Triple Crossing Beer

RVA ON TAP: The Return of Pumpkin (Finally)

Caley Sturgill | August 28, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, canon and draw brewing company, double ipa, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Hardywood, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, pumpkin, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, Stone Brewing-Richmond, three notchd, Triple Crossing Beer, vasen brewing

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

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

This week, we’ve got some great new releases from the brewers across Richmond, and HUGE big exciting news that I’ve been waiting a long time for. If you read this somewhat regularly, you’ll probably know (and be tired of) my summer woes and the desperate wait for fall… so you’ll know why I’m so pumped this week for:

The moooooost wonderful tiiiiiiiime ooooof the yeeeear!

FINALLY, fall is almost here, and the best tastes of the year are coming back. I’ve been waiting very impatiently since the end of last fall for another one to begin, and this beautiful short season better stick around longer this time.

If you’ve been eagerly-awaiting the return of pumpkin to your life, you’re not alone. Catch me in a flannel and dirty old boots eating an entire pie to myself and living my best life, I don’t care. I’m so happy this hell of a summer is almost over.

Our buds at Hardywood have the perfect beer to commemorate the happiest season of all: Farmhouse Pumpkin. It’s making its way back to the taps this Saturday, much to my enjoyment. This classic Richmond favorite is brewed with saison yeast, over 1,000 pounds of Virginia-grown sugar pumpkins from Grandma’s Pumpkins RVA, three pounds of whole nutmeg, clove and allspice, and over four pounds of fresh ginger root from the local Casselmonte Farm out in Powhatan. This farmhouse brew is soft on the tongue, with a great amount of rustic fall flavors to ring in the cold nights and changing leaves.

God, I’m so happy. I’ve been waiting to write this blurb for months. Go get a pumpkin beer! Also, in more great news, Hardywood’s dropping Union Break in cans on Friday, a delicious Belgian-style White Ale that took 10-hour days from the packaging team to bring to life — with plenty of stoic dedication, sorcerous endurance, and a steady diet of energy drinks, according to Hardywood. And, obviously, a big dose of 80’s heavy metal. This beauty is coming out for #FreshCanFriday right before the big pumpkin release, so if you ever needed a reason to spend an entire weekend at Hardywood, you’ve definitely got one now.

Out at Ardent Craft Ales, the Leigh Street DIPA can release is going down tomorrow night. This beer made its debut a while back, but it’s returning to us in cans with its big, juicy flavor that was double dry-hopped. In its brewing, Ardent used only Mosaic hops, so it’s packed with the tropical, fruity flavors and aromas its hops are known for.

This is actually my current favorite beer-type, because it’s up there in alcohol at 8% ABV, but still soft to the taste. You’ll catch a low bitterness with this one, but still the classic bold flavors you expect from a brew that’s been through a double dry-hopped process. This is one I definitely don’t want to miss a taste of, so if you’ve got similar taste, swing by for a set while you can.

Falcon Day! Triple Crossing Beer’s got something awesome brewing, with a giant four-part release coming up this Friday. You’ll have to bounce back and forth between their downtown and Fulton locations if you want to try all four, but my bets are on that you won’t need so many. Triple Crossing’s Fulton spot is one of my favorite in town, and not too far from Stone Brewing Richmond if you’re looking to make a brewery-hopping evening out of it.

Beloved favorites are coming out in cans and crowlers to bring the full series out at once, with Falcon Smash IPA’s Retro Can Release at both locations, Space Falcon IPA and Falcon Heavy DIPA at just Fulton on Friday, and finally, Baby Falcon Session IPA in crowlers only at both locations.

Also on Friday, make a pit stop in the East End at Stone Brewing Richmond for the release of their Mango Maya Milkshake IPA in collaboration with Rusty Burrell.

To bring this beer to life, Stone partnered up with the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) to host a people’s choice-style homebrew competition in Richmond. The winner, Robert “Rusty” Burrell, was chosen to brew in collaboration with Stone — and perhaps a reason for him to feel extra-lucky, his beer will also be entered into the annual Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am coming up later this year.

Rusty himself will be hanging out at the brewery on Friday evening, so stop by our favorite East End spot for a taste of your own and give him a cheers for his success.

*PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery*

A lot has been brewing at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery lately, in these brand-new collaboration beers with Three Notch’d RVA Collab House.

Starting off, The Source Blueberry Milkshake IPA looks like it’s absolutely to-die for. They’ve also got Juicy #14, which if you remember from last week, sounded amazing. The two brewers together also released The Source IPA, brewed with lactose for the perfect texture.

Lickinghole and Three Notch’d are two of my favorites in this huge sea of breweries that we call Richmond, because there’s nothing quite like an evening on the farm with Lickinghole (especially when the sunflowers are out for picking), and because I’ve spent many an evening with Three Notch’d down at their spot in my hometown, Roanoke. They were a welcome addition to Roanoke’s downtown, which is slowly growing with a number of breweries of its own, and they’re doing some awesome things up here in Richmond at their RVA Collab House.

Over the weekend at Väsen Brewing Company, Azanian Passion came out in all its hazy, New England-style Double IPA glory. Another Double IPA right up my alley (and hopefully up yours, too), Azanian Passion has some intense hop aromas “leaping” from each glass, which are brought to you by its perfectly-balanced combination of Azacca, Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Southern Passion hops. It’s also packed with tropical flavors like pineapple and passionfruit, which are complemented by its different piney and floral notes. According to the brewers, it’s moderately bitter and intensely hoppy, so you’ll find yourself somewhere in the middle of the traditional IPA flavors.

Out at Fine Creek Brewing, a Friday Beer Feature dropped over the weekend that sounds like earthy dessert in a glass. Hudson Henry Granola Stout hits in at 7% ABV, and this traditional oatmeal-stout inspired brew was made in collaboration with the Hudson Henry Baking Co.

