Tag Archives: VA Beer

Roundout Your National Beer Expo Experience With These Events

National Beer Expo 2015The National Beer Expo returns to Richmond for the second year this week from Thursday July 16th to Saturday July 18th.  The Grand Tasting on Saturday July 18th will allow you to sample over 150 craft beers; take look at the list of breweries here.  VIP admission gets you in two hours early plus a few exclusive tastes for $54 versus $42 for general admission. Check out the main ticket page for combo options to save some money.

VIP admission tickets include the following perks:

  • Two full hours of additional time before General Admission ticket-holders may enter. (New for 2015)
  • Enjoy exclusive access to 18+ limited release, rare or vintage beers – many of them pins (cask beers) and bottled beers – tapped especially for VIP/Early Admission ticket-holders. These beers will not be available to General Admission ticket-holders. (New for 2015)
  • There will be a limited allocation of VIP/Early Admission tickets so that this two hour period will offer incredibly fast access to all exhibitors and beer at the Expo and the opportunity to taste all of the cask beers before they are gone.

All tickets include the following:

  • Unlimited beer tastings and a Capital Ale House National Beer Expo tasting glass to take home
  • Wine and cider will be available for tasting (very limited selection)
  • Food will be available to sample (limited selection / not enough for a meal / meal-size portions of food will be sold separately)
  • Complimentary water will be available throughout the convention center so you can hydrate and cleanse your palate and beer glass
  • Shop for beer- and beverage-related accessories and products, including brewery paraphernalia
  • Find high-quality exhibitors who sell products and services related to travel and culinary tourism

If you want to go a bit more in depth, try on these events for size:

Friday July 17th

Taco Throwdown Presented By Style Weekly — 5:30PM — $48

Love tacos? Love beer? Well, I guess you could say they go hand in hand.  Try these tacos on for size and wash them down with over 30 craft beers to sample.

Restaurants
Africanne on Main – Wild Life Taco
Aramark – Chorizo, beef & black bean with tomatoes and srirachi slaw in a flour tortilla
Boka Tako – To be determined
Capital Ale House – Pork belly tacos topped with roasted corn salsa, cilantro slaw, and roasted tomato aioli
Casa Del Barco – Braised Lamb Tacos with Mexican Coke BBQ sauce, apple-fennel slaw, crispy polenta and lemon-mint crema
Coco Bans – Chicken Curry with Coconut Rice & Grilled Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Apple Slaw
Culinard – Smoked Chili Braised Octopus, Mexican Street Corn Salsa, Avocado and Cojito Taco And White chocolate Grand Marnier mousse with fresh seasonal berries in a Pecan praline crunch Taco
India K’Raja – Chickpea Taco with Pickled Carrots
Mosaic – Three Day Prime Short Rib: Lavash Taco, Grilled Spring Onion Salad, Coffee Stout Glace, Crème Fraiche
Strawberry Street Café – Mahi Tacos with a Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
The Hungry Turtle – Banh Mi Tacos – Choice of either Braised Vietnamese BBQ Pork or Lemongrass Chicken: Topped with julienned carrots and daikon radishes in a sweet & tangy brine, julienned english cucumbers, cilantro and sriracha aioli on a flour tortilla

Saturday July 18th

Flapjack Craft Beer Brunch at Julep’s — 10AM — $45

Head over to Julep’s new location for an amazing, luscious farm-to-table brunch featuring fresh, local ingredients. Served with a flight of locally-made craft beers as well as locally brewed coffee, this is an ideal way to start your day before you attend the Saturday Walk-Around Grand Tasting. You will have time to enjoy FlapJack and walk to the Walk-Around Grand Tasting afterwards at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

MENU

First Course
Sweet Potato Flapjacks with Nutmeg Butter and Spiced Maple Syrup
HOEGARDEN BELGIUM WHEAT

Second Course
Julep’s New Southern Benedict
Lump Crab Cake, Virginia Ham, Corn Meal Grit Flapjack, and a Lemon-Lavender Hollandaise
BLUE MOUNTAIN ESB

