Tag Archives: RVA Beer

Isley Brewing Company Celebrates First Birthday Today

With the pumpkin festival and Hardywood’s Third Anniversary, Scott’s Addition is obviously the place to be today Saturday October 25th.  There is always room for more, right?

Take a break from the festival and head over to Isley Brewing and relax in their spacious taproom as they throw their First Birthday Bash from noon until whenever the party ends. They will be pouring tastes of Drunkin Punkin, a bourbon aged pumpkin beer. James River Cellars and Blue Bee Cider will be joining in on the fun as special vendors.

Here is Isley’s taplist from Trinkin.com as of this morning:

Blue Hefner — Blueberry Hefeweizen
Choosy Mother Peanut Butter Porter
Mimomo Imperial Stout
Off The Boulevard Irish Red Ale
Rye Me A River
Scott’s Addition IPA
Sour Relationship By Blue Hefner
Tall, Dark & Hopsome Black IPA
The Bribe Porter
You Had Me At Hello Hefeweizen

Live music will start at 2pm with Chris Buerkley and The People’s Key. Sammich, BoDillaz, and River City Wood Fire Pizza will be serving food through out the day. Try your hand at answering trivia questions or take a chance on the raffle to win prizes.

If nothing else, you should go to hang out with the River City Beer Betties.

Isley Brewing Company
1715 Summit Ave
Richmond, VA 23230

It’s The Great Scott’s Addition Pumpkin Saturday Richmond!

Scotts Addition Pumpkin Fest 2014The Scott’s Addition Pumpkin Festival returns for its second year Saturday October 25th from Noon to 6pm.

Last year’s Boulevard Pumpkin Festival was a great success drawing in over 13,000 people.  Organizers changed the name to focus on the area businesses as a whole thereby including the local breweries who call the area home.

Here are some of the pumpkin and seasonal dishes being served at the festival:

  • Buz & Ned’s: Roasted Pumpkin Brunswick stew, Pumpkin Funnel Cake
  • Iron Horse: Roasted Pork BBQ on Pumpkin Yeast Roll, Cranberry Apple Coleslaw with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Pumpkin Chiffon Dessert topped with graham cracker crumbs and toasted coconut
  • Nacho Mama’s: Pumpkin Empanadas
  • The Camel: Candied Bacon
  • William’s Bakery: Apple-Walnut Bread, Pumpkin Cakes, Pumpkin Donuts, Pumpkin Rolls
  • Mosaic: Smoked Gouda Mac n Cheese
  • Martin’s: Pumpkin Cupcakes
  • Fat Dragon: Bao with filling and Pumpkin Dish
  • Mark’s Airborne Kettle Corn: Kettle Corn and Apple Cider
  • Alamo BBQ: Jalapeno mac n cheese, Texas Caviar, Pumpkin Pie
  • Moore St. Café: Pumpkin Crab Cake Sliders
  • Polar Roller: Self Serve Frozen Yogurt featuring Pumpkin/Cheesecake, Pumpkin/Pecan Praline with full-serve toppings

Beers on tap for the festival include:

Ardent Pumpkin
Ardent Sweet Potato & Sage Saison
Ardent Virginia Common
Bud Light
Hardywood Singel
Hardywood Pils
Hardywood Farmhouse Pumpkin
Isley Tall Dark & Hopsome Black IPA
Isley Choosy Mother
Isley Stunt Dubbel Pumpkin
Strangeways Albino Monkey
Strangeways Woodbooger
Strangeways Gourd of Thunder

VIP ticket holders will gain access to these limited pumpkin beers:

Heavy Seas Great’r Bourbon Barrel Pumpkin
Twisted Manzanita Witches Hair Imperial Pumpkin
Weyerbacher Aries Pumpkin Imperial Stout
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin

VIP tickets are $30/person in advance or $35 at the door if available. Buy your tickets here.

Once the festival ends, head over to the Redskins Training camp for free showings of “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” and “Monsters, Inc.”

Are You Down For A Trick Or A Treat? Halloweek Starts Friday At Strangeways

Strangeways and RVA Magazine have cooked up a week of Halloween goodness for your pleasure.

Something delicious this way comes…

It’s time again for RVA Magazine‘s Halloweek, and we’ve got plenty in store at the Laboratory:

All week – Gourd of Thunder Imperial Pumpkin Porter is the official beer of Halloweek…RVAMag, you’ve got great taste! It will be available on tap around town and at Strangeways all week.