Rather than the oats of a traditional recipe, Fine Creek swapped for original granola to bring out some *delicious* maple, pecan, and coconut flavors. You’ll taste mild roasted grain flavors in this one, and even more with maple syrup, roasted malt, cafe con leche, and subtle toasted coconut… plus highlights of chocolate, vanilla, and dark roast coffee. Does it get any better than that? I’ll be damned, I don’t think it does.

Tonight at Canon & Draw Brewing Company, head over for a tasty (and hilarious) release. Canon & Draw has been running a series lately that they call the “Tim & Matt Awesome Beer Great Job!” IPA Series, which has featured great flavors like tropical fruits and floral aromas, with orange and grapefruit juice, plus hints of pine.

Next up in the series is Season 2, which you can taste anytime after 2pm today at the West Main Street brewery — so if you’re reading this in the morning and already craving a new beer, they’ve got you covered for day drinking after lunch.

A new American Barleywine is on its way to Steam Bell Beer Works this Friday, and if you’ve never tasted a Barleywine, get prepared. These thick, dark beer-wine mashups are heavy on the throat, but lord, they taste good.

If you’re not big on stouts and porters, this one might not be for you — but if you got as excited as I did for Fine Creek’s granola stout, this might just be up your alley. Hitting in at 10.6% ABV, you’ll want to go easy on the drinking, and you can grab it on draft or take it to-go if you think you’re better off not having to call that Uber afterward. Either way, a good Barleywine can be really hard to find in the city, so Steam Bell’s latest release is one you’ll want to get a taste of one way or another while you can!

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: Hemp, Hops & Events

Caley Sturgill | July 24, 2019

Topics: Ardent craft ales, beer, beer column, beer history tour, craft beer, Garden Grove Brewing, Hardywood, Intermission Beer Company, Isley Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, richbrau, RVA On Tap, Stone Brewing-Richmond, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer, Vasen Brewing Company

Wasn’t it absolutely beautiful out yesterday? I wish every day in RVA could be 75 degrees and cloudy. For those of you who enjoy the heat, though, I’ve got you covered: Richmond’s packed with events this week to get you out of the house and into the sun all through the weekend, with more beers on tap than you can count.

Happy birthday, Väsen! These outdoor enthusiasts are turning two years old, and we’re stoked on their plans. This Saturday, they’re kicking off their anniversary festival with a block party all weekend long. And it ain’t no little get-together, either — they’ll have more than 25 bands out, plus breweries, cideries, and meaderies from all around to celebrate their second trip around the sun together.

They’ll also have food trucks and outdoor activities (in true Väsen fashion) that’ll make it “one of Scott’s Addition’s biggest bashes to date.” With three different levels of tickets, you can swing by for a few bands or come out for the whole thing with awesome drink deals and entertainment throughout the weekend. You’ll catch more than 20 breweries from around the state (including a few of my personal favorites, like Allagash, Hardywood, Trapezium, and Final Gravity, among others). It’ll definitely be one for the books, so if you’re looking for some new flavors in your life, now’s your time to shine.

Hardywood’s 4th Annual HeART and Soul Brew Fest is heading back to our favorite brewers this Saturday, with eight hours of urban art, dope entertainment, soul food, and craft beers to kick start your hearts.

There is a PET LAND (!!) from RACC, plus a VIP Experience from the Virginia Lottery coming out for this one. They’ve also got a Fun Zone with the VMFA — so make sure to bring the kiddos along — and art-lovers galore with the Studio Two Three Art Lounge and Made by RVA’s Creative Vendor Market.

Best of all, the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience group is coming out to provide the whole event with a food court on Ownby Lane, packed with awesome spots from all around the city. If you’re in the market for some good eats, Hardywood’s got you covered bigtime this weekend.

In more event news, Triple Crossing Beer is dropping cans in the nation’s capital this Saturday. If the excitement of Richmond’s events just isn’t enough this week, and you want to get out of town, this’ll be a really fun one to check out. They’ve got two different events happening together — one featuring cans, and one featuring drafts.

For cans at The Bruery Store, you’ll find Dawn Chorus Double IPA, a pineapple and peach-gummy ring beer made with Galaxy and Vic Secret hops. Salinity Gose with Lime will also make an appearance (with pink Himalayan sea salt, with lime zest and juice) along with DDH Falcon Smash IPA made with Falconers Flight, El Dorado and Mosaic hops, and lots of grapefruit and citrus pine character. The Grid DIPA is on the fruitier side, with passionfruit, guava, mango, and peaches (is there a better combination than that?). Bright Lights IPA is another summer brew, with ice cream throwbacks in its orange sherbert and melon. All Neon Like IPA, brewed with Galaxy and Vic Secret hops, leans more on the stone fruit and less on the bitterness than its sister in Dawn Chorus. Last, Night Call Double IPA is Denali-hop focused with deeply-tropical pulpy pineapple, candied citrus, and a bright, mango-like apricot softness.

If you’re more of a draft girl (like myself), you can catch brews at ChurchKey like Less Than Alone Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with flavors of vanilla — plus Tiny Pils, a 3.8% German Pilsner, Pathway Pilsner, Deep Dark Woods coconut Imperial Stout, Chroma Cerise Barrel-Aged Golden Sour aged on Montmorency Cherries, Bright Lights IPA, Falcon Smash IPA, The Grid Double IPA, and finally, Delta Oak, an aged Golden Sour which was dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin.

Now, after those mouthfuls and tongue-twisters, I think it’s pretty clear that Triple Crossing isn’t messing around with their D.C. Fest. For those of you who like to change it up, I think you’ve found your spot.

