Vasen Brewing Company

RVA ON TAP: Snow Dogs, Krampus, & Dashing Through The Fan

Caley Sturgill | December 19, 2018

Topics: Black Heath Meadery, Canon And Draw, Center of the Universe, Intermission Beer Company, RVA On Tap, Steam Bell Beer Works, strangeways, the answer brewpub, The Veil Brewing Company, Three Notch'd Brewing, Triple Crossing Beer, Vasen Brewing Company, VinePair

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 with news this week with beer releases and festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

Last week, we saw some great collabs with local breweries and tons of awesome events and releases in the area. We’ve got plenty more brews to warm you up this winter as we get ready to hit the holidays, and even a surprise snow pup at the end.

First, before we dive into Richmond’s brew news this week, I can’t get started without showing this video from Black Heath Meadery. Black Heath is hopping in on Richmond’s Krampus festivities, celebrating the evil alter-ego of Saint Nicholas. It’s no surprise in this town that the locals are into Krampus (especially with events like Carytown’s Krampus Walk, which went down last week) — Krampus is half-goat, half-demon, and he lures children into the depths of the underworld instead of hopping down their chimneys to deliver gifts. In case the world didn’t already know, Germany doesn’t mess around… In the U.S., we scare our kids into shape each December with Elf On The Shelf. In Central Europe, bad kids get dragged to hell. I kinda like Europe’s plan better.

Is it even possible for The Answer Brewpub to win more awards in a year? Richmond’s sweethearts have, once again, put the River City on the map for its stellar brews. This time around, The Answer was named one of the 10 Best Breweries in the Nation (!!) by Vinepair. Starting off to say there’s no need to question where to begin a Richmond brewery tour, Vinepair are big fans of The Answer (and how could they not be?) — they noted owner An Bui’s standing as a 2018 James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist, as well as Bui’s restaurant and the brewery’s neighbor, Mekong, for its pho. “The jovial vibe at the brewpub and restaurant are visible and palpable, making it a must for any Virginia-bound beer lover,” they said, and we’re 100 percent behind it.

“Come All Ye Scavengers!” It’s time to get freaky in the Fan with Canon And Draw and all your favorite Fan restaurants. Dashing Thru The Fan is a scavenger hunt that hides a $25 gift card every day at a participating restaurant/bar in the neighborhood. Every day at 5pm, head out to your favorite spots around the area and try your luck. The catch: Gift cards for a certain location will never be hidden at that actual location — so if you want to get some free bucks at your favorite spot, you’ve got to get out and support other local businesses to up your chances. Richmond locals always do a great job of lifting each other up around town, and this is a perfect opportunity to give your love to a few places at once and keep local business thriving.

Yuuuuum, dessert in beer! Steam Bell Beer Works is dropping their Maple Tiramisu Stout this Friday, marrying of my favorite things in the whole world together in one beautiful, chocolatey goodness. Maple Tiramisu Stout is packed with notes of vanilla, chocolate, roasted coffee, and…. “Maple, eh!” I can’t imagine a better combination than tiramisu and a bit of maple syrup, but my sweet tooth is off the charts — I grew up watching my mother eat Tiramisu for breakfast (not a joke), in case you wondered why. This stout batch is blended with organic maple, adding a little extra oomph to the breweries signature Tiramisu Stout. Also fresh to the Steam Bell family this Friday is their Bourbon Barrel Tiramisu Stout, bringing back last year’s delicious batch. A year ago, the brewers poured the rest of their beloved beer into A. Smith Bowman Distillery bourbon barrels straight from the distillery, and the oak and bourbon flavors bring a warm richness to the recipe with its whole vanilla beans.

Way Down South is playing live at the brewery the same night, so head over to Steam Bell for all your wintery-country needs. I know it’s right up my alley!

Intermission Beer Company is keeping it toasty this week with the release of their Winter Warmer. This one’s a great mid-season brew to have on deck, with a stronger alcohol content as the days get colder, and a nice combination of winter spices to roll through the season. The 9.3% ABV spiced-holiday ale is inspired by Kate, a friend of the brewery’s, Ginger Molasses cookie — so Winter Warmer is truly made with love. You’ll find vanilla, clove, and ginger notes in this recipe, and you can give it a try at the brewery in Glen Allen.