Friday, 10/24 – The official Halloweek kick-off party – a very special Halloween edition of the perennial favorite, Brews and Burlesque (https://www.facebook.com/events/1494819437441999/).
Food truck: Port o’ Call RVA

Saturday, 10/25 – Break out your best costume for Strangeways’ first-ever ZOMBIE PROM (https://www.facebook.com/events/1490158524601977/)
Food truck: Dressed & Pressed

Sunday, 10/26 – Strangeways Sunday Revival featuring Anthony Williams.
Food truck: Port o’ Call

Tuesday, 10/28 – Come to the laboratory for zombie makeup and a special viewing of Lights Camera Dead from Aisthesis Productions! (https://www.facebook.com/events/1478434432444935/)

Thursday, 10/30 – Who says Halloween is for kids? Try Trick or Treating for adults with candy from Southern Season Richmond, included with purchase of the Sweet, Sour, or Sweet & Sour flights! (will be available through 11/9)
Food truck: Popping Mealies

Friday, 10/31 – The official release of our Día de los Muertos-inspired beer, Vatos Muertos! The dudes may be dead but the flavors are alive and kicking – try it for yourself! (https://www.facebook.com/events/655578911224441/)
Food truck: Popping Mealies

Fifth Annual RVA Beeristoric Tour Tickets On Sale At Strangeways Today

Outside Yuengling beer caves; Credit: Richmond Beeristoric

Outside Yuengling beer caves; Credit: Richmond Beeristoric

UPDATE: The Beeristoric tour is officially SOLD OUT!

The fifth annual RVA Beeristoric Tour, the final event of RVA Beer Week, has been set for Sunday November 9th. Tickets will go on sale today Monday October 20th at Strangeways when they open at 4pm at 6pm.  I promise you these tickets will sell out early as they do every year so don’t wait if you want to be on the bus.

Saturday: Who’s Your Soledaddy? Virginia Black Bear On The Loose. Ryes Of The Pumpkin.

Today Saturday October 18th is brought to you by the letter “R” and the number “3” as in three beer releases.

Soledad Beer Release at Strangeways — Noon

Strangeways will release their latest beer, Soledad, at noon today October 18th with limited bottle (approx 333) sales.  Soledad is a rum barrel aged tripel brewed in tribute to Gabriel García Márquez.

SOLEDAD (8% abv~25 IBU) <Rum Barrel Aged>

Venezuelan rum barrels were delivered to Strangeways on the day of Gabriel García Márquez’s death, April 17, 2014. Known affectionately as Gabo, and of whom the Columbian president called “the greatest Columbian who ever lived”, we brewed a unique tribute beer to honor the life of this tremendous literary artist who wrote the Nobel Prize winning novel One Hundred Years of Solitude (Soledad means Solitude).

Under no established style guidelines, Soledad was crafted entirely with South American cuisine in mind, and everything from the fruits to the yeast were specially chosen based on traditional recipes from the continent. Columbian bananas, toasted coconut, Piloncillo raw cane sugar, passion fruit, mamey sapote, and fresh mangoes were all used in the process, and the elixir went through nearly half a year of aging on Venezualan rum barrels.

The rich taste is fruity and tropical with touches of hoppy citrus and spice, complemented with mysterious shadows of coconut and chocolate and, of course, rum!

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

Virginia Black Bear On The Loose at Lickinghole Creek — Noon

Did you ever wonder how Lickinghole Creek’s Enlightened Despot tasted before it was aged in bourbon barrels? Well, LCCB is releasing the base beer for Despot, Virginia Black Bear Russian Imperial Stout.

Ryes of the Pumpkin at Hardywood — 4PM

This year’s barrel aged pumpkin beer from Hardywood comes in the form of Rye Whiskey Barrel Pumpkin replacing Rum Pumpkin. Head Brewer, Brian Nelson explains the reason for the change, “Barrel aging requires time.  Our rum barrels are supplied by a Peruvian distillery, so when the distiller needed to give the rum another month in the barrels, our schedule was pushed back as a result.  When the rum is done, the barrels open up for us to do our thing.”

Hardywood Rye Whiskey Barrel Pumpkin combines the nostalgic flavors and aromas of autumn with a soul warming, rye whiskey laced finish that can only be achieved through months of maturation in Jim Beam rye whiskey barrels.

Check out the Facebook event for more information and updates.

Taste The Forbidden Dragon Fruit At Hardywood Today

Head over to Hardywood today Saturday October 4th at 2pm for the release of Forbidden. The beer was brewed in honor of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ exclusive U.S. showing of Forbidden City: Imperial Treasures From The Palace Museum, Beijing.

Hardywood Forbidden is a Belgian white ale integrated with red dragon fruit to produce a subtle and pleasant sweetness in the flavor and aroma. The dragon fruit amazingly changes the beer’s appearance to a bright pink color befitting of the rich culture of the Forbidden City. ABV 6.5%, 20 IBU.

