Tag Archives: craft beer

Rare & Vintage Tappings at Mekong Tonight

Head over to Mekong tonight Monday November 18th as they tap some rare and vintage kegs An Bui has been holding on to.  Tonight is also another installment of Mekong’s weekly RVA Appreciation Night so I’d expect a lot of these to be priced at $5.

Here’s the list of what they are tapping so far:

Dogfish Head 2009 World Wide Stout
Dogfish Head 2010 120 Minute IPA
Dogfish Head 2011 Palo Santo Marron
Goose Island 2012 Big John
Great Divide 2010 Oak Aged Chocolate Yeti
Bells 2009 Expedition Stout
Founders 2010 Breakfast Stout
Founders 2010 Backwood Bastard
Weyerbacher 2009 Heresy
Hardywood 2011 Mocha Belgique
Hardywood 2011 Bourbon Cru
Evil Twin 2011 Imperial Biscoti Break
Oskar Blues 2010 Ten Fidy
Heavy Seas 2012 Bourbon Below Decks
Allagash 2009 Curieux
Allagash 2010 Four
Hebrew 2010 Vertical Jewbelation

6004 W. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23230

This Weekend Is A Prime Example Of Why I Have A Hard Time Leaving Town

I always have a tough time deciding when to take trips out of town.  There is always something awesome going on.  If you haven’t noticed, Virginia craft beer is better than it has ever been and shows no signs of slowing down.  Sometimes you just need to get away so I’ll be off to Washington, DC to check out Bluejacket and their restaurant, The Arsenal.  While I’m doing that, I’m going to need you to fill in for me at some events this weekend.

Center of the Universe First Anniversary

COTU is throwing a three day party to celebrate one year of great beer in Ashland.  This all starts tonight Friday, November 15th at 4pm with the return of  The Richard Imperial IPA.  Originally released at their grand opening, Richard was the happy accident of COTU’s first brew on their system.  A little off here, short some water there, and they were left with a double IPA very similar to Pocahoptas, but much stronger. COTU will also be tapping some “Barrel Aged wonders,”  barrel-aged versions of a selection of COTU beers.  Something Shiny will provide live music for the evening.

Saturday, the celebration resumes at 3pm with guest taps from Homefront IPA collaborating breweries. Left Hand, Cigar City, 21st Amendment, and Stone have provided 2 kegs of limited release beers. Enjoy music from The Hippy House Band and Chuck County.

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Sunday, the party continues with music from The Royal We. and growler fills of all remaining guest taps.  Football fans can enjoy the Redskins/Eagles game on COTU’s 22 foot screen in the back.

“There are a lot of people in Virginia, as well as around the country, that have helped us get to where we are today.  This weekend is a celebration for them, and a thank you to our community and industry friends. Lets celebrate beer!” – Chris Ray, co-founder of Center of the Universe Brewing Company

Center of the Universe Brewing Company opened its doors in Ashland, VA on November 16th 2012. Brothers Phil and Chris Ray, who started as homebrewers turned their hobby into an obsession that is now a successful brewery in Virginia.

Hardywood Gingerbread Stout Release

Hardywood is releasing Gingerbread Stout Saturday November 16th at 2pm but the night before Mekong is hosting a pre-release party with some Hardywood beers that haven’t been seen in awhile.

Brian Barrel Blend #3
Heaven Hills Imperial Stout
Four Rose Imperial Stout
Bourbon Sidamo
Bourbon Cru
Hoplar
Raspberry Stout
Mocha Belgique
Virginia Blackberry
Quad
Andall Gingerbread Stout

If you’re looking to skip the lines during the party, Hardywood will be open 9 – 10:30PM Friday night for a pre-sale event for bottles (4 bottle/person limit) and other seasonal merchandise.   The lines will be cut off at 10:30, and there will be no on-site consumption.

The main party runs from 2 – 9PM with Gingerbread Stout available in 6oz and 12oz pours.  Samson Trinh & The Upper East Side Big Band (really hate I’ll miss them; check out their Abbey Road Project) and  Zep Replica will play sets at 4 and 7pm respectively.