Right after we got together last week, Väsen Brewing Company dropped their Strawberry Kiwi Puffin beer. If you’re looking for a way to beat the winter weather, Väsen’s got you covered. Strawberry Kiwi Puffin is a classic, slightly tart German wheat brew that’s conditioned with kiwi and strawberry. It’s got the perfect blend of fruity flavor to bring you back to that warm place in your long-lost summer memories, and it’s even got malty notes of biscuit and honey to tie it all together. Strawberry Kiwi sounds like it was born to go with sunshine, and it’s a refreshing flavor profile to see this time of year.

⟁ If you find yourself in Fulton Hill over the weekend, be sure to swing by Triple Crossing Beer for another triple release from the East End favorites. First on the agenda this Friday is Clever Girl. This 6% APA is an American IPA, keeping up the fruity flavors into the winter with a light-bodied texture and green tropical citrus notes. It comes out this weekend alongside Battle Creek, a 100 percent Mosaic DIPA fermented with their house ale strain, and “a serious amount of malted white wheat,” according to the brewers. They also report its opening with a dank orange zest, melon-like vanilla cream — which leads into Triple Crossing’s “perpetual and constant state of refinement in softer feel.” They are the masters of the mouthfeel, and this one sounds like a dream.

Over at Strangeways, a brand-new brew dropped over last weekend. Pyrus is a Foraged Pear Saison, made from Callery pears on their Fredericksburg property. Strangeways is killing the local game, growing their own fruits and making their beer straight from their land. Pyrus is full of impart tart and tannic notes from its pears, rounded out by malted wheat from Murphy & Rude Malting Co. in Charlottesville. This one’s a light beer, which makes it awesome for “food pearing” (nice) and not filling up too hard during the chilly weather.

Koelschip season is back at The Veil! And boy, are they excited about it. The local brewers are big on this type of brew, a series of Lambic-inspired beers that go through a pretty extensive process to make it to your mug. Each brew is turbid-mashed and boiled with aged hops to begin, then inoculated with The Veil’s Koelschip with “natural micro-flora from the cool night’s air.” They’re fermented one more time in oak barrels for up to four years, then blended and sent to the taps to make it into your glass. The Veil notes that these are their favorite beers to make, and with so many tasty options already, if this one’s their favorite, I know it’s on my list.

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, Can’t you see? Sometimes your stouts just hypnotize me.

Three Notch’d Brewing Company takes the cake this week for best beer name. Big Poppa Biggie S’mores Imperial Stout is one you won’t want to miss, according to the brewers, and this spin on the classic Biggie S’mores has more chocolate, graham cracker, and marshmallow to give this 9.7% ABV stout a unique, rich, malty, and extra-chocolatey taste. Grab ‘em while they’re hot, because this seasonal won’t stick around forever!

Center of the Universe is getting Richmond in the spirit this weekend. Head on over to the brewery and showcase your best (and worst) holiday attire for their Fugly Sweater Party. Fugly = Festive + Ugly. It’ll be a beautiful rainbow of all the worst holiday looks in one room, and I can’t wait to see the photos afterward. In the excitement of the season, Center of the Universe also took full advantage of the snow last week, and made a Snow Dog of this sweet pup, Maude. I couldn’t resist showing this snowy furball in all her glory before we bid adieu until next time.

Happy Holidays, Maude! I love you.

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 Shows You Must See This Week: July 25 – July 31

Marilyn Drew Necci | July 25, 2018

Topics: Agents Of Good Roots, Bio Ritmo, Black Alley, Bush League, Chance Fischer, Charmer, Cyber Twin, Descendency, Downhaul, gallery 5, Gritter, Illiterate Light, Jigsaw Youth, Loud Night, Marcus Tenney Quartet, Percussor, Regan, shows you must see, Stars Hollow, strange matter, The Broadberry, The Canal Club, The Gasoline Gypsies, The Native Howl, Toxic Moxie, Two Cars, US Bastards, Vagabond, Vasen Brewing Company, Vegan Llamas, Weird Tears, Wonderland, Zeke

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, July 28, 12 PM
Vasen One-Year Anniversary Party, feat. Bio Ritmo, Black Alley, The Bush League, Chance Fischer, Illiterate Light, Toxic Moxie @ Vasen Brewing Company – $5 – 30 (order tickets HERE)
You know, when I used to live in Scott’s Addition, it was dead on the weekends — and really even on weekdays once 5 PM rolled around. I used to go for walks down its empty industrial streets in the evenings and marvel at the solitude I was able to achieve in the middle of a hustling city. What a difference a decade makes, huh? These days, Scott’s Addition is the hot neighborhood in town, with a thriving scene of breweries, arcade bars, and all that other fun stuff. One of the recently arrived mainstays of that area is Vasen Brewing Company, and they’re planning an all-day party this weekend to celebrate their one-year anniversary that is sure to have Scott’s Addition jumping all day!