Triple Crossing also just dropped a new recipe over the weekend, a citrus-zest flavored beer called Waveform. This one has a golden sour base with fresh lime zest, so it’s great for a hot summer day (unlike yesterday, which in my opinion, was the best weather we’ve had in months). Blended with oak ferment and from multiple vessels in their wood cellar, Waveform is the newest to the above list of Triple Crossing’s perfectly-balanced recipes.

I don’t know about you guys, but I definitely know a lot of people who appreciate hemp. Lickinghole Creek is on board, too, and they’re throwing a party for it coming up this Saturday. The Virginia Hemp & Hops Festival is going down this weekend at our favorite farmhouse spot with fun for the whole family, like hayrides and slip ‘n slides to keep everyone stoked all day.

The Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition is coming out, with speakers to talk about the hemp industry in the great Commonwealth in the afternoon. They’ve also got food from Gourmet Hemp Foods, plus live music and partners like Botanaway and First Necessity.

Over at Intermission Beer Company, 50 Years of Love rolls on. In a truly-tropical brew, they’re celebrating the campaign and a half-century of love in the Commonwealth with a new release.

Tropical Thunder IPA is dropping this Saturday at the brewery, and it’s everything we need this summer. With notes of tropical fruit hops, they went the extra mile and added in more flavor with batches of passionfruit, mango, and pineapple — made for a day at the river. It’s gluten-reduced and hits in at 7.2% ABV, so it’s a nice, easy drinker for those days when most IPAs feel too heavy.

In new-brew-news, Ardent Craft Ales is dropping their Berliner Weisse tomorrow night. This low-alcohol beer has a light body with high carbonation to bring out its clean, sour flavors — which are packed with lemon and citrus along with a special addition.

On top of the brew itself, according to Ardent, Berliner Weisse beers are traditionally served with a flavored syrup to spruce things up. For their variation, Ardent partnered up with Richmond’s ZZQ to cook up something new: a smoked pineapple and habanero syrup to give this Weisse a kick. You can only catch the syrup in the taproom, so be sure to swing by and get a taste of the best thing since hot sauce. I recently had the pleasure of tasting a mango habanero beer, and good lord, it was incredible (even for a white girl who’s usually a pretty big baby about spice). I’d definitely recommend you go give this one a try.

Overall, this one’s tart and refreshing, and its pale straw colors and cloudy, effervescent feel is the perfect release for this time of year.

Our favs out at Stone Brewing Richmond are throwing it back tomorrow for a #ThrowbackThursday Tapping. From their Mission Warehouse Series comes The Stone Mission Warehouse Sour, available at the brewery tomorrow in all its Mosaic dry-hop and Lambic style glory.

Stone’s also having Nicky Lee and The Wiz this Saturday from the afternoon to the early evening, so if you can’t make it on Thursday, be sure to drive out to their awesome East End spot for good brews and good jams over the weekend.

Three Notch’d RVA Collab House cooked up something awesome for the adults and not-so-awesome for the kids: Summer School! This New-England style IPA just dropped over the weekend for Tap That Friday, and it was made as a collab with the University of Richmond. College students are no strangers to summer school, so I can understand why they would hop on board to spend some of that classroom time brewing up something to take the edge off from all those exams and late-night study sessions in the middle of vacation season.

This one’s got heavy amounts of Citra hops, along with Amarillo and El Dorado to make sure it “aced the final exam.” If I were them, I’d want to be drinking at school, too.

Hey, Isley! Thanks for curing the too-hot-blues: with their new Summer Sipper, they’ve got one designed for the hottest heat to cool down in July. This Session Hazy IPA just dropped at the brewery and was dry-hopped five times throughout its production to carry the hop flavors of a stronger beer with a low 4.2% ABV. It was created with Jarrylo, Huell Melon, and El Dorado hops, and its bright colors suggest a fruity finish as well. It’s light, approachable, and thirst-quenching, to kick it in the sun no matter how much you love (or don’t love) this time of year.

The Brewing in Richmond History Tour is back this weekend! Head over to Scott’s Addition on Saturday to catch the tour — if you’ve never made it out for one before, we definitely recommend it. As they say, today’s bustling beer scene in the River City is only the latest chapter of our city’s history with fermented drinks.

Through the afternoon, they’ll walk you through our booziest neighborhood to talk beer with some great brewers like Three Notch’d, Buskey Cider, and the new Bingo Beer Co. If you’re shying away from the ticket prices, don’t worry. Your beer is included, so jump into the tour and learn something new.

PHOTO: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

Garden Grove Brewing came back into the Anthem LemonAid challenge again this year. To benefit the Children’s Hospital at VCU, the challenge donates to children undergoing cancer treatment and help fund the society. This year, they released Innocence and Dreams, a light, refreshing Belgian Ale that donates a dollar straight to the hospital for every glass sold.

I’m always stoked to see Richmond brewers finding ways for their customers to drink for a good cause, and this one tastes great, too. Brewed with Lemon Balm from their urban gardens, you’ll get some great citrus flavors in a crisp beer that helps the hospital with each draft.

On the flipside from light lemonade brews, Richbrau has a cookie stout on tap to enjoy some wintery flavors. Keeping it heavy in the middle of summer, they’ve got cold glasses of their 13 O’Clock Randall stout, infused with actual Chips Ahoy! chocolate chip cookies to bring out an opposite for this time of year — and as Richbrau reminds us, “Stout… it’s not just for winter anymore.” I know a lot of heavy beer enthusiasts who will be stoked to see this one pouring right now, so if you’re one of them, go check out Richmond’s newest/oldest brewery down in Shockoe.

RVA ON TAP: Fireworks, Pig Roasts, & Beach Parties

Caley Sturgill | July 3, 2019

Topics: beer, beer column, Black Heath Meadery, Castleburg, Center of the Universe, craft beer, garden grove, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, midnight brewery, RVA On Tap, the answer brewpub, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer

This week, in the spirit of the 4th of July, we have tons of events to keep your holiday week rolling and your glass full. From Richmond to the beach and more, there’s something for everyone regardless of where (or if) you’re traveling.