Third Course
Biscuits and Gravy Sage Biscuits and Surry Sausage and a Dark Roast Coffee Gravy
PARKWAY KOLSCH

Accompaniments
Peaches and Cream
Rosemary-Black Pepper Roasted Local Potatoes
Fried Pineapples
Julep’s Signature Fried Green Tomatoes

Julep’s
420 East Grace St
Richmond, VA 23219

Stone Brewing’s New RVA Brewery & Extraordinary Beers — 11AM — $15

If you’re looking to learn the latest on Stone Brewing’s new facility coming to Richmond in 2016, this would be the place to do it. Jason Armstrong, National Sales Director, and Pat Tiernan, COO, will guide you through a tasting of Stone’s beers as they explain what is to come for the massive destination Stone is building.

The History of Craft Beer — 11AM — $15

History and craft beer go amazingly well together.

It’s been 40 years since the first post-prohibition microbrewery opened in the United States, but craft beer is only now hitting it’s stride. There are now more than 3,500 small breweries opening in the country, and they are producing some of the most flavorful and innovative brews that have ever been created. Join All About Beer Magazine editor John Holl for a guided tasting through the world of craft beer, with interesting facts, colorful stories, and a look at why beer matters.

The Rise of Sour Beer — 1PM — $15

Are you a sour head or just getting into sour beers? Then this seminar is especially for you.

What’s with all the recent hype around sour beers? Join Michael Tonsmeire (author of American Sour Beers) for a tasting and discussion about tart and funky beers. This is what all beers were before Pasteur, stainless steel, hops, and refrigeration. They are the heirloom, foraged, farm-to-table, artisan beverage of the first 8,800 years of beer’s 9,000 year existence. Come learn about their extraordinary flavors and production.

Brewers of Virginia — 1PM — $15

Learn about the growth of Virginia craft beer from the people making it.

Go behind the scenes of Virginia beer on this lively panel discussion lead by All About Beer Magazine editor John Holl. The panel will be comprised of a variety of head brewers and owners from very diverse backgrounds. Lean about brewpubs, production breweries and trailblazers and how they have build their companies to put beer in your glass.

The Esteemed Panel:
Lisa Pumphrey, Co-Founder of Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Brian Knight, Brewer at Strangeways Brewing
Jeremy Kirby, Brewmaster at Sunken City Brewing Company

Brewer’s Ball Returns For Second Year At Virginia War Memorial This Thursday

Brewers Ball RVA 2015 061815Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. An estimated 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide) have CF.

In people with CF, a defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

  • Clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections.
  • Obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down food and absorb vital nutrients

As part of their fundraising efforts to aid in the search for a cure, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Virginia Chapter will host the second annual Brewer’s Ball tomorrow Thursday June 18th at 6:30pm, to celebrate Richmond’s finest young professionals who have spent months raising money for the foundation.  This year Triple Crossing’s Scott Jones is among the honorees for the event. Once again, the Virginia War Memorial will serve as a the backdrop for an fun evening enjoying the best of Richmond while raising money for a great cause.

Tickets for the event are $75/person ($45 tax deductible) and includes all food and drink and can be purchased here.

Pick up your collector’s glass and enjoy beers from ten Richmond (or at least soon to be) breweries plus Bold Rock Cider for the night:

  • Ardent Craft Ales – Pale Ale 5.8% ABV
  • Bold Rock – Cider 4.7% ABV
  • Center of the Universe – Chin Music. Amber Lager 4.5% ABV
  • Hardywood – Pilsner 5.2% ABV
  • Isley – The Bribe. Oatmeal Porter 6.6% ABV
  • Legend – Strong Arm. Wee Heavy Scotch Ale 8.4% ABV
  • Lickinghole Creek – Till Sunset. Session IPA 4.7% ABV
  • Midnight – Head first. Pale Ale 6.5% ABV
  • Stone – Ruination 2.0 & Delicious IPA
  • Strangeways – Woodbooger. Belgian style brown ale 6% ABV
  • Triple Crossing – Falcon Smash. IPA 7.5% ABV

While you sample away, try some goodies from the fine folks from:

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

brb…San Diego! Richmond, Here Are Your Assignments.