This isn’t just a music thing, either — the party brings together a whole bunch of other breweries in the area, all of which will be on the scene to serve you, as will be plenty of food trucks. Presentations with an environmental-conservation theme from groups like GroundworkRVA as well as the James River Park System will take place at various points, and you’ll have the opportunity for a variety of entertaining activities, from fly-casting lessons to miniature golf! There’s a ton to do at this event.

But of course, here at RVA Must-See Shows the main thing we care about is the music, and there’ll be a ton of this too. Vasen have brought together talented artists from all over the Virginia area to give you an eclectic trip through multiple genres. Local salsa mainstays Bio Ritmo are headlining the musical portion of the festivities, and they’ll be joined by DC-area modern soul group Black Alley. Richmond’s underrated electric-blues veterans The Bush League will be on hand to lay down some heavy grooves in the tradition of Howlin’ Wolf and Junior Kimbrough, while Chance Fischer will let loose his A-plus lyrical flow on some killer hip hop beats. You’ll even get the energetic alt-rock of Illiterate Light and the disco-punk bounce of Toxic Moxie in the bargain. What more could you ask for? Best of all, for non-drinkers like myself, the cheapest option for this day of fun in the sun is the designated driver’s ticket — only $5! For once you’ll be rewarded for not joining your friends in partaking of the demon alcohol. And by a brewery, no less! I don’t know about you, but I’m sold.

Wednesday, July 25, 9 PM
Marcus Tenney Quartet @ Vagabond – Free!
It flies a bit under the radar, at least locally, but there’s a really strong jazz scene bubbling just under the surface in this town, if you know where to look. And these days, the place to look is often Vagabond, the spot where illustrious soul-jazz quintet Butcher Brown recorded a real stunner of a live album released just this past year. And it’s no real surprise, therefore, to find Butcher Brown’s Marcus Tenney returning to that spot to celebrate the release of his latest set as bandleader, Moment. This new release, out today on local label American Paradox (home of Kenneka Cook and Sid Kingsley, among others), is Tenney’s first at the head of a quartet. However, the group is merely an expansion of his prior trio, which was responsible for the excellent As You See It half a decade ago.

The Marcus Tenney Quartet is like a lot of other jazz ensembles from this particularly prolific corner of the scene — in that, other than keyboardist Calvin Brown, all of its members are also in Butcher Brown. This is a familiar situation for veterans of the similarly incestuous punk, metal, and screamo scenes, and it happens for the same reason with jazz groups as it does for the more heavily-inclined of the music world. Different people have different things they want to express. You can’t get all of them into the same band and still have a cohesive band identity. So you start another group, as Tenney has here to lay down some traditional bop jazz that would be right at home in the clubs Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins were playing 60 or so years ago. The smooth sounds of Moment are currently only audible in 30-second preview clips on Amazon, but they’ll delight far more fully when given room to stretch out tonight at Vagabond. The show is free, but that only frees up some cash for you to pick up a copy of the Marcus Tenney Quartet’s new release for yourself.

Thursday, July 26, 7 PM
Jigsaw Youth, Cyber Twin, Weird Tears @ Gallery 5 – $5
This one’s gonna be a great big bunch of noisy fun. Your headliners, Jigsaw Youth, are a trio of teenage girls with a ton of rage to get out, as they did on with aplomb on their 2017 debut LP, America’s Sweethearts. While the band’s name betrays an obvious debt to Bikini Kill, there’s a grungier sound at work in this trio’s music, making them closer to the melodically-infused alt-rock snarl of L7 and 7 Year Bitch than any straight-up riot grrrl vibes. What’s more, there’s an obvious sense of humor leavening the rage here too — clearly visible on songs like “Aunt Jenny’s Got My Back” and “But You’re Not Dave Grohl :(” (yes, the emoticon is part of the title).

Jigsaw Youth are joined on this bill by Harrisonburg’s Cyber Twin, a still youthful but not quite teenage crew led by singer-guitarist Mike Flaig, who you’d be forgiven for mistaking at first listen for a young Billie Joe Armstrong. Cyber Twin have a definite Green Day feel, though they come at it from an unusual angle and as a result end up sounding far more original than you’d expect a clearly Green Day-inspired band to sound. They’re really worth a closer look, which you can give them at Gallery 5 tomorrow night. And of course, you can catch the opening set from mysterious locals Weird Tears as well — I know they’ve got members of Bad Magic, Cherry Pits, and Unmaker, but that doesn’t really tell me much. We’ll all find out when they take the stage, won’t we?

