Have you hugged your growler today? Maybe, it’s time you should.  The Wikipedia entry for growler lists it as a type of beer bottle among other possibilities, which is partly true but mostly inaccurate. Wikipedia gives more insight into the history behind the name:

The term likely dates back to the late 19th century when fresh beer was carried from the local pub to one’s home by means of a small galvanized pail. Often the inside of the pail would be coated with lard to decrease foam and allow for slightly more beer to be in the pail. It is claimed the sound that the CO₂ made when it escaped from the lid as the beer sloshed around sounded like a growl.

A growler is not simply a bottle you chose to fill with beer. Deciding which beer to fill your growler with can be an intimate affair.  Maybe you’re going to a party. Do you bring the new exotic brew you just tasted for the first time?  Or do you go with an old favorite you hadn’t seen in awhile?  What if you go somewhere that has 50 taps to choose from? It may take you a few hours just to fill the one growler you brought with you?  If you find trying to pick out beer to put in your growler to be a chore then you’re doing it wrong.  Simply put filling your growler should be fun.  Here are a few places that you can go have your fun today.

Tarrant’s Cafe 11am — 12am

Capital Ale House 11am — 1:30am

Whole Foods Short Pump 8am — 10pm

Hardywood Park 2pm — 5pm

It seems the first stop on Lips of Faith Tour of Richmond slipped by me.  No matter, tonight is your chance to get in on Stop # 2.

Head down to Sine Irish Pub in Shockoe Slip for the chance to have all 4 Virginia Lips of Faith beers side-by-side. Sine will be featuring Kick, Fresh Hop IPA, Prickly Passion Saison, and Clutch..

It all starts tonight at 6 PM!

Sine Irish Pub
1327 East Cary St.
Richmond, VA 23219-4117
(804) 649-7767

Hardywood Park has a couple things planned to get you into the holiday spirit.  First up is the release of their Gingerbread Imperial Stout.  Based on their highly successful milk stout recipe, they have amped up the beer for the holidays  by adding local baby ginger from Casselmonte Farm and wildflower honey from Bearer Farm to create this special beer.  You can get a growler full from the brewery later today from 4 – 7pm in the Tasting Room. 

Next is Hardywood Park Illumination on December 10th.  This will be a festive party sure to be as big as their launch party back in October. Come out and help them light the tree.  Gingerbread Stout as well as 12 small batch varieties will be on hand. Last night I learned, one of those varieties will be a Belgian style stout with raspberries and cocoa nibs. Due to my lactose intolerance, I had not been able to try Hardywood’s milk stouts.  So I am very excited to try my first Hardywood stout.  Beers from Legend, Starr Hill, and Devils Backbone will also be on hand.

The Illumination goes from 4 – 8pm, Saturday Dec 10th.  Come on out and join in the festivities.  While you’re at it, wish my friend RVA Playlist a Happy Birthday!

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
2408 Ownby Lane
Richmond, VA, 23220

Word out of Specialty Beverage is that New Belgium’s limited Lips of Faith series is coming to Richmond sometime this month.

All four Virginia release Lips of Faith beers will be hitting a few select Richmond hotspots for a one time shot to try all four side-by-side!

Get ready for Kick, Fresh Hop IPA, Prickly Passion Saison, and Clutch.

That’s all I have right now.  Stay tuned….

You know how much I love beer and food pairings. Well, Taste the Local has taken the concept to the next level and paired it with a pub crawl.  Tonight, they will be stopping at three popular beer and food spots on Broad Street: Tarrant’s Cafe, Bistro 27 and Popkin’s Tavern.  Each location has created dishes to pair with selected beers. Here’s the route and times for the crawl.

5 — 6pm 

Tarrant’s Cafe

Hardywood Singel with Singel battered sea bass ‘fish fingers’ and chips with fried green tomatoes.

6:30 — 7:30pm  

Bistro 27

Hardywood Farmhouse Pumpkin, O’Connor Red Nun, and Legend Winter White with Sausagecraft sausages, pork and duck rilettes, and cheeses.

7:30 — 8:30

Popkins Tavern 

Heavy Seas Loose Cannon with duck breast prosciutto with arugula, pine nuts, parmesan, and lemon vinaigrette
Heavy Seas Winter Storm with Spicy Garlic and cilantro pork skewers
Heavy Seas Peg Leg with Dark chocolate bacon cupcake

The Facebook event didnot mention the price for the pairings but I have been told that each location will be somewhere around $12 – $15, which includes the beer.

Richmond, it’s that time of year that we count our blessings for everything good in our lives.  There are so many things we have to be thankful for this year in Richmond beer.  Here’s just a few.

Local Beer on the Rise

When Richbrau closed, the future of local craft beer was very uncertain.  Hardywood increased number of Richmond based micro breweries back to two with rousing success.  A lot of people, myself included, were skeptical when the brewery was first announced.  Richmond showed up in droves to support hardywood at their launch party. 

Hardywood is not the only new thing happening in Richmond.  There has been an influx of Virginia beer to the city.  We have the craft section of Brown distriuting to thank for the unique beers from Bull & Bones in Blackburg, Wolf Hills in Abingdon, and Roanoke Railhouse in Roanoke. 

We also have breweries in planning. While they are still just homebrewing, Ardent Craft Ales has some exciting beers planned.  Their tasting during beer week probably holds the record for number of people packed in a gargage to watch beer being made.  Haxall Brewing Company has received a 7.5 barrel system for their future pub.  They even have pictures to prove it.  Oh, there’s even a nanobrewery in Goochland. Trae Cairns’ Midnight Brewery is expected to start producing batches from his 41 gallon system in 2012.

Richmond Beer Week 

The variety of events for this year’s beer week had something for everyone.  Probably the standout event was the Autumn Bottom Brews Festival at the 17th St Farmer’s market.  I have never seen the market that packed. I’ll be first to admit that more work needs to be done.  Some people I talked to had no idea it was beer week.  I hope to contribute in some way to get more of the word out.  I am not sure what form that will take but I look forward to figuring it out.

YOU

None of the things above mean anything without you supporting them.  You are the reason for Richmond’s current craft beer boom.  So, keep it up and ask for it whereever you go.  Thanks for reading.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.  Cheers!

Tomorrow may be the start of Richmond Beer Week but today is International Stout Day. Here are seven of my favorite stouts.

Weyerbacher Fifteen

It’s too bad this was only one of Weyerbacher’s anniversary beers. Smoked Imperial Stout! What is not to love? I think it’s time they bring this beer back full time.

Blue & Gray’s Stonewall Stout

I had this stout on my first James River Homebrewers Brews Cruise.  The stout from thisFredericksburg,VAbrewery was the first stout to make it into my stout pound cake.  

Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout

The vanilla and oak aging of this stout made it the perfect choice as an ingredient in my first attempt at a stout ice cream.  

Bell’s Cherry Stout

How do you top making a stout pound cake?  You make a stout pound cake with Bell’s Cherry Stout and coat it with a cherry preserve glaze.  

Lagunitas Imperial Stout

When I saw Tyler Florence’s Lamb Shank with Stout Gravy recipe, I knew I had to make it.  The recipe called for Guiness, which I’m not really a fan of, so I turned to Lagunitas.  

 Allagash Black

Maybe one of two Belgian style stouts I have ever tasted.  I’ve wanted to have more ever since the Mega Tasting at Once Upon a Vine South during last year’s Richmond Beer Week.

For all of you Untappd users, make sure you check in to get your special badge. Hope you’ve had a great Stout Day!

Going into its second year, Richmond Beer Week shows no sign of slowing down.  Great Brewers.com, Specialty Beverage, Brown Distributing, and Taste the Local have teamed up to create some great events that have me trying to figure out a way of being in multiple places at once.  Here are a few events I am looking forward to but know I will not be able to make them all.