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/california-san-diego-at-night-royalty-free-image/537000917

In just a few hours, I’ll be hopping on a plane to head out to sunny San Diego, California for ten days of fun that will end at the National Homebrewers Conference. Part of me hates that the timing of this trip because there are so many cool events I will miss.

Thursday June 4th

Ardent’s Honey Ginger Retruns at Mellow Mushroom — 6PM

Honey Ginger returns starting with a tap release at Mellow Mushroom tonight!

RVA Playlist 5th Birthday Party at The Broadberry — 7PM

This is the event it kills me the most to miss. Andrew Cothern, RVA Playlist, is one of my best friends, and I have no idea how he covers as much local music as he does day in day out. All the bands he has selected to play his 5th year shindig at The Broadberry are personal favorites of mine that I might not have heard of if not for him. Check out his spotlights on Goldrush, Jonathan Vassar & the Badlands, and No BS! Brass then get your tickets here.

RVAPlaylist 5th Bday

Saturday June 6th

Cover to Cover Presents: BACK TO BLACK at Hardywood — 6:30PM

This is the second music entry in this post. RVA Playlist, does this officially make me a music blogger?

If you haven’t experienced Spin, Spit, & Swear’s Cover to Cover band, then you really need to. I fell in love with them when they performed Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.” I have no doubt (Hmmm…maybe an idea for their next project) their performance of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” will be anything less than stellar.

Cover to Cover Back to Black at Hardywood 060615

OFF Broad Appetit at Pasture — 6:30PM

Off Broad Appetit 2015I’ve had the pleasure of attending this the past two years. It’s a shame I will miss this year as the money goes to a great cause. Get your tickets here.

Join Richmond magazine and the National Pork Board on Saturday, June 6th for a Broad Appetit kick-off feast at Pasture on Grace! Here you will discover five amazing chefs (and one kick-ass winemaker) all representing true farm to table cuisine. These famed chefs will present amazing dishes featuring local food producers from across Virginia, all done with the flair that has made them famous. Virginia wines, brews and ingredients will be featured throughout the evening. Our chef line-up includes:

Rob Newton
Chef & Owner of Seersucker in Brooklyn, NY will be serving

Brad Farmerie
Executive Chef at Public in New York City

Chad Colby
Chef at chi SPACCA in Los Angeles

Stephen Gerike
Director of Food Service Marketing, National Pork Board

Jason Alley
Chef at Comfort & Pasture Restaurants in RVA

Jose Enrique
Chef and owner of Capital and Miel in San Juan, Puerto Rico

David Varley
Chef at RN74/the Mina Group in Seattle, WA

Bryan Voltagio
Executive Chef at VOLT in Frederick, MD

André Hueston Mack
Owner and Winemaker at Mouton Noir, NY

Full Menu Coming Soon!

Bar snacks:  pimento cheese, tons of pickles, pork rinds with home-made hot sauce, and crab spiced boiled peanut dip

Esteemed local beverages being served include:
Foggy Ridge Cider

Only 125 tickets are available.
Tickets to this incredible event are $125 per person. Net proceeds benefit FeedMore.

Support provided by National Pork Board, Richmond magazine, Brown Distributing/Taste the Local, Pasture, Hilton Garden Inn, & Duke’s Mayonnaise/CF Sauer and Echelon Event Management.

Sunday June 7th

Broad Appetit on W Broad St Between Henry & Adams — 11AM – 6PM

Find a new favorite restaurant through $3 plates from some of the best Richmond has to offer.

Saturday June 13th

Ardent Craft Ales Year One Anniversary Block Party — 1PM

Ardent 1yr Anniv 061315This one really stings. I love these guys and really wanted to be here to celebrate with them. Please raise several glasses for me.