Enjoy Boka Tako Truck, Pizza Tonight, Estes Bar.B.’Que, Mosaic, Station 2, Thai cabin, Olio Cart VCU, The Official Gelati Celesti Ice Cream Makers and a cart from Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant all day!

Lickinghole Creek Pumpkin Ain’t Easy Release & Farm Fest

LCCB is releasing the last pumpkin beer of the season Saturday, November 16th during a farm festival from 11AM to 8PM.  Pumpkin Ain’t Easy features sugar pie pumpkins grown on LCCB’s farm.  LCCB chose to omit the typical pumpkin pie spices in favor of their Belgian house yeast strain and German Tettnang and Hersbrucker hops.

The festival will feature a farmer’s market, artisan crafts (blacksmiths & gunsmiths), and children activities(bounce houses, a petting zoo, pony rides).  Music will be provided by the ReVinyls, Barrelhouse, and Cashmere Jungle Lords.

Advance festival tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite here and include the following:

$5 advance entry ticket only/ $8 day of entry ticket only

Advance Purchase Only Brew Fest Ticket: $20 (Plus Fees) Good for entry to the vent, four 15 oz beer pours, an LCCB pint glass, access to farm and craft vendors, music, and activities. Discounted Brew Fest Tickets are only available online in advance. You must be 21 years of age or older to buy a this ticket. One ticket per person.

Win a CoolShip at Allagash Tap Takeover at Brew Today

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Head over to Brew in Chesterfield today, Wednesday November 13th for their Allagash Brewing tap takeover which will include some rare and vintage kegs.  You can steal a cool Allagash chalice with any Allagash beer or flight. Les Addis from Allagash wll be joining the fun talking all things Allagash so bring your questions. Brew will also be raffling off a very special beer from  Allagash’s coolship series to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

UPDATE: Taplist has increased to ten beers below. Brew will be holding raffle at 7pm for a bottle of Resurgam.

Here are the beers they will be tapping starting at 5pm:

White
Dubbel
Tripel
Curieux
Hugh Malone
Midnight Brett
Confluence 2012
Interlude 2012 
Fluxus 2013 – porter with blood orange pulp & zest
James Bean – Curieux with coffee

Head over to the Facebook event for more details.

6525 Centralia Rd
Chesterfield, VA 23832
 

RVA Beer Week: Brews for Charity at Virginia Historical Society Saturday

Rotary’s Brews for Charity is a local beer festival happening tomorrow, Saturday at Virginia Historical Society in order to raise money for non-profit organizations around the Greater Richmond Region.  Rotary Club of Richmond has contributed over $300,000 to dozens of non-profits that work to improve the community  over the last five years.

Tickets for the festival are available online here for $20/person (includes 2 drink tickets) or $10/person (non-drinking).  Additional drink tickets are $5 each.  I’m not sure if ticket prices will be increased at the gate so you should get tickets now.

Here are the beers to be served at the event.

Center of the Universe — Ashland Bold Rock — Nellysford
Ray Ray’s Pale Ale Virginia Apple
Main Street Virginia Draft
Hardywood — Richmond Legend — Richmond
Singel Winter White
RVA IPA Chocolate Porter
Lickinghole Creek — Goochland Strangeways — Richmond
Magic Beaver Belgian Pale Ale Wallonian Dawn Saison
Three Sheets ESB Phantasmic IPA

Food Trucks
Paris Creperie
Pizza Tonight
Mosaic
Chupacabra
Meatball Company
Thai Wagon

Music
Tin Can Fish Band (11-1pm)
Starlighter Band (1-3pm)
The Taters (3-5pm)

428 N. Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220

The festival runs from 11am to 5pm.  Head over to the Facebook event for more information.

RVA Beer Week: Craft Beer Cocktails at Saison

RVA Beer Week LogoPopped into Saison a couple times over the weekend so I could get the details on their beer cocktails for the week.

The list sounds amazing and I’m looking forward to trying more of their creations.

End of Days ($8) — tequila, campari, lime, demerara, IPA.

Imperial Dark & Stormy ($10) — Rum, lime, ginger, ginger beer, imperial stout.