Ardent Craft Ales Courtyard Party — Nov 5th from 12 – 5pm

Tom Sullivan, Paul Karns and Kevin O’Leary of Ardent Craft Ales will be hosting a party at their Brew Gargage.  Come out sample some of their amazing beers before they start full scale production.

Brickman’s Garage – between 24^th and 25^th on Jefferson
Free

Terrapin Tap Takeover at The Roosevelt — Nov 5th at 5pm

After Ardent’s party ends, The Roosevelt’s party begins with all Terrapin taps. Just hop over from the courtyard on Jefferson to the Roosevelt with a DJ spinning starting at 11 pm.

The Roosevelt
623 N. 25th Street
Richmond, VA 23223
(804)658-1935

Once Upon A Vine South Mega Tasting — Nov 7th from 4 – 7pm

It made my list last year and for very good reason.  With 30+ beers to sample, how could you go wrong?

Once Upon a Vine South
2817 Hathaway Road
Richmond, VA 23225
804.864.9463

Allagash Beer Dinner– Eurasia Cafe & Wine Bar – Nov 8th at 6:30pm

This is probably the most intriguing beer dinner menu I have seen in a while.  Rather than simply pairing the dishes with beer, dishes will also be cooked with beer.  Les Addis from Allagash Brewing will be your host for the evening.

MENU

Duck Confit Rolls/ Allagash Braised Greens/ Blackberry Pinot Noir Sauce with Allagash White

Cinnamon Dusted Scallops/ Caramelized Local Apples/Smoked Bacon/ Sherry Gastrique with Allagash Tripel

Dubbel Bathed Angus Brisket/ Dave and Dee’s Oyster Mushroom Ragout/ Smoked Gratin with Allagash Dubbel

Allagash Drunken Chicken/ Crispy Tortilla/ Avocado Aioli with Allagash Four

Bailey’s Mocha Bread Pudding/ House made Chocolate Stout Ice Cream with Allagash Black

Eurasia Cafe & Wine Bar

$60/person tax and tip excluded

Cheers to Beer!  Dinner — Amuse — Nov 8th 6:30pm

So some how I need to be at two beer dinners at once on Tuesday.  Amuse’s dinner intrigues me for two reasons: 1) what is seafood sausage? 2) The Bruery’s Autumn Maple.  There be yams in this beer; 17pounds per barrel to be exact.

Cheers to Beers! Menu

Rappahannock Fried Oysters / Meyer Lemon Aioli
Saison Dupont, Farmhouse Belgian Ale

Honey and Sesame “Granola Bar” Parfait / Local Bleu Cheese Mousse
Thornbridge Kipling, South Pacific Pale Ale

House-Made Seafood Sausage / Roasted Beets and Fennel / Orange Gremolata
Ommegang Aphrodite

Pan Roasted Duck Breast / Turnips / Brussel Sprouts / Kobacha Squash Puree
The Breuery Autumn Maple Ale  

Apple and Medjool Date Tart Tatin / Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Schlenkerla Ur-bock Rauchbier (Smoked Beer) 

$80 (VMFA members $75), includes tax and gratuity. Cash bar before dinner (beginning at 6 pm). Reserve online.

Amuse Restaurant at VMFA
200 N Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 340-1580

A Night of Geeky Beers — Capital Ale House (all locations) — Nov 11th at 5pm

This event is a complete mystery but that’s half the fun so on the list it goes.

The Eleven — Mekong — Nov 11th at 4pm

With Lincoln filming in the city, a lot of events are starting to sounds like movie titles.  The stars of this Mekong event are eleven beers of crazy quality tapped throughout the night.

Mekong
6004 West Broad Street
Henrico, VA 23230
(804) 288-8929

Beer-istoric Tour — Nov 13

It turns out that this event sold out weeks ago.  Tickets went on sale some time ago at Mekong and Capital Ale Downtown. Tickets at Mekong were sold out in the first couple of days.  Don’t worry if you couldn’t grab a ticket; I will be there tweeting as much of the tour as possible.

To see more events head over to VACraftbeer.com and use the drop down menu to see events by day.