One year down. Wow. To celebrate, come out Saturday, June 13 to officially mark exactly 365 days (no joke) since we opened and joined the incredible Richmond beer community! We are hosting a massive block party at the brewery from 1 to 8 p.m. that will feature our biggest line-up of beer, local food, live music, and outdoor fun. On this day only, we will offer more than a dozen of our own brews including:

1 / Honey Ginger
2 / Session India Pale Ale
3 / Diamond Pale Ale
4 / Virginia Common
5 / IPA Batch #12
6 / IPA Batch #13
7 / IPA Batch #14
8 / Saison
9 / “Defenestrator” Dopplebock
10 / Touchstone Wheat Ale
11 / Berliner Braunbier
12 / Szechaun Peppercorn Saison
13 / Earl Grey Brown Ale
14 / Dark Rye
15+ / Casks: No fewer than two casks, to be announced next week!

Beyond our own beers, we will have local cider and several guest brews from nearby brewery friends on tap for the day. In addition, we will release a special anniversary beer just available for the day in 750 mL bottles and to be announced a few days before the party.

There will a long line of food trucks running along West Leigh Street including some of Richmond’s finest: KavaKava gourmet , The Return of the Mac, Goatocado, Bonbontruck, Happy Empanada, River City Wood Fire Pizza, Hungry Turtle Food Truck, Station 2, and King Of Pops – Richmond. No one is going hungry.

Finally, we’ve invited some incredible regional bands to perform throughout the day, as follows:

2 – 3pm / Peace Beast
3 – 4pm / Clair Morgan
4 – 5pm / The Milkstains
5 – 6pm / Christi
6 – 7pm / NO BS! Brass Band

Event is free to enter with beverage and food tickets for sale at the door and inside the event with cash or credit. One ticket = $1. Attendees must be 21 and over and present valid ID to consume alcohol. Event is rain or shine.

Want to volunteer at this event? If you are interested, please visit: http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/06417988010

Hardywood Vinalia Urbana Release w. Lady God, The Ar-Kaics & Dave Watkins — 2PM

Hardywood Vinalia UrbanaThis sounds like it will be delicious. Please save me some.

Named after the Roman festival held to bless and sample the wine of the previous season, Vinalia Urbana, a Belgian-style strong golden ale, is aged for months in freshly emptied Sauvignon Blanc barrels. This maturation process lends some light vinous notes and a hint of oak that blend beautifully with the subtle fruit and light spicy character imparted by the Belgian yeast. Vinalia Urbana is delightfully dry and delicate on the palate with lingering white grape and stone fruit undertones. 9.0 % ABV

Hardywood Vinalia Urbana will be available at 2:00pm on draft and in 750mL bottles. King Of Pops – Richmond, BoDillaz, Slideways Mobile Bistro, Cheezilla’s Grilled Cheese on site through the day.

Live music with:

Dave Watkins
minimalist appalachian math rock live looping sound explosion
www.davewatkinsmusic.com

The Ar-Kaics
…play troglodyte teenbeat 60s-style punk.
www.thearkaics.bandcamp.com

Lady God
Bristling surf guitar, webby bass lines, and sneering dual vocals compose an oddly satisfying vintage rock n’ roll salad we call “Slink.”
www.meetladygod.bandcamp.com

Sunday June 14th

3rd Annual Richmond Bacon Festival at 17th St Farmers Market — 11AM

Bacon dishes and Devils Backbone beer! What more could you need? Ok. How about a couple food photos?

Fat Dragon Chinese Kitchen and Bar will be bringing back their Bacon & Shrimp Ramen.

Fat Dragon Chinese Kitchen and Bar will be bringing back their Bacon & Shrimp Ramen.

 

Rare Olde Times Public House will be serving up mouth watering Bacon Covered Scotch Eggs.

Rare Olde Times Public House will be serving up mouth watering Bacon Covered Scotch Eggs.

RVA Memorial Day Weekend 2015: Strangeways, Triple Crossing, Center of the Universe, & Hardywood

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Richmond! Here are a few things to start your long weekend off today Saturday May 23rd.