Whoooooooo doggy! There’s a pig roast comin’ to town. Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is hosting the Southern tradition in Richmond with Papa V’s this Thursday for the 4th, and it’s bringing back some memories for this rural girl — both fun and scary.

For some background, the 4th of July in my childhood memories looks something like beautiful days on Smith Mountain Lake, afternoons spent on the boat, nights spent playing Marco Polo in the dark off the dock with a huge family, my dad catching my head on fire when he lit 18 sparklers at once in one hand (big ouch), and the horrifying look on the pig’s slowly-melting face when my granddad literally built a massive smoker in his yard (a year-round fixture, mind you) just to put an entire pig in it for the 4th every summer.

Those days are long gone now, but the memories of running away from a large dead animal on the smoker, eyes burning into my soul, with my screaming cousins will always stick around. And in that spirit, I’ll always get stoked for pig roasts as an adult. Plus, fresh-smoked pork is one of the tastiest foods of all time in my humble opinion — so, worth it.

Lickinghole Creek will be pouring from the taps from 12-6pm, with live music from Bill Roberts during the afternoon. If you’re looking to get your true Virginian ritual on for the holiday, this is the place for you. Have a beer for me and cheers to the first time your family gave you nightmares.

In the spirit of mid-summer days in Richmond heating up too fast, we’re starting off this week’s RVA On Tap with a good reason to take a trip to the beach: The Veil Brewing Co. is excitedly awaiting the official opening of their new Norfolk location, and they’re throwing a pop-up tomorrow to get the rest of us as pumped as they are.

The Veil will be on the pier of Nauticus all day, and you can look forward to drinking their stellar beers inside to beat the heat, or out by the water. Either way, you’ll get to finish your night off with a direct view to the celebration’s fireworks at Waterside. Be sure to grab some drink tickets too, and it’s free to get in otherwise.

If you make it out, you’ll also be able to grab one of these sweet limited edition Veil shirts while you grab pours of Curtains I, a Sour Double IPA with cherries, apricots, and milk sugar — plus more like Cherry-Mang Tastee, a smoothie-style Sour; Never Never Found Found, a double-mango Gose; Dusty Roadz, an American Pale Ale; yellowferrari DIPA, Dirt Nap DIPA, Child Support, Sleeping Forever, and Totebier.

It’ll be the perfect party leading up to The Veil’s brand new Norfolk location, so grab your buds and head down to join the beach crowd with one of our favorite Richmond spots.

While the 4th this year falls on a Thursday, Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery is partying all weekend. Catch live music through the weekend with artists like Alice & The Reverie, Jordan Lette of The Folly, and Keith Yetter of Keith Yetter Band, plus Big Daddy Skillet is coming out on Friday to get the weekend started right.

More events continue on through Sunday with The Everafter, Nine Line, Second Suitor, Stereo-Types, Sleave, and more.

Over with our friends at The Answer Brewpub, the return of Summer Showers IPA happened over the weekend. This IPA is packed with flavors like citrus and a cloudburst of melon, and its tastes come from the brewing process with Australian Summer hops. The hazy brew is available now, so make sure to grab a glass while you can!

Coming up on Monday, join The Answer at Belmont Golf Course for their Monday Twilight League. The Answer will be out every Monday for a 10-week season hitting the course to play nine holes — no experience required! Men and women are both invited out to join, keeping their own scores and playing as teams with weekly contest holes and scoring service.

If you want to get in on the fun outside with The Answer, register here with Twilight Golf Association and grab your clubs.

One of the only big complaints I have about the craft beer scene is that the breweries always close too early. If I’m heading out to my favorite place to drink my favorite beer later in the evening after work, it can be a bit heartbreaking to have to cut it short early. Thankfully, Triple Crossing Beer is extending their hours for the holiday and staying open until 10 for the 4th — plus they’re dropping a few new can releases to commemorate the occasion.

If you’re looking for a good place to watch fireworks without all the crowds, Triple Crossing’s got you covered there, too. They’ll be blocking off part of their parking lot to give all their guests a sweet view of the Rocketts Red Glare fireworks that happen annually over the James, which is an extra-special way to view the colors in the sky in Richmond because of their reflection on the water. For anyone who’s heading down near the river for fireworks, Triple Crossing’s party is right up the road and definitely one you won’t want to miss.

Aw, shucks. Nah, Aw, Shmucks. Black Heath Meadery just made the jam-inspired mead we all never knew we needed. This sweet treat for “sitting on the porch enjoying the wonderful lazy days of summer” is coming out just in time for the holiday, so we can celebrate the All-American way.

If you’re out of town this weekend, be sure to swing by Scott’s Addition to get a taste of this one while they last. Their most recent batch of Muse is almost gone, but they’ve got tons of summer recipes on tap right now like Living Reflection — a tangerine mead that’s refreshingly-perfect for the hot days — Lavender Reflection, Pompelmo Reflection (with graprfruit and basil), and Triple Reflection, brewed with hops and topped with a fruity dynamic to keep the bitterness out and the flavor in.

Big cheers for Ellie Quinn: The burlesque queens of Richmond have assembled a team of their most heroic and villainous performers to pay tribute to the Earth’s Mightiest this Saturday at Center of the Universe Brewing.

Diving into what they call the deepest depths of nerdlesque, the dancers at this show will bring out their colorful sides to put together a performance packed with storytelling and tantalizing from their characters. For those of you who’ve never made it out to see burlesque in the River City (you’re missing out) you’ll be in for a night of some serious fun. Some points to remember are to put your phones away — photographers are the only ones doing the photos here — and be as encouraging as ever. And, of course, no touching. But that should go without saying (or at least I’d hope it does in a city like this). There’ll be pasties and tassels galore, so bring your party mood and head out for sweet brews and even sweeter boobs.

Ocean Echoes is making its way into the Three Notch’d RVA Collab House on Friday, and this Caribbean Wit is truly a beach-style beer. Brewed with toasted coconut and organic pineapple purée, this piña colada in a beer is full of all the oceanside tastes you’ll need for a hot day in the sand… or, if you’re in town, to cool off after a hot day on the asphalt.

A tip from us — take a glass down to the river and enjoy it by the echoes of the James. If you’re extra lucky, you’ll even catch a few kayak wipeouts to spruce up the afternoon.

Blood Orange IPAs and Citrus IPAs are on fresh at Midnight Brewery, with the release of Blood Moon Bliss and Luputopia out at the brewery. These perfect summer recipes will be followed up soon by Christmas In July, so for all my folks out there who, like me, are eagerly awaiting the cold weather’s return, hold out a little longer for a taste of winter’s happiest season. This time of year brings travel, tans, and days on the beach for many of us, but there’s nothing like cold air in Virginia and a spiced ale to go with it.

The Star & Beer Spangled Celebration at Castleburg Brewery and Taproom is coming up tomorrow as well, and this one’s right in view of the fireworks! Plus probably the best thing I’ve seen yet: FREE HOT DOGS! Hell yeah. Head over to Castleburg at 1pm and eat your star-spangled hearts out, plus grab paninis and pretzels to go along with Castleburg’s awesome beer. The fireworks at The Diamond will complete the evening around 9:15, so you can head over early to dog it up, or head over late to catch the show. Either way, they’ll have something for everyone throughout the day.

RVA ON TAP: Sunflowers & Tongue-Twisters

Caley Sturgill | June 26, 2019

Topics: beer, beer column, craft beer, Hardywood, Legend Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek, richmond brewers ball, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, Stone Brewing-Richmond, The Veil, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House, Triple Crossing Beer, Vasen Brewing Company

This week, we’re diving in with some brand-new brews and tons of awesome events, all to keep your summer rolling and your hot days refreshed.

Before we get started into the local brewery news, here’s something awesome: there’s a new podcast in town called Booze Clues by the Geeks Under the Influence Media Network, and they record live in front of an audience each month. Their most recent episode’s audio was just released, and you can find it here to listen to local comedians, podcasters, and entertainers investigating the world’s most bizarre and “spirited” headlines from the last month. It’s a really unique idea to bring to the table (or the bar) in the beer world around here, so check it out and give these guys a listen!

The Veil Brewing Co. is known for its collabs with Sweden’s Omnipollo to an extent already, but they’re throwing a party to make sure no one forgets. This Saturday, Omnipolloscope is going down at The Veil, the “biggest and baddest collab ever.”

They’re holding an official global release of all five of their collab beers, after more than two years, many miles traveled, and the joint efforts of some of the best in the industry, according to the brewers. The Stockholm brewery has been working with The Veil for quite some time now, and the product of all their hard work is finally here, all at once, for us to drink up.

The beers dropping at the release this weekend are numbered from one to five, starting with a Raspberried/Blueberried/Blackberried Wood Aged Sour Jam. Up next is a Superstition Strawberry Bourbon, and a German Jesus Choclorelei Waffle Neapolitan Ice Cream Cheesecake Scoooooooop (wow, that’s a mouthful). They’ve also got a Never Miami Thunder Lemon Meringue Milkshake Raspberry Blackberry Double Ice Cream Lassi Gose (y’all these names are LONG) and… Christ… a Fatamosaicddhdreamatomicdobishredder IIIIPA (oh my GOD).

Ok, I’m never typing that word again. How y’all gonna do that to me? Your poor local beer writer?

Lucky for you, you don’t have to spell it — you just have to drink it. Go get one, and get me one too for the headache. The Veil is lucky their beer is so damn good. I still love you, I promise.

Y’all, this is one of my most-favorite events of the year and it’s back this weekend! The Sunflower Festival has its opening weekend at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery starting on Saturday, and it’s nothing short of beautiful out on the farm this time of year.

Since the field of yellow is subject to the weather, Lickinghole Creek is hosting the festival over three weekends this summer — so if you can’t make it this time, check back with their Facebook page to see when the flowers open up. Bring your basket and a set of shears to take a bundle home, or my personal favorite, grab a camera and take the opportunity to get a beautiful batch of photos.

My first-most-favorite event of the year is always visiting farms in the fall, when all the hayrides and pumpkin patches complete the season. We’re still a few months out from that for now, but the Sunflower Festival is as close as it gets in warm weather. To bring some of that charm to the sunny days, Lickinghole Creek is hosting hayrides and a slip and slide for some extra outdoor fun, plus a 4th of July Pig Roast with Papa V’s coming up next week.

They’ll have plenty of food trucks and summer brews alongside live music from artists like Billy Groux and Rocky Ford, Bill Roberts, Sean Liverman and more over the course of the month’s weekends. Of all the events that come in and out of Richmond this time of year, if you like getting outside, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Bringing Pride Month to a close, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is throwing a Thirst fundraiser tonight. They’ll be slinging glasses of Tropic Like It’s Hot — which, if you remember from last week, is their good-times brew that they brought out for their Pride party celebrating the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality.

Tonight’s fundraiser is taking us off of the brewery grounds and up to the clouds on Quirk Hotel’s rooftop, overlooking the city and its beautiful views to eat, drink, and be merry while raising money for Richmond’s Side By Side, an organization that supports LGBTQ youth in Virginia.

The forecast looks great so far, with temps hitting the low 90’s (lord help us all, will we make it through August?) and a cloudy sky to bring down the heat. Thankfully, the sun won’t be blazing too hard this time around, but all bets are off for the rest of the summer in Richmond. This is just about the annual time when I recede to the AC in my house unless I’m leaving it directly for a pool. Godspeed to us all.

Do you remember the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild last week? We do. And if you don’t, check our site here for some stellar coverage of this year’s winners in the Old Dominion from Lee Graves, a local beer enthusiast and fellow writer on the brewing world’s happenings.

Stone Brewing took home an award (no surprise) for first place in the American Porter and Stout category this year. There’s something special in the tanks at Stone, as far as I’m concerned, because they seem to be incapable of making a bad beer. Their Espresso Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout was the prize winner for the dark brews, and this dark, roasty stout made a name for the brewery once again.

Not to say that Stone is our only star, either — tons of our local favorites from Center of the Universe to Lickinghole Creek, Strangeways, Garden Grove and more took home first- and second-place awards in all sorts of categories this year. What it comes down to is that Richmond is really earning its place as the East Coast beer hub, and people all around the country are noticing it.

⟁ Out at Triple Crossing Beer, another weekend multi-release is in order. This Friday in Fulton, grab a glass of Mosaic Triangles, a bright and soft tropical orange-rind melon-citrus brew that’s “deeply encased” within their preferred 6% ABV range. Triple Crossing says they paired this one to bring the strongest shape in nature together with one of their most beloved hops of all time, Mosaic.

Pathway Pils is also making its way to Fulton this weekend, a 100 percent German Pils malt that was blended with the most notable varietals of hops. You’ll find flavors of floral, lemon, hay-like sweet honey straw, and a zesty, dry-but-soft lager. This one’s set to be the brewery’s house Pilsner, so make sure to grab a taste of the one that stands out so much to its brewers. ⟁

More double releases are coming up this weekend, with Väsen Brewing Company’s Triple Berry Sour and Mexican Lager can releases. Triple Berry Sour comes from their favorite saison, which they’ve soured and conditioned on hundreds of pounds of blackberry, blueberry, and boysenberry to create the “shockingly-purple, delightfully-sour” brew.

If you’re looking for color in your summer, this is the beer for you. Its purple body is topped with a bright pink head to create a big taste in this Belgian fruit bomb.

Thanks to a team in Richmond, Virginia Is For Lovers has defined the Commonwealth for decades now. Three Notch’d RVA Collab House has the perfect offshoot of our beloved state anthem to add to the mix: Cherries Are For Lovers, a Cherry Gose that keeps the summer colors going and brings a tasty side to the 50 Years of Love Campaign this year.

Cherries Are For Lovers is on tap now at Three Notch’d in Scott’s Addition, in the heart of the city’s favorite beer neighborhood (Beerborhood? Neighbeerhood? Neighborbeer? All of the above). It’s as bright as the days outside lately, and it’s a perfect weekend brew to cool down with after a long week in the sun.

Friday nights on the patio: Richmond’s favorite pastime, and especially when it’s the patio at Legend Brewing Company. Legend’s outdoor space is one of the best, by far, in town, and this weekend the Mike Lucci Band is coming out to make it even better.

If you’re a fan of rock and the blues, this is your time to shine. Get a glass of one of Legend’s delicious craft brews and grab a seat outside for a full evening of music, river views, and great eats with our longtime friends at Legend. And if the summer rain comes, don’t worry — they’ve got plenty of room inside to keep the music and the beers rolling on.

The month of multiple releases must truly be upon us, because we had more than I could count on one hand last week and we’ve got several running this week already. Steam Bell Beer Works is next up with Crooked Smile and Farmer’s Daughter this Friday, and both bring something unique to the table.

Crooked Smile starts off Steam Bell’s releases at 8.9% ABV, so it’ll be the perfect way to kick off your Friday night. This pillowy-soft Double IPA is packed with tropical fruit tastes and an “in your face” fruit punch, brewed with late-kettle additions to keep the bitterness small and the flavors huge. It’s been dry-hopped with two rounds of Azacca and Mosaic hops, and its English base malts are complemented with just the right amount of specialty malts to bring out a rich orange color.

Farmer’s Daughter follows up a bit lower at 6.4% ABV, and the Belgian Saison has an herbal aroma with a crisp, peppery dryness. Brewed with traditional malts and hops, this batch was made in white wine barrels and aged with second-use fruit to bring out the sour.

Celebrating Richmond’s finest: the 2019 Richmond Brewer’s Ball is happening tomorrow night at Historic Tredegar. Beer lovers are invited to come out and try hand-crafted beers from all of the city’s best (which, to be real, is too many to count with all the great brewers around here), with views, music, and prizes in both live and silent auctions. The event benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and honors 25 of the city’s leaders in the fight to find a cure.

RVA ON TAP: Pride in Richmond & Triple Releases

Caley Sturgill | June 19, 2019

Topics: beer, beer column, Castleburg, Center of the Universe, fine creek, garden grove, Hardywood, kindred spirit, Lickinghole Creek, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, The Answer, The Veil, Triple Crossing Beer

Did you miss me? This week, we’re jumping back in after a week off (thanks to all our beautiful beer people for being patient while I took my first vacation break from writing the column since last fall). I’m home from a lovely week with the fam, tanner than ever, and super stoked to be back to my beer world. We’re going to check out some extra-awesome events this week, and catch up on a few special releases that happened over my holiday. Local brewers are dropping tons of multiple releases this week, too, so if you’re in the mood to try something new, we’ve got you covered. Drink up, y’all!

Happy Pride Month, everyone! Your faves at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery are celebrating big. This coming Sunday, Hardywood is honoring all the folks over the years who have worked tirelessly, marched bravely, and stayed strong in the fight for human rights despite our nation’s enduring resistance to equality.

As Hardywood so notably stated, these rights are grounded “on the foundations of love and equity,” and they continue to write love into our future. Well said, y’all. And on that note, they’re throwing a party to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality with what they do best: beer.