Death Star Flip ($10) — Rum, bourbon, orgeat, Imperial stout.

Apple Jackie Brown ($10) — applejack, apple port, sherry, Averna, Belgian Brown.

Pils Punch ($8) — Gin, St germain, lemon, pils.

3-2-1 Contact ($8) — dry vermouth, rose vermouth, allspice dram, Aperol, Wild Ale.

Rumbarrelstiltsken ($10) — Rum, Madeira, barleywine.

Go check these guys out and grab some of their delicious food while you’re at it.

Saison
23 W Marshall St
Richmond, VA 23220

RVA Beer Week: Richmond Brewers United Decending Upon Carytown Tonight

RVA Beer Week LogoWe’re only a few days into this marathon we call RVA Beer Week but tonight is when the real fun begins.  Coincidentially, tonight is also the night to have multiple events in many locations where choosing one over the other may seem like losing.  I assure you though there are no losers during this week.  Hell, you can join in at home just by popping open a bottle you have been saving from your favorite local shop. 

On to tonight’s business. Tonight Monday, November 4th Richmond’s local breweries have united in a show of support for Carytown restaurants for the first ever RVA Brewers Parade.  Look for them to be hitting the streets of Carytown around 6pm starting at Portait House; they will stay at each location for about 30 minutes.  Want to join them? Here’s the route they will be taking:

Portrait House
The Daily Kitchen & Bar
Mellow Mushroom
Can Can Brasserie
Weezies Kitchen
Xtra’s Cafe
Mezzanine
Burger Bach

RVA Beer Week: Pin Tappenings at Southern Railways Taphouse Tonight

If you were thinking about skipping the Autumn Bottom Brews after-party at Southern Railways Taphouse, you may want to think again.

They are tapping to cask condition pins tonight Sunday, November 3rd at 5pm:

  • Hardywood Great Return dry hopped with Simcoe and Citra hops
  • Strangeways Albino Monkey with coriander, pink peppercorns & juniper berries

Also, check out their RVA Beer Week flights.

RVA Beer Week: Teach A Friend To Homebrew Today & Homebrew Canning Next Saturday

Photo Credit: Brad Cooper

Photo Credit: Brad Cooper

I had forgotten but today Saturday November 2nd  is National Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day.  Head down to the Weekend Brew in Chester for their annual clusterbrew going on right now.  So head down and check out the action with the James River Homebrewers.

Weekend Brewer
4205 W Hundred Rd
Chester, VA 23831
(804) 796-9760

Been homebrewing for awhile now? Want to learn to can? James River Homebrewers and Old Dominion Mobile Canning have teamed up to present Candemonium next Saturday November 9th. To reserve a spot contact Paul Teller at paul_teller@yahoo.com.

JRHB ODMC Candemonium 110913

RVA Beer Week 2013: Tap Takeovers, Pub Crawls & Samplings

Friday November 1st

First Friday 5th Anniversary Screens ‘n’ Suds Party — Gallery 5 — 6 – 10PM
Friday will be the prelude to the Screens ‘n’ Suds Big Event on Saturday. Get a taste of what will be on tap and get your first peek at the month-long Screens ‘n’ Suds retrospective exhibit featuring every beautiful, beer-inspired print produced in their five-year history.

Blue Mountain Invasion & Steal the Glass — 821 Cafe — 7:30PM

Bourbon Barrel DIPA
Blue Reserve
Lights Out
Rip Rap Pale

Max’s Tavern Screens ‘n’ Suds After Party — 11pm-2am
After enjoying great beers and art at Gallery 5, check out the newest addition to the Richmond Beer Scene. Belgian themed Max’s Tavern has 24 taps and a huge bottle list of all Belgian and Belgian-style beers. Kitchen closes at midnight and last call is at 2am.

Legend Brewing Sampling — Olio- 630pm-830pm
Legend sampling featuring seasonal beers

Popkin Tavern-RVA Beer Week Kick Off event- 6pm-Close
Special tappings of various craft beers and a special wooden gravity cask tapping.

El Duderino Kickoff — Center of the Universe Brewery – 4PM
El Duderino is COTU’s highly anticipated White Russian Stout.

Saturday November 2nd
RVA Mustache Dash — Strangeways Brewing — 10:30AM – 3PM
5k run/walk and post party that pays tribute to the borderlands between the upper lip and nose. Participants are encouraged to have a mustache, real or fake. This run is 100% silly.

Beer, live music, food trucks, mustache awards and more. Ready, Set, Grow. http://www.rvamustachdash.com

Train Day Sampling — Caboose Wine and Cheeses of Ashland
Beer sampling featuring Center of the Universe Brewing

Day of the Dead Party — Casa Del Barco — 5PM-Close
Featuring Hardywood 2nd Anniversary Tequila Barrel Aged Belgian Tripel. Food and liquor specials as well.

High Gravity Fest — Popkin Tavern — 4PM
Popkin’s High Gravity Fest kicks off at 4pm. You know what else starts at 4pm? Beer school! So get there early and get some free tastes.

Alewerks Bourbon Porter 2012 (9%)
Avery Reverend (10.2%)
Bell’s Expedition 2012 (10.5%)
Bell’s Expedition 2013 (10.5%)
Brooklyn The Companion (10%)
Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon (12.5%)
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron 2012 (12%)
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron 2013 (12%)
Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout 2012 (8%)
Founders Imperial Stout 2012 (10.5%)
Green Flash Double Stout (8.6%)
Harviestoun Ola Dubh 12yr (8%)
JW Lees Harvest Ale (11.5%)
Nogne-O Sunturnbrew (11%) POPKIN EXCLUSIVE!
Nogne-O Imperial Stout (9%) POPKIN EXCLUSIVE!
Stone Imperial Russian Stout (10.5%)
Terrapin Reunion 2012 (8%)
Thornbridge Bracia (10%)

Sunday November 3rd

Southern Railways Autumn Bottom After Party — 5 – 10PM
SRT has a huge selection of Draft and Bottles craft beers as well as a delicious menu.

Monday November 4th

Carytown-RVA Brewers Parade- 5:30-10pm
The Richmond Area’s breweries will be bar crawling in Cary Town. Starting at the Portrait house- 5:30pm. Brewers and staff from Rusty Beaver, Hardywood, Legend, Midnight, Extra Billys’s, Strangeways, Center of the Universe, Isley Brewing, and Lickinghole Creek will be hitting 7 Carytown restaurants. Join the group and support Richmond beer.

Popkin Tavern — Big Lebowski COTU Tap takeover — 6PM-Close
Featuring the full line up of Center of the Universe beers including their newest El Duderino White Russian Stout.

Firestone Walker Tap Takeover — Mekong – 5PM
Full line up of rare and delicious Firestone Walker beers from sunny California.

Some of these beers you might find on later in the week; others will be very rare and may not last the night.

Starter
Pale 31 – 4.9% California Pale Ale
Pivo Pilsner – 5.3% Hoppy Pils….Gold Metal GABF 2013
DBA(Double Pale Ale) – .5.0 % English Pale

IPA
Union Jack – 7.5% IPA
Double Jack – 9.5% Imperial IPA
Wookey Jack – 8.3 American Black Rye IPA

Dark
Walker Reserve Porter – 5.8% Robust Porter
Velvet Merlin – 5.5% Oatmeal Stout
Parabola – 13% Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout

Sour
Agrestic Ale -6.3% Sour Red Ale

Barleywine
Double DBA – 12% Barleywine
2013 Sucaba – 13% Barrel Aged Barleywine
Stickee Monkey – 13% English Barleywine

Anniversary
XVI – 13% Barrel-Aged Blend
XVII – 13.3% Barrel-Aged Blend
XIV (maybe)

Aged
2010 Black Xantus – 11% Barrel Aged Imperial Coffee Stout
*2012 Sucaba – 13% Barrel Aged Barleywine

Tuesday November 5th

Richmond Beer Lover Election Day Excursion- 5pm-8pm

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Capital Ale House (All RVA Locations)- Finch Brewing STGN-5pm
Featuring 3+ beers on from Finch Brewing in Chicago. Buying a beer will allow you to keep the Finch glass it was poured in. Glassware available while supplys last.

Mellow Mushroom- Vote Legend Night-6pm
Election themed Legend night

Steal The Grunt Night — Popkin Tavern —  5pm
Strangeways Grunts and just like growlers only smaller and cuter. Get a grunt of your vary own to take home. Featuring a full selection of RVA’s own Strangeway Brewing on tap all evening.

Wednesday November 6th

UPDATE: Due to various issues, tonight’s pin crawl has been canceled but you can still get some delicious cask conditioned beers.  Commercial Taphouse will have a pin of Devils Backbone Wood Aged Kilt Flasher.  Nearby, Joe’s Inn will have a pin of Hardywood Second Anniversary Ale (tequila barrel aged tripel). 

3rd Annual RVA Pin Crawl — Commercial Taphouse, Cask, Social 52 — 5:30PM

3 Beercentic Locations each with its own special small batch pin (traditional hand-tapped, gravity-fed, casks that have gone through their secondary fermentation process in the vessel.) We will be walking from Cask to Commercial Taphouse to Social 52.

Heavy Seas Tap Takeover — Hurley’s Tavern –  5pm
Heavy Sea rep Brian Gearing will be available to talk to you about his delicious beers. 6 beers on tap and glassware while supplies last.

Barrel Aged Night — Joe’s Inn — 6:30PM
Special barrel aged beer tapped

Legend Brewing Thunderdome — Popkin Tavern — 5PM
Four beers enter, only one can win.

Thursday November 7th

Boathouse at Rocketts Landing- COTU Tap invasion-5pm-9pm

Boathouse at Sunday Park- Legend Tap Takeover-5pm-9pm

Friday November 8th

Things with Wood — The Camel  – 6PM

Featuring Hardywood:

Wild Turkey Russian Imperial Stout
Rum Pumpkin
Bourbon DIPA
Bourbon Cru

Todd Herrington’s solo album release for ‘Things’ starts at 9:30pm

COTU Beer Sampling — Corks & Kegs – 5:30-7:30PM
Sampling of the Center of The Universe beers with live jazz band.

Legend Pin Tapping — Joe’s Inn — 5:30PM
Special filled pin from Legend Brewery.

Popkin Tavern- Kick the Keg Night-6pm

Brews & Burlesque — Strangeways Brewery — 9PM

Join Those Freaking Weirdos as they take to the stage in, of all places, the tasting room of Strangeways Breing. Tickets available at www.tfwburleque.com

Saturday November 9th

Tours, Pins, and Music — Hardywood — 2PM
Offering tours on the hour (2, 3, 4 and 5pm) and a special line up of pins in honor of RVA Beer Week – music following will include My Darling Fury and the Awesome Few.

Craft Sausage Gorging Competition — Strangways Brewing –– 3PM
Strangeways teams up with Sausage Craft to have you contend against your fellow man to see how many Sausage Craft sausages you can shovel down for prizes and bragging rights.

$20 fee includes 5 Sausage Craft sausages with all the fixins (quickest to down 5 wins), a beer during competition and discount specials all day.  1st place receives a $100 Strangeways gift certificate, 2nd place will receive a $50 gift certificate and 3rd place will receive a $25 gift certificate. 

Rules and sign up available at www.strangewaysbrewing.com.

Bottom to Tap. Hardywood Park 3 Miler — 17th Street Farmers Market — 11AM
Presented by Shake and Bake Sports and benefiting the Enrichmond Foundation, the Bottom To Tap is the 3 Miler that starts at the bottom and ends at the tap! This casual run starts in Shockoe Bottom, goes through historic Church Hill and returns to the 17th Street Farmer’s Market for a great party. If you enjoy running and a party with Hardywood on tap, live music and gourmet local food trucks, register here:

Center of The Universe Barrel Aged Event — Mekong — 5PM
5 barrel aged Center of The Universe beers all on tap at the #1 Beer Bar.

Station 2’s Hardywood Hoppyness Day — 5PM

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