’s chocolate, medium body balanced by a subtle hop flavor.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

Garden Grove is offering curbside pickup, carry-out orders, and same-day delivery! Masks are required to visit their taproom, and they’ve been offering some great new brews to get us through the insanity that is the summer of 2020. We don’t know where we’d be without local beer through all of this! Check below for fresh releases and more updates.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

MUNICH KOLSCH — 4.8% ABV Kolsch. The latest recipe is a traditional, crisp golden brew with slight floral aromas (and it’s a sneak peek at their upcoming Oktoberfest lineup)!
TYPHOON PASSION FRUIT AND MANGO HONEY WINE — 7% ABV Honey Wine. Sweet tropical aromas of passion fruit and mango swing together. “Bursting with big, bold flavors wave after wave.”
MADELINE SAISON — 6.5% ABV Saison. Notes of classic banana and spice. Soft bodied, with flavors of tropical fruit, white pepper and rye.
ARASSAS KOLSCH — 4.8% ABV German-Style Kolsch.
DEATH — 10% ABV Belgian. Brings out as much ripe and dark fruit flavors reminiscent of rich red wines as possible, by fermenting with red wine grapes from each year’s harvest. Death is made once a year in tandem with the Virginia wine grape harvest schedule.
CARTOON VILLAIN IPA — 7% ABV IPA. Tropical and juicy.
MOZU — 8% Peach Yuzu Honey Wine. Flavors and color from White and Blood Peaches, balanced by bright and shiny Yuzu. “Confuse your palate” with this brew that’s both sweet and dry.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Hardywood Richmond and West Creek locations are open! And just look at that awesome setup above at West Creek. The outdoor spaces have been rearranged to allow for proper social distancing, and all us Hardywood fans can now visit them again safely. If you’d rather drink from home, online ordering is still available with all of Hardywood’s best.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

GRAPEFRUIT SINGEL — Hardywood’s classic flagship, Singel, gets a zesty makeover to help beat the summertime heat with the addition of refreshing grapefruit.
TRIUMVIRATE — This New England-Style IPA has notes of fresh mandarin, orange, lemon peel, and a hint of pineapple.
TRIADIC — New England-Style IPA with “a hop combination like no other.” Motueka, Nelson Sauvin and Bramling Cross hops blend together a triad of flavors – citrus, tropical fruit and black currant. Chewy and juicy with a balanced bitterness.
RICHMOND LAGER LIME — Richmond Lager Lime still has the same local ingredients we love, including Virginia-grown malt and hops. Real lime juice takes this beer to the next level.
DREAMLIKE — Malted Wheat and Flaked Oats round out this dreamy New England Style IPA using Galaxy, Azzaca, Falconers Flight and Cascade hops in both Whirlpool and Dry Hopping on this iteration.
CUVEE PEACH — Peach Tripel matured in freshly-dumped white wine barrels to allow for a true depth of flavor to develop. The result is a beautifully complex beer with stone fruit esters and juicy peach undertones, complemented by a pleasantly dry finish.
STRAIGHT TALK VOL. I & VOL. II — The Straight Talk Series are a “single barrel & single beer experience.” Vol. I is an Imperial Milk Stout, perfectly balanced with notes of silky chocolate and toffee, plus vanilla and smooth dark caramel from its bourbon barrel. Vol. II is a Saison aged in Red Wine Barrels for 11 months.
RICHMOND DARK LAGER — The same refreshing and crisp experience of its original recipe, with an ever-so-slight sweet dark malt characteristic. Although visually darker then its golden bubbly brother, Richmond Dark Lager does not have the roasty characteristics you might usually find in a beer this color.
PEACH TRIPEL — A bright, effervescent tripel with a balance of white pepper and honeysuckle. Refermented on apricots and heaps of yellow peaches for a stone fruit taste and dry finish.
NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE — Double IPA. New England Style, brewed with Mosaic and El Dorado hops.
SUNCRUSH — Summer’s favorite hard seltzer. Check Hardywood’s ordering site for available flavors!

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Intermission Beer Company

Intermission is open! These brewers have taken it to the next level this summer with beer slushies (and yes, it’s as good as it sounds). A recent favorite is their Honey Hibiscus Saison Slushie, plus the Abbey Colada — which adds Piña Colada mix to the Abbey Ale for a tropical banana, coconut, and pineapple delight. Masks are required to enter. Taproom and patio seating are available, and no pets during this time. It’s first-come, first-serve, and it’ll be closed for seating once they reach capacity. Always remember to wear your mask and keep folks safe!

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

BEER SLUSHIES! — Check Facebook every Friday to see the weekend’s flavor.
HONEY HIBISCUS SAISON — 5.9% ABV Saison Farmhouse Ale. Light bodied with a slightly tart, dry finish. Notes of fresh honey along with a pink hue.
TROPICAL THUNDER IPA — 7% ABV American IPA. Malt base with tropical fruit hop notes, doubled down with passion fruit, mango, and pineapple.
HATHOR GOSE — 4.6% ABV. Bright pink Sour Ale in collaboration with the local RVA chapter of the Pink Boots Society and Stone Brewing Co. Raspberry puree and pink Himalayan sea salt add bold berry flavor and a neon pink color, together with subtle citrus and light hoppy character.
GHOST LIGHT LAGER — 5% ABV. Light and crisp American Lager. Gluten Reduced.
STRAWBERRY BLONDE — 5.7% ABV. American Pale Wheat beer. Light body, low bitterness and of course: Strawberries!
HONEY HIBISCUS SAISON — 5.9% ABV. Farmhouse Saison Ale. Light bodied slightly tart with a dry finish. Uniquely refreshing with notes of fresh honey and a lovely pink hue.
OVATION HARD SELTZERS — Raspberry and Orange flavors available.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Isley Brewing Company

To-go brews are available at Isley Brewing Company! Indoor and outdoor seating is available, and dogs are welcome if they’re leashed. Be sure to ask about the latest Ice-sley slushie flavors, because these brewers have something fresh every week. No reservations required, and be sure to wear your mask!

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

ICE-SLEY SLUSHIES — Check in every week for fresh new slushie flavors! Bahama Mama IPA and Peach Sour are recent favorites.
I’LL BEE BOCK — 8% ABV. Single / Traditional Bock. Hopped exclusively with Czech Saaz hops, and finished with a clean German lager yeast, the beer pours a light copper, with a thick, creamy head.
SUNBURNT COUNTRY IPA — 8.5% IPA. A Hazy DIPA, brewed exclusively with varietals grown only in the Southern Hemisphere. The beer pours a cloudy yellow, with a soft, pillowy foam.
TEA-RIFFIC — 6% ABV Amber Ale. Growing up, summer in the South meant… Sweet Tea! They’ve brewed a malty Amber Ale, infused it with heaps of Black Tea, and sweetened it right up with approximately 100 percent of pure cane sugar.
SET SAIL — 6% ABV Hopped Lemon Pale Ale. Brewed with late additions of Mandarina Bavaria and Citra hop varietals, and lemon and orange zest, the wheat and barley blended base is a perfect vessel to let the fresh, citrus flavors really shine.
OFF THE BOULEVARD — 5% Irish Red Ale. Balanced, easy-drinking traditional Irish Red Ale.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Multi-state shipping and drive through pickup available! The taproom is also open, and with plenty of awesome outdoor seating, the farm at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is one you don’t want to miss.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL — 10% ABV Imperial Dessert Stout. This one is for the true stout lovers out there. Lickinghole Creek took the Black Is Beautiful recipe from Weathered Souls Brewing, and tried to keep it as true to the original as possible. “We wanted this beer to showcase the masterfully roasted and caramel malt graciously donated from Murphy and Rude Malting out of Charlottesville, VA. We get huge notes of deeply roasted coffee, rich cacao, creamy vanilla, and caramel toffee.” All proceeds will go to organizations in pursuit of ending racial and social injustice everywhere.
JUICY #22 — 7.5% ABV. Juicy 22 is layered with orange zest, orange juice, and with a soft kiss of vanilla. Juicy 22 showcases the wonderful hop LOTUS. (This is a personal favorite of mine, so I definitely encourage you to try it!)
BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST IMPERIAL BROWN ALE — 8% ABV Brown Ale. This American Brown Ale was conditioned on fresh vanilla, cinnamon, and blueberries with a noticeable maple syrup flavor.
NUCLEAR NUGGET IMPERIAL HONEY IPA — 10.5% ABV. While it’s not brand-new, it’s worth noting as a fan favorite. This hop bomb is a lot of things. One thing it is not, is subtle. Nuclear Nugget explodes the nose with notes of citrus, flowers, and Centennial hops, then the nuclear fallout is accompanied by local clover honey, to bring everybody back to safety.
GOOCHLAND QUADRUPEL ALE — 11.2% ABV. Tasting notes of raisin, plum, prune, and currants. Easily drinkable, complex, and refreshing.
BEAR BAIT BERLINER WEISSE WITH BLACKBERRIES — 4% ABV. Blended with Blackberries to create a tart, crisp, fruity, and beautifully hued-libation.
WATERMELON GOSE — 5% ABV. Traditional German-style wheat ale. Expect a light and crisp beer with notes of sour, salt, and juicy watermelon on your taste buds.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Starr Hill Richmond Beer Hall & Rooftop

Starr Hill RVA is also keeping things safe, with to-go beer sales taking place during abbreviated business hours. All of their year-round beers will be available, in addition to some special favorites from the brewery.

Pickup: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

AIR DRUMMER HAZY IPA — The latest brew from Starr Hill, available now after its debut in April! This Hazy IPA is out on tap and in 4-pack cans for pickup.
HEY BUDDY — The latest pilot batch from right here in Richmond. This beer is dedicated to Starr Hill’s buddy, Dio, who’s been a member of the crew for over 10 years. This golden brew lagered in our tanks for over five months, for a crisp and refreshing finish.
FESTIE — Oktoberfest Lager. This recipe is rich, malty, and perfectly refreshing for the season.
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL — Starr Hill’s recipe of the Weathered Souls Brewing initiative. This hopped-up stout was brewed with Chinook, Citra, Centennial and Falconer’s Flight. 100 percent of the proceeds go to the Equal Justice Initiative!
DOUBLE PLATINUM IMPERIAL IPA — 8.6% ABV Imperial IPA. Brand-new Imperial IPA from Starr Hill, limited edition!
KING KUNU PINEAPPLE IPA — Pineapple IPA. 4-packs available from the brewery.
SAY IT AIN’T SOUR — 12-pack that brings together all the best Starr Hill Gose brews. Pixie Pineapple Gose, Carly Cucumber Gose, Carole Cran-Raspberry Gose and Lola Guava Gose.
RECEIVER RED IPA — Another brand-new recipe from Starr Hill in a Double Dry-Hopped Red IPA.
SUBLIME CITRUS WIT — Witbier. New recipe with a fresh lime zest. Citrus, wheat, and spice meld together to create the perfect summer beverage.
CARLY CUCUMBER GOSE — 6-pack of the new Gose recipe.
CAROLE CRAN-RASPBERRY GOSE — A cranberry-raspberry infusion in 6-packs available at Starr Hill.
PIXIE PINEAPPLE GOSE — Another fresh recipe available in 6-packs.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Stone Brewing Richmond

Stone Brewing Richmond is open for pick-up! This awesome East End brewery has had some delicious releases lately, and they’ve got brews ready at the door if you plan to take them home. The patio is open as well, so mask up and head out for some great new releases. Stone also has a great new “Odd Beers for Odd Years” series going on, so stay tuned for updates as special releases come out!