Guarded by Monkeys Release at Strangeways — Noon

To obtain this beer, you will need to creep quietly through the lab as to avoid waking the monkeys who stand guard. Plus you can pick up a free Grunt, Growler, Blue Ball Mason Jar, or CANABLE now through Memorial Day with the purchase of a fill.

RVA BrewCraft: Coco for Coconuts Imperial Porter Release at Triple Crossing — Noon

Head over and try local homebrewer Steve Beasley’s winning entry into Triple Crossing’s RVA BrewCraft Competition. Coco for Coconuts is an imperial porter with 50 pounds of coconut, Blanchard’s Dark as Dark coffee, and vanilla beans.

Homefront IPA Day at Center of the Universe — 1PM
Homefront IPA Day at COTU 052315

Hops for Heroes and Center of the Universe Brewing are proud to introduce the 4th annual Homefront IPA celebration on May 23rd from 1pm until 9pm! Homefront IPA is a collaborative effort between 10 American craft breweries including:

-21st Amendment Brewery
-Cigar City Brewing Co.
-Fremont Brewing Co.
-Maui Brewing Co.
-Stone Brewing Co.
-Palmetto Brewing Co.
-Left Hand Brewing Co.
-Revolution Brewing Co.
-Perennial Artisan

Homefront IPA clocks in at 7% ABV and is brewed using fresh orange zest. The beer is then aged on unfinished Louisville Slugger Maple bats. 100% of all proceeds from the sale of the beer are being donated to Soldiers’ Angels (Official). Soldiers’ Angels provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, their families and the growing veteran population.

There will be live music by Vexine, food trucks, and a raffle for the beer soaked Louisville Slugger bats. Head out to the brewery to celebrate the service men and women and give back to this great cause!

Peach Tripel Release at Hardywood — 2PM

Hardywood Peach TripelHardywood is expanding their foray into fruit beers with the release of their Peach Tripel.

The celebrated tradition of monastic brewing is perhaps best known for the dubbel, and stronger, brighter tripel styles, which are characterized by abbey yeast strains that create a delightful harmony of fruity esters and spicy phenols. Hardywood Peach Tripel displays a voluminous head, a sunshine golden hue, notes of white pepper and honeysuckle, and is refermented on over 50 pounds per barrel of peaches, apricots and nectarines, lending a subtle but luscious stone fruit character, and a pleasantly dry finish.

Peach Tripel will be available for draft, 750ml bottles, and growler fills starting at 2pm. Enjoy live music from Samantha Pearl, Gull, Josh Small & Andrew Alli, and Manatree starting at 5pm.

Enjoy The Smoky Beers Of Copper Fox Brewfest & Mesquite Challenge At Capital Ale House Midlothian Saturday

Copper Fox Brewfest 051615Let me tell you, I love smoky flavors in food. I keep a stock of several different smoking woods for anytime I’m grilling out; right now I have apple, cherry, orange, peach, oak, hickory and mesquite wood chips. Anytime I see a new type of wood, I have to pick it up even if I have no clue how or when I will use it.

So it should come to no surprise that I was very excited when I heard about Copper Fox Brewfest & Mesquite Challenge happening this Saturday May 16th at Capital Ale House Midlothian starting at noon. Yes, my love of smoke extends to beers. While I’ve never had a traditional rauchbier (I need to get around to that), I have had some favorite interpretations over the years:

  • Allagash Smoke & Beards — a smoky tripel, who knew?
  • Fullsteam Hogwash — Fullsteam smokes their own malt over hickory for this porter. People loved this beer so much that when their smoker was stolen the community rallied together to raise money for a replacement and a security system.
  • Brothers Craft (fka 3 Bros) Rocktown Smoked Brown — I had this beer on one of my first trips out to this Harrisonburg, VA brewery. Every so often I’ll see Adam and ask when it’s coming back. I hear other people have been ask for it recently as well!

