Tag Archives: beer

St Benedict Celebrates Ten Years Of Oktoberfest This Weekend

St benedict Oktoberfest 2014There is always a lot to look forward to when Oktoberfest season rolls around.  Entering its tenth year, St Benedict Oktoberfest is possibly the most well attended Oktoberfest in the city. The festival starts Friday, September 19th at 4pm and runs all weekend.

There are so many great beers to choose from no matter which day you choose to go. Here is the complete beer list with the numbers to order by:

GERMAN BEER
(1) Spaten-Franziskaner | Original Munchner Helles Lager
(2) Spaten-Franziskaner | Oktoberfest Marzen Lager
(3) Spaten-Franziskaner | Optimator Dopplebock Stark Bier
(4) Spaten-Franziskaner | Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse
(5) Sünner GmbH | Sünner Kölsch

LOCAL BEERS
(6) Apocalypse Ale Works | Barmegedon
(7) Center Of The Universe | Chin Music Amber Lager
(8) Center Of The Universe | Kölsch
(9) Center Of The Universe | Oktoberfest Marzen Lager
(10) Devils Backbone Brewing | O’Fest Marzen Lager
(11) Devils Backbone Brewing | Schwarzbier Black Lager
(12) Hardywood Park Craft Brewery | RVA IPA Fresh Local Hopped IPA
(13) Legend Brewing Company | Imperial Harvest Wet Hopped Ale
(14) Legend Brewing Company | Legend Octoberfest Marzen Lager
(15) Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery | Creator Hopplebock Dopplebock
(16) Midnight Brewery | New Beginning Kölsch
(17) Starr Hill Brewing | The Love Hefeweizen
(18) Strangeways Brewing | Albino Monkey White Ale
(19) Sunken City Brewery | Sunktoberfest Marzen Lager

NATIONAL CRAFT BRANDS
(20) Heavy Seas | Cutlass Marzen Amber Lager
(21) Lazy Magnolia| Pecan Brown Ale
(22) Magic Hat Brewing | Over the Hills Pils
(23) Sly Fox Brewing | Oktoberfest Marzen
(24) Sly Fox Brewing | Pikeland Pils
(25) Sly Fox Brewing | Royal Weisse
(26) Southern Tier | Harvest Ale ESB
(27) Victory Brewying | Festbier Marzen

PUMPKIN PATCH
(28) Devils Backbone Brewing | Pumpkin Hunter Ale
(29) Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery | Cellared Pumpkin Ain’t Easy Saison
(30) Starr Hill Brewing | Boxcarr Pumpkin Porter
(31) Heavy Seas | Greater Pumpkin Bourbon Barrel Pumpkin Ale
(32) Southern Tier | Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale
(33) Southern Tier | Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout
(34) Weyerbacher | Imperial Pumpkin Ale
(35) Bold Rock | Virginia Draft Cider

TASTE THE LOCAL (DAILY LIST)

Strangeways Brewing
(36a) Friday: Uberlin Berliner Weiss
(36b) Saturday: Brewing Placebo Pils
(36c) Sunday: Virginia Vulgarian Bourbon Bock

Triple Crossing
(37a) Friday: Liberty or Death Vanilla Porter
(37b) Saturday: Rochelle Rochelle Amber Ale
(37c) Sunday: Falcon Smash IPA

Three Brothers
(38a) Friday: VA Dark Ale
(38b) Saturday: Marzen Lager
(38c) Sunday: Hellion Lager

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
(39a) Friday: Nuclear Nugget Imperial IPA
(39b) Saturday: Bourbon Aged Three Chopt Triple
(39c) Sunday: Bourbon Aged Three Chopt Triple

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
(40a) Friday: Ginger Bread Stout
(40b) Saturday: Dry Hopped Great Return IPA
(40c) Sunday: German Chocolate Imperial Stout

Extra Billy’s
(41a)Friday: My Only Weiss
(41b)Saturday: Citra Ass Down IPA
(41c)Sunday: Double Deke Black IPA