For the high-spirited occasion, they’re bringing back a brew made for uplifting times like these. Tropic Like It’s Hot is Hardywood’s passion fruit, pineapple, and dragon fruit-laced sour recipe that comes along with a tart, dry finish to stay refreshed on hot days. During the event, they’re hosting three live bands plus two drag shows, and tons of awesome local vendors. Catch places like Dayum This is My Jam, Maven Made, Chop Chop RVA and more, plus food trucks like Haulin’ Balls and King of Pops. Yum!

The Veil Brewing Co. has more than one something up their sleeves. Cherry-Mang Tastee dropped last night, along with Taste Test and the return of Crucial Shredder.

Cherry-Mang Tastee started off the group, and it’s not your usual brew. This smoothie-style sour ale was created with milk sugar and cherry and mango purées. You can catch it at the brewery now (while they last), along with Taste Test: a West Coast-inspired Double IPA. Taste Test is fresh to the taps, a brand-new release brewed with Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial, and whole-leaf Cascade hops. The Veil’s third release in this week’s Tuesday night series, Crucial Shredder, is making its second debut at the brewery as a blend between two old favorites. I’m sure you remember Crucial Taunt, a fan favorite and delightfully-hoppy beer that’s now been blended with Master Shredder to create this 5.5% ABV collab brew.

Speaking of old favorites, Pegasus Double IPA is making its way back to Final Gravity Brewing Co. on Friday. This “mystical blend” of pineapple, citrus, and fresh pine was made to send your tastebuds soaring — and it’s meant to create a surge of flavor reminiscent of the magnificent beast it’s named after.

According to Final Gravity, much like the legend that “the winged horse struck his hoof to the Earth,” Pegasus DIPA will inspire its drinkers with the surge of flavor that comes from its Falconer’s Flight hops. It carries a golden haze in color, and it’s got a nice citrusy-hop flavor in its profile.

Richmond brewers are really upping their multiple-release game this week. First with The Veil and again with Canon & Draw Brewing Company, this trend is one I’m on board with. Canon & Draw is dropping their Peaches n’ Cream fruited IPA this Friday alongside their Sole Accomplice IPA, brewed with Simcoe hops and coming out as part of their fruited IPA series. Sole Accomplice is going to be a recurring theme over at the Main Street brewery, a rotating series that’ll highlight a specific hop with each new recipe it makes.

An extra-cool part of this week’s series is that Peaches n’ Cream is coming out on National Peaches n’ Cream Day. Who knew this was a thing?! Who’s been keeping this from me? I can’t wait to celebrate it.

While I was shoulder-deep in the ocean living the dream last week, The Answer got fresh goods in to your favorite brewpub in town. Everyone knows The Answer for their stellar glasses (let us not forget all the times they’ve excited gamers, fandoms and more with glassware for every interest) and they introduced a brand-new design. Their Platinum house glasses went on sale right after our last RVA On Tap together, so go grab one while you can!

In more news at The Answer, Medical Glycol Card dropped over our break as well. This Double IPA was brewed in collaboration with Burley Oak, and with its Cashmere, Enigma, and Cascade hops, the brewers noted its healing properties — but reminded us to “always consult your glycol shaman before you imbibe.”

Last Friday, in the spirit of more multiple releases, Triple Crossing Beer put out two fresh recipes and one beloved return in Fulton. Triple Crossing is already known for multiple releases, but they’ve set the standard for how to do it damn well every time.

Interstellar Burst started off last weekend’s new beers, a Double IPA with flavors of passionfruit, pineapple, grapefruit, and mango that was generously hopped with Galaxy, Citra, and El Dorado hops. It’s got deep and plush fruit flavors, according to the brewers, and it was the crowd favorite of the week. Nectar and Knife also made a new debut in Fulton, made with Simcoe and Mosaic hops to give off the bright, grapefruit-pulpy zest and softness of a DIPA well-done — and zero bitterness. Origins Double IPA returned to Triple Crossing as well, and it was inspired by the beautiful Northeastern U.S. It’s got a balanced caramel-malt sweetness to complement the bitterness of its hops — Simcoe, Centennial, Mosaic, and Amarillo — and its style was pioneered in the “densely-wooded” states it was made for.

In more events this week, don’t miss the Powhatan Music Festival with our buds at Fine Creek Brewing Company. Hosted out at the Village Meadow, the festival will be packed with live music all day long with artists like Maddie Leitch, East of Hollywood, PumpHouse Blues, Kyle Davis, and The Commonwealth Bluegrass Band.

You’ll get to catch some of your favorite local wineries in addition to the delicious brews served up by Fine Creek, and this “One Day of Music” will certainly be one for the books. Bring your kiddos along for cheaper tickets (and the littlest ones for free), and grab some grub and beer for the best Virginian-music spirit.

Kindred Spirit Brewing is dropping a new summer release on the first official day of the season, their Orange Dream fruity recipe. This orange and vanilla cream ale is designed to remind you of Dreamsicles and daydreaming under the clouds, and like Peaches n’ Cream, it blends the best kinds of fruit with the pillowy-softness of a cream ale. It’s coming out this Friday out at Kindred Spirit’s spot in Goochland, so head out west and start your weekend off right.

In *another* double release this weekend, Steam Bell Beer Works has two awesome recipes to bring to the table (or bar). On Friday, Idolic and Patchronce are coming out to the taps. Idolic is a complex malt, according to the brewers, with strong notes of caramel, raisin, and plum to give this Belgian ale’s yeast the room to work its magic. It’s “dangerously drinkable” at 10.7%, so don’t drink this one lightly — or do, and don’t remember your Friday. That’s on you, pal. It’s fruity and soft at the same time, and it’s coming out with Patchronce: A light-bodied French Saison that was brewed with raspberries and blackberries.

Keeping the trend going: More double releases, and this one’s special. Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is proud to introduce Hemp in the Hills and Juicy #12 this weekend, with food trucks like Sandtopia and Firesides stopping by over the course of the weekend.

