Author Archives for rvabeermeister

Screens N Suds Belgo-American Beer Dinner

To start off the celebration of their fourth year raising money to fight Multiple Sclerosis, Screens N Suds has teamed with TJ’s at the Jefferson to host a Belgo-American Beer Dinner tomorrow Friday October 12th starting at 7pm.
MENU
First Course
Roasted Fall Apple with Rabbit Mousse, Walnut Pangani Crisp
Leffe Blond & Hardywood Singel

Second Course
Savory Tiramisu: Pork Cheeks, Parsnip Mousse, Maredsous Roasted Root Vegetables, Pork Rind Coco
Maredsous Brune & Flying Dog Disobedience Dubbel

Third Course
Fennel Roasted Branzino with Coriander Spaetzle, Tomato Vermouth Nage
Bosteels Tripel Karmeleit & The Bruery Tradewinds Tripel

Fourth Course
Homemade Fig Newton with Blue Cheese Ice Cream, Salted Caramel
De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse & Ommegang Three Philosophers

The cost for the dinner is $50/person plus tax and gratuity. Tax and Gratuity.  A portion of the dinner proceeds and all of Screens ‘n’ Suds sales will benefit MS Society Central Virginia Chapter and Virginia Association of Free Clinics.

Dinner starts at 7pm. For reservations or more information, call TJ’s at (804) 649-4672 or email jonathan.kibiloski@jeffersonhotel.com. Cheers!

TJ’s at the Jefferson
101 W. Franklin St.
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 649-4672

Goose Island Madame Rose Hitting Richmond Today

I always have to debate whether to share information anytime I find out about a new beer coming to our market.  This is especially true for beers with limited availability that I may not have the time to run out and get.

Goose Island’s Madame Rose is just such a beer.  Available in 22oz bottles, Madame Rose is a Belgian style brown ale fermented with a wild yeast strain and aged on cherries in wine barrels.  You have no idea how much I want to try this beer.  Alas, I need to travel and still have packing and rooms to find.

So today is your lucky day.  I know where you can go to get the beer today if it sounds good to you. Here they are:

Ellwood Thompson
4 N. Thompson St.
Richmond VA 23221

Shield’s Market
206 North Shields Ave
Richmond, VA 23220

Total Wine
8099 West Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23294

Total Wine
10036 Robious Rd.
Richmond, VA 23235

Go. Enjoy!

Journey to Center of the Universe Brewing

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A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Center of the Universe Brewing in Ashland, VA.  Brothers Chris and Phil Ray along with head brewer Mike Killelea lead Edmond Medina (@va_beergeek; read his take here) and myself on a tour of the site with our first stop being the 60 seat tasting room with a freshly finished bar and one prototype tap handle. It’s a pretty awesome looking taphandle!

With the recently installed fermentors and bright tanks in place, the only thing that was missing from main brewhouse was their 15 barrel brew system. Although it was delivered the next morning, it will take some time to get it fully installed and tested.

Once COTU is up and running what type of beers can you expect to see from them.   I can’t tell you exactly but here are a few tidbits:

  • Hanover water quality perfect for delicate styles
  • German & English malts were have been received
  • Non filtered beers
  • Targeting four year round beers; pale ale & IPA (possibly West Coast style) vying for first two slots
  • Access to family farm to source hops, pumpkins, and maybe tomatoes. Yes, I’ve warmed to the idea of a tomato beer.
  • Homefront IPA for Chris Ray’s charity Hops for Heroes available Memorial Day 2013.  COTU joins Cigar City, Perennial Artisan Ales, Fremont, SlyFox, St. Arnold’s, and 21st Amendment breweries to make this a nationwide effort.  Proceeds from each beer goes to local Operation Homefront chapter.

At the end of the day, COTU has a lot going for them.  Chris and Phil have an endless amount of enthusiasm for taking their love of homebrewing to craft brewing.  Mike Killelea praised the brothers for their well developed homebrew recipes that we may see in some form. 

Center of the Universe Brewing will open their doors in November.  I encourage you to take a trip up and check them out.  For now, Like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter for announcements and pictures detailing their progress.

Start Your Weekend Early With Hardywood

If you need to get your Hardywood fix in, this weekend has no shortage of opportunities for you to get some.

Thursday October 4th

As it does every Thursday, Richmond’s Food Truck Court gathers at the brewery from 6 – 9pm

Meanwhile, Mekong celebrates their favorite beer bar win with a special Hardywood lineup:

2012 Bourbon Barrel Milk Stout Pin
2012 Bourbon Barrel Gingerbread Stout Pin
2012 Farmhouse Pumpkin
Mekong Fresh Hop brewed with grapefruit peel and local honey
Bourbon DIPA
RVA IPA

Friday October 5th

It is a double Firkin Friday at the brewery with two different milk stout creations:

  • Bourbon Barrel Milk Stout with mole and Heritage’s house blend of Rostov’s coffee from Matthias Hagglund
  • Edward the Great: milk stout with vanilla beans, cocoa nibs, Maker’s Mark soaked ancho chiles, and orange zest from Dave Witte of Municipal Waste.