Isley Brewing
(42a) Friday: Choosey Mother Peanut Butter Oatmeal Porter
(42b) Saturday: Blue Hefner Blueberry Hefe
(42c) Sunday: Tall Dark & Hopsome Black IPA

Rusty Beaver
(43a) Friday: Bucktooth IPA
(43b) Saturday: Roys Big Bad Brown Ale
(43c) Sunday: Pale Ale

Ardent Craft Ales
(44a) Friday: Honey Ginger Ale
(44b) Saturday: Szechwan Peppercorn Saison
(44c) Sunday: IPA

Bold Rock Hard Cider
(45a) Friday: VA Apple Cider
(45b) Saturday: VA Apple Cider
(45c) Sunday: VA Apple Cider

SMALL BATCH JOCKEY BOXES

FRIDAY
(46a) Victory Brewing | Victory Hop Ticket Noble IPA
(47a) Weyerbacher Brewing | Weyerbacher Heresy Imperial Bourbon Barrel Stout
(48a) Lazy Magnolia | Timber Beast Rye Double IPA*
(49a) Lazy Magnolia | Southern Hopspitality IPA*

SATURDAY
(46b) Mendocino Brewing | Black IPA
(47b) Southern Tier Brewing | 2x Rye Strong Ale
(48b) Finch Beer Company | Chimera Double IPA*
(49b) Finch Beer Company | Secret Stach On Wood (AKA Sanchez Stout)*

SUNDAY
(47c) Southern Tier Brewing | 2XOne Conditioned Imperial Pale
(48c) Iron Fist Brewing Iron Fist | Hired Hand Saison
(49c) Iron Fist Brewing Iron Fist | The Velvet Glove Imperial Stout

Check out the St Benedict’s Oktoberfest Facebook page for more information and updates.

 

The Bruery Taps Invade Brew Wednesday To Celebrate Two Virginia Debuts

The Bruery logo2Head over to Brew in Chesterfield tomorrow Wednesday, September 17th as they host The Bruery CFO Carl Katz as their guest for a tap takeover featuring two beers making their Virginia debut. Brew will also tap some Bruery beers they have been holding in their cellar for just such an event.

There will be a charity raffle for several special Bruery bottles to benefit Liam’s Lighthouse Foundation fight against Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a life-threatening immunodeficiency. Raffle tickets are $5 each; the drawings will be held at 7pm for these rare bottles. 

Here are the beers to be tapped at 6pm:

  • Melange #3 – a blend of Sucre, White Oak Sap, and Black Tuesday — VA debut
  • Atomic Kangarue – a sour blonde ale brewed with Semillon and Viognier grapes and dry-hopped with Amarillo hops — VA debut
  • Sour in the Rye – an American Wild Ale brewed with a substantial amount of rye malt and soured in red wine barrels
  • Oude Tart – a Flemish Red ale aged in red wine barrels for 18 months
  • Tart of Darkness – a soured low alcohol stout aged in second use barrels from Black Tuesday (their Imperial Stout aged over a year in bourbon barrels)
  • Smoking Wood – an imperial porter brewed with a good amount of smoked malt and then barrel aged
  • Sucre – an old ale made for their anniversary brewed using the Solera Method so every batch continues with a piece of the previous batch
  • Hottenroth – a low alcohol, tart, German-style wheat ale.  Brew will have a couple of house-made syrups to show the German tradition of serving this style with a flavored syrup.
  • Mischief  – a Belgian-style golden ale with strong American hops over top of the spicy, fruity yeast strain powering the flavor
  • Autumn Maple – a big fall seasonal made with yams, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup

Although Wednesday is Brew’s growler fill special day, there will be no fills of these beers for the evening. Head over to the Facebook event for more information and updates.  Maybe I’ll see you there.

brew
6525 Centralia Rd
Chesterfield, VA 23832

If You Can’t Find Something To Do This Weekend, You’re Trying Too Hard

There is only one way to describe this weekend — jam packed! There are five festivals featuring Virginia beer so widespread this weekend you may not even have to leave your backyard to get to one. Meanwhile I will be geeking out at Wizard World Richmond part of the weekend so I need you to report back on everything.  Let’s not waste any more time…

Friday September 12th

Mystery Beer Release at Strangeways — 4PM

Even I don’t know the secret identity of Strangeway’s Mystery Beer. You’re going to have to go for yourself to find out.

RVA IPA Release at Hardywood — 4PM

Time to drink the hops you grew…

Wine & Beer Classic at Maymont — 7PM

You can hang out with your wine drinking friends…

Enjoy live music by Jubeus while sampling some of Virginia’s finest beverages from Ardent Craft Ales, Bold Rock Hard Cider, Center of the Universe Brewing, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery,Isley Brewing Company,Legend Brewing Company, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery,Lost Rhino Brewing Co., Midnight Brewery, Rusty Beaver Brewery, Smartmouth Beer,STRANGEWAYS BREWING, Triple Crossing Brewing Company, and Wild Wolf Brewing Company. Guests can partake in open cornhole play offered by BeSocial Richmond (for a fee) and enter to win a cocktail raffle prize featuring a home beer brewing kit and two tickets to the Richmond Beeristoric Tour, donated by Loveland Distributing and Brown Distributing- Richmond, VA.

Tickets are $35/person and include unlimited sampling of beers and wine. Buy tickets here.

Saturday September 13th

Richmond Spoke & Hop Fest at Hardywood — Noon – 9PM

Bike lovers this is especially for you though anyone is welcome. Tickets are $35/person and include unlimited sampling of over 50 Virginia beers including those from new to area taps, Heritage Brewing Co.  Before anyone complains, yes you must purchase tickets to enter Hardywood grounds on this day.  Who among us hasn’t spent $35 on beer?

Brew Jam Craft Beer Fest at Beaverdam — Noon

Head over to Beaverdam and sample beers from breweries such as New Belgium, Left Hand, Blue Mountain, Ommegang, and Brooklyn among others.

 

Beaverdam Brew Jam

Chesterfield Chamber Craft Beer Festival — Noon

Oktoberfest & Das Bier Run at Center of the Universe — 3PM

I really do like a good Oktoberfest. COTU’s is one of my favorites. Grab a stein…

Then maybe a bratwurst or two…

Oh and there’ll be German music…

Sunday September 14th

2nd Annual Tubes & Taps at Crossroads Coffee — 11:30AM

Float down the James  then enjoy a New Belgium and Foothills tap takeover at Crossroads Forest Hill.  Tickets are $40/person and benefit the James River Park System. You can get your tickets here.

Central Virginia Food Truck Rodeo at Chesterfield Town Center — Noon

30+ food trucks and 25 Virginia beers. What’s not to love?

 Hair of the Dog at Hardywood — Noon

After they’ve spoked the hop, Hardywood throws a brunch with five courses of music.

 

 

Bucket Trade Hosts Mini Three Brothers Tap Takeover For Fans Of Virginia Craft Breweries Meet & Greet

Members of the Facebook group, Fans of VA Craft Breweries will be heading down to Chester this afternoon Wednesday September 10th for a “Meet & Greet” at The Bucket Trade. For their part, Bucket Trade will tap four beers from Harrisonburg, VA’s Three Brothers Brewing including their latest rum barrel aged beer, Fierce Blonde.

Here is the complete list to be tapped at 5:30pm:

Hoptimization
Admiral IPA
PilsNerd
Fierce Blonde

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

The Bucket Trade
13131 Rivers Bend Blvd
Chester, VA 23836

Hardywood & Starr Hill Collaboration Amped Up Ale Only At Fall Line Fest This Weekend

Fall Line Fest Amped Up AleFall Line Fest rolls back into town Friday and Saturday nights with 50+ bands at six local venues turning the weekend into musical insanity.  You’re going, right? I had a blast last year.  Head over to RVA Playlist’s Fall Line Fest Beginners Guide to get started.  I’m working on my schedule as I type this — so many choices!