Now I’m ready to try ten new smoked beers created using Copper Fox’s Mesquite Malt by ten of Virginia’s finest breweries. The key to the successful use of smoked malt in different beer styles will be finding the proper usage level for the malt. You don’t want to use too much and overpower the more delicate flavors in a particular style. By the same token, you want to be able to tell that the smoke is there.

The event will be held from 12 pm – 5 pm in the spacious parking lot at Capital Ale House Midlothian. Live music will be provided by Notch 9, a Richmond based bluegrass and folk band. There will also be homemade BBQ and other fare to pair with the smoky ales.

For guests 21 and over, tickets are $20 and include the following:

– Entrance into the event
– A commemorative Copper Fox glass
– 9 taster tickets to sample every brew
– Opportunity to try some of Copper Fox’s whiskies and gins
– Live entertainment
– Opportunity to vote for your favorite brew with the chance to win a Barrel Kit from Copper Fox that you can use to age your own whisky

For guests under 21, non-taster tickets will be available for $5 and include entrance and live entertainment. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult and entrance is free.

Here are the different beers you will be able to try with tasting notes by the breweries and smoked malt percentages as detailed by Annie Tobey:

  • Adroit Theory Smoked Roggenbier (10% CF malt; 8.3% ABV) A slightly hazy beer with a nice smoke note and smooth rye spiciness to go along with the hop bill, which consisted of Galena and New Zealand Green Bullet hops.
  • AleWerks Mesquite Smoked Brown (21.5% CF malt; 6.4% ABV)
  • Center of the Universe PlayHator Smoked Doppelbock, (15% CF malt; 7.7% ABV) Fermented with a classic Munich lager yeast and conditioned after fermentation for 4 weeks, this light amber dopplebock  was then filtered for a clean and crisp taste and appearance.
  • Hardywood Mesquite Scotch Ale (14% CF malt; 8.5% ABV) smoke-filled vortex of nutty malt flavors, caramel, and dark fruit undertones with a warming alcohol note in the finish.
  • Isley Jah’s Fire Smoked Marleywine (20% CF malt; 10% ABV) This English Barleywine combines bready and rich English Maris Otter as its base malt. Jah’s Fire has a complex balance of bitter, sweet, and smoky flavors add an incredible aroma.
  • Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Fire Pit Smoked Porter (7% CF malt; 6.3% ABV) Named for the fire pit at Lickinghole Creek where cold winter nights are made to feel just right. Fire Pit Smoked Porter is a delicious, full flavored smoked porter that embodies the style and tastes just right.
  • Midnight Midnight Smoke Brown Ale (28% CF malt; 6.7% ABV) Light bodied and smoke forward, this smoked brown ale is the perfect companion to sticky, sweet barbeque!
  • O’Connor South by SouthWit (16% CF malt; 5% ABV) Coriander, lime zest, agave nectar, and white sage paired with the smokiness of Copper Fox’s Mesquite smoked malt makes this a unique witbier. We are certain you will agree!
  • St. George Stumbling Peasant Smoked Vienna Lager (10% CF malt; 10% applewood/cherrywood-smoked malt; 6% ABV) Brewed using European Malts to provide a beautiful amber color, rich malt character and balanced hop presence. This Vienna style lager has a smokey nose and a sweet smoked finish that are sure to please any palate.
  • Three Notch’d Cobre Zorro (7% CF malt; 6.9% ABV) amber ale with hearty body. The sweetness of the beer is balanced by the use of First Gold hops and rye malt which provides a hint of spiciness.

You don’t want to miss this. You can get your tickets online here or at the door.

American Craft Beer Week RVA 2015: Taste The Local Cask Crawl Returns Tonight

 

ACBW 2015 tapThere will be a lot of events as Richmond celebrates American Craft Beer Week (May 11 – 17) but none are as beloved as a pub crawl.  Taste the Local has revived the cask crawl that has been so well received in years past for tonight Monday May 11th.

Head out and enjoy three special Virginia beer cask conditioned pin tappings at these locations:

5PM — Portrait House — Ardent Craft Ales Porter with CTZ (Columbus, Tomahawk, Zeus blend) and Jarillo hops
6PM — Cask — Hardywood Great Return with peaches
7PM — Commercial Taphouse  — Lickinghole Creek Imperial Brown with mangoes and habaneros

American Craft Beer Week RVA 2015: Tap Takeovers

ACBW2015 Celebrate BannerThere will be a lot of tap takeovers as Richmond celebrates American Craft Beer Week (May 11 – 17). Here are just a few selections to get you through the week but you should definitely check out Annie Tobey’s take on the week’s celebrations on Richmond.com.

Monday May 11th

Tuesday May 12th

Hardywood TapTakeover & Steal The Glass at Blue Goat — 5PM

Blue Goat will feature four beers from one of their favorite Richmond breweries, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. Here are the beers they will have pouring starting at 5pm:

Bourbon Cru
The Great Return
Sorachi Ace Dry Hopped Pils
2014 Gingerbread Stout.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to come hang out and drink some great beers with the folks from Hardywood!

The Blue Goat
5710 Grove Ave
Richmond, VA 23226

Wednesday May 13th

Strangeways Takeover At Rappahannock — 4PM
Celebrate the week with Strangeways and Rappahannock. They’ll have some glassware to steal and will be pouring these beers:

Woodbooger. 6%, A Belgian style brown ale brewed with coconut sugar and dark Belgian candi sugar, fermented with Belgian ale yeast and aged with bourbon vanilla beans

Überlin, 4.5%, Berliner Weiss style wheat ale. The taste is refreshing and tart with a lemony-citric fruit sharpness and almost no hop bitterness…

Still life of Peaches, 4.3%, 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.

Down a few dozen oysters while you’re at it.

Rappahannock Restaurant
320 E Grace St
Richmond, VA 23219

Thursday May 14th

Ballast Point Takeover at Bucket Trade — 4PM

Make your way down to Chester and enjoy these beers from Ballast Point:

Victory at Sea – Porter w/ Coffee & Vanilla
Even Keel – Session IPA
Habanero Sculpin – Spicy IPA
Grapefruit Sculpin – Grapefruity IPA
Dorado – Double IPA
Grunion – Pale Ale

The Bucket Trade
13131 Rivers Bend Blvd
Chester, VA 23836

Lickinghole Creek Takeover at Pig & Pearl — 4PM

UPDATE: This was originally scheduled for Monday night.

Continue your celebration of Kickoff American Craft Beer Week right with a fine selection of beers from Lickinghole Creek over at The Pig & Pearl.

Here is what they will have on starting at 4pm:

Magic Beaver Belgian Pale Ale
‘Til Sunset Session IPA
Goochland Quad
Illuminatos Rum Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Fearnought Bourbon Barrel Imperial Brown Ale
Supreme Leader Bourbon Barrel Spiced Imperial Stout

The Pig and Pearl
2053 W Broad St
Richmond, VA 23220

Heavy Seas Takeover at Commercial Taphouse — 4PM

Join the crew at Commercial Taphouse & Grill for an evening of extrAAARGHdinary brews from Heavy Seas Beer! There will be plenty to choose from with some year-round favorites, seasonals, and rarities from the Desert Island series. This will also mark the first tapping of Blackbeard’s Breakfast Bourbon Coffee Porter in Virginia.

Here is what they will be pouring starting at 4pm:

Blackbeard’s Breakfast Bourbon Coffee Porter (VA Debut)
Desert Island Scottish Ale
Desert Island Schwarzbier
Smooth Sail Summer Ale
Double Cannon DIPA
Loose Cannon IPA
Cross Bones Session IPA
Deep Six Robust English Porter

Commercial Taphouse & Grill
111 N Robinson St
Richmond, VA 23220

Saturday May 16th

Strangeways Invades Lickinghole Creek’s Farm Brewery — Noon

Not satisfied with tap takeovers at restaurants, Strangeways will be taking over the taps at Lickinghole Creek with most unique farm-inspired beers:

Still Life With Peaches Saison 4.3% ABV | 15 IBU
Southern Heirloom Candy Roaster Squash Bock 5.5% ABV | 29 IBU
Eternal Youth Bière D’abricot 5.2% ABV | 15 IBU
Gourd Of Thunder Imperial Pumpkin Porter 9.2% ABV | 18 IBU

Read the storied descriptions for these beers here.

Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
4100 Knolls Point Dr.
Goochland, VA 23063

American Craft Beer Week RVA 2015: Festivals & Parties

Credit: Brewers Association

Credit: Brewers Association

American Craft Beer Week officially runs from May 11th to 17th but as in years past Richmond will start the party early.  Here are some details on festivals and parties happening during the week.  Bookmark this page and check back for updates.

Saturday May 9th

Virginia Hops and Barley Fest — Noon – 6PM

The fifth annual Virginia Hops & Barley Festival will feature over 30 Virginia craft beers.  Tickets are $20/person in advance or $25/person at door if available and include unlimited sampling of all the beers. VIP tickets are $50/person and include:

Parking
Food
Specialty Collectable Glass
Tented Area
Complimentary Beverages
Private Restrooms

Order tickets here.

Take a look at the beer list:

Apocalyspe — Forest Adventure — Fredericksburg
Heavy Red Horsemen Backpack Wheat
Devil’s Secret Expedition IPA
Ardent — Richmond Bold Rock Cider — Nellysford
IPA VA Draft Apple
Saison Pear
Brothers Craft (3 Bros) — Harrisonburg Center of the Universe — Ashland
Great Outdoors Ray Ray’s Pale Ale
Hoptimization Monkey’s Uncle Tripel
Chaos Mountain — Callaway Devils Backbone — Lexington
Agents of Chaos Vienna Lager
Cocoborealis Trail Angel Weiss
Isley Brewing — Richmond Hardywood — Richmond
Choosy Mother Peanut Butter Porter Pils
Blueberry Plain Jane Hoplar
Lickinghole Creek — Goochland Legend — Richmond
Nuclear Nugget Oak Aged Brown
Til Sunset Utebier
O’Connor — Norfolk Midnight — Goochland
El Guapo New Beginning Kolsch
Great Dismal Black IPA Not My Job Brown
Starr Hill — Crozet Rusty Beaver — Ruther Glen
Soul Shine Roy’s Brown
King of Hop Bucktooth IPA
Sunken City — Hardy Strangeways — Richmond
Damn Lager Albino Monkey
Crooked Tree Cream Ale Uberlin
Extra Billy’s — Midlothian Triple Crossing — Richmond
Citra Ass Down Falcon Smash IPA

Check out the Facebook event here.

Historic Malvern Farm
288 Hugenot Trail
Midlothian, VA 23113

Science On Tap — 2 – 6PM

This should be interesting.

They will be featuring craft beers from your favorite breweries including:

Ardent Craft Ales
Bold Rock Hard Cider
Center of the Universe Brewing Company
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Midnight Brewery
Strangeways Brewing
Triple Crossing Brewing Company

Richmond Beer Lovers 5th Anniversary at Hurley’s Tavern — 5PM

Richmond Beer Lovers will celebrate five years of good times with a nice lineup of beers over at Hurley’s Tavern:

Hardywood- Apple Brandy Milk Stout
Hardywood – Bourbon Cru
Hardywood – Walpurgisnacht
Ardent – Defenestrator
O’Connor – Lil SIPA
Kronenbourg – 1664 Blanc
Blue Mountain – Summer Haze
Brooklyn – Summer Ale
Devils Backbone – Trail Blazer
Sunken City – Crooked Road Cream Ale
Tripel Crossing – Black IPA
Three Brothers – Hoptimization
Alewerks – Drake Tail IPA
Stone – Imperial Russian Stout
Founders – Rubaeus
Lost Rhino – New River Pale Ale
DC Brau – Brau Pilsner
Midnight – Rