Monthly Archives: July 2013

Pre-Game Virginia Craft Beer Month At Strangeways Compendium of Curiosities

Strangeways Taproom SignVirginia Craft Beer Month officially starts tomorrow Thursday August 1st but you can get your party on with Strangeways’ Compendium of Curiosities tonight.

The compendium is all new tonight and includes:

I.  MONKEY PICKED WALLONIAN DAWN HONEY SAISON:  We have to start by saying that this is not a joke.  Growing on some of the steepest mountains in the world are the highly sought after Golden Oolong tea leaves (used in this Imperial Reserve blend), which are infused delicately into this one of a kind creation.  It is so dangerous to procure these leaves that man requires the aid of only the most talented and agile of climbers…monkeys that have been carefully trained by Buddhist monks.  We do not recommend A.F.M. to make this scintillating climb unless he has only been drinking our Super Session-able Saison.  A perfect match!

II.  CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY WOODBOOGER BELGIAN BROWN ALE:  Emperor’s Chocolate Elixir provides subtle hints of dark chocolate which are then accentuated with luscious red raspberries and interwoven in the deep textures of our complex Belgian Brown Ale.  Liquid dessert!

III.  SAMURAI CHAI MIXOLYDIAN RAG RYE BOCK:  A unique Japanese tea is formed by blending roasted and popped rice with an amazing green sencha.  Then a healthy addition of fresh ground chai spices is made.  The result is a nutty infusion with a bit of spice to add to the slightly smoky Rye Bock base.  Prost meets Kanpai!

The beers will be tapped at 4pm.  Head over to the Facebook event for more details.

Don’t Forget Virginia Beer Live! At The Richmond Coliseum This Friday

The official kickoff party for Virginia Craft Beer Month, Virginia Beer Live at The Richmond Coliseum Friday August 2nd starting at 5:30pm. First of its kind at The Richmond Coliseum, this indoor  craft beer festival features over 20 Virginia breweries. Presented by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, this ALL YOU CAN SAMPLE event focuses on local foods and music plus over 40 Virginia craft beers.

Advance tickets are still available at Ford Box Office at the Richmond Coliseum at 601 East Leigh Street, Richmond, VA, 23219.
Box office hours
Monday-Thursday 10am-5pm
Day of event 10am-8pm

Ticket Pricing (with applicable fees)

• $37 Advanced Preferred Admission (limited to 300 tickets)- Unlimited samples, entry at 4:30pm to avoid crowds, commemorative sampling glass.
• $22 Advanced General Admission with unlimited samples
• $27 Day of General Admission with unlimited samples
• $12 Advance Designated Driver Tickets
• $17 Day of Designated Driver Tickets

Tickets also available online through Ticketmaster with additional fees here.

Participating Restaurants
Capital Ale House
On the Rox
Popkin Tavern
Rappahannock
SAVOR…Richmond (Richmond Coliseum)

Live Music
Brickwall Jackson
Psychobilly Cadillac
The X Band

Breweries

Here is the list of participating breweries with what they will be serving.

Three Brothers — Harrisonburg Apocalypse Ale Works — Forest
Great Outdoors Pale Hopocalypse Imperial Red
Tri Brathair Scottish Ale Lustful Maiden Belgian Double
Blue Mountain — Afton Bold Rock — Nellysford
Full Nelson Pale Virginia Apple
Kolsch 151 Virginia Draft
Center of the Universe — Ashland Devils Backbone — Lexington
Belgian Amber Reilly’s Red
Main Street Virginia Ale Schwartz Bier
Extra Billy’s — Midlothian Hardywood — Richmond
Citra Ass Down IPA Virginia Blackberry
Otis Brown Ale Hoplar
Legend — Richmond Lost Rhino — Springfield
Hopfest Final Glyde Hefe
Triple Face Plant IPA
Midnight — Goochland O’Connor — Norfolk
Kolsch Great Dismal Black IPA
Rockville Red Ale Green Can
Port City — Alexandria Rusty Beaver — Ladysmith
Monumental IPA Buck Tooth IPA
Optimal Wit Roy’s Big Bad Brown
Smartmouth — Norfolk St George — Hampton
Alter Ego Saison English IPA
Notch 9 DIPA Summer Ale
Starr Hill — Crozet Strangeways — Richmond
Grateful Pale Albino Monkey
Northern Lights Mixolodian Rag Rye Bock
Wild Wolf —  Nellysford Wolf Hills — Abingdon
Alpha Ale Trooper Alley
Blonde Hunny Pilsner
Alewerks — Williamsburg  
Chesapeake Pale  
Springhouse  

Check out the Facebook event Thursday for the final  beer list.

Come out to celebrate the work of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild by sampling over forty beers and meet the brewers who create them.  You will see why “Virginia Is For Craft Beer Lovers!”

Goose Island Invasion Landing At Rappahannock Tonight

Goose Island Vintage Glass4Please turn your attention to the photo on the right.  This Goose Island vintage stemmed glass has been an object of my desire since my New Year’s Eve dinner at The Magpie last year.  Since that time, an opportunity to steal said glass had not presented itself until today.

This afternoon Tuesday July 30, Rappahannock will be the site of a Goose Island tap invasion and steal the glass night.  If you want one of these glasses as much as I do, you better get a move on; there are only 50 available.

Here is what  will be flowing Rappahannock’s taps for the night:

Sofie
Sofie Paradisi — Sofie w/ grapefruit instead of orange peel
Matilda
Pere Jacques
Pepe Nero
The Illinois — Imperial IPA

I’m hearing there will also be some Chi-town inspired dishes coming out of the kitchen.  Sounds like it will be a fun night. Beers will be tapped at 4pm.

Rappahannock Restaurant
320 E Grace St
Richmond, VA 23219

Redskins Training Camp Leads To Hardywood Two-A-Day Tours With Extended Hours

Even if you’re not a football fan, you can benefit from the Redskins Training Camp by taking advantage of Hardywood’s extended hours starting today Thursday July 25th. Head in starting at 11am to grab lunch from RVA Street Foodies, make an early growler run, or just grab a pint. Brewery tours will be held twice daily at 1 and 7pm most days.  Here’s the full schedule of dates for Hardywood’s new hours:

Thursday July 25th
11am-6pm — RVA Street Foodies: Mister Softee, Dogwagon, Station 2, Super Fresh
6pm-9pm — RVA Street Foodies Food Truck Court, over a dozen gourmet mobile food vendors (TBA)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Friday July 26th
11am-4pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
4pm-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA) and live music at 5:00 from the New Belgians Trio
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Saturday July 27th
11am-2pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
2pm-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA) and live music from Zac Hryciak and the Jungle Beat
Brewery tours: None

Monday July 29th
11am-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Tuesday July 30th
11am-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Wednesday July 31st
11am-4pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
4pm-8pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA) and GrowRVA Farmers Market (tasting room open until 9pm)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Thursday August 1st
11am-6pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
6pm-9pm with RVA Street Foodies Food Truck Court, over a dozen gourmet mobile food vendors (TBA)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Friday, August 2nd
11am-4pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
4pm-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA) and live music at 5:00 from Quatro Na Bossa
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Saturday August 3rd
2pm-9pm – Hardywood Virginia Blackberry Release – with a dozen RVA Street Foodies vendors all day and music from Three Sheets to the Wind at 5pm – FREE and all ages
No brewery tours today

Monday August 5th
11am-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Tuesday August 6th
11am-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Saturday August 10th
11am-2pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
2pm-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA) and the Vintage and Antique Bicycle Show (2-4pm), live music from Paulo Franco and the Rateros at 5pm
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Monday August 12th
11am-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Tuesday August 13th
11am-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Wednesday August 14th
11am-4pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
4pm-8pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA) and GrowRVA Farmers Market (tasting room open until 9pm)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Thursday August 15th
11am-6pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
6pm-9pm with RVA Street Foodies Food Truck Court, over a dozen gourmet mobile food vendors (TBA)
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Friday August 16th
11am-4pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA)
4pm-9pm with RVA Street Foodies (TBA) and live music at 5:30 from Yankee Dixie
Brewery tours: 1 & 7PM

Check out the Facebook event for more information and updates.

Hardywood
2410 Ownby Ln
Richmond, VA 23220

Virginia Craft Beer Month Calendar

This is still very much a work in progress but I thought you’d like to see some of the events being planned in August for Virginia Craft Beer Month.  Right off the bat, my first two event picks are Virginia Beer Live Friday August 2nd and Local Suds’ Tidewater Area Brewery Tour Saturday August 3rd.

UPDATE: Alright. The calendar is completely revamped.  Thanks to DCBeer.com for the inspiration. Click over to see the full month of August.  I will be updating entries as I get more information.  If you have an event you’d like placed on the calendar, email me at rvabeermeister@gmail.com.

Strangeways Mixolydian Rag Rye Bock Makes Shockoe Debut Tonight

If you missed trying it in their lab Friday night, Strangeways has three places in Shockoe Bottom where you can get your hands on their new lager:

Mixolydian Rag Rye Bock will be making its retailer debut at Sine, On the Rox, and Station 2 Monday night, July 22nd.

The Mixolydian Rag Rye Bock is our first foray into bottom fermented lager brewing. Inspired by the soaring guitar solos of Jerry Garcia, Mixolydian Rag is light and refreshing, yet complex and engaging with a combination of earthy sweetness, balanced by herbal hop notes. Rye malt provides a toasty spiciness while just a touch of smoke meanders through the flavor and aroma. German Magnum, Opal, Smaragd and Perle hops lend just the right amount of bitterness and herbal complexity. The lager yeast is a culture from the legendary Andechs Abbey in Bavaria.

Head over to the Facebook event for more information.

Meet Strangeways’ New Brew Plus Old Favorite At Hardywood Tonight

Strangeways MRRB Hardywood BDIPA
New on tap tonight, Friday July 19th, you will find Strangeway’s first lager and a returning personal favorite from Hardywood.  Take a look at both events below.  
 

Come out this Friday as we introduce Mixolydian Rag Rye Bock, our first foray into bottom fermented lager brewing. Inspired by the soaring guitar solos of Jerry Garcia, Mixolydian Rag is light and refreshing, yet complex and engaging with a combination of earthy sweetness, balanced by herbal hop notes. Rye malt provides a toasty spiciness while just a touch of smoke meanders through the flavor and aroma. German Magnum, Opal, Smaragd and Perle hops lend just the right amount of bitterness and herbal complexity. The lager yeast is a culture from the legendary Andechs Abbey in Bavaria.

Be one of the first to try it right here in our very own laboratory. Happy Empanada Food Truck will be onsite serving up tasty Latin Fusion fare.

Head to the Facebook event for more information.

Hardywood Bourbon DIPA Release

Hardywood Bourbon DIPA is hopped with a heavy dose of Columbus, Cascade and Summit hops, fermented with an abbey ale yeast that imparts some subtle tropical fruit and peppery notes and conditioned twelve weeks in freshly emptied Virginia bourbon barrels from the A. Smith Bowman Distillery, where earthy, vanilla, toffee and bourbon notes lend an exquisite mellowness to Bourbon DIPA.

The tasting room opens at 4pm with Hardywood Bourbon DIPA on draft, in 750mL bottles, Barrel Series four-packs, and local gourmet food vendors. Starting at 5pm Scorpio Brothers Marty Key and Troy Hurt spin garage, soul and funk at all evening, with Olio Cart VCU, Estes Bar.B.’Que, Cielito Lindo, and King Of Pops – Richmond.

Head to the Facebook event for more information.

Sedona Taphouse Belgian Independence Day Glasses Still Available

Sedona Belgian Independence Glasses4

Somehow I missed that Sedona Taphouse had joined in on the Belgian Independence Day fun yesterday.  They were giving away the cool glasses pictured above but luckily they still have a few glasses left and will repeat the giveway tonight Thursday July 18th. 

Here are the earlier details from Sedona; they are already out of the tulip glasses so I crossed it out.

Tomorrow, Sedona Taphouse, Belgian Independence Day.

This one’s special.

Taplist (to be updated/added to):

Ommegang Belgian Independence Day Double White Ale
Ommegang/d’Achouffe Gnomegang
Brasserie d’Achouffe Biere de Soleil
Brasserie d’Achouffe Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Duvel
Liefmans Goudenband
Maredsous 10 (Tripel)

Now for the special part (for those still reading)…

We have a very, very, limited supply of stemmed Liefmans glasses, Maredsous chalices, Brasserie D’Achouffe Tulips, and Duvel Tulips to take home.

These will begin to be distributed at 5PM, SHARP, and special pours will be served in the appropriate glassware when you purchase your beer/glass. One per person, and when we run out, we’re out.

They’re really awesome btw…

Hope to see some out!

Weekend Brewer 25th Anniversary Sale Going On Now

The Weekend Brewer in Chester,VA is celebrating its 25th anniversary of providing supplies to homebrewers and home wine makers of the Richmond area.  Head into the store from today Tuesday July 16th to Friday July19th to take advantage of the specials listed below as well as select in-store specials. 

Beer Specials

10% off — All WeekEnd Brewer Beer Ingredient Kits

15% off Whole Briess ‘Brewers 2 row Malt’ bag ($46.66; while supplies last)

10% off  — Induction Ready Pots with 1/2 “Valve (Limited Supplies)
10gal – $86.39
15gal – $227.00
20gal – $258.57
25gal – $293.76

Special ‘2 ounce Pack’ Cascade Pellet Hops — $1.50 each; Limit 2 per visit

Wine Specials

15% off — All ‘Vintners Reserve’ Wine kits and ‘World Vineyard’ Wine kits
20% off — All ‘Selection’ Premium Wine Kits 15 liters
20 % off — All ‘Selection’ Premium Wine kits 16 liters
25% off —  All ‘Eclipse’ (Estate) Wine Kits — July 19th only
25% off — All Selection Premium Wine kits with Skins — July 19th only

Moscato kits on sale all of July @ 25% off (while supplies last)

25% off — 3 gallon PET Carboy —  $20.17 (reg.  $26.90 )
15% off — 5 Gallon PET Carboy — $23.71 (reg. $ 27.90 )

Don’t miss out on many more in store specials and giveaways each day (Wine Glass Sets, Beer Bottle Openers, Gear and Accessories). Stop in Friday July 19th for cake. Congrats on 25 years Bob and Jeanne!

One Night Only! Hardywood Basil & Beets Beer at Ellwoods Tomorrow

Available for one night only, Wednesday July 17th, Ellwood Thompson’s, Hardywood, and Origins Farm joined forces to craft a summer brew with locally sourced beet and basil.

Honestly, I’ve been on the fence on about this beer since I first learned of it. While I love basil, beets have never a favorite at least those canned purple ones of my youth. My more recent experiences with beets of different colors have been well received.

When I inquired about the base beer style for the brew, I really expected Hardywood to say this was their Belgian Wit recipe used to make Virginia Blackberry.  To my surprise, I was informed the base beer is an IPA making me even more curious about how these flavors will work.

Learn the origins of this beer directly from its creators Brian Nelson, Hardywood’s Head Brewer, and Alistar Harris, owner Origins Farm.  Remember this beer is only available for one night and only available at Ellwood Thompson’s.  Only $5 gets you in the door and some light appetizers and $3 per 8oz pour at the event.  Register for the event online here.

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