If you’re feeling the events and the new releases at the same time, Lickinghole Creek’s got you covered. These beers are coming out with live music to go along with them, like Dropping Julia on Saturday and Michael Melvin on Sunday.

Rather than a one-day double release, these two are being celebrated all weekend long (so if you’re trying to make it out to more than one boozy event like myself this weekend, you can put Lickinghole Creek on your books no matter what).

As if you didn’t need more reasons to wag your tail, Center of the Universe Brewing has a huge one for all of us: Dogs! Bring your pups out tonight for Tail Waggin’ Wednesdays, with food trucks and live music outside at your favorite Ashland spot to brighten up your mid-week blues.

Proceeds from these Center of the Universe events go back to the Friends of Hanover Dog Parks and to the Hanover Humane Society. Freekin’ Rican is coming out for catering, and Ryan Hearn Music will be out rocking the Biergarten stage.

In case you didn’t hear, there is a *ton* of awesome live music coming up at Castleburg Brewery and Taproom. In the next week, we’ve got a good group of upcoming shows to plan on: like Kate Stedelbaur live at Castleburg this Friday, The Embalmers go Surf-Psycho on Saturday, Jim Lord live on Sunday, and Miki Fiki coming up next Wednesday. Castleburg is getting in gear for a good time, as it seems, and they’re here to make sure hardly any nights of your week go unfilled with fun.

Head over to Carytown, my friends, and join Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery in collaboration with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for Brew For A Cure. JDRF is making their way to Garden Grove on Saturday to drink beer for a cause (what’s better than that?) and further their mission to find a cure for type 1 diabetes with research support from the event and its attendees. With raffles and live music from 1:00-10:00pm, you can swing by any time of the day to grab a brew towards making a difference.

Standing Strong Against Hate

Oliver Mendoza | June 14, 2019

Topics: Bill Harrison, deadlifting, Diversity Richmond, fundraisers, Lucas Calhoun, Pride Month, Pull For Pride, Side By Side, Triple Crossing Beer

Richmond’s second Pull For Pride, in which participants deadlift big weights to raise funds for local LGBTQ charities, takes over Triple Crossing tomorrow.

In honor of Pride Month, Richmond will be hosting its second annual Pull For Pride fundraising event on June 15th at Triple Crossing in Fulton Hill. Pull For Pride is a deadlifting event geared towards raising funds for the LGBTQ community in Richmond, and is open to any and all weight classes. Participants will deadlift as much weight as they can, raising funds by independently collecting pledges of $1 for each pound they lift.

Last year, seven cities nationwide raised a combined $120,000, which was then evenly distributed to the participating cities. This year, Pull For Pride will feature 10 cities, including Brooklyn, Atlanta, Oakland, and our very own river city. Cassie Niemann, the director of the Richmond event, is responsible for bringing this event to Richmond, appealing to include the city in an already diverse list of cities. Niemann said they sold out of their 60 participating spots several weeks ago, then opened up five more spots, which sold out shortly thereafter.

“It is the most unique fundraiser that you’ve ever been to,” Niemann said. “It’s not like anything you’ve ever seen before.” According to Niemann, the focus for the funds raised will be on LGBTQ youth homelessness. The benefits will go towards two local organizations, Diversity Richmond, which serves Virginia’s LGBTQ community, and Side By Side, which specifically focuses on advocacy and support for LGBTQ youth. Niemann said Richmond has already raised over $6000, just over half of her goal of $10,000, with several days still remaining before the event.

*Diversity Richmond’s Bill Harrison faces the weights. (Photo via Diversity Richmond/Crowdrise)*

Diversity Richmond was one of the organizations involved in last year’s Pull For Pride event, and received approximately $4000 from the fundraiser. This year, Bill Harrison, Executive Director at Diversity Richmond, will be participating in the event himself — you can pledge to his Crowdrise campaign here. Harrison said this is the type of event that non-profits love, because they help to promote the event, the participants raise the funds, and the organizers do the legwork to make it all happen.

“I love this event because it’s very different from any other fundraiser that we participate in, and it brings in a whole new group of people for Diversity Richmond,” Harrison said, “And I can’t stress enough the building of community and raising the awareness of the organization.”

Pull For Pride is focused on the LGBTQ community, but this doesn’t stop allies from being involved and doing some heavy lifting of their own. Richmond-based professional wrestler Lucas Calhoun will be participating in Pull For Pride this year under the team name “We Fought A Zoo.” His goal is to lift 500 pounds and raise $1400; he has already raised over $400. The Crowdrise page for Calhoun’s team, “We Fought A Zoo,” can be found here.

“Picking up heavy things is one of the only real skills I have, and being able to put that to use in a charitable way is important,” Calhoun said. “I’ve got a bunch of trans, non-binary, and gay friends and individuals I work with, and it’s important for me to show that support.”

This year will be Calhoun’s first time participating in Pull For Pride, but it is not his first time participating in a weightlifting event. Calhoun said he’s done a few Strongman competitions, and though deadlifting isn’t his strongest event, he’s been training very hard in preparation for the event. After all, it’s important to him. “I’m not in the LGBTQ+ community myself, but just because I don’t deal with those struggles on a daily basis doesn’t mean I’m not aware of them and I’m not trying to support my friends,” Calhoun said.

The fun starts at 9 AM tomorrow, Saturday, June 15, at Triple Crossing Beer, located at 5203 Hatcher St in Fulton Hill. Cassie Niemann encourages everyone to come spectate and cheer on participants. Pull For Pride will be accepting donations on the spot, and there will be live music to accompany the sounds of weights crashing, all for a good cause. To learn more about the event, or to donate, you can visit their website at pullforpride.com/richmond.

Top Photo via Pull For Pride Richmond