Monthly Archives: November 2015

Portrait House’s Final Beer Event Is Sour Soirée 2 Tonight

Portrait House Sour Soiree 2It’s the vinyl countdown til Portrait House shuts its doors for good. Head over tonight Thursday November 19th starting at 5pm as they go out on a high note with all the sours they could find.

Gather together to celebrate the world of funky and sour beers and converse about their various attributes. An all vinyl dj set will be provided later in the evening by the talented DJ BillyCrystalFingers.

Draft List:
The Bruery Oude Tart
New Belgium Le Terroir
Cuvée Des Jacobins Rouge
Allagash Interlude
Allagash Farm to Face
Evil Twin Ryan & the Gosling
Evil Twin Mission Gose
Tilquin Gueuze
De Proef Wekken Sour
Smartmouth Lactobacillusaurus
Champion Commoner Sour Saison
Boulevard Funky Pumpkin
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Boon Kriek
Bullfrog Sacre Bleu
Txopinondo Sagarnoa Cider
Perennial Pineapple Kumquat Berliner Weisse
Potter’s Raspberry Brett Cider
J Wakefield Stush Berliner Weisse
Petrus Aged Pale
Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose

Check out the Facebook event for more details and updates.

Give To FeedMore And Get In On Ardent Craft Ales Friendsgiving Feast Next Thursday

Ardent Friendsgiving 111915Richmond, there is still plenty of time for you to get on the Thanksgiving feast Ardent Craft Ales is hosting next Thursday November 19th. All you have to do is donate five canned goods to the FeedMore bins at the brewery to secure your spot.

The Friendsgiving Feast will be cooked by some of the area’s most talented chefs from the following restaurants:

Amuse
Don’t Look Back
The Daily
Fat Dragon
Ipanema
Lucy’s
Metzger
Pasture
Perly’s
Roosevelt
Sabai
Saison
Southbound
Union Market
Urban Tavern

Head over to the Facebook event for more details and updates.

Screens ‘n’ Suds’ Seventh Annual Big Event At The Answer Brewpub. VIP Tickets On Sale Later Today

Screens N Suds & The Answer BrewpubScreens ‘n’ Suds 7th annual Big Event returns to The Answer Brewpub on Saturday December 5th at 2pm. All proceeds from this event will go to benefit National MS Society as well as other charities to be named later. As always, there will be awesome screen printed art for sale, live music, and delicious craft beer including the return of SnS’ small batch series.

Screens ‘n’ Suds 2014 Small Batch Series consisted of seven beers:

  • Hardywood Park – Sixtel – Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout with berries; (base beer is same as the much-lauded Trickery)
  • Lickinghole Creek/Champion Collaboration – Procrastination – Belgian Pale Ale
  • O’Connor Brewing – Ibrick – Imperial Turkish Coffee Stout
  • Strangeways Brewing – The Wyld Sisters – 3 American Wild Ales, each with a different Brettanomyces yeast strain
    Olivia – Blackberry Wild Sour Ale
    Portia – Raspberry Wild Sour Ale
    Beatrice – Mixed Berry Wild Sour Ale
  • Three Brothers – Contortoise – Turtle candy-inspired Imperial Brown Ale

Details for the 2015 series have not been finalized but will likely include draft only offerings from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Brothers Craft Brewing.

Also returning this year is the VIP Speakeasy featuring tastes from rare bottles donated by members of the local beer community.  Tickets for the speakeasy will go on sale at 3pm today Wednesday November 11th here and include:

  • All-you-can-eat buffet from The Answer Brewpub kitchen!
  • Unlimited beverage samples
  • Private acoustic performance from members of the Trongone Band
  • Commemorative stemware glass
  • Special pricing on select Screens ‘n’ Suds merchandise
  • Exclusive raffle items specially selected for our VIPs
  • Special rare and vintage beers not available at the downstairs bar!

The cost for the tickets will be $50/person. The speakeasy sold out early last year so get your ticket now while you can by keeping an eye on the Eventbrite link to purchase.

Head over to the Facebook event for more details and updates.

RVA Beer Week 2015: It’s National Learn To Homebrew Day

RVA Beer Week Logo

Good morning, Richmond! On this next to last day of RVA Beer Week (November 1 -8), you can learn to homebrew. Yes, you too! Today Saturday November 7th is the American Homebrewers’ Association’s 17th annual Learn to Homebrew Day. If you’ve been interested in brewing or just have the slightest curiosity, meet up with one of our local homebrew clubs as they brew.

Members of Mentoring Advanced Standards of Homebrewing (M.A.S.H.) will have their brew day down at Artisans Wine & Homebrew starting at 9am.

Artisans Wine & Homebrew
13829 Village Place Dr
Midlothian, VA 23114

Meanwhile the James River Homebrewers will host their annual ClusterBrew at Original Gravity Homebrew Supplies starting at 10am.

The ClusterBrew is an annual JRHB inter-club competition where our current Competition Coordinator (Michael Boitnott) decides upon the rules; then it is brewed at a specified event and judged by the club at the annual Winter Party. This year was inspired by Iron Chef America, so the secret ingredient that must be used is coffee. More points for originality may be awarded if used in something other than a porter or stout.

Original Gravity Homebrew Supplies
6118 Lakeside Ave
Richmond, VA 23228

Today is a great day to pick up a new hobby.

 

RVA Beer Week 2015: Portrait House Issues Invasive Species Alert For Saturday

Invasive Species Portrait House 110715

Portrait House has issued an Invasive Species Alert for Saturday November 7th. You should approach them with caution as they have been designated as infested containing beers and representatives not native to this area.

Here are the beers invading Portrait House starting at 6pm:

Victory Vital IPA
Victory Winter Cheers
Boulevard/Cigar City Tropical Pale
Boulevard Tank 7
Founders All Day
Founders Breakfast Stout
DC Brau Citizen
DC Brau Corruption
Smuttynose Daily Brett
Smuttynose Old Brown Dog
Left Hand Polestar Pils
Left Hand Wake Up Dead Nitro.

Only you can help them eradicate this threat to our fragile ecosystem.

Head over to the Facebook event for more details and updates.

RVA Beer Week 2015: Quartet of Beer Releases For Saturday

RVA Beer Week LogoThis town has been overflowing with beer events for this RVA Beer Week (Nov 1 – 8) and this Saturday November 7th is no exception. Here are few beer releases you can find around town.

Dark Rye Taproom Release at Ardent Craft Ales — Noon

Ardent Dark Rye release 110715Ardent’s Dark Rye Stout returns for the first time on draft in their taproom starting at noon. Having only been available in bottles, the barrel aged Dark Rye will also make an appearance on the taps. Finally, there will also be a cask conditioned pin of Dark Rye with Blanchard’s Dark as Dark coffee.

O.T.I.S. Cucumber Sour at Strangeways — Noon

Strangeways OTIS 110715Strangeway’s O.T.I.S is returning and this time he’s bringing along a couple of friends in the form of Tequila Barrel Aged with Lime and Gin Barrel Aged with Juniper & Rose Hips. You’ll have to wait until next week for his barrel aged friends to show up but for now enjoy this refreshing sour ale will tantalize the taste buds with fresh cucumbers, ripe honeydew melons, wild juniper berries, and hand-zested tangerines.

Nectar & Knife DIPA Release at Triple Crossing — Noon

Are these the hops you’re looking for? If you haven’t tried, maybe it’s time to get over to Triple Crossing.

Nectar and Knife returns. Our Beer Advocate rated ‘world-class’ DIPA makes its return just in time to close out RVA Beer Week. Per usual, we’ll have limited bottle sales available on launch day. Beer will be on draft in the tasting room as well. Pick your poison.

Gingerbread Stout at Hardywood — 2PM

Hardywood GBS 2015It’s that time of year. Hardywood Gingerbread Stout is back! You can be one of the first 500 to get a bottle at the pre-release tonight but the big party is on Saturday.

A seasonal shift fills the air on November 7th, with the highly anticipated release of our 2015 Hardywood Gingerbread Stout! Join us at the brewery to celebrate the season, with a variety of local mobile food menus and seasonal drafts.

Brewed with baby ginger from Casselmonte Farm and wildflower honey from Bearer Farms, Hardywood Gingerbread Stout captures the terroir of central Virginia in a rich, creamy libation with a velvety mouthfeel and an intriguing evolution of flavors from milk chocolate and vanilla to honeycomb and cinnamon to a snap of ginger in the finish.

Deep, dark chocolate in color with a mahogany tint and a frothy, caramel colored head, Hardywood Gingerbread Stout offers aromatics of holidayspice originating from the ginger, and balanced with a generous dose of whole Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans and Vietnamese cinnamon. Milk sugar (lactose) contributes to the full body of this stout and tames its roasty character, while oats lend a silky quality. Enjoy fresh, or cellar for a special occasion. We hope Hardywood Gingerbread Stout contributes to your merriment this season.

RVA Beer Week 2015: Beer Dinners

It’s that time again, it’s RVA Beer Week (November 1 — 8)! This is a celebration of our collective craft beer culture. Since 2010, when this week of events was first enacted, our craft scene has exploded! Back then we were on the low end of the national average at about a 5% craft beer share of our total collective beer market. Now however, we are booming! With some estimates hinting at a jump to 16% craft beer share in 2015, more than tripling where we were 5 short years ago.

Craft beer has become an integral part of our restaurants, festivals, and daily social life. Our area breweries have multiplied from 2 at the inception of RBW, to currently 14 area craft breweries pouring. The medals and awards for their amazing creations grow with each passing year. Our craft focused restaurants in town have won tons of accolades as well, and amazing growler stations and expanded bottle selections have opened at independent businesses and at local grocery stores. Even one of the most respected out-of-state craft power houses, Stone Brewing, has noticed Richmond. Choosing our fair city for their highly anticipated east coast location expansion! There is every indication that this is just the beginning of our cities craft beer renaissance, with an additional 7-9 RVA area breweries in planning that will debut to beer fans over the next year!