Saturday October 6th

Saturday sees the official release of this year’s Farmhouse Pumpkin at. the brewery starting at 2pm  As they approach their one year anniversary, this will be the first new vintage of one of their Reserve Series beers to be bottled.  Head over to the Facebook event  for more info; RSVP while you’re at it so they can prepare for the crowds.

Sunday October 7th

End your weekend with a beer dinner at Cous Cous.  Take a look at the menu.

MENU

Welcome Beer
Singel

Arugula salad with cherries, dates, quince and goat cheese; in a roasted shallot vinaigrette
RVA IPA

Duck confit with pumpkin risotto and maple pear sauce
Farmhouse Pumpkin

Braised lamb in mole sauce
Hoplar

Coffee torte with nutella cream
Mocha Belgique

The dinner starts at 5pm and costs $45/person (tax included).  The event will be capped at 50 people, so get your reservations asap by calling the restaurant at (804) 358-0868 or emailing alrcopeland@gmail.com (subject “hardywood dinner”).

900 W Franklin St
Richmond, VA 23220

Richmond Got Questions For Center of the Universe Brewing? Ask Them Now.

Tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday September 26th, I will be heading up to Ashland, VA to check out Virginia’s newest brewery, Center of the Universe Brewing.   I know you have questions so here is your chance to get answers.  Leave your questions in the comments and I will do my best to get the answers.

For now, watch this video with brothers Chris & Phil Ray along with head brewer Mike Killelea.

Smuttynose Turns Up At Sedona Taphouse

Sedona Taphouse will be featuring Smuttynose Brewing for a tap takeover of 6 beers tonight, Tuesday  September 25th. 

The Smuttynose rep will be on hand to answer your questions about their beers.  They will also be giving away glassware for you to take home.

Here are the beers they will be tapping:

Wheat Wine Ale
Pumpkin Ale
Old Brown Dog
IPA — Either Finestkind IPA or Big A IPA
Homunculus
Really Old Brown Dog

 

Oktoberfests In and Out of Richmond This Weekend

Summer has ended and the weather has started to cool off. You know what the means? It’s time for Oktoberfest.  But which fest should you go to? I have three that have peaked my interest for this weekend.

St Benedict’s Oktoberfest

Entering it’s eighth year, this festival came to my attention las year but I was unable to attend.  That will change tonight.  The festival runs all weekend.  I look forward to trying some of the following featured beers:

Friday

Legend Oktoberfest Firkin
Mad Fox Imperial Red IPA
O’Connor Punkelweisse
Starr Hill All Access Belgian Strong
Heavy Seas Plank 2
Victory Alt

Saturday

Starr Hill Love Firkin with fresh orange peel
Legend Weizenbock
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin
Hardywood Belgian  DIPA

See the complete beer list for the weekend here.

Top of the Hops Beer Fest

Starr Hill and Beer Run present the 3rd Annual Top of the Hops Beer Festival in Charlottesville, VA Saturday September 22nd.  $40 ($45 at the gate) gets you unlimited sampling of over 150 craft beers from breweries such as Devils Backbone, Hardywood, Ommegang, Goose Island to name a few.  Tak a look at the breweries and their beers here.  Go here to buy tickets.

Mad Fox Hoppy Oktoberfest

Mad Fox Brewing in Falls Church has taken a different spin on Oktoberfest by celebrating hops Sunday September 23rd starting at 11am in their Biergarten.  If you need one beer to make the trek up, Mad Fox’s Orange Whip IPA is that beer.  They will also have their own Oktoberfest beer on tap and cask; I had the pleasure of having the cask version last night at Station 2.  You can see all of the beers they will have here.

Terrapin Tap Takeover At The Roosevelt

What could be more exciting than Lee Gregory’s food at The Roosevelt?  How about a beer event at The Roosevelt?  Don’t get me wrong, I  don’t think they need to have events with the amazing food that flows out of that kitchen. It is just cool that they sometimes do.

Tonight, September 20th, ride over to The Roosevelt for a tap takeover with Terrapin Beer Company. Terrapin rep  Ranger will be hanging out for the evening with glassware to give away.  Here are the beers they will be tapping:

All American Imperial Pilsner
Hop Karma (Brown IPA)
Hopsecutioner  IPA (American IPA)
Easy Rider (Hoppy Session Ale)
Rye Pale Ale
Pumpkin Fest

Meet up with Ranger for a little Georgia beer and grab a bite from Lee.

Talk Like A Pirate At Gallery 5

Today, September 19th, is Talk Like a Pirate Day.  I know what you’re thinking but it’s really a thing.

Head over to Gallery 5 for The Pirate Plunder and check out their brand new bar.  In keeping with the pirate theme, Gallery 5 will have Heavy Seas beers on tap and samples of the Belgian beers Piraat and Buccaneer.

Music will be provided by Peoples Blues of Richmond and DJ Reinhold.

Entry is free with all profits going to Gallery 5.

This video with Heavy Seas Founder Hugh Sission will help get you ready to plunder.

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