Take a look this video detailing the idea behind this collaboration.

Live music from Arizal, Grass Panther, Gull, and Lobo Marino; food trucks all day. Head over to the Facebook event for more information and updates.

 

Hill Yeah! Hogtober Gets Its Own Beer From Ardent Craft Ales & Alamo BBQ This Saturday

Hogtober -- Saturday October 4th Noon - 7PM --Libby Hill Park

Hogtober — Saturday October 4th Noon – 7PM –Libby Hill Park

For the first time at Hogtober, Saturday October 4th starting at noon, you’ll be able to enjoy an abundance of craft beers along with some traditional American classics as you bask in the hilltop river view that named Richmond.

Old friends of Church Hill — Ardent Craft Ales — join the celebration and make a return appearance to the neighborhood. With long ties to the Church Hill community, Ardent Craft Ales wanted to make a special brew just for Hogtober.

Introducing Hogtobrew — the official festival beer — a subtly smoked rauchbier brewed by Ardent with collaboration from Chris Davis at Alamo BBQ, Church Hill’s favorite place to pork. Hogtober will be the only appearance of this collaboration beer. Quantities are limited, so get yours early.

Here are all the beers to be tapped for the festival:

Featured Ardent Craft Ales
Virginia Common
Honey Ginger Summer Ale
Sweet Potato & Sage
Autumn Saison
Hogtobrew
Saison
IPA

Featured Bold Rock Ciders
Virginia Apple
Virginia Draft

American Classics & Traditional Fall Favorite Specialty Beers
Bud Light
Michelob Ultra
Shocktop Pumpkin
Southern Tier Pumking
Southern Tier Warlock Imperial Pumpkin Stout
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

RVA Brewers Pumpkin Patch
Ardent Craft Ales: Pumpkin Spiced Ale
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery: Pumpkin Ain’t Easy
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery: Farmhouse Pumpkin
Strangeways Brewing: Gourd of Thunder Imperial Pumpkin Porter

BBQ. Brew. And one hill of a view. What more could you want?

Stepping Outside Richmond Dining For Fire, Flour, & Fork: Saturday

Fire Flour Fork 2014

Ever since Fire, Flour, & Fork was announced, I have been struggling to choose a schedule from the culinary and cultural tracks.  With so many great choices, the task of narrowing down each time slot to a single talk became very overwhelming. If you look at my printout of the schedule, there are several check marks all over the place.

Last week I took you through my Friday picks for Fire, Flour, & Fork culinary tracks. We will look at Saturday next but first let’s review my selection rules:

  1. As much as I love our local dining talent, I will look for speakers coming from out of town.
  2. The topic needs to be of personal interest to me, in that maybe I could learn techniques to put into practice in my own kitchen.
  3. No beer. Yep, I said it. Yes, I could listen to our local breweries talk about beer all day long and sometimes I do.

Now on to Saturday, November 1st.

10AM

My Pick
Flavor Flours — Flour is essential to baking but what happens when the flour is not your typical wheat base? Maybe Alice Medrich can educate this amateur baker.

Runner-up
Fork Over The Hanover Tomato — If you love tomatoes, surely you’ve heard of the Hanover tomato.

11:15AM

My Pick
The Tao of Bark — Texas barbecue in Virginia?! Sign me up!

Runner-up
DamGoodSweets — I hear they’re…well, I think you can see where I’m going.

2PM

My Pick
Fork In The Road — I love mushrooms and would love to some day try and grow them myself.  Until then, I’ll just eat Dave and Dee Scherr’s mushrooms.

Runners-up

  • Apple Stack Cake — I bet you were thinking apples only went in pies. Travis Milton will teach you about different heirloom apple varieties and how he uses them.
  • Smoked and Charred Cocktails — T Leggett’s cocktails. Nuff said.

3:15PM

My Pick
Burning Desire — I will have my chocolate! If you’re lucky, I’ll save you some Gearhart’s. Maybe.

Runners-up

  • On a Roll — I first had Drew Thomasson’s baking at D’lish in Chester, VA. To say I miss having that lunch option is an understatement.  I’m happy to see Drew put his bread stamp on Richmond.
  • The Three Sisters — Someone put a beer in my pumpkin. Someone put pumpkin in my beer! It’s the fall how could you not indulge.

There you have it; that’s one possible plan for navigating Fire, Flour & Fork. Use my plan or make your own rules and pick out a schedule.  Tickets are $70 for one-day Friday or Saturday tracks or $130 for both Friday and Saturday tracks. Get your tickets here.

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