Check out the menu for the Hardywood Beer Dinner at Mosaic Restaurant tomorrow night Friday February 28th.

Check out the menu for the Hardywood Beer Dinner at Mosaic Restaurant tomorrow night Friday February 28th.


Head over to Buz and Ned’s Real Barbecue on W Broad today Thursday February 27th as they take you on a trip to the first stop on the Brew Ridge Trail with a tap takeover featuring Blue Mountain Brewery. Since beer and barbecue make an excellent combination, Buz will be cooking up food specials made with Blue Mountain beers all night long, like this one:
@BlueMtnBrewery Dark Hollow-glazed beef short ribs for tomorrow’s takeover! #rvabeer @TrinkinRVA @VaCraftBrews @rvabeermeister @va_beergeek
— Buz and Ned’s (@buzandneds) February 26, 2014
Here is what they will have on tap starting at 5pm:
Bluster Barleywine
Dark Hollow Imperial Stout
Full Nelson Pale Ale
Evil 8° Belgian-Style Dubbel
Local Species Belgian Pale Ale
Barchetta Rye IPA
Mandolin Tripel
Get there early to snag one of the limited number of Blue Mountain Brewery pint glasses available for giveaway.
Head over to the Facebook event for more information and updates.
Sorry, I almost forgot this was tonight. Still time to sign up. Take a look at the menu.

The dinner starts at 6:30pm and costs $75/person, all inclusive. Call Pig and Pearl at (804) 447-2016 to reserve a spot.
Head over to Mekong tonight Wednesday February 26th as they tap some most excellent stouts.
Here is what will tapped starting at 4:20:
Hardywood Sidamo
Hardywood Bourbon Sidamo
Hardywood Raspberry Stout
Dark Horse Plead The 5th
Dark Horse Tres Blueberry
Perennial Sump Coffee Stout
Bourbon County Brand Stout
COTU El Duderino
Evil Twin Imperial Doughnut Break
Allagash Black
Allagash Red Howes
Terrapin Wake N Bake
Del Ducato Verdi Anniversario
Heavy Seas Siren Noire
Sounds like a perfect way to fend off this recurring cold weather.
Legend Brewing has teamed up with seasoned brewers from around the state for their 2014 Urban legend Series as part of their 20th Anniversary celebration. Each collaborator is coming up with an urban legend from their brewery’s area and choosing a complementing beer style. Andy Rathmann, brewmaster of St George Brewing, is the first of the series and brings the story of Blackbeard to create Teach’s Oyster Stout.
Here’s more on that story from Legend Brewing:
The story behind Teach’s Oyster Stout is based off the story of Blackbeard’s capture in the Ocracoke Inlet. Blackbeard was history’s most widely recognized pirate who lived by his alias, Edward Teach. Leading up to his death, Blackbeard terrorized ships up and down the East Coast, pillaging vessels and causing trouble. Supposedly, Blackbeard was cornered and met his death at the hands of a Virginia naval crew; and to flaunt their triumph, the crew mounted Blackbeard’s head on a stake in the Hampton seaport. This urban legend argues that Blackbeard’s body still swims those waters in search of his severed head.
Andy Rathmann (Brewmaster, St. George Brewing) and John Wampler (Brewmaster, Legend Brewing) decided, almost instantaneously, that they wanted to make an Oyster Stout due to the close proximity of St. George to the Hampton waters. Andy had a buddy in the area who he visited frequently for fresh seafood, so he picked up 300 oysters from him to throw in the boil. The brewers were also really amped to tread in unfamiliar waters and brew a style of beer neither of them had brewed before.
What to expect from the beer: a smooth roast body balanced by the pleasant spiciness of East Kent Golding hops. You’ll notice a hint of brine and subtle sweetness from the shellfish.
Ready to taste? Your first chance to try the beer will be tonight Monday February 24th at Pig & Pearl starting at 5pm. Of course, you will be able to select from Potomac River Whitecaps, Choptank, James River, or Rappahannock River Oysters ($2-3/shuck) to have with the beer. Head over to the Facebook event for more information.
As promised, the second year of Virginia Wine Expo’s Burger Blast, returning tonight Friday February 21st at 5pm, is completely SOLD OUT. Bigger and better than last year, Burger Blast will feature artisan burgers created by fifteen talented Richmond chefs with unlimited samplings of Virginia beer and wine.
Take a look at the delicious burgers to be served and the Virginia beers to be served tonight.
Restaurants & Burgers
Virginia Breweries
| Apocalypse Ale Works — Forest | Bold Rock — Nellysford |
| Winter Snack Spiced Stout | Virginia Apple |
| Glorious Dead ESB | Virginia Draft |
| Center of the Universe — Ashland | Devils Backbone — Lexington |
| Scotchtown | Pear Lager |
| Slingshot Kolsch | Schwartz Bier |
| Extra Billy’s — Midlothian | Hardywood — Richmond |
| Midlo Pale Ale | Raspberry Stout |
| Singel | |
| Isley Brewing — Richmond | Legend — Richmond |
| Plain Jane Blueberry Wit | Hopfest |
| The Bribe – Oatmeal Porter | Maibock |
| Lickinghole Creek — Goochland | Midnight — Goochland |
| Magic Beaver Pale Ale | Rockville Red Ale |
| Three Chopt Tripel | Not My Job Brown Ale |
| O’Connor — Norfolk | Rusty Beaver — Ladysmith |
| El Guapo IPA | Roy’s Big Bad Brown Ale |
| Red Nun Red Ale | |
| Starr Hill — Crozet | Strangeways — Richmond |
| Bandstand Barleywine | Freeze Ray Eisbock |
| Starr Saison | Room 237 Biere d’hiver |
| Sunken City — Smith Mountain Lake | Three Brothers — Harrisonburg |
| Tartan Tent Scottish Ale | Hoptimization IPA |
| Senantoa Indian Brown |
Check out the Facebook event for further updates.

UPDATE: Due to ABC regulations, Lickinghole Creek will be selling Enlighten Despot bottles ONLY at the brewery starting at Noon Saturday March 1st.
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
4100 Knolls Point Dr
Goochland, VA 23063
Save the date for March 1st from 1 – 8PM when Lickinghole Creek will debut their Enlightened Despot at a castle!
Due to the overwhelming response we’ve gotten from people from around the country for our Bourbon Barrel Stout release on Saturday March 1st, we had to find a larger space to accommodate everyone. Since we wanted to keep Despot Day in Goochland we reached out to the only place as extravagant as the Enlightened Despot…Dover Hall. They graciously accepted our request and we are very proud to partner with Jennifer McBride and her awesome team to bring Virginia a one of a kind beer release event.
Dover Hall is a private estate located in the rolling hills of Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, conveniently situated in between Richmond and Charlottesville, and a two hour drive from Washington, DC. The estate’s 33,000 square feet command a majestic view of 55 acres of rolling hills and woodlands.
Known as Goochland’s Castle, this larger than life venue is the perfect setting for releasing a one of a kind beer.
Enlightened Despot is a Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout aged just over one hundred days in 15 year old Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve barrels. Brewed with ten specialty grains this beer racks in at 78 IBU and 11.3% ABV. There will only be just over 2000 bottles available at $15/bottle with no bottle limit.
There will be special cask versions of Enlightened Despot tapped at different times throughout Despot Day:
Vanilla Despot
Chocolate Despot
Coffee Despot
Head over to the Facebook event for more information. Music will be provided by Barrelhouse and The Big Payback.
Dover Hall
1500 Manakin Road
Manakin-Sabot, VA 23103
(804) 784-6051

Head over to Brew tonight Tuesday February 18th at 5pm for their Heavy Seas tap takeover. They’ll have ten of their brews on tap and glassware to plunder. Chat up heavy Seas Rep Brian Gearing and learn more about the brewery and their beers.
Here is the taplist for the evening:
Loose Cannon IPA
Black Cannon Black IPA
Small Craft Warning Uber Pils
Yule Tide — Imperial Red with ginger aged in Jamaican Rum barrels
Siren Noire — Imperial Chocolate Stout aged in Bourbon barrels
Peg Leg Imperial Stout
Powder Monkey Pale Ale
Great’er Pumpkin — Bourbon Barrel aged Pumpkin Ale
Cutlass Amber Lager
Gold
Red Sky at Night Saison
Head over to the Facebook event for more information and updates.
I know the snow has thrown everyone’s Valentine’s plans for a loop. Don’t worry. Here are several ideas for Friday, Saturday, and even next week.
Friday February 14th
Midnight Strawberry Stout Pin Tapping — 4PM
Looks like Midnight and AW Shucks will have you chocolate covered.
Will You Beer My Valentine? — 4:30PM
Head over to Bucket Trade and treat your love to a couple beer and dessert pairings:
Come celebrate Valentine’s Day with us and some great Valentine-y treats!
We will offer a Special Valentine Flight that includes:
– Bell’s Cherry Stout with a chocolate cherry stout cupcake that has cherry buttercream and chocolate stout fudge drizzle.
– Southern Tier’s Choklat with a chocolate stout cupcake filled with chocolate beer ganache and mint buttercream.
Plus we have plenty other delicious beers on tap and in bottle ready for a romantic evening in your belly!!!
Shakesbeer at Bardywood: The Love Scenes — 5PM
Bard Unbound returns to Hardywood this Valentine’s Day presenting the best of the Bard’s love scenes from the good, to the bad, to the lovely! This show is FREE and open to all ages!
February: Tis the season of the grand romantic gesture. So, instead of struggling with the usual choices of chocolate, flowers or a sappy card, let Shakesbeer at Bardywood give you a night like no other!
Bring your love, your friends or just yourself and watch Bard Unbound’s actors play some of Shakespeare’s greatest love scenes, paired with some of Hardywood’s greatest beers! (Hint -they’re all great!)
Not just for lovers, these scenes also present the “complicated” story, for ‘the course of true love never did run smooth’.
Romeo will share his share his sublime love for Juliet. Beatrice will reveal why she refuses to get married, and Benedick, his nonchalance about women. Rosalind (disguised as a boy) will test Orlando’s love for her…and more!
For those who want to make a grand personal gesture, at intermission an actor will be available to recite a Shakespeare sonnet and present a rose to your love (with a donation of $20 or more)!
Bard Unbound Actors:
Elisabeth Ashby
LaSean Greene
Cynde Liffick
Alana C. Smirh
Shanea N. TaylorOur tasting room will open from 4-9PM, with live latin jazz from members of Bio Ritmo and Miramar beginning at 5PM. BardUnbound takes the stage at 7PM! Olio Cart VCU will be on site all night with gourmet sandwiches to pair with your favorite draft or canned beer.
What better way is there to begin your date night this February 14th?
Brews & Burlesque: Valentine’s Day Edition — 9PM
Those Freaking Weirdos is proud to host Brews & Burlesque, now on the second Friday of every month. STRANGEWAYS BREWING plays host to the only burlesque show in the known universe to take place within pastie-throwing distance of the brewing tanks.
See Dev L. Ish, Dante the Inferno, Melody Magpie and Moxie LaBouche in all their silly, sexy glory.
Each month will showcase a new local burlesquer. This month’s Nudie Newbie is Lea Loveless. Whiskey A Gogo Vaudeville Burlesque dancer will be our stage kitten
BUT WAIT, there’s more! We have a surprise planned for our loving fans, a type of burlesque never before seen in RVA (or possibly anywhere!), courtesy of Jen Coffin.
Plus Paris Creperie rva will be on hand serving up their amazing savory and sweet crepes.
Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door (cash or charge). http://www.tfwburlesque.com/buy/ Due to the popularity of this ticket, onlines sales are limited to 75; the remaining 25 will be sold at the door. Don’t delay!
21+ only
*Free off-street parking.*
Sound, lighting, pre-show & intermission mix set by DJ Jesse James Felice.
Saturday February 15th
Hop Deystroyer Party at Whole Foods Short Pump — Noon
For the love of hops, Whole Foods Short Pump is giving you all the flowers to drink with some excellently hoppy selections. Here is what they will be tapping:
Ballast Point Sculpin — dry hopped cask conditioned pin
Bell’s Hopslam
Troegs Nugget Nectar
Stone Stochasticity Grapefruit Slam
Alewerks Bitter Valentine
Foothills Seeing Double
Hardywood Raspberry Stout Release — 2PM
The raspberry on the bottle kind of looks like an upside down heart:
Brewed with heaps of chocolate malt, cacao nibs, and local, late season red raspberries from Agriberry Farm, Hardywood Raspberry Stout captures the essence of a decadent raspberry truffle in liquid form. A beguiling ale, this stout’s enticing cocoa aromatics build to a flavorful crescendo of full bodied dark chocolate, subsiding with a pleasantly sweet, tart raspberry jam laced finish.
We’re celebrating Raspberry Stout release at 2pm (bottles, draft, food vendors) and with special Americana guests Andrew Leahey & the Homestead andThe Atkinsons.
2pm – Tasting room opens for Raspberry Stout bottles, draft, and food from Boka Tako Truck, Station 2, Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant and Super Fresh Carts.
Friday February 21st
Legend 20th Anniversary Imperial Brown Preview Firkin — 4:30PM
Legend previews their 20th Anniverary Imperial Brown Ale at Commercial Taphouse. Try it first before the April release.

Design cred: Whitney Paul
Virginia Wine Expo’s Burger Blast — 5PM
Gourmet burgers with delicious Virginia craft beer and wine sounds like the perfect date night to me. Read more about it here.
Saturday February 22nd
Mad Fox Brewing Barleywine Festival
This festival is in its fourth year and amazing time if you can make it out.

Check out the list here.
Virginia Wine Expo’s Burger Blast returns for its second year Friday February 21st starting at 5pm. Bigger and better than last year, Burger Blast will feature artisan burgers created by fifteen talented Richmond chefs with unlimited samplings of Virginia beer and wine. Held in the Ballroom of the Greater Richmond Convention Center, this fantastic evening of burgers and beers will sell out like last year so don’t wait get your tickets ($38/person) now here.
Take a look at the delicious burgers to be served and the participating Virginia breweries.
Restaurants & Burgers
Virginia Breweries
Apocalypse Ale Works – Forest
Bold Rock Cider – Nellysford
Center of The Universe (COTU) – Ashland
Devils Backbone – Lexington
Extra Billy’s – Richmond
Hardywood – Richmond
Isley – Richmond
Legend – Richmond
Lickinghole Creek – Goochland
Midnight – Goochland
O’Connor – Norfolk
Rusty Beaver – Ladysmith
Starr Hill – Crozet
Strangeways – Richmond
Sunken City – Smith Mountain Lake
Three Brothers – Harrisonburg
Check out the Facebook event for further updates.