Friday, July 27, 9 PM
Gritter, Percussor, Descendency @ Wonderland – $5
Damn — this is the end of an era. I first saw Gritter a decade ago, back when they were still called Rube, and they’ve been on the Richmond scene ever since, cranking out dark, powerful metal riffs in the vein of classic work by Pantera and Lamb Of God, among others. They’ve released four albums over the course of their decade as a band, but member shakeups and financial setbacks have prevented them from ever going as far as they liked; they expressed their frustrations in the title of last year’s full-length, Nobody Cares. But now Gritter are calling it quits, playing their last show ever at Wonderland this Friday night — and if Richmond really doesn’t care, this whole city is blowing it in a big way. Go enjoy their existence while you still can; god knows we’ll all be worse off without them in this city.

Gritter isn’t the only reason to come out to Wonderland Friday night, though — they’re joined on this show by two killer death metal groups from up the Eastern Seaboard, and all you headbangers would be fools to miss either of them. Philadelphia’s Percussor have their roots in the Northeast death metal scene of the 90s, and carry on that tradition perfectly on 2017’s Remnants Of Horror. This album’s classic brutal death metal attack is delivered with venomous rage — as song titles like “Rejoicing Your Death” and “Fuck Your Opinion” make extremely clear. The bill is rounded out by Delaware’s Descendency, who have the sort of thrashing yet somehow groovy rage that reminds me of early-90s experiments in the genre by Pro-Pain, John Bush-era Anthrax, and Biohazard. These guys will get you moving for sure — show up on time and ready to mosh!

Saturday, July 28, 8 PM
Agents Of Good Roots, Regan @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
When you think of Virginia alternative bands who got signed to major labels in the post-Nirvana feeding frenzy of the 90s, Agents Of Good Roots probably aren’t the first name that pops to mind (though, like the guy you’re thinking of, Agents Of Good Roots did have a saxophone player). However, this Richmond band certainly had a good run back in those days; their 1998 major-label debut, One By One, spawned a minor hit, “Come On,” and was certainly a fun listen. It remains one, even now, but Agents Of Good Roots have long since disbanded.

These days, sax player JC Kuhl and drummer Brian Jones remain active in the jazz scene around Richmond. However, last year’s reunion show, a tribute to their deceased manager, Jeff Peskin, was the first time in over a decade that Agents of Good Roots graced a Richmond stage. Fortunately, they had enough fun that they’ve decided to keep playing, and they’ll come to The Broadberry once again this weekend to give us all a great set encompassing their career highlights. From the bouncing rock n’ roll of their big hit, “Come On,” to the funky reggae tunes and smooth-swinging ballads that dotted their albums, this band has a lot of great songs to bring to you once again, and you’re sure to find yourself “Smiling Up The Frown” once again when they hit the stage this Saturday night. Whether you loved them in the 90s or just discovered them last year, you should definitely grab this opportunity to go see Agents Of Good Roots. After all, who knows how many more times they’ll do this?

Sunday, July 29, 6 PM
The Native Howl, The Gasoline Gypsies, Vegan Llamas @ The Canal Club – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
You know, if I hadn’t heard it, I never would have believed it was a thing, but it’s all true: The Native Howl are a Michigan band who use instruments typical to the bluegrass genre (mainly banjos and acoustic guitars) to make thrash metal music that veers from Iron Maiden-ish triumphant power to straight-up black metal riffage. Of course, there’s still a fair bit of bluegrass styling in there — though some of that seems more due to the fact that even some of Iron Maiden’s more melodic riffs would have a down-home feel if you played them on banjos. This strange convergence of metal and country sounds has been on the rise for years now; groups like Huntsmen and Liberteer have shown unexpected ways in which these two wildly different sounds can coexist, and I suppose The Native Howl is just the latest example of that unlikely union.

The group is just about to release their fourth LP, Out Of The Garden And Into The Darkness, and preview single “Into The Darkness” manages to combine the spooky feel of foreboding mid-20th century country ballads with the ominous riffage of Scandinavian metal. No matter which side of the line between these two genres feels more at home to you, you’re sure to be thrown by your first listen to The Native Howl. But stick with it for a while, and you might be surprised to discover how much you enjoy what you’re hearing. They’ll come to town with fellow Michigan residents The Gasoline Gypsies, who might want to reconsider that band name but are definitely on the right track when it comes to music; their catchy blend of blues, Southern rock, and country sounds manages to be equally reminiscent of the Allman Brothers and Blind Melon, and that’s definitely not a bad thing. This show will be a fun way to wrap up your weekend — even if you don’t know what to make of it at first.

Monday, July 30, 8 PM
Zeke, US Bastards, Loud Night @ Strange Matter – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Oh damn, this is gonna be a wild one. Zeke is a wild n’ crazy punk band who got their start in the 90s. At the time, they were a bit of an anomaly; despite writing riffs with the rollicking rock n’ roll spirit of classic garage punk, they played so fast that their tempos were closer to hardcore than anything else. On albums like Flat Tracker, they left other punk bands in the dust; the only band that could come close to hanging with them was The Dwarves. Lyrically, they were preoccupied by concerns relating to racing; the title of their 2007 EP, Lords Of The Highway, told the story.

After that EP’s release, Zeke dropped out of sight for a while, but they’re back in 2018 with their first new release in over a decade, Hellbender. This album shows that from lyrical preoccupations to typical tempo, Zeke hasn’t lost a step during their time away. Songs like “Two Lane Blacktop,” “Ride On,” and “Redline” find this band still singing about fast cars at a pedal-to-the-metal tempo sure to appeal to fans of legendary hardcore bands like 9 Shocks Terror and Career Suicide, even as it draws in the New Bomb Turks and Reverend Horton Heat fans who don’t mind having their hair blown back by sheer speed. Local openers US Bastards and Loud Night know how to crank up the speed, power, and fury, and will be the perfect appetizer for the knuckle sandwich Zeke’s gonna feed you.

Tuesday, July 31, 7 PM
Charmer, Stars Hollow, Downhaul, Two Cars @ Gallery 5 – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
As a supposed music scholar, it’s a little embarrassing for me to admit this… but I didn’t realize that Richmond-based thrash quartet Charmer wasn’t the only band with that name. What’s more, when I realized that the non-Richmond Charmer (who, in case you haven’t guessed, are the band with that name headlining this show) were an emo band signed to No Sleep Records, I was even more ashamed. I love stuff like this! How did I miss these guys? I’m making up for that now — their brand-new self-titled debut album has been knocking me out ever since I found out about it, and its mixture of tangled Algernon Cadwallader-style guitar leads and the pensive moods of prime Hotelier material has won me over in a big way. (Don’t worry, RVA Charmer, I still love you too!)

Charmer are coming through town with Stars Hollow, and this equally emotional trio from Ames, IA have an emo sound as well. However, excellent recent EP Happy Again displays a nervier, more energetic take on the genre, stirring some of the anxieties given evocative expression by bands like Snowing and Joyce Manor. And as tightly wound as this EP sounds, blasting it through headphones offers a comforting catharsis that really needs to be appreciated in a live environment. These two groups are sure to bring an incredible show to Gallery 5 Tuesday night, and they’ll be ably abetted by local up-and-comers Downhaul and newbies Two Cars, both of whom have emo-ish vibes of their own to offer.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [and yeah, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Tapped: Strangeways Brewing Turns Five, Hardywood’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake Berliner Weisse, & Canon and Draw’s Corrosive Haze IPA

RVA Staff | July 11, 2018

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Canon & Draw Brewing, Center Of The Universe Brewing, Hardywood Brewery, Strangeways Brewing Company, Triple Crossing Brewing, Väsen, Vasen Brewing Company

If you missed last week’s beer news, you can check those out here. Our cup is overflowing with news this week from releases to events, and other cool happenings around town, so hold on to your mugs because we’re getting ready to tap this thing!

Strangeways Brewing is turning five! In honor of their fifth anniversary, Strangeways is having events all week long including beer releases, free movie night, burlesque, field day, free live music, food, and a day for you and your pups. Releases this week will include the Dr. FouDre Vintage brew, the Apes in the Hammock Sour Saison, and their latest IPA. The Moon Taxi IPA has flavors of lime, passion fruit, and mango, is double dry-hopped with heavy doses of Galaxy and Wakatu hops, and makes for the perfect citrus summer drink.

Hardywood is releasing a berliner weisse can beer this Friday, July 13 that’s a refreshing and tart take on a Southern classic. The Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a german-style sour wheat ale and is sure to be a lovely refreshment to battle the July heat.

For live music and new brews, head to Canon & Draw Brewing Company this Friday to hear The Soul Proprietors play live in the taproom while trying their latest can release, Corrosive Haze IPA. This beer is a sour IPA fruited with cherries, blueberries and strawberries.

In honor of Friday the 13th, Väsen Brewing Company is teaming up with Red Vein for another year of Books, Brews & Boos to combine spooky storytelling with Väsen brews and Firesides food truck. Live music and horror books will play center stage in Vasen’s taproom, while author panels will take place in the back barrel room. Get ready for a spooky night.

Ardent’s latest summer blend arrives tomorrow, July 12: the Summer American Sour Blend. The blonde ale is aged in oak barrels and blended with pink guava and pineapples. The sour blend is a restrained sour ale that features juicy, fruity flavors with minimal sweetness and a pleasant pineapple aroma. Curry in a Hurry food truck will appear to help introduce the new beer until 10 p.m.

Guest brewer Roy Gilbert, who won the opportunity at the 2018 Balderino event at the brewery, teamed up with Center of the Universe Brewing to release Meagan Märzen’s German lager. This lager includes 2-row barley, Munich malt, and pilsner malt, and is then fermented with their house lager strain. The result is a crisp, malty beer with a touch of hops.

Triple Crossing will be releasing three new cans this Friday: the All Citra IPA, Dawn Chorus DIPA, and the Blank Shore DIPA. Each one unique and perfect for summer, Triple Crossing is prepping to have plenty cases available. The Blank Shore DIPA is sure to satisfy, and includes Enigma, the new U.S. hop cultivar from Australia. It has a unique, bright, tropical fruit character and also has impressions of green tropical fruit, lime, and white wine citrus leading into a soft and plush finish.

Submissions or ideas for Tapped can be emailed to Amy at [email protected] Cheers!

Tapped photo by: Hardywood Brewing

Tapped: July 4th Festivites and Releases at Triple Crossing, Lickinghole Creek’s Annual Pig Roast, and Isley’s Czech Pilsner

RVA Staff | July 4, 2018

Topics: Ardent craft ales, Buskey Cider, Center of the Universe Brewing Company, independence day, Isley Brewing Company, JUly 4th, Lickinghole Creek, Triple Crossing Brewing, Väsen, Vasen Brewing Company

Nearly every brewery in RVA is wishing you a Happy 4th today, with events lasting until 6 p.m. at many spots and some last all day, welcoming in the evening fireworks to keep the beer flowing. Head to Triple Crossing for a 4th of July can release, introducing two new brews. The Fierce Abandon IPA features Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops with fruity and citrus flavors, while the Illuminati Confirmed DIPA has a tropical feel.

Lickinghole Creek is continuing their tradition of the July 4th Annual Pig Roast at their Goochland farm location, featuring all their best brews and BBQ from Papa V’s Backyard Grill Catering and Food Truck.

Isley Brewing will be kicking off their “First Responders Appreciation Month” with an Independence Day party and the release of their very first lager, the Isley Czech Pilsner. The recipe includes a European Pilsner Malt, Carafoam, and a touch of Munich Crystal, and utilizes only one hop varietal, the Czech Saaz Hop, making for a crisp, balanced, and easy-drinking pilsner.

Teaming up with River City Wood Fire Pizza, Ardent is hosting their 4th of July party with extended hours and featuring a special new pizza with apricot preserves, goat cheese, parmesan, smoked bacon, red pepper flakes, finishing with arugula and spicy honey. Their festivities last until 10 p.m.

Looking forward to the weekend, Väsen is hosting a beer release party this Saturday to introduce their new Smoked Farmhouse beer.

Buskey Cider is releasing their Barrel Reserve #5 on Saturday, a collaboration with the Virginia Distillery Company. This cider is bright, woody, and includes a splash of the distillery’s bourbon.

Finally, Center of the Universe Brewing is hosting their first ever Fried Food Fest this Saturday, featuring six vendors including the beloved Mama J’s, Lunch and Supper, and On the ROX. The event will include live music from The Atkinsons and The Articles, and a special surprise beer release to top it all off. The event lasts from noon until 7 p.m.

Submissions or ideas for Tapped can be emailed to Amy at [email protected] Cheers!

Tapped Photo By: Triple Crossing Brewery

TAPPED: Cheers to Independence at Strangeways, Castleburg’s Prepare to DIePA, & Väsen’s Smoked Blood Peach Sour

RVA Staff | June 27, 2018

Topics: Blue Bee Cider, Castleburg Brewery, Fine Creek Brewing Company, Hardywood, RVA beer, rva beer news, tapped, triple crossing, Vasen Brewing Company

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

If you missed last week’s beer news, you can check those out here. Our cup is overflowing with news this week from releases to events, and other cool happenings around town, so hold on to your mugs because we’re getting ready to tap this thing!

Breweries all around town are gearing up for Independence Day, and Strangeways Brewing is no exception. This Saturday is their “Cheers to Independence” Beer Release. They’ll be releasing a whopping four beers for the event, starting with the Everlasting Light Lime Kolsch, a light, crisp ale made with Mandarina Bavaria hops and boiled with lime and kaffir lime leaf. They’ll also feature a new IPA, the Work Jorts IPA, a new sour ale, the Comfortably Plum American Sour, and the Cantilever Dark Ale, a hybrid of several beer styles with a malty backbone, some character of hops, and the crispness of a blonde ale.

The event starts 11 a.m. Saturday and lasts all day, and teachers receive 20 percent off all in-house beer.

Tonight, Castleburg Brewery and Taproom will release their latest IPA: You Killed My Father, Prepare to DIePA. An homage to our favorite vengeful Spaniard from the popular film ‘The Princess Bride,’ it’s a beer even Inigo Montoya could enjoy after a long day of sword training. It will slice through your tastebuds with citra, comet, mandaria bavaria, and flavors of nuget–and for the bloodthirsty avenger in you, don’t be surprised to find notes of blood orange.

Back by popular demand, Väsen Brewing will be re-releasing their Smoked Blood Peach Sour brew tonight. The beer’s summery vibes of citrus and peach combine with a light smokiness and hints of toffee make it a fan favorite. Be sure to stop by their Paint Party starting at 6 p.m., as local artist Shay Wilson will guide you through painting on reclaimed wood canvas as you sip away.

Triple Crossing has teamed up with Foam Brewers to create a few new juicy brews, one of which will release this Friday. The Distance DDH IPA perfectly combines the new brewers’ techniques and makes an interesting combination of yeast and hops. Bold notes of ripe mango, key lime pie, orange rind, and pineapple make it a great summer treat, and will be released alongside the Falcon Smash IPA.

Recreating a historical beer that originated in Berlin, Hardywood is releasing Cucumber Berliner Weisse–a light, refreshing, and tart beer that the Germans of old sipped to beat the heat. Hardywood uses traditional German ingredients along with a kettle souring method and will be releasing their newest canned beer this Friday.

Looking for a place to watch the fireworks on the 4th, but don’t want the crowd? Blue Bee Cider has the perfect solution. Join them next Wednesday for the release of their Firecracker New Vintage small batch cider, a ginger-infused eau de vie fortified apple brandy with plenty of pineapple aroma, a rich, smooth sweetness, and ginger zing on the finish. Kids and dogs are welcome, and the event kicks off at 1 p.m.

Submissions or ideas for Tapped can be emailed to Amy at [email protected] Cheers!

Featured Image: Strangeways Brewing

RVA #31: Väsen Brewing Company Owners Talk Beginnings, Sours, & Future Plans

John Reinhold | January 11, 2018

Topics: craft beer, RVA beer, RVA breweries, RVA craft beer, RVA On Tap, Scott's Addition, Vasen Brewing Company

There weren’t any local breweries pouring an IPA-free menu when Väsen Brewing Company opened with its mix of farmhouse ales, sours, and Flemish reds. The Scandinavian-inspired brewery is a novel development in Scott’s Addition’s burgeoning beer scene. RVA Mag President John Reinhold sat down with the founders, cousins Tony Giordano and Joey Darragh, to learn how they got their start, what they do differently, and what they plan for the future.

Originally printed in RVA #31 WINTER 2017, you can check out the issue HERE or pick it up around Richmond now.

What gave you the idea to start a brewery?

Tony Giordano: This whole thing started eight years ago, on a day with our grandfather, drinking some Oskar Blues from a can. We were like, “Dude, we could totally open a brewery.” It took us this long to get it up and rolling and learn everything we actually needed to know.

You grew up together in Northern Virginia, but then you went out to Boulder to get your feet wet with big beer production, right?

TG: Yeah, [Boulder Beer is] still a craft brewery because it’s under a certain number of barrels, but I was out there to cover all the bases, learn the machinery, bottling lines, canning, keg lines.

What did you two do before this?

TG: I was a U.S. Army Ranger from 2003 to 2007. I got out, got accepted to University of Colorado for a degree in environmental science. I went out there and just fell in love with the craft scene; it was booming. I got to meet a whole lot of people from the industry, and started working on a bottling line for like, $9 an hour.

What about you, Joey? What’s your background?

JD: Around the same time he moved to Colorado I moved to California to go to grad school at Stanford for mechanical engineering. After I graduated, I got a job at Tesla.

That’s a dream job. Why’d you leave?

JD: Well, I was there for six years. At the time I started they had just started developing the Model S, and that was my main project. Lots of testing and tool development.

When I started, the company was about 500 people. When I left, it was over 15,000. It had transformed a lot while I was there and my interest is in smaller companies, startups. To wear a lot of hats and just do a lot of experiments, make mistakes, learn along the way.

Why did you come to Richmond?

TG: We decided it would be best to head home; we have all our family here. And Virginia hadn’t been represented by a strong sour or farmhouse presence yet. Northern Virginia is great, but we wanted somewhere that was a little laid back.

My brother was at VCU at the time. He was like, “Come check out Richmond.” [We looked here and] Charlottesville, and we were like, we want to be in Richmond.

It’s a great beer scene, but people outside the industry sometimes think there’s almost too much. Is that a real concern?

JD: No, not coming from Boulder, Denver, and the San Francisco Bay. Even though Richmond is kind of unique, a smaller city, and actual density of breweries per capita is high, the overall numbers are still relatively low given that there’s a lot of tourism here and surrounding counties outside of Richmond.

TG: We’re still not even relatively close to other metropolitan areas.

What brought you to Scott’s Addition?

JD: It was in our top three neighborhoods, but it was this building. We had very specific needs, like tall ceilings for these tanks. They had to be at least 20 feet tall.

TG: Because this building is so large, it had sat on the market for two and a half years. It was just such a huge space. We were the first ones to rent here. We walked in and I just saw this long, beautiful hallway, with all this natural light.

What were your biggest challenges?

JD: Fundraising and legal red tape. We had a seed to start with, but when it came time to put our money where our mouth is and start buying equipment, we had to look into loans. It was a slog.

TG: Beer-wise, it was trying to get people in Richmond, a really IPA-heavy town, to come to our place, where we had no IPAs on the menu. We’re trying to change people’s palates. Strangeways had sours, but we do our sours in a different manner. The response we’ve seen so far has been super positive.

Image may contain: drink — Guava Gose 7 Session Saison

It’s harder to make a sour, right? What’s the turnaround difference?

TG: A lot harder. It takes five weeks. For an IPA, we do three or two weeks.

JD: Our beers are more dependent on yeast and bacteria, which is a lot harder to control. They are living creatures, you have to understand how to keep them happy.

What’s your growth goal? Are there plans to expand out of state?

TG: At max capacity, we’ll be able to produce 16,000 barrels of beer a year, and that doesn’t include our sours. So we’ll be able to cover the entire state of Virginia and parts of D.C. probably. We don’t want to leave the state.

Where did your different beer styles come from?

TG: At Boulder Beer, we made a lot of traditional beers, ales, IPAs, porters, stouts, a lot of cask beer on a large scale. But [that] wasn’t the type of beer we wanted to make. So we traveled to Germany, Belgium, England, and finally Sweden, looking for traditional styles of beer that we could make here.

And your sour program is amazing.

TG: I don’t want to call them all sours, they cover a wide gamut. Right now we’ve got a golden sour, a Flemish red, a Bière de Garde, even a Bière de Miel that we made with Bill from Blackheath. And the farmhouse beer! Everybody made the jump from IPAs to sours but there’s this awesome middle ground, and that’s going to be our biggest push in bottles. We’re bottle conditioning to start releasing in January or February.

How do you set yourself apart, outside of your beers?

JD: It’s important to us to engage with the broader Richmond community, the outdoors, the environment, non-profits. We’ve met athletes, non-profits that are doing things like clean-ups. We’re trying to support them through time and money, but also in getting them together to build a bigger community.

What’s the long-term goal? Start-up, build, then sell?

TG: No way. We made this to start a family business. We consider John [our lab guy] family, my brother might start working here, and honestly, I think the days of those deals are done anyway. For us, we’re just going to build out on our own.

Photo Credits: Vasen Brewing Company