Building on the success of last year’s exclusive Fall Line Fest ale from Hardywood, organizers have raised the bar by teaming with Hardywood and Starr Hill breweries to collaborate on this year’s beer.  Aptly named by RVA’s own Page Hayes, “Fall Line Fest Amped Up Ale” is a Farmhouse ale, dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace and Mandarina Bavaria hops and spiced with fresh local ginger. I’m hearing from multiple sources that it is quite delicious. The beer debuted for a short time in Starr Hill’s taproom but will be served exclusively at Fall Line Fest venues as well as key accounts involved with the festival.

Hardywood’s head brewer, Brian Nelson, had this to say about the beer:

I think for us, collaborating with Starr Hill was probably long overdue. When the idea was proposed to create a beer together for Fall Line Fest, you could see and hear the excitement building as we all discussed what was possible…In the end, I think we captured the brewing styles and concepts of both breweries in the Fall Line Fest Amped Up Ale. Cheers to Robbie O’Cain and the Starr Hill crew for helping to make this beer excellent—the only thing left to do now is bring on the music!

Robbie O’Cain, Starr Hill’s Manager of Brewery Operations, relayed:

It is always great to work with Virginia brewers, especially when it involves new ingredients and new processes. One of the great things about the industry, especially in Virginia, is that we share ideas and process knowledge while maintaining our own unique way of doing things…Brian Nelson and the brewing team at Hardywood did a great job with the pilot batch, which allowed us to hone in on the final recipe. We are excited to present this beer in collaboration with our good friends at Hardywood, and we hope Fall Line Fest patrons will enjoy this brew while listening to some awesome music.

Get you tickets here, drink the beer, and have an awesome time!

At Long Last, The Answer Brewpub Grand Opening Is Tonight

It mAnswer Brewpub2ay have felt like forever but you can finally get a look inside The Answer Brewpub at their grand opening tonight Tuesday September 2nd starting at 4pm. They will be serving up street food like a Vietnamese tamale and banh mi sandwiches.  They are still working on the brewing space so for now you will have to choose from 36 guest beers.

Here is the tap list for tonight:

On The Wings of Armagedon – DC Brau
Corruption – DC Brau
Public Pale – DC Brau
Citizen – DC Brau
The Tradition – DC Brau
Straffe Hendrick Quad – De Halve Maan
Pacific Pear – Crispin
Double Trouble – Founders
Rubaeus – Founders
All Day IPA – Founders
Brainless Raspberries – Epic
Brainless Peaches – Epic
Admiral – Three Brothers
Gingerbread Stout – Hardywood
Great Return – Hardywood
Great Return firkin – Hardywood
Belgian Dubbel Pilot – Hardywood / The Answer collab
Goudenband – Liefmans
Curieux – Allagash
Hop Nosh – Uinta
Go To IPA – Stone
Street Cred – Triple Crossing / The Answer collab
Witte – Ommegang
Sweet Baby Jesus! – DuClaw
Cappuccino Stout – Lagunitas
Night Time – Lagunitas
Oarsman Ale – Bell’s
Earth – Blue Mountain
Enlightened Despot – Lickinghole Creek
To Peach His An – Strangeways / The Answer collab
Heiss Señorita – Strangeways / The Answer collab
Wampus Cat – Strangeways
Uberlin – Strangeways
IPA – Ardent
Racer 5 – Bear Republic
Dragon’s Milk – New Holland
Killer Kolsch – Champion

FYI…the entrance to The Answer is from the parking lot behind the building.  Enjoy!

The Answer Brewpub
6008 W Broad St
Richmond, VA 23230

Two Years In The Making: Hardywood First Wild Ale, Snapdragon Soars Next Saturday

Remember some two years ago when we were enjoying our first sips of Virginia Blackberry? Well, Hardywood had been secretly and quietly planning their first wild ale.

Maybe you remember this photo of head brewer Brian at Barboursville Vineyards steam sanitizing two of their wine barrels.

There was no indication what was going into those barrels but now I know that the first batch of Blackberry found a resting place in these red wine barrels. We are so used to instant gratification these days, it is hard to imagine waiting two years to release a beer.

I know a lot of you have been waiting for Hardywood to release just such a beer.  It will just be a little while longer now.  Hardywood Snapdragon will be released next Saturday September 6th starting at 2pm with 375-ml bottle sales for on and off premises consumption. Only about 1000 bottles were produced so sales will be limited to 4/guest.

Credit: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Credit: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Spurred by the natural flora of our region, the beautifully tart character of Hardywood Snapdragon is achieved through extended interplay with wild yeasts and acid forming bacteria for over a year of conditioning in Virginia red wine barrels.

Enjoy music from Exebelle & The Rusted Cavalcade as they fill the last moments of summer with country-rock inspired by Virginia’s folk tradition starting at 6pm.

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

Strangeways Presents The Fruits of Their Labor With Mekong Today

Strangeways Fruits of LaborJust in time for Labor Day, Strangeways is releasing two brand new beers, Still Life With Peaches Saison and Eternal Youth Biére d’Abricot,  today Thursday August 28th starting at 4pm. Along with their new beers, Strangeways will re-release two of their most popular beers, Wampus Cat Triple IPA and Überlin Berliner Weiss. There will also be bountiful fruit-inspired Curiosities emerging through the weekend.

Still Life With Peaches Saison
This is the story of a brewer who walks into the National Gallery of Art while in Washington D.C. for SAVOR to gain inspirational ideas for new beers to brew. As he admires the bountiful works of art, he settles into a calming bliss that leads effortlessly into a trance-like state of utter tranquility. His mind expands as he strolls and peruses the masterpieces before him. In time, he is lured to a painting that quietly yet assuredly speaks to him and, posthaste, he becomes infatuated with its display of simplicity coexisting with great detail. What better artist to settle on but one whose vision evoked the same response from great masters such as Matisse and Picasso, who remarked that Paul Cézanne “is the father of us all”. Still life artwork was prevalent in this French Post-Impressionist painter’s repertoire. The result of this inspiration is a Saison that blends a classic Saison DuPont yeast with yellow peaches added during fermentation. The elixir is then aged in oak barrels to enhance its complexity. “A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art”. -Cézanne
4.3% ABV~15 IBU

Eternal Youth Bière d’Abricot
In search of healing waters and gold, 16th century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon traveled to what is now Florida. Many have followed in his footsteps, as human kind perpetually seeks out magical potions to restore their youth. While consuming fresh, local beers such as Eternal Youth Bière d’Abricot will not turn time eternal, it may help one more effectively reflect on the good times experienced throughout life. And within these encapsulated memories, one can live in a certain utopia of Eternal Youth. This French farmhouse style incorporates a bière de grade yeast as well as apricots, which are purported to promote health and long life. Then this elixir of life is garded in oak barrels to execute complexity in this sessionable, late-summer delectation. Bathe in this fountain of juvenescence, and discover your Eternal Youth.
5.2% ABV~15 IBU

But wait, there’s more!  In addition to the releases at Strangeways, Mekong will have their own selection of Strange curiousities.

Here is what they will be tapping:

  • Überlin Berliner Weiss
  • To Peach His An — fresh Virginia peach Berliner Weisse
  • What Is Peach in German? — Strangeways sour peach variant
  • Heiss Señorita — Mango Tango Style; spicy mango Berliner Weiss
  • Still Life with Peaches — Wood Aged Belgian Style Saison with Peach
  • Put Some Peach on that Peach — amped up peach variant
  • Eternal Youth Biére d’Abricot — Wood Aged Biere de Garde with Apricot
  • Vaassup I’m Bruno! — Sour apricot blend
  • Wampus Cat Triple IPA

So head out and taste what An Mekong, Brandon Tolbert, and Mike Hiller have concocted in the lab.  Strangeways will have special hours of Noon to 9pm  Sunday and Monday for Labor Day weekend and will close out the “steal the vessel” special they’ve been running all month on Labor Day. 

Check for updates at Facebook events at both Strangeways and Mekong, here and here, respectively.

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