So help celebrate our collective passion and support our scene! Take the opportunity to introduce a friend to craft beer in Richmond. Go out and drink at your favorite brewery or restaurant. Buy something to share from a bottle shop or growler station. Join us and rally around our amazing beer town! Cheers!   

Monday November 2nd

Beer Dinner With The Roosevelt’s Lee Gregory at Garden Grove — 7:30PM

Garden Grove enthusiastically welcomes the Roosevelt to our brewery in Carytown!

Legendary Richmond Chef Lee Gregory takes the reigns for our inaugural Beer Dinner and it’s going to be DELICIOUS. Five courses of elevated, pub-inspired cuisine will be matched with five artisan brews in the comfortable, casual setting of our taproom. Farm-to-Table, Barrel-to-Glass. This is an event not to be missed!

This dinner is sold out but take a look at what you could have been eating.

Tuesday November 3rd

Lickinghole Creek Beer Dinner at Pig & Pearl — 6:30PM

LCCB beer dinner at Pig & Pearl 110315Head over to the Pig & Pearl for a five course dinner with beer pairings from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery. Take a look at the menu.

MENU

Kale and arugula salad tossed with pickled blueberries, red onions, candied pecans, and blueberry gorgonzola dressing
The Source Blueberry IPA

Spicy spinach risotto with chicken and winter veggies
Magic Beaver Belgian-style Pale Ale

Asparagus and shrimp pesto gnocchi
3 Chopt Bourbon Barrel Aged Tripel

Roasted pear and pecan stuffed pork loin, sauteed squash, drizzled with a cranberry bourbon maple glaze
Pumpkin Ain’t Easy Saison

Chocolate and peanut butter ice cream bar drizzled with hot fudge
Chocolate Decadence Stout

Tickets for the dinner are $70.25/person including tax and tip and can be purchased online here.

RVA Beer Week 2015: Capital Ale House Special Tappings

RVA Beer Week LogoRVA Beer Week (November 1 – 8) is back for its sixth year and Capital Ale House has lined up special beer tappings for each of their locations each day this week.

Monday November 2nd

Downtown: Strangeways Chocolate Gourd of Thunder
Innsbrook: Strangeways Pecan Gourd of Thunder
Midlothian: Strangeways Rot In Hell Pumpkin Sour

Tuesday November 3rd

Downtown:
Innsbrook: Lickinghole Creek The Source Blueberry IPA
Midlothian: Legend Oktoberfest & Garden Grove Saison

Wednesday November 4th

Downtown: Beer & cheese pairings with tapping of Hardywood/Ardent collab Maple Chesnut Altbier
Innsbrook: Brothers 6lb Locally Sourced Pumpkin Beer
Midlothian: Hardywood Rum Pumpkin

Thursday November 5th

Downtown: Ardent “The One” Pumpkin Ale
Innsbrook:
Midlothian: Ardent Dark Rye Imperial Stout

Friday November 6th

Downtown: Center of the Universe Unseasonable Stout
Innsbrook:
Midlothian: Center of the Universe El Duderino White Russian Stout

I’ll try and fill in the missing pieces as I gather more information.

RVA Beer Week 2015 At The Answer Brewpub

RVA Beer Week Logo

RVA Beer Week (November 1 – 8) is back for its sixth year and the Answer Brewpub will be celebrating all week long with special events.

Here is their schedule of events.

Monday November 2nd

RVA Appreciation Night & Hardywood Tap Invasion

Here are the Hardywood beers to be tapped:
Quadrahop
Port Barrel Aged Grand Cru
Sixtel
Simpleton Saison
Nitro Gingerbread Stout
Special pin of GBS variant by Nick

Plus, enjoy live music by Mekong Xpress & The Get Fresh Horns starting at 9:30pm and draft specials all night long as well.

Tuesday November 3rd

Lincoln
Catch a free showing of the film Lincoln at 7pm in the upstairs speakeasy upstairs followed by a Q & A hosted by historian, MIke Gorman.

Wednesday November 4th

A Night with The Bruery

Here are the beers for the night:

Autumn Maple
Jardinier
Saison Tonnellerie
Sour in the Rye
Smoking Wood
Gypsy Tart

Thursday November 5th

Thirsty Thursday with Allagash Brewing Company

Here are the beers for the night:

Victor
Victoria
Farm to Face
Confluence
Aventureaux

Friday November 6th

Friday Soirée with Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits

Here are the beers for the night:

Sculpin
Grunion
Even Keel
Sextant Nitro
Barmy
Ginger Big Eye
Thai Chili Wahoo

Head over to the Facebook event for more information and updates.

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