Pickup: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

OLD GUARDIAN — Triple IPA. This one-time-only release, part of Stone’s “Odd Beers for Odd Years” series, takes a downright excessive brew into uncharted, extra-hoppy territory. They did this by dry-hopping it with Azacca hops, essentially turning an American barley wine into a triple IPA. Like its Classic counterpart, this delicious oddity has evolved into an even more glorious beer with age, and now the Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine (Extra Hoppy) is on tap in Richmond.
FEATURES & BENEFITS — 4% ABV IPA. This new recipe is Stone’s low-calorie IPA, a trend we’ve been seeing more of this summer (and loving it!) Gluten-reduced, hop forward flavor with 95 calories.
STONE BUENAVEZA SALT & LIME LAGER — 4.7% ABV Lager. This one has been a favorite this summer, so grab one while you can!
ENTER NIGHT PILSNER — 5.7% ABV Pilsner. German-style pilsner with low bitterness and bright tastes.
STONE RIPPER ALE — 5.7% ABV West-Coast style Pale Ale.
24 CARROT GOLDEN ALE — Belgian-Style Ale. Carrot cake-inspired recipe between Stone, Juli Goldenberg, and Monkeypaw.
RUINED AGAIN TRIPLE IPA — 10.8% ABV Triple IPA. Available in Crowlers to-go and at the brewery. This one’s coming out officially on August 10!
NOTORIOUS P.O.G — 4.7% ABV Berliner Weisse. Tart, tropical, and “damn tasty.”
STONE TIKI ESCAPE — 7.7% ABV IPA. Tropical, fruit-forward IPA brewed with Sabro and Mosaic hops.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Strangeways Brewing

All three Strangeways Brewing tasting rooms are open for delivery, curbside pick-up, and to-go orders! They’re also open for draft brews, and wear your mask when visiting in-person. Be sure to check their website for updates.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

SINEWY — 8% ABV Strong Saison. A fan favorite for years, Sinewy is basically an imperial farmhouse ale, made with Vienna, White Wheat, and Belgian Aromatic Malts then generously hopped Sorachi Ace. Fermented very dry producing a crushable farmhouse ale with notes of honey, green peppercorn, earth, and freshly cut hay.
I KNOW WIT YOU DID LAST SUMMER — 5.4% ABV Sour Witbier. Combines the spice of a traditional Belgian wit, with the mellow tart of German sour wheat ale. A subtle citrus characteristic sticks around from nose to aftertaste, briefly replacing mid-taste with a light peppery sweet tart.
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL — Imperial Stout. Highlights intense roast character with moderate sweetness and subtle booze on the nose. 100 percent of proceeds benefit Girls for a Change.
SHIMMER & SHAKE — Spiked Sparkling Seltzer. Lemon-lime flavors, with a light, crisp, and effervescent taste for summertime.
AFM WILD ALE — Farmhouse Saison. 2-row, Vienna, and Wheat Malts. Heavily hopped with Columbus in the brewhouse, then aged 22 months in French Oak barrels. Strong, but drinkable, with a balance between hops and funk.
FULL STACK LUMBERJACK — Stout. Dark, rich and luscious. Conditioned with pure Wisconsin Little Man maple syrup and thick-cut Smithfield maple flavored bacon.
GNAR SHREDDER — Double IPA. Soft and pillowy with light sweetness. Intensely fruity from big additions of Vic Secret and Cashmere hops giving notes of passionfruit, peach, pear, and rock candy. Double dry-hopped.
LEGALIZE IT — Small Axe West Coast-Style IPA in honor of the recent decriminalization of marijuana in Virginia.
LUCKY CHARMS BERLINER WEISSE — Cloudy, sour wheat beer. Dry, fruity funk with a sharp tartness.
SEA SPRITZ — Cranberry Berliner Weisse.
WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GOSE — Lighthearted Germanic Sour. Lemony tartness alongside Sicilian sea salt, coriander, and ginger to “put the boom-boom into your heart.”
WHAT THE ASTRONAUTS DRINK — Sour Berliner Weisse. Infused with orange flavored drink mix for a familiar tangy flavor.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

Three Notch’d RVA Collab House is open for business, and they just welcomed a new Head Brewer in August: Bobby Faithful. With a wealth of professional brewing experience (including being the director of the brewing program at University of Richmond), Bobby’s got plenty of new recipes to cook up for the River City. Between pickup and delivery services, in addition to a great patio, Three Notch’d RVA is bringing lots of fresh tastes into this summer.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

HANSEL & KETTLE IMPERIAL OKTOBERFEST — 8% ABV Oktoberfest. This imperial version of the classic Marzen style has Munich and Vienna malts, which give the beer a toast-like malt sweetness, balanced by the classic spice profile of German Noble Hops.
BROADCAST BREW COFFEE BROWN ALE — Inspired by the flavors of a morning cup o’ joe, this craft creation uses a special blend of beans from Rostov’s Coffee & Tea. Notes of caramel and chocolate make this a delicious breakfast beer.
NEPHOLOGY LOTUS — 7.8% ABV. the newest development of the HopSteiner’s Hop Breeding Program. A descendant of Cascade Eastern Gold and Apollo, look for flavors and aroma of orange, vanilla, and tropical fruit.
BARREL-AGED BERRY SOUR — 6.4% ABV Sour. A wine barrel-aged sour ale brewed with blackberries and raspberries, straight from the Three Notch’d Sour House collection.
SULTANA OF SWING — 7.5% ABV New England IPA. Bursting with bright, citrusy orange, resinous pine, and ripe pineapple flavors. Heavy handled dry-hopping with Sultana and Amarillo hops give this brew a big fruity and citrusy aroma, and a flavor to match.
BLACK CHERRY HARD SELTZER — Hard Seltzer. Low sugar, low carb, and only 100 calories for the days you’re craving something lighter.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Triple Crossing Beer

Triple Crossing Beer has to-go and delivery options available, and can shipping is another option as well. Visit their patio for some outdoor time in the East End, and wear your mask!

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

CLEVER GIRL IPA — It’s back! 6% ABV IPA. This light-bodied, soft, and dry American IPA has impressions of tropical citrus and dark berry floral aromas.
BOBBY FALCON — 4.5% ABV. The beloved Falcon brew is reimagined here, with tropical papaya, pineapple, white grape melon, and a classic Falcon orange oil citrus marmalade.
LITTLE HILLTOP — 3.8% ABV Kellerbier. This Franconian-inspired recipe has an “effortlessly session-able ABV,” comprised of a simple grain bill with a hop kettle treatment.
BUTTERCUP GRISETTE — 4.5% ABV. Open-fermented Grisette comprised of pilsner malt, spelt, red wheat and flaked barley.
FALCON SMASH IPA — Flagship IPA. Dank hop character from Falconer’s Flight dry-hop process.
PARANOID — 5% ABV Pale Ale. Mango, sweet apricot, and floral grapefruit orange. Built for summer!
FOEDER I — 5% ABV Golden Ale. Candied pineapple, fresh pomelo, light notes of dill and sweet honey with a restrained acidity and dry finish.
SIMCOE TRIANGLES — Bright pink grapefruit, pulpy-melon, and citrus flavors.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Väsen Brewing Company

Väsen is open for pickup and delivery! Outdoor seating is available, so please wear your mask and keep folks safe. They’ve recently released a great array of fresh new brews, and we can’t wait to grab a glass of every one! Kegs are also available to take home.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

TRIPLE PEACH SAISON — 6.2% ABV Saison. This crisp, fruity brew was made with white, yellow, and blood peach to get a deep, natural character which perfectly complements the classic saison flavors of spice and clove.
NORSE DIPA — Returning alongside Triple Peach Saison in cans, this hazy double dry-hopped IPA was made with Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo hops.
COHESION — This collab with Capsoul and Chilalay brought us a brand-new Hazy Double IPA, and it’s focused on community health, cultural awareness, and social change. African Queen, Azacca, and Southern Passion hops lend aromas of pear and white grape, along with flavors of tangerine and vanilla. Support your community simply by having a beer!
EVERYTHING FLOATS ON GUAVA AND PASSION FRUIT — Bold, dry-hopped sour… and all of it floats on a fruity foundation of real guava and passion fruit. Along with the tropical flavors dominating this tart brew, you’ll also find subtle citrus aromas and pleasant floral character from a light addition of citra hops.
Gård — Wild sour ale with a bright, tropical character.
FEASTA — 8% ABV Hazy DIPA. Brewed with Nelson Sauvin, Citra, and Vic Secret Hops.
NEOMEXICANUS — 8% ABV Hazy DIPA. Brewed with Sabro, El Dorado, and Azacca hops.
APRICOT SOUR — 7% ABV Sour Ale. Brewed with apricot for a summery, fruity flavor.
MIERKA — 6% ABV Farmhouse Brett Saison. Dry-hopped with Citra and Amarillo hops.
FREYJA — 6% ABV Hazy IPA. Brewed with Mosaic, Rakau, and the 2019 Pink Boots Hop Blend.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

The Veil Brewing Co.

The Veil Brewing Co. is hosting outdoor to-go sales from both locations. They’ve also got shipping available to select states, and they’re currently open for curbside pickup only. Patio lovers, stay tuned for openings in the future!

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

DIRT NAP — 8.8% ABV. DIPA featuring Galaxy, Citra, Mosaic, and Nelson Sauvin! This batch is popping with juicy papaya and a Southern Hemisphere tropical muskiness that is perfectly balanced by the American Citra and Mosaic.
STRANGE STRANGE & ETERNAL ETERNAL — 6% ABV. Strange Strange & Eternal Eternal is a double dry-hopped IPA with Citra, Mosaic, Motueka, and Simcoe. Tastes like gushers fruit snacks. A unique, cool, soft crusher.
CARRY ME — 8% ABV. Carry Me is a brand new Double India Pale Ale that’s heavy on the fluffy oats and hopped with a blend of Citra, Nelson, Idaho 7, BRU-1, Enigma, and Mosaic. Layered notes of strawberry and skittles candy.
NEVER NEVER CALM CALM — 5.1% ABV Gose with the awesome fruit combo of double passion fruit and double pineapple. Tasty vibes of canned fruit cups, peach skin, and obviously tons of passion fruit and pineapple.
HOLLOW PLACE 500ML BOTTLE — 10.5% ABV. Hollow Place: Vanilla Walnut is a new Imperial Stout conditioned on piles of crushed walnuts and freshly split Madagascar vanilla beans. Awesome oily flavors of rich vanilla cake, walnut fudge, and candy bars.
VEIN — 4.5% ABV. Pilsner step-mashed with floor-malted barley and hopped with Saaz and Tettnang. Crispy, hoppy, and thirst-quenching.
LOVELY — 5.2% ABV. Lovely is a blend of a Farmhouse-inspired Pale Ale and a 100% wheat Farmhouse-inspired ale. Both beers were barrel fermented, inoculated with our house culture, and aged in French oak red wine barrels for 12 months.
ERODE — 6.1% ABV. Farmhouse-inspired Ale brewed with pilsner malt, spelt, and some flaked rye, then hopped throughout the entire process with whole leaf Hallertau, Tettnang, and Cascade alongside pellets of Citra, Hallertau Blanc, and a bit of Lemondrop. Impressions of spritzy orange citrus soda, clean minerality, round hoppiness.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

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: Dragon Run & Fresh River City Brews

Caley Sturgill | August 12, 2020

Topics: Ardent craft ales, bars richmond va, beer, beer column, Black Heath Meadery, bryants cider, Center Of The Universe Brewing, craft beer richmond va, craft beer RVA, Dragon Run Brewing, Final Gravity, Fine Creek Brewing Company, garden grove, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Intermission Beer Company, Isley Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek, RVA On Tap, Starr Hill, Stone brewing, strangeways, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Co., Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, triple crossing, Vasen Brewing Company

What’s happening, craft beer lovers of RVA?! Welcome to this week’s RVA On Tap, RVA Magazine’s weekly column for all the Booze News your hearts desire.

Drink up, Virginia!

The Answer Brewpub

At The Answer Brewpub, fresh brews are here to cool down these hot summer days.

Pickup: To-go locations and info updated regularly on Instagram.

THE LATEST BEERS

CAFE CON LECHE COCONUT BANANA — Now available on the Frozan machine at The Answer.
HEH HEH HEH HRR RRR HEH HEH HEH HEH HUH RAKAU! HA HRR DIPA — Double IPA. A mouthful just to speak aloud. This is Batch 3 of The Answer’s New Zealand Rakau DIPA, with an excessive triple dry-hop treatment for stone fruit, peach, and apricot flavors.
YOU PUT YOUR WHEAT IN THERE — Huge body from its wheat heavy grain bill, and “jumps out of the can” with intense candied citrus aroma.
HARD TO GET A TICKET — 100% Mosaic DIPA ready in a fresh batch. Described as a “tropical fruit bowl,” the Double IPA is available in 4-packs.
SUMMER SHOWERS — 6.5% ABV Citrus IPA. Ready to carry you through clear skies or summer rains, this pillowy-soft IPA is available in 4-packs.
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL — 10% ABV Imperial Stout. This glittering brew came as a collaboration for the Black Is Beautiful equality and inclusion campaign, and all proceeds go to the Sister Fund RVA and Campaign Zero. With maple syrup, New Guinea vanilla beans, a touch of cinnamon, Roanoke Coffee, and shimmering edible gold glitter, this recipe was inspired to end injustices against POC and promote equality in our community.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Ardent Craft Ales

Curbside pickup and delivery are available at Ardent Craft Ales, along with beer shipping across Virginia and D.C. Ardent partially reopened their beer garden last month, and they’ll be serving food every day as well. Be sure to check out their new policies during Covid-19.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

ATLANTICO — 4.4% ABV Mexican-Style Lager. This summertime crusher is brand-new, and was brewed with flaked corn and rice for a dry, refreshing finish. Light-bodied with minimal bitterness, Ardent says this one is the perfect beer on a hot summer afternoon.
MIXED BERRY GOSE — 4.4% ABV Gose. Brewed with raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, and black currant, Mixed Berry Gose pours a distinctive purple color with a sweet, jammy flavor to balance the tart acidity of the style.
SPILLMATIC — Collab with Short Throw Brewing and Equilibrium Brewery. 10.1% ABV Triple IPA. Adorned with copious amounts of Strata, Galaxy, and Citra. Dry-hopped with the same varietals. Tangerine, pineapple, mango, and citrus notes dominate the palate and aroma, paired with a smooth, unobtrusive malt bill.
RESTING MY GREATNESS — Short Throw Brewing Co. available at Ardent. 11.8% ABV Imperial Stout with coffee, Vermont maple syrup, and whole vanilla beans.
IMPERIAL STOUT WITH VANILLA & CACAO NIBS — 11% ABV Imperial Stout. Bold, full-bodied beer that pours deep black with a tan head. Rich, chocolatey sweetness complements the roasted malt character for a balanced stout with a smooth finish.
BOHEMIAN PILSNER — 4.8% ABV Czech-Style Pilsner. Brewed with a simple recipe of Czech floor malt, Saaz hops, and a Czech lager yeast. Clear golden color with soft mouthfeel, spicy hop notes, and clean finish.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Black Heath Meadery

Black Heath Meadery has the patio open for plenty of great outdoor events now, so keep up with them on Facebook for the latest updates — and be sure to wear your mask!

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST MEADS

JERRY VANILLA — Sour Cherry mead aged in Reservoir bourbon barrels with vanilla beans and cacao nibs.
BLUE ANGEL — Gold Medal Mazer Cup International award winner. Batch 6 utilizes Jonagold apples and VA wildflower honey.
GINGER — Traditional mead fermented with VA wildflower honey and Casselmonte Farms baby yellow ginger.
MEADSAIC — Traditional mead dry hopped with Mosaic.
SOUR CHERRY — Traditional strength mead fermented with VA wildflower honey, Montmorency and Balaton cherries.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Bryant’s Cider

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST CIDERS

BLUEBERRY LAVENDER AND LIME — A brand-new cider recipe featuring blueberry, lavender, and lime flavors with Crescent Simples.
RED EYE — Coffee collaboration with Recluse Roasting Project. This brut cider is made with a single origin bean from a farm named Cual Bicicleta in Honduras. Bryant’s says, “The coffee is amazing, just like the cider it’s cold brewed in.”
GEMINI — Zodiac series Cider. A blood orange and hibiscus cider made with the air signs in mind.
CANCER — Zodiac series Cider. A blueberry cider with the perfect combination between tart and dry.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Center Of The Universe

Pickup: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

OKTOBERFEST — Traditional German Märzen with a clean, light-malty sweetness. Balanced with a light breadiness and cracker aroma.
PINEAPPLE WHIP — 6.5% ABV Oat-based beer. Brewed in collaboration with Origin Beer Lab, this beer was made with whole Madagascar vanilla beans and pineapple juice. The result is a creamy, full bodied-brew that “takes your taste buds on a tropical escape.”
MONKEY’S UNCLE LEMONGRASS TRIPEL — 9% ABV Belgian Tripel. Brewed with local lemongrass, with a light, crisp body and straw color. Fresh lemongrass grown by Village Garden added to the boil for a refreshing treat.
THERE GOSE SUMMER TANGERINE GOSE — German-Style Sour. Brewed with heaps of tangerine and a dash of salt, this slightly tart brew will make the “agony of a diminishing summer” a little less dreadful, and much more flavorful. Available in 4-packs and at the brewery.
CREATIVE JUICES IIIPA — 10% ABV Double IPA. Big, bold, juicy, and gives back! This DIPA is a collaboration with Connor’s Heroes to help celebrate their 10th Annual Heroes Art Ball, which is virtual this year. $5 from every 4-pack will go straight to Connor’s Heroes.
BLACKBERRY CRYSTAL COTU — Low calorie, gluten-reduced, fruity and fizzy hard seltzer. Available in 4-packs and at the brewery.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Dragon Run Brewing

THE LATEST BEERS

BORN HERE RASPBERRY LEMONADE SHANDY — 4.4% ABV Raspberry Lemonade Shandy. This one takes the Born Here Pilsner and mixes it with fresh raspberry lemonade for a summertime treat.
BRAXTON’S BITTER — 5.2% ABV English IPA. Named after the local founding father, Carter Braxton, who signed the Declaration of Independence among other things, this English Bitter has a slightly sweet malty taste and then an English Hop bite that is reminiscent of that old English Pub taste.
MARY OF ORANGE — 4.5% ABV Cream Ale. You know William of Orange, but do you know his wife, Mary Of Orange? This beer is brewed for Mary of William and Mary (Or the Queen in King and Queen County). This is a light cream ale that has a subtle taste of both orange and vanilla to remind you of that favorite ice cream treat, perfect for a warm summer day.
TOM’S “COFFEY” STOUT — 6.6% ABV Coffee Stout. This coffee stout is a coffee lover’s dream. Big, bold coffee taste, combined with the malty fullness, and finished with a creamy top provided by the nitro tap. Just like drinking a cold-brew coffee. Named after the brewers’ maternal grandfather, Tom Coffey, who was a legend in his own time, made this beer to be worthy of his namesake.
BLACK CHERRY HARD SELTZER — 4% ABV Hard Seltzer. A hard seltzer for those that want a gluten free option. Touched off with with fresh fruit juices for a refreshing taste.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

TANGERINE GOSE — Ancient Mariner and Habanero Mango.
VAPOUR TRAIL HAZY DOUBLE IPA — 8% ABV Hazy Double IPA brewed with Citra and Falconer’s Flight hops.
STEPPING STONE BLONDE ALE — 5% ABV Blonde Ale.
CASSIOPEIA HAZY DOUBLE IPA — This fan favorite is back in the online store, and it’s no wonder it’s been so well-received in its time. Dry-hopped with Cashmere and Mosaic hops, Cassiopeia is full of tropical fruit notes, pineapple forward with a touch of dankness and a smooth finish.
STARDUST HAZY IPA — 6% ABV. Hopped with BRU-1 and Mosaic, Stardust IPA has bright, floral characteristics and a pineapple punch.
RITES OF SPRING GINGER HONEY LAGER — 5.5% ABV.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Fine Creek Brewing Company

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

GOLDEN SOUR — Bottled Sour Ale. The barrels layered this beer with notes of mixed berries, red wine, oaky tannins, and vanilla. Golden sour culture brought a bright acidity, along with flavors of lemon and fresh pineapple. This beer combines deeper wine barrel tones with a refreshing tart palate and a dry and tannic finish.
GERMAN PILSNER — 4.8% ABV Pilsner. Light Bodied, malt-forward. Floral, grassy, & herbal hop notes.
PROTOSCIENCE IPA — 7.3% ABV IPA. Orange, papaya, and mild grapefruit flavors with a rich, fruity character.
RAYGUN GOTHIC IPA — 7.5% ABV IPA. Pineapple and tropical fruit flavors with a full mouthfeel.
CITRUS HONEY SAISON — Back on tap! The last keg of this beloved brew is coming back this Friday, and it’s only available for a limited time. It goes fast, according to Fine Creek, and it’ll also be available on the next canning run.
VITALISM IPA — Hazy IPA. This new release was dry-hopped with Kohatu and Mosaic hops, combining for a sweet aroma of bright tropical fruit, with notes of freshly cut papaya and pineapple. Earlier additions of Idaho 7 and German Amarillo hops contribute more to the flavor, which features fruity tones alongside black tea, citrus zest, and a mild floral note. Vitalism has a medium body and a round mouthfeel that is paired with enough bitterness to avoid feeling too rich.
AMERICAN STOUT — 7% ABV. The latest batch comes from English Pale malts from Murphy & Rude Malting Co. in Charlottesville, and with a nutty and sweet backbone, this one was layered in Toasted Oats and Crystal Wheat to build up a sweeter tone of whole grain cereal and baked goods. Toasty notes of black coffee and baker’s chocolate, medium body balanced by a subtle hop flavor.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

TYPHOON PASSION FRUIT AND MANGO HONEY WINE — 7% ABV Honey Wine. Sweet tropical aromas of passion fruit and mango swing together. “Bursting with big, bold flavors wave after wave.”
MADELINE SAISON — 6.5% ABV Saison. Notes of classic banana and spice. Soft bodied, with flavors of tropical fruit, white pepper and rye.
ARASSAS KOLSCH — 4.8% ABV German-Style Kolsch.
DEATH — 10% ABV Belgian. Brings out as much ripe and dark fruit flavors reminiscent of rich red wines as possible, by fermenting with red wine grapes from each year’s harvest. Death is made once a year in tandem with the Virginia wine grape harvest schedule.
CARTOON VILLAIN IPA — 7% ABV IPA. Tropical and juicy.
MOZU — 8% Peach Yuzu Honey Wine. Flavors and color from White and Blood Peaches, balanced by bright and shiny Yuzu. “Confuse your palate” with this brew that’s both sweet and dry.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

RICHMOND LAGER LIME — Richmond Lager Lime still has the same local ingredients we love, including Virginia-grown malt and hops. Real lime juice takes this beer to the next level.
DREAMLIKE — Malted Wheat and Flaked Oats round out this dreamy New England Style IPA using Galaxy, Azzaca, Falconers Flight and Cascade hops in both Whirlpool and Dry Hopping on this iteration.
CUVEE PEACH — Peach Tripel matured in freshly-dumped white wine barrels to allow for a true depth of flavor to develop. The result is a beautifully complex beer with stone fruit esters and juicy peach undertones, complemented by a pleasantly dry finish.
STRAIGHT TALK VOL. I & VOL. II — The Straight Talk Series are a “single barrel & single beer experience.” Vol. I is an Imperial Milk Stout, perfectly balanced with notes of silky chocolate and toffee, plus vanilla and smooth dark caramel from its bourbon barrel. Vol. II is a Saison aged in Red Wine Barrels for 11 months.
RICHMOND DARK LAGER — The same refreshing and crisp experience of its original recipe, with an ever-so-slight sweet dark malt characteristic. Although visually darker then its golden bubbly brother, Richmond Dark Lager does not have the roasty characteristics you might usually find in a beer this color.
PEACH TRIPEL — A bright, effervescent tripel with a balance of white pepper and honeysuckle. Refermented on apricots and heaps of yellow peaches for a stone fruit taste and dry finish.
NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE — Double IPA. New England Style, brewed with Mosaic and El Dorado hops.
SUNCRUSH — Summer’s favorite hard seltzer. Check Hardywood’s ordering site for available flavors!

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Intermission Beer Company

Intermission is open! These brewers have taken it to the next level this summer with beer slushies (and yes, it’s as good as it sounds). A recent favorite is their Abbey Colada, which adds Piña Colada mix to the Abbey Ale for a tropical banana, coconut, and pineapple delight. Masks are required to enter. Taproom and patio seating are available, and no pets during this time. It’s first-come, first-serve, and it’ll be closed for seating once they reach capacity. Always remember to wear your mask and keep folks safe!

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

BEER SLUSHIES! — Check Facebook every Friday to see the weekend’s flavor.
HATHOR GOSE — 4.6% ABV. Bright pink Sour Ale in collaboration with the local RVA chapter of the Pink Boots Society and Stone Brewing Co. Raspberry puree and pink Himalayan sea salt add bold berry flavor and a neon pink color, together with subtle citrus and light hoppy character.
GHOST LIGHT LAGER — 5% ABV. Light and crisp American Lager. Gluten Reduced.
STRAWBERRY BLONDE — 5.7% ABV. American Pale Wheat beer. Light body, low bitterness and of course: Strawberries!
HONEY HIBISCUS SAISON — 5.9% ABV. Farmhouse Saison Ale. Light bodied slightly tart with a dry finish. Uniquely refreshing with notes of fresh honey and a lovely pink hue.
OVATION HARD SELTZERS — Raspberry and Orange flavors available.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Isley Brewing Company

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

ICE-SLEY SLUSHIES — Check in every week for fresh new slushie flavors! Bahama Mama IPA is a recent favorite.
I’LL BEE BOCK — 8% ABV. Single / Traditional Bock. Hopped exclusively with Czech Saaz hops, and finished with a clean German lager yeast, the beer pours a light copper, with a thick, creamy head.
SUNBURNT COUNTRY IPA — 8.5% IPA. A Hazy DIPA, brewed exclusively with varietals grown only in the Southern Hemisphere. The beer pours a cloudy yellow, with a soft, pillowy foam.
TEA-RIFFIC — 6% ABV Amber Ale. Growing up, summer in the South meant… Sweet Tea! They’ve brewed a malty Amber Ale, infused it with heaps of Black Tea, and sweetened it right up with approximately 100 percent of pure cane sugar.
SET SAIL — 6% ABV Hopped Lemon Pale Ale. Brewed with late additions of Mandarina Bavaria and Citra hop varietals, and lemon and orange zest, the wheat and barley blended base is a perfect vessel to let the fresh, citrus flavors really shine.
OFF THE BOULEVARD — 5% Irish Red Ale. Balanced, easy-drinking traditional Irish Red Ale.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL — 10% ABV Imperial Dessert Stout. This one is for the true stout lovers out there. Lickinghole Creek took the Black Is Beautiful recipe from Weathered Souls Brewing, and tried to keep it as true to the original as possible. “We wanted this beer to showcase the masterfully roasted and caramel malt graciously donated from Murphy and Rude Malting out of Charlottesville, VA. We get huge notes of deeply roasted coffee, rich cacao, creamy vanilla, and caramel toffee.” All proceeds will go to organizations in pursuit of ending racial and social injustice everywhere.
JUICY #22 — 7.5% ABV. Juicy 22 is layered with orange zest, orange juice, and with a soft kiss of vanilla. Juicy 22 showcases the wonderful hop LOTUS. (This is a personal favorite of mine, so I definitely encourage you to try it!)
NUCLEAR NUGGET IMPERIAL HONEY IPA — 10.5% ABV. While it’s not brand-new, it’s worth noting as a fan favorite. This hop bomb is a lot of things. One thing it is not, is subtle. Nuclear Nugget explodes the nose with notes of citrus, flowers, and Centennial hops, then the nuclear fallout is accompanied by local clover honey, to bring everybody back to safety.
GOOCHLAND QUADRUPEL ALE — 11.2% ABV. Tasting notes of raisin, plum, prune, and currants. Easily drinkable, complex, and refreshing.
BEAR BAIT BERLINER WEISSE WITH BLACKBERRIES — 4% ABV. Blended with Blackberries to create a tart, crisp, fruity, and beautifully hued-libation.
WATERMELON GOSE — 5% ABV. Traditional German-style wheat ale. Expect a light and crisp beer with notes of sour, salt, and juicy watermelon on your taste buds.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Starr Hill Richmond Beer Hall & Rooftop

Pickup: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

HEY BUDDY — The latest pilot batch from right here in Richmond. This beer is dedicated to Starr Hill’s buddy, Dio, who’s been a member of the crew for over 10 years. This golden brew lagered in our tanks for over five months, for a crisp and refreshing finish.
FESTIE — Oktoberfest Lager. This recipe is rich, malty, and perfectly refreshing for the season.
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL — Starr Hill’s recipe of the Weathered Souls Brewing initiative. This hopped-up stout was brewed with Chinook, Citra, Centennial and Falconer’s Flight. 100 percent of the proceeds go to the Equal Justice Initiative!
DOUBLE PLATINUM IMPERIAL IPA — 8.6% ABV Imperial IPA. Brand-new Imperial IPA from Starr Hill, limited edition!
KING KUNU PINEAPPLE IPA — Pineapple IPA. 4-packs available from the brewery.
SAY IT AIN’T SOUR — 12-pack that brings together all the best Starr Hill Gose brews. Pixie Pineapple Gose, Carly Cucumber Gose, Carole Cran-Raspberry Gose and Lola Guava Gose.
RECEIVER RED IPA — Another brand-new recipe from Starr Hill in a Double Dry-Hopped Red IPA.
SUBLIME CITRUS WIT — Witbier. New recipe with a fresh lime zest. Citrus, wheat, and spice meld together to create the perfect summer beverage.
CARLY CUCUMBER GOSE — 6-pack of the new Gose recipe.
CAROLE CRAN-RASPBERRY GOSE — A cranberry-raspberry infusion in 6-packs available at Starr Hill.
PIXIE PINEAPPLE GOSE — Another fresh recipe available in 6-packs.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Stone Brewing Richmond

Pickup: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

FEATURES & BENEFITS — 4% ABV IPA. This new recipe is Stone’s low-calorie IPA, a trend we’ve been seeing more of this summer (and loving it!) Gluten-reduced, hop forward flavor with 95 calories.
STONE BUENAVEZA SALT & LIME LAGER — 4.7% ABV Lager. This one has been a favorite this summer, so grab one while you can!
ENTER NIGHT PILSNER — 5.7% ABV Pilsner. German-style pilsner with low bitterness and bright tastes.
STONE RIPPER ALE — 5.7% ABV West-Coast style Pale Ale.
24 CARROT GOLDEN ALE — Belgian-Style Ale. Carrot cake-inspired recipe between Stone, Juli Goldenberg, and Monkeypaw.
RUINED AGAIN TRIPLE IPA — 10.8% ABV Triple IPA. Available in Crowlers to-go and at the brewery. This one’s coming out officially on August 10!
NOTORIOUS P.O.G — 4.7% ABV Berliner Weisse. Tart, tropical, and “damn tasty.”
STONE TIKI ESCAPE — 7.7% ABV IPA. Tropical, fruit-forward IPA brewed with Sabro and Mosaic hops.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Strangeways Brewing

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

SINEWY — 8% ABV Strong Saison. A fan favorite for years, Sinewy is basically an imperial farmhouse ale, made with Vienna, White Wheat, and Belgian Aromatic Malts then generously hopped Sorachi Ace. Fermented very dry producing a crushable farmhouse ale with notes of honey, green peppercorn, earth, and freshly cut hay.
I KNOW WIT YOU DID LAST SUMMER — 5.4% ABV Sour Witbier. Combines the spice of a traditional Belgian wit, with the mellow tart of German sour wheat ale. A subtle citrus characteristic sticks around from nose to aftertaste, briefly replacing mid-taste with a light peppery sweet tart.
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL — Imperial Stout. Highlights intense roast character with moderate sweetness and subtle booze on the nose. 100 percent of proceeds benefit Girls for a Change.
SHIMMER & SHAKE — Spiked Sparkling Seltzer. Lemon-lime flavors, with a light, crisp, and effervescent taste for summertime.
AFM WILD ALE — Farmhouse Saison. 2-row, Vienna, and Wheat Malts. Heavily hopped with Columbus in the brewhouse, then aged 22 months in French Oak barrels. Strong, but drinkable, with a balance between hops and funk.
FULL STACK LUMBERJACK — Stout. Dark, rich and luscious. Conditioned with pure Wisconsin Little Man maple syrup and thick-cut Smithfield maple flavored bacon.
GNAR SHREDDER — Double IPA. Soft and pillowy with light sweetness. Intensely fruity from big additions of Vic Secret and Cashmere hops giving notes of passionfruit, peach, pear, and rock candy. Double dry-hopped.
LEGALIZE IT — Small Axe West Coast-Style IPA in honor of the recent decriminalization of marijuana in Virginia.
LUCKY CHARMS BERLINER WEISSE — Cloudy, sour wheat beer. Dry, fruity funk with a sharp tartness.
SEA SPRITZ — Cranberry Berliner Weisse.
WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GOSE — Lighthearted Germanic Sour. Lemony tartness alongside Sicilian sea salt, coriander, and ginger to “put the boom-boom into your heart.”
WHAT THE ASTRONAUTS DRINK — Sour Berliner Weisse. Infused with orange flavored drink mix for a familiar tangy flavor.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

BROADCAST BREW COFFEE BROWN ALE — Inspired by the flavors of a morning cup o’ joe, this craft creation uses a special blend of beans from Rostov’s Coffee & Tea. Notes of caramel and chocolate make this a delicious breakfast beer.
NEPHOLOGY LOTUS — 7.8% ABV. the newest development of the HopSteiner’s Hop Breeding Program. A descendant of Cascade Eastern Gold and Apollo, look for flavors and aroma of orange, vanilla, and tropical fruit.
BARREL-AGED BERRY SOUR — 6.4% ABV Sour. A wine barrel-aged sour ale brewed with blackberries and raspberries, straight from the Three Notch’d Sour House collection.
SULTANA OF SWING — 7.5% ABV New England IPA. Bursting with bright, citrusy orange, resinous pine, and ripe pineapple flavors. Heavy handled dry-hopping with Sultana and Amarillo hops give this brew a big fruity and citrusy aroma, and a flavor to match.
BLACK CHERRY HARD SELTZER — Hard Seltzer. Low sugar, low carb, and only 100 calories for the days you’re craving something lighter.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Triple Crossing Beer

Triple Crossing Beer has to-go and delivery options available, and can shipping is another option as well. Visit their patio for some outdoor time in the East End, and wear your mask!

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

BUTTERCUP GRISETTE — 4.5% ABV. Open-fermented Grisette comprised of pilsner malt, spelt, red wheat and flaked barley.
FALCON SMASH IPA — Flagship IPA. Dank hop character from Falconer’s Flight dry-hop process.
PARANOID — 5% ABV Pale Ale. Mango, sweet apricot, and floral grapefruit orange. Built for summer!
FOEDER I — 5% ABV Golden Ale. Candied pineapple, fresh pomelo, light notes of dill and sweet honey with a restrained acidity and dry finish.
SIMCOE TRIANGLES — Bright pink grapefruit, pulpy-melon, and citrus flavors.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

Väsen Brewing Company

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

EVERYTHING FLOATS ON GUAVA AND PASSION FRUIT — Bold, dry-hopped sour… and all of it floats on a fruity foundation of real guava and passion fruit. Along with the tropical flavors dominating this tart brew, you’ll also find subtle citrus aromas and pleasant floral character from a light addition of citra hops.
Gård — Wild sour ale with a bright, tropical character.
FEASTA — 8% ABV Hazy DIPA. Brewed with Nelson Sauvin, Citra, and Vic Secret Hops.
NEOMEXICANUS — 8% ABV Hazy DIPA. Brewed with Sabro, El Dorado, and Azacca hops.
APRICOT SOUR — 7% ABV Sour Ale. Brewed with apricot for a summery, fruity flavor.
MIERKA — 6% ABV Farmhouse Brett Saison. Dry-hopped with Citra and Amarillo hops.
FREYJA — 6% ABV Hazy IPA. Brewed with Mosaic, Rakau, and the 2019 Pink Boots Hop Blend.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

The Veil Brewing Co.

Pickup and Delivery: Order Here

THE LATEST BEERS

GOOD MORNING, ANXIETY — 8.5% ABV. DIPA brewed with milk sugar, Citra, Nelson, Motueka, and Vic Secret. A creamy texture with drippy flavors of mango, wine coolers, and a bowl of tropical fruit.
STEP STEP DAD DAD — 8% ABV. Mosaic Double Dry- hopped Double IPA. Saturated impressions of blueberry, papaya, cantaloupe, and bubble gum.
25 HRS — 6% ABV. IPA brewed with Citra, Enigma, BRU-1, Galaxy, and Motueka. Exceptionally soft and well-rounded. Juicy and full flavors of green tropical fruit, lime zest, and gummy bears.
NEVER NEVER CALM CALM — 5.1% ABV Gose with the awesome fruit combo of double passion fruit and double pineapple. Tasty vibes of canned fruit cups, peach skin, and obviously tons of passion fruit and pineapple.
HOLLOW PLACE 500ML BOTTLE — 10.5% ABV. Hollow Place: Vanilla Walnut is a new Imperial Stout conditioned on piles of crushed walnuts and freshly split Madagascar vanilla beans. Awesome oily flavors of rich vanilla cake, walnut fudge, and candy bars.
REDREDMIATAMIATA — 6% ABV. Luxuriously soft Double Dry-hopped IPA with the freshest crops of Galaxy and Mosaic. Fun impressions of berries, musky tropical fruit, clean citrus, and rose.
MERCILESS MERCILESS — 8% ABV. Double Dry-hopped DIPA brewed with raw wheat, malted wheat, oats, and piles of fresh Citra, Galaxy, Simcoe, and Vic Secret. Tastes like “You stuffed too many gushers in your mouth, grape flavored Big League Chew gum, and sweet tangerine slices.”
PURPLEBUGATTI — 11% ABV. Triple IPA with the freshest Galaxy and Vic Secret available to The Veil. An exemplary Australian-hopped Triple IPA. Awesome pungent notes of tropical fruit gummies, wine grapes, and pine.
VEIN — 4.5% ABV. Pilsner step-mashed with floor-malted barley and hopped with Saaz and Tettnang. Crispy, hoppy, and thirst-quenching.
LOVELY — 5.2% ABV. Lovely is a blend of a Farmhouse-inspired Pale Ale and a 100% wheat Farmhouse-inspired ale. Both beers were barrel fermented, inoculated with our house culture, and aged in French oak red wine barrels for 12 months.
ERODE — 6.1% ABV. Farmhouse-inspired Ale brewed with pilsner malt, spelt, and some flaked rye, then hopped throughout the entire process with whole leaf Hallertau, Tettnang, and Cascade alongside pellets of Citra, Hallertau Blanc, and a bit of Lemondrop. Impressions of spritzy orange citrus soda, clean minerality, round hoppiness.

Updates: Facebook | Instagram | Website

RVA On Tap: Scott’s Addition Comes Together for a Collab Beer Crawl

Caley Sturgill | March 4, 2020

Topics: 2020 collaboration crawl, Ardent craft ales, bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, beer crawl, Black Heath Meadery, Blue Bee Cider, Buskey Cider, Center of the Universe, courthouse creek cider, craft beer, craft beer richmond va, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, Fine Creek Brewing Company, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Isley Brewing Company, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, scotts addition, scotts addition beverage district, starr hill richmond, Strangeways Brewing, The Veil Brewing Co., things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Vasen Brewing Company

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

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

This week, a unique new beer crawl hits Scott’s Addition for their 2020 Collaboration Crawl — which teams up pairs of local breweries in the neighborhood to show off their best collabs together. You’ll catch Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Blue Bee Cider, Ardent Craft Ales, Väsen Brewing Company, Black Heath Meadery, Strangeways Brewing, Buskey Cider, Isley Brewing Company, Courthouse Creek Cider, and Starr Hill Richmond there, so be sure to check it out.

St. Patrick’s Day gears up with celebrations at Center of the Universe and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery’s Shamrock Shindig and Run, with some extra-awesome food trucks like Grandpa Eddie’s Alabama Ribs & BBQ at COTU on Saturday. Fine Creek has a great new earthy release, and The Veil Brewing Co. drops another delicious multi-release this week — plus Väsen teams up with the local Pink Boots Society for an International Women’s Day collab brew.

6th Annual St. Paddy’s Day Party at Center of the Universe Brewing

It’s that time of year again: St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, which means many of our favorite brewers are gearing up for the annual celebrations.

A favorite of ours is the annual St. Paddy’s Day Party at Center of the Universe Brewing that benefits the St. Baldrick’s Foundation — an organization that, for twenty years now, has been providing life-saving research on children’s cancer to the community. Our pals at COTU are big on nonprofit benefits, and this yearly event is a staple at the brewery every spring.

The event will feature a delicious brew, the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Porter, returning for the occasion with plenty of vanilla, cinnamon, and cookie-inspired flavors. At 6.5% ABV, it’s a nice medium on the alcohol scale, and it was their first satellite-brewed beer to be released in four-packs of 16oz cans. Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Porter came together with Maris Otter, Flaked Oats and Barley, Carafa 3 Dehusked, Crystal 90, and double-roasted Crystal Malts.

Its return comes with live music all day at the brewery for their St. Paddy’s Day Party, with bands like Gift Horse, The Royal We, Flashlight Tag, Something Shiny Band, and Pizza Scissors. You’ll want to show up early if you plan to catch all the jams, because live music goes all the way from noon to 9:30pm. Along with a full day of shows, they’ll have food from Two Kings Concessions, Freekin’ Rican, and…. drumroll, please… GRANDPA EDDIE’S! My favorite food truck of all the food trucks! Grandpa Eddie’s Alabama Ribs & BBQ is an absolute must-try, and I go on about it constantly when it pops up in this column, but that should be an indicator for you that you’re seriously missing out if you haven’t tried it. Trust me, this event is one for the calendar!

Scott’s Addition Beer Crawl This Saturday

The latest beer crawl is coming to Richmond’s booziest neighborhood this Saturday, with the Scott’s Addition Beverage District Collab Crawl.

More than 10 breweries and cideries are coming together for the occasion, including Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Blue Bee Cider, Ardent Craft Ales, Vasen Brewing Company, Black Heath Meadery, Strangeways Brewing, Buskey Cider, Isley Brewing Company, Courthouse Creek Cider, and Starr Hill Richmond, along with the Scott’s Addition Beverage District.

What makes this beer crawl different from others is that all participating breweries came together for collaborations — each brewery was randomly assigned a collab partner on the list, and over the last few weeks, they’ve all created their perfect recipes. They’re all going to be on deck starting this Saturday at 12pm, and the Scott’s Addition Beverage District wants to remind folks that many of these brews will be available for one day only.

All locations will have Collab Crawl Cards available, so be sure to grab one at your first stop. The crawl includes plenty of raffles and prizes, so the more stamps you collect at various breweries, the better! You’ll get a chance to win lots of great prizes and taste some of Scott’s Addition freshest beer.

Isley and Three Notch’d Collab Brews

For the Scott’s Addition Crawl, Isley Brewing Company and Three Notch’d RVA Collab House came together to create their Collaboration Nation beer along with Tour de Obst.

Collaboration Nation kicks off our new beer releases this week, a Blackberry Blonde ale that came together with additives like fresh blackberry puree and German noble varieties. At 4.5% ABV, this easy-drinking recipe pours as a light-bodied, golden Blonde Ale.

Tour de Obst comes in a bit lower, with a 3.8% ABV and an extra-low 5 IBU — which means it’s the perfect place to kick off your beer crawl to get in the drinking mood without overdoing it at your first stop. This Strawberry and Apple Radler was inspired by traditional German Radlers, according to the breweries, which started off as beer mixed with lemonade to meet the demand of light beers among cyclists.

Three Notch’d and Isley knew that a neighborhood-wide beer crawl would bring a similar demand, so they began their process brewing up Tour de Obst. It’ll be available this Saturday while supplies last, so swing by during the crawl for a glass.

Eldig Baltic Porter Collab with Ardent Craft Ales and Väsen Brewing Company

Another great release coming up at this weekend’s beer crawl is one between Ardent Craft Ales and Väsen Brewing Company: Eldig.

This Baltic Porter hits in at a higher 8.5% ABV, so it’ll make a great stop for a taste after Isley and Three Notch’d. With flavors like toffee, caramel, and dark chocolate, this brew brings out a roasted malt aroma to complement its sweet and earthy tastes. It’s full-bodied and cold-lagered, according to its brewers, and its name is especially unique: with Väsen’s Scandanavian roots, they landed on Eldig by translating “Ardent” to Swedish.

As they say, this brew embodies “the Swedish spirit of ‘Lagom’ — perfect balance.”

Fresh Multi-Releases at The Veil Brewing Co.

Cat Nap starts off our releases from The Veil Brewing Co. this week, and with some of the cutest cans we’ve seen, it’s one you’ll definitely want to take home. Thankfully, you can, because this IPA is available in four-packs to go. With flavors like sweet pineapple, musky papaya, tangerine, fruit snacks, passionfruit, and berries, Cat Nap combines a large array of tropical flavors into one IPA. According to The Veil, it’s a smaller sibling to their Dirt Nap brew, and it hits in at a nice medium 6% ABV.

Broz Night Out, in title, sounds like the opposite of a cat nap — but as packed as it is with tropical fruits, these two are more alike than you’d expect. This 100 percent Citra-brewed Double IPA is right up my alley, with intense flavors of mango, juicy pineapple, white peach, and grapefruit at a perfect DIPA 8% ABV.

Cold Blue is another fresh DIPA at the brewery, and it’s making its debut in cans with several combinations in its brewing process. This one came together with Citra and Experimental Hop HBC586, and it brings out flavors like lychee, pineapple juice, and mango.

Last but certainly not least, Coalesce closes out our releases from The Veil this week. This Czech-style Pilsner is unlike the rest in this batch, but it still pours with the bright, vibrant colors we’ve come to love at the brewery. With no limit on to-go packs, you’ll be able to bring as many of these home as you’d like. It comes in at 5.5% ABV for a lower alcohol content, and it was conditioned extensively in The Veil’s horizontal lager tanks for a crisp taste with “just enough Czech Saaz character.”

Shamrock Shindig and Run at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Hardywood’s annual Shamrock Run 5k is coming back this Sunday, and they’re celebrating its completion with a big St. Patrick’s Day bash. If you’re ready to gear up for the holiday, our local brewers have you covered — after COTU’s celebration on Saturday, you can keep the party going with Hardywood at their downtown location.

Artists like Church Hill Music Co. and The Fighting Jamesons are coming out to keep the music going all day long, and Irish Dancing will gear up during the break between bands. The brewery’s also bringing out traditional Irish fare along with several food trucks, plus photo booths and Irish-inspired vendors.

If you join in for the 5k, Hardywood says dress to impress: they’ll be giving out Best Dressed prizes to racers, along with a glass, finisher’s medal, beverage tickets, and age group awards to their participants. Come out to the brewery on Saturday from 1:30-4pm to pick up your race packet, or swing by early on the day of the event at 11:30am. Good luck, and happy racing!

International Women’s Day Collaboration Brewing at Väsen

This Friday at Väsen Brewing Company, the local Pink Boots Society chapter is teaming up with the brewery to make a brand-new collaborative brew.

International Women’s Day is coming up on Sunday, so the groups are coming together ahead of time to make something extra-special for it. The beer will be a Kettle Sour, and with the 2020 PBS Hop Blend, it’ll also have unique tastes from raspberry and pink Himalayan sea salt additions. They’ve invited all PBS members and female-identifying employees of local breweries to come out and create it together, so if you fall into either of those categories, here’s your chance to brew up something great with your local beer family.

To join in, head over to the brewery at 9am and plan to stick around until 3-4pm. They’ll also have breakfast and snacks out for everyone, and attendees are invited to bring beers and snacks to enjoy while brewing.

New Release at Fine Creek Brewing Company

Over the weekend at Fine Creek Brewing Company, the brewery released their Mountain House Buckwheat Honey Saison.

This Friday Beer Feature is full of some delicious combinations of flavors, and at 5.8% ABV, it’s another nice easy drinker for the week. With Malted Triticale from Epiphany Craft Malt, and Malted Oats from the Riverbend Malt House, this brew has a “pleasant tannic character” to complement its chamomile, dried hay, and damp soil flavors. It would stand as a great earthy recipe with those alone, but they went the extra mile by adding in local buckwheat honey from Mountain House Apiaries. This mono-floral honey gives the recipe flavors of molasses and rich malty notes, and the fermenting of its sugar makes for a perfect combination with its earthy characters.

If you’re ready to grab a glass, head out to Fine Creek and enjoy the tastes of nature while soaking it all in at the farmhouse brewery.

RVA On Tap: Stone Cold Brews & Fresh Releases

Caley Sturgill | February 19, 2020

Topics: bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, billsburg brewery, canon and draw brewing company, craft beer, craft beer richmond va, el segundo brewing company, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, Fine Creek Brewing Company, garden grove, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, Isley Brewing Company, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, The Veil, things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, triple crossing, Triple Crossing Beer, Väsen

This week, the local beer family honors Dave Baum of Billsburg Brewery — another beloved community member lost too soon. In recent beer news, The Veil Brewing Co. hosts Stout Mania, Stone Cold Steve Austin’s collaboration with El Segundo Brewing Company hits Virginia at last, and Hardywood drops their Pit Pit Hooray IPA next weekend.

Don’t miss a multi-release at Triple Crossing Beer, Black Cherry hard seltzers at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery’s 5th Anniversary party, and new releases with Isley Brewing Company, Intermission Beer Company, Fine Creek Brewing Company, and ice cream brews at Canon & Draw Brewing Company, among more.

Remembering Dave Baum, Founder of Billsburg Brewery

Before we kick off this week’s news from Richmond, we want to take a moment to honor the memory of Billsburg Brewery’s Dave Baum. This has been an extremely hard year for Virginia craft brewers in terms of grieving, and it’s only more heartbreaking to hear of another beloved member of the beer family’s loss.

Dave Baum, founder of Williamsburg’s Billsburg Brewery, passed on last week — and left an open place in hearts across the Commonwealth who knew him. We wanted to share this beautiful note from Billsburg in an ode to Dave:

“Dave and his family opened Billsburg Brewery in October 2017, but his dream began in 2008 with a passion for home-brewing. He brewed beer for friends, special occasions, weddings, and just for fun, but the most special part for him was the presence of friends who showed up on “brew days” to help and would spend an entire day with Dave. He not only loved to brew, he loved teaching others about craft beer and the process.

Originally, Dave’s vision for the brewery was to have a place where people could enjoy craft beer in a family- and pet-friendly environment, a “destination brewery,” as he called it, where people could come not just to drink beer, but to linger and enjoy the events and people at the marina. However, once the brewery opened, the dream grew into a platform for community activism, and Baum quickly became an advocate for non-profits and social awareness. He considered the brewery his legacy for his family, but this evolved into a community wide legacy of kindness and philanthropy. He worked tirelessly to raise funds and awareness for various local organizations through brewery events and collaborations.

Dave was only 46 years old. His family, friends, and patrons will never get to see the many other accomplishments and new adventures he had brewing, but his wish would be that others would be inspired that he took a chance on his dream and made it so much more than he ever thought possible.”

Our hearts go out to Dave’s family and his beer family at Billsburg. After Richmond’s loss of Mike Brandt at Garden Grove and Quy Pham at The Answer, we are all-too-familiar with this feeling this year — and we want our readers in Williamsburg to know we’re on your side during these hard times. Keep brewing on in life, friends.

Stout Mania at The Veil Brewing Co.

As we start into news around town this week, we’ll kick off events with The Veil’s Stout Mania coming up this Friday.

The brewery will be releasing several of their Imperial Stouts from the cellar, benefitting Richmond’s Hang Space, who are working through building relief at their location after a flood and water damage. To support this local business, make your way to The Veil this weekend and be a part of the proceeds in Stout Mania.

The Veil is also hosting their weekly can release, with great new brews like Culminate, No More Flowers, Mindzooms, Premium Sauce, and Petalz Orangeberry, along with the Intergalactic Tacos food truck. Per the usual calendar, releases went down last night in Richmond and will start tonight for our Norfolk folks.

Stone Cold Steve Austin’s beer hits Virginia

Here’s one you don’t see too often: Stone Cold Steve Austin himself, of the WWE, has partnered up with El Segundo Brewing Company out of San Diego to create a beer honoring the famous wrestler. Broken Skull IPA is finally making its way east this month, hitting Virginia in late February.

*PHOTO: Stone Cold Steve Austin on Instagram*

The IPA is expanding into brand-new states in 16oz four packs, along with El Segundo’s Mayberry IPA. This badass 6.7% ABV brew was designed by Stone Cold himself with the brewery, made especially for the working man and woman. It was brewed with Citra, Cascade, and Chinook hops for bold tastes with an easy-drinking texture, and as Stone Cold says, “Now stop reading and start enjoying this awesome beer! Cheers!”

Pit Pit Hooray can release at Hardywood

Something fresh is hitting Hardywood Park Craft Brewery for #FreshCanFriday next week, and we can’t wait to get a taste of it.

Pit Pit Hooray got its name from being so delicious it’ll “make you want to cheer.” We can’t argue with that logic, because this 7.5% ABV IPA is packed with some seriously-good flavors. Apricot puree comes together with Azacca hops to make this new take on a classic New England IPA extra bright and juicy, and according to its brewers, it’s soft in mouthfeel but full-bodied.

For the release, Hardywood’s hosting an Album Release Show with Kyle Davis, along with John Small, Johnny Hott, Bill Grishaw, and Trey Batts. Head out to the downtown location next Friday for great tunes and great beer, and let us know whether Pit Pit Hooray is the freshest favorite for you.

Multi-release at Triple Crossing Beer

This Friday also brings a great new set of beers to Triple Crossing Beer out in Fulton. Illuminati Confirmed kicks off our news at Triple Crossing this week, a Double IPA that brings Citra and Mosaic into its recipe from Hidden Meanings. With flavors like tropical citrus orange, grapefruit rind, and melon-like kiwi, this 8% ABV brew brings a new combination to the brewery. According to Triple Crossing, this one was inspired when they realized they hadn’t paired the “heavy hitters of the new school hops” together — and also alone — yet.

Clever Girl is an old beloved favorite returning to the brewery this Friday, and it comes along with Pathway Pils. This new variation of their mainstay Pilsner was created with 100 percent German Pils malt, and at 5% ABV, it’s an easy drinker for a classic recipe. Triple Crossing says they pulled this one together with a yeast strain they’ve become fond of in brewing, with a propensity to “layer in a floral, almost lavender-like fermentation character” on top of its lemon, hay, sweet honey straw, and dry, zesty flavors.

Black Cherry Hard Seltzer at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

The photo above doesn’t directly correlate with the latest release at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House… but how could we not? This guy is named Boone, and he’s an adorable representation of the love for dogs in craft brewing. As much as I love a good beer, I’ve gotta say, the best part of hanging out at a brewery for me is definitely petting the dogs. That’s especially because mine — despite my best efforts — has no manners in public. So folks, keep bringing your pups out! I will be here to pet them. I promise.

All that said, the new Black Cherry Hard Seltzer at Three Notch’d is a dream and a half. Bringing the White Claw vibes into craft breweries is something we can definitely get behind, because it gives us some options for lighter drinks while still going to our favorite spots and supporting local brewing.

Fresh Brews at Isley Brewing Company

Our pals at Isley Brewing Company are offering some brand-new mixed four packs. If you’ve ever been to a brewery and couldn’t decide what you want, these are definitely for you: I know I can spend a solid ten minutes at the register to order every single time. There’s too many good things! How can we be expected to pick just one?

Thankfully, we won’t have to at Isley. If a Berliner Weisse is up your alley, head over for a sample of their latest combinations. The new four packs bring together their classic Berliner Weisse with variations like Strawberry Shortcake, Mixed Berry Pie, and Coconut Cream Pie. That last one really seals the deal for me, but there’s a flavor here for everyone.

*PHOTO: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery*

Garden Grove 5th Anniversary

Happy birthday, Garden Grove! Our favorite Carytown brewery just celebrated their 5th anniversary on February 15, and they’re throwing a 5th Year Anniversary bash coming up on Monday.

Grab your tickets here for the event, which continues their ongoing Taproom Dinner Series with Alewife’s Chef Lee Gregory this month. With your ticket, you’ll get five courses of “mouth-watering cuisine” matched with five of Garden Grove’s beers, wines, ciders, and honey wines. And an extra note from Garden Grove — these events usually sell out, so you’ll want to grab tickets in advance if you plan to attend.

Work Spouse IPA at Intermission Beer Company

This Saturday, head out to Intermission Beer Company for a taste of their brand-new West Coast Style IPA. This gluten-reduced brew is perfect for folks with Celiac and for folks minding their diets, so it’s a no-guilt recipe for all the craft beer enthusiasts who need something lighter.

Work Spouse is a 7.1% ABV beer that brings out the citrus along with resinous hop notes. With a bit of malty sweetness to balance it all out, this IPA is a classic combination with some fresh flavors.

Wild Saison with Service Berries collab at Fine Creek Brewing Co.

Out at Fine Creek Brewing Co., the brewers recently collaborated with Fullsteam Brewery for a brand new Wild Saison with Service Berries beer. With light, fruity notes, this recipe is both balanced and complex for a perfect middle.

Along with Wild Saison with Service Berries, Fine Creek is hosting a Belgian Beer Day & Bottle Release this Saturday for their Avec Frère series. Adding in their Tractor Juice Belgian DIPA, they’re dropping the 5 Belgian Single, 7 Belgian Dubbel, 9 Belgian Tripel, and 11 Belgian Quad brews for the event.

According to Fine Creek, they decided to set the day up after lots of great feedback from each individual recipe — so they put them all together to let visitors taste them side-by-side. It’ll be a great opportunity to pick your favorite, because in our experience, every fresh taste of a recipe usually brings a “This is my new favorite!” to the table.

Carver Imperial Milk Stout at Richbrau Brewing Co.

Richbrau Brewing Co. is bringing out a brand-new brew tomorrow night. Carver Imperial Milk Stout hits in at 10% ABV, and it’s the latest in their series inspired by the different neighborhoods of Richmond.

With cacao nibs and Ugandan vanilla beans, the chocolate and vanilla flavors are strong in this one for a perfect dessert stout. They’ll also be hosting live music tomorrow night starting at 7, so your Thursday night will bring a little extra fun to this week.

Paid in Full can release at Kindred Spirit Brewing

The latest release at Kindred Spirit Brewing brings back a fan favorite to the Goochland brewery. Brewed with Centennial, Eukanot, and Simcoe hops, Paid in Full upped the hops with a dry-hop process in Simcoe and Citra.

If you’re looking for some fun this weekend, Friday is going to be packed with great events. After you head over to Hardywood, make sure to check out Kindred Spirit for a great night of food trucks and music with Third Rail and Saint Square.

The Velvet Walrus on Raspberry release at Väsen Brewing Company

If you’re still feeling the love from Valentine’s Day, Väsen Brewing Company has something for you this week to keep it going. The Velvet Walrus on Raspberry just came out over the weekend for the holiday, and it’s a great final ode to winter before we welcome the warmer days of spring.

With dark chocolate and brown sugar flavors, this new variation adds hundreds of pounds of raspberry for a big, rich feel in this milk stout. It’s velvety smooth, according to its brewers, and it’s packed with the best of the fruity and sweet for a full Valentine’s inspiration.

Spumoni Stout at Canon & Draw Brewing Company

Another great Valentine’s release that came over the weekend is Canon & Draw’s Spumoni Stout. This one was brewed as a collaboration with Richmond’s Scoop RVA over on Strawberry Street in the Fan, and it’s all the ice cream dreams you could want in a beer.

This stout returned to Canon & Draw on the holiday, with Scoop RVA at the brewery to make ice cream beer floats on-deck. If you missed it last week, have no fears — this one’s available in 16oz four packs to-go, so you can still grab a set for yourself and pick your favorite flavors at home to make your own. Isn’t that sweet?

RVA On Tap: Love Your Beer this Valentine’s Day

Caley Sturgill | February 12, 2020

Topics: Ardent craft ales, bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, Center of the Universe, 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, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, starr hill richmond beer hall and rooftop, Stone Brewing-Richmond, Strangeways Brewing, The Veil Brewing Co., things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

This week, celebrate love (and anti-love) with your favorite beer families in Richmond. Center of the Universe throws their Anti-Valentine’s party in all its sweet, bitter glory, and Three Notch’d RVA Collab House hosts specials for the free spirits in town for Singles Awareness Day. Strangeways celebrates with a special burlesque show, and Ardent Craft Ales highlights the most important love of all: the love for your dog.

Don’t miss fresh releases like Hardywood’s Raspberry Short Kate, Starr Hill Richmond’s Blackberry Currant Smoothie Sour, Fine Creek Brewing’s Daffodil Daydream, Stone Brewing Richmond’s Cali-belgique IPA, Final Gravity’s Doppler Effect IPA, and a seriously delicious multi-release at The Veil.

Anti-Valentine’s Day Party at Center of the Universe

Here’s one for the haters! The true spirit of Valentine’s Day, in our experience, is about more than heart-shaped candies and corny, overpriced cards. What this holiday often means is your Facebook friends complaining 10x more than usual, and half your friends trying to forget that it’s happening.

Avoid the temptation to text your ex this year with Center of the Universe as they celebrate Anti-Valentine’s Day in all its sweet, bitter glory. With beer, live music, great food, and like-minded folks, they’re giving everyone an escape from all the “stupid Cupid’s arrows.” What a relief. Even if you’re in a loving relationship, this could be the place for you — there’s a good chance I’ll find myself there to escape the Hallmark stuff as well. And, as COTU themselves say:

“Do you love Valentine’s Day? Do you love the flowers? The cards? The candies? Creepy little Cherubs? Unrealistic romantic comedies? If you said yes, that’s neat. If you said no… Congratulations! We’re the place for you this Valentine’s Day.”

Pours and Pasties for Valentine’s Day at Strangeways

One of our favorite recurring events is going down on Valentine’s Day at Strangeways: Pours and Pasties!

In this perfectly-timed show, Burlesque Right Meow is heading to Strangeways to give everyone what they need most on this holiday: a dose of self-love. It’s never lost on us that finding love in yourself is number one for the rest of life’s great loves, and burlesque is one of those special things that knows just how to remind us of it.

Pours and Pasties is returning this time with Ego Von Hubris as their host, and they’ll have dancers like Sasha Nyte, Maddie De Sade, Ed Phillips, Murphy Lawless, Scarlet Starlet, and Sally Stardust for the holiday special. Burlesque Right Meow invites everyone to grab tickets beforehand here, and they say, “Whether you’re looking for a night out with your sweetie(s) or having a day of self-love, there will be butts and beer, so everyone is a winner here!” Amen to that.

Stone Cali-belgique IPA at Stone Brewing Richmond

Last week, Stone Brewing Richmond introduced something fresh at our local spot. This Stone Cali-belgique IPA was aged in red wine barrels with sour cherries, and it’s a great deviation from the more common recipes.

Since it came as a surprise tapping last week, you’ll want to head out to the brewery soon to grab a taste of it while you can. It’s only around as long as the batch lasts, so if you’re craving a taste, make your way to Stone for this crisp, refreshing, and “teasingly sour” brew. As its brewers say, it’s perfect for all these teasingly spring days we’ve been experiencing lately.

Thankfully, according to this year’s Groundhog Day, early spring might just be a reality for us this year… but if it comes before we get a single good snow day, I know one local beer writer who’s going to be greatly disappointed. For real, when do we get to break out the sleds?! If it doesn’t happen, I’ll certainly be bummed out, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited for river days to return. In the meantime, this brew will get us through as a perfect blend for both seasons.

Raspberry Short Kate returns in cans to Hardywood

It’s back! This long-loved brew from Hardywood is returning in cans on the holiday itself, and this special V-Day edition of #FreshCanFriday is definitely welcomed.

Raspberry Short Kate, the Raspberry Milkshake IPA we fell for last year, is thicker than your average IPA. Filled with fruit for a milkshake-style brew, this one’s named for Hardywood’s VP of Production and brewed with lots of love. Share some of that love with your honey this Valentine’s Day (or, if you’re spending it with friends, treat yourself!) and try this ruby-colored treat, made with local raspberries and flavors both sweet and tart.

*PHOTO: Starr Hill Richmond Beer Hall & Rooftop*

Valentine’s Weekend at Starr Hill Richmond

Chocolate and beer are coming together once again, in a delicious combination starting at Starr Hill Richmond tomorrow night. On Valentine’s Eve and running into the weekend, the Scott’s Addition beer hall is bringing out their “captivating confections” to pair with their favorite brews.

On tap for the event is the Currant Affairs Blackberry Currant Smoothie Sour, which is the featured beer for the evening and filled with dark fruit flavors to blend into the smoothie-style Sour Ale.

They’ll also be offering up their “Box of Chocolates” flight, which brings out four different stouts for a sampler that’s *definitely* not your grandmother’s holiday chocolates. It comes with several variations of flavors brewed into their Double Bass Double Chocolate Stout, from toasted coconut to orange, mocha, and raspberry. These are also being sold in 12-packs for those who would rather celebrate at home, but be sure to grab one soon if that’s your plan, because they’re almost sold out.

Each night of the weekend will host a new food truck and live band. Friday kicks it off with Kat Somers and Indira & Guppy Jo along with the La Bête food truck. Saturday brings Josh Small & Andrew Alli with Intergalactic Tacos, then Sunday closes out the weekend with Lovers Live: Mackenzie & Michael, Koda & Marie and Taqueria Panchito.

Must Love Dogs at Ardent Craft Ales

If your most-loved person isn’t a person at all, we don’t blame you. Ardent Craft Ales is celebrating Valentine’s Day with the most loving souls in the world: dogs. There is no love on this planet like that of a dog for its human, and we’re stoked to see Ardent gearing up for a V-Day party like no other.

Fresh beers will be out on tap like Historic Chocolate Stout, a small batch that was brewed in collaboration with The Valentine Museum and full of American Heritage dark chocolate. “For the Love of Stout” and “I Heart IPA” flights will also be available for tasting, along with handcrafted truffles from Chocolate Cravings that were created with Ardent’s Maple Dark Rye, Honey Ginger, and Plum Gose beers.

“For the Love of Stout” brings together Ardent’s Historical Chocolate Stout, Dark Rye, Imperial Stout with Coffee, Coconut, & Almonds, and their Barrel Aged Milk Stout. In the “I Heart IPA” flight, you’ll catch tastes of Floreda Idaho, IPA X, Summit DIPA, and the IPA 14.

The event also benefits Richmond Animal Care and Control, our favorite shelter in town, which works tirelessly to ensure animals in the community get proper healthcare and find their way to happy homes. You can drink happy at this one, knowing you’ll get to support the shelter and probably pet lots of dogs in the process.

Doppler Effect IPA at Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Over at Final Gravity Brewing Co., a great IPA is ready for your glass. This one is perfectly reminiscent of summer days, and it’s making us even more impatient for them to return.

Doppler Effect IPA is a citrus-forward IPA with a crisp finish that’ll suit regular Pale Ale fans and heavier IPA fans alike. With lemon, grapefruit, and orange notes, it’s a delicious example of how complex Mosaic hop flavors can be.

It comes along with One Drop Hazy Double IPA, which brings out plenty more lemon tastes along with mango, stone fruit, and other tropical fruit flavors. Brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops, this one’s a delicious heavier complement to Doppler Effect — and we can’t decide which to try first.

Daffodil Daydream at Fine Creek Brewing Company

The latest Friday Beer Feature at Fine Creek Brewing Company sounds like a dream in itself. Daffodil Daydream is a 6.5% ABV White IPA that’s full of both earthy and fruity flavors. With Appalachian Malted Wheat in addition to Riverbend Southern Select Barley, this IPA came together for tropical hop tastes like white grape and lime.

On the more bitter side of IPAs, Daffodil Daydream also brings out a dry finish with notes of freshly-baked bread and grassy tastes. Hops from New Zealand, Germany, and America all blended to make this recipe a reality, and it drinks with a round mouthfeel, according to its brewers.

Weekly Multi-release at The Veil Brewing Co.

Kicking off this week’s fresh list of recipes at The Veil Brewing Co., Tefnut (Blueberry Muffin) comes to us as a cosmic Imperial Gose. This one was another great collab with one of The Veil’s favorites, Omnipollo, and it was brewed to “reimagine what a fruit beer can be” with new processes and experimenting with fruit volumes. At 11% ABV, this beer tastes like a blueberry muffin in a can from all its milk sugar, blueberry, and vanilla additions for an extra-juicy finish, and it’s sure to please all the high-ABV lovers out there.

Baked Apple Pie Hornswoggler comes next for us, and it keeps with The Veil’s dessert themes this week. This Chocolate Milk Stout is as close as it gets to making an apple pie into a beer, and it was conditioned with apple purée, brown sugar, milk sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The 7% ABV brew has great buttery crust and cool whip flavors, and it’s got another surprise — 10 Golden Tokens are hidden underneath its 4-pack holders, so there’s a real incentive to take some home with you. They’ve made special Hornswoggler glasses to accompany the recipe, and finding a Golden Token is the only way to get one for yourself.

Never Sorry³ is a brand-new Gose at The Veil this week. This one came together with triple blueberry, triple raspberry, and triple black currant for an extreme flavor punch of dark fruits in the 5.3% ABV Gose. It’s a thick beer with flavors of “fresh fruit off the vine,” according to its brewers, and it’s backed up with the tannic complexity of black currant.

dragged dragged is an 11% ABV IPA coming out in cans. Main hops with Galaxy and Citra blend with smaller additions of Nelson, El Dorado, and Vic Secret in this beer, and the double dry-hopped Triple IPA is not one to be messed with. Another from The Veil to please the high-ABV lovers, you’ll likely only need one glass here… but you’ll certainly want a second once you taste its pineapple juice, watermelon, and cherry flavors with flaked barley.

Power On debuted last night as a fresh IPA, brewed with Citra, Sabro, and Motueka hops. This one comes in at a lower 6% ABV, so if you’re feeling the craft beer but don’t want to be calling your Uber after the first glass, it might be more up your alley than some of the others this week. It’s filled with notes like grapefruit pulp, coconut, lime, and tiki drinks for a new combination at The Veil.

EarthTone is easily our favorite of this week’s batch. Brewed as a collab with 20 local breweries, we visited this one last week ahead of its debut at Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery. EarthTone is an homage to the life and legacy of Garden Grove’s Michael Brandt, and was crafted to remind us forever of his love for Lagers, malt balance, and complexity. Proceeds from this brew go to Mike’s son, Miles, for a college savings fund, and to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. It’s being served up in cans at The Veil starting yesterday (and starting today, for our Norfolk folks!) and it’s a great way to help Garden Grove honor their beloved Co-Owner.

Singles Awareness Day at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

Three Notch’d RVA Collab House is also feeling the anti-love this week, and we’re all for it. In another awesome Valentine’s Day event, head out to Three Notch’d with the free spirits of Richmond and celebrate the love for yourself.

The brewery is bringing out $3 pints of their Chocolate Silk Pie milk stout through happy hour, and they’re going the extra mile to show some love to the singles for the holiday. With an extra bonus, their Chocolate Silk Pie even comes with free chocolates and red velvet cake — and it’s enough to make me wish I could fit that list for these desserts.

As Three Notch’d notes, it’ll be nice to not have to share your beer with your S.O. this year. And who knows… with all the other singles there, you might even find love (that is, if you want it).

RVA On Tap: Pine Brews & Apple Brandy Hot Toddy Collabs

Caley Sturgill | January 22, 2020

Topics: bars in richmond va, beer, beer column, craft beer, craft beer richmond va, events in richmond va, events near me this weekend, events richmond va, final gravity brewing, Fine Creek Brewing Company, happy hour richmond va, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, richmond events, richmond va, RVA, RVA On Tap, The Veil Brewing Co., things to do in richmond va, things to do richmond va, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer

This week, The Veil Brewing Co. drops a seven-beer multi-release with several collabs from brewers around the country. Pine is in the air with new recipes at Hardywood and Fine Creek Brewing Company, and another multi-release starts the year off right at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery. Don’t miss Double IPAs and Milk Stouts at Final Gravity Brewing Co., Intermission Beer Company, and Triple Crossing Beer, plus an Apple Brandy Hot Toddy brew at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House.

The Veil Brewing Co. multiple release

The Veil Brewing Co. is back with another big release this week, and it brought us seven new varieties both on tap and returning in bottles. Cognac Circle of Wolves (pictured above) kicks it off for us, and the English-style Barleywine came out in bottles after aging in French Cognac barrels for two years. It has a high 14% ABV, so this one’s not for the lighthearted — but with raisins soaked in cognac, fine amaro, hard caramel candy, and chocolate-covered fig flavors, it’ll be very worth it to all those who can take its higher alcohol percentage.

Buggie Nuggie came out for the first time, as a brand-new West Coast DIPA. This one came together with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Enigma hops in its brewing process, with Monkish Brewing as a collab beer. You’ll find tropical juicy hops, subtle bitterness, and a pine-flavored finish in this 8% ABV brew.

Never Never Goaway Goaway also made its debut. This Gose pours thick with its double açaí, double blackberry, and double passionfruit additions, and the 5% ABV recipe “tastes like you’re on a tropical oasis” eating a frozen smoothie bowl, according to its brewers.

Petalz Raspberry came out as a collab with Jester King Brewery, and it’s another Mixed Fermie™ variation from The Veil. It was first brewed two years ago this month, and the 5% ABV recipe brings Texas raw wheat, Virginia corn grits, spelt, and aged whole leaf hops into the mix. The Petalz series has a few different variations now, and the brewers report that this one is full of the same drinkability and balance of its other versions, but with a bit more tartness.

Open Up and Love Again: Peach + Plum came out in bottles after its original release in August of 2018, so if you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to have this one again, it’s here! Peach and plum are delicious flavors together, and this Mixed Fermie™ is no exception. It was a collab between The Veil and American Solera, Cloudwater Brewing, Monkish Brewing, and TRVE Brewing. It’s another lighter, easy-drinking recipe at 5% ABV.

Strange Strange & Eternal Eternal released in cans, and it’s extra-sweet with flavors like fruit snacks, gushers, and pineapple in the “unique, cool, soft crusher.” The double dry-hopped IPA was brewed with Citra, Mosaic, Motueka, and Simcoe hops for a perfectly-balanced sweet IPA taste.

Melancholia closes out our new releases at The Veil this week. This one is a bit different from the others, as the farmhouse Saison keeps things crisp. Described as “stainless” by its brewers (with a metal-forward can to match), it came back in cans last night with farmhouse phenolics, rye, and spelt grist at 6% ABV.

Sippin on Pine, Not Juice can release at Hardywood

Coming up for this #FreshCanFriday at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, the tastes of winter are in full swing.

As the colors of the season continue to fade and we’re seeing more pale skies, this time of year makes the deep green of pine trees stand out more than ever — and with forest green as my favorite color, I’m all about it. The crisp, earthy scent makes you want to wrap up by a fire, and its flavors are coming out strong in Hardywood’s latest release.

Sippin’ on Pine, Not Juice is fresh in cans this week, and the 6% ABV IPA is full-bodied. It comes with a dry, bitter finish to complement its light copper color, and as it was inspired by classic West Coast IPAs, this one is “all about the hops.” If you’re planning to swing by for a taste, you can come hungry and ready for its perfect pairing with River City Wood Fire Pizza.

Winter Pine IPA at Fine Creek Brewing Company

Another pine-forward brew came out this week with Fine Creek Brewing Company’s Winter Pine IPA. Of this recipe, Fine Creek said there’s something about the smell of fresh pine needles that “evokes a sense of crisp winter days and long, cold nights” — and I couldn’t agree more. It brings out the best feelings from the flavor, and this brew came together with Riverbend Malt House Appalachian wheat, along with Virginia & Loblolly pine tips.

At 7% ABV, Winter Pine IPA has a citrus character that pairs with fruity hops for an earthy taste. It finishes with herbal and resiny notes, and it’s available now at Fine Creek to grab a glass of your own.

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

First Release of 2020 at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is ringing in the new year with three new beers on tap, and they’re kicking it off with the latest from their Juicy IPA series. Each brew from the series has been beloved by its drinkers so far, and the new Juicy #18 Something Chill will go great with the rest of the group.

They’ve also got Fresh Nuclear Nugget and Maidens Blonde Ale ready to start 2020 off right, so if you’re looking for a reason to get out of the city, head out to their beautiful Goochland farm and find your new favorite.

Star Castle Hazy Double IPA at Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Fresh at Final Gravity Brewing Co. this week is the Star Castle Hazy Double IPA. This one was crafted with Nelson Sauvin and Citra hops, and we’ve been pleasantly surprised at the amount of Nelson Sauvin hop brews we’ve seen so far in the new year. Star Castle infuses grape and tropical flavors to sweeten up these cold winter days, and “pushes the boundaries of fruitiness,” according to its brewers.

Conjured Darkness at Intermission Beer Company

A brand-new milk stout is headed to Intermission Beer Company this Saturday with Conjured Darkness, a Shakespeare-inspired beer with some history to go along with it. Intermission reminds us that while Shakespeare’s plays were debuted in outdoor theaters during the day, they were set to take place at night: so the playwright got creative by using speech and action to give the audience feelings of darkness as the plays went on. Conjured Darkness gets its name from that method, conjuring up a darkness of its own in a rich milk stout that still hits in at a lighter 6.4% ABV. With roasted malts and chocolate, milk sugar, and light hops, this recipe is “dark, decadent, and creamy.”

Double release at Triple Crossing

A double release just went down at Triple Crossing Beer in Fulton over the weekend. For a fresh recipe from one of our local favorites, head out to Triple Crossing and get a taste of Dawn Chorus: an 8% ABV Double IPA packed with bright fruits for a citrus, melon, pineapple, and dank undercurrent taste. With its Citra, Vic Secret, and Galaxy hops, Triple Crossing says this recipe keeps with their signature super-soft Double IPA body and feel.

Next up from Triple Crossing was The Grid. Another 8% ABV brew, Triple Crossing brought two of their favorite hops together once again with Mosaic and Falconer’s Flight. The Grid results in bold flavors with sticky mango, passionfruit, apricot, and candied orange slices that come together for a hop-forward fermentation profile.

Apple Brandy Hot Toddy Ale release at Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

This Thursday, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House is dropping the perfect warmer for a cold winter night with their new Apple Brandy Hot Toddy. The special release was a collaboration between Three Notch’d and the URSPCS Beer Brewer program with the University of Richmond, a professional brewing certificate course that works with local breweries. The students behind this brew will be in attendance for its release, and many more drinkers outside the program will want a taste of this Amber Ale brewed with honey and lemon, along with its aging process in apple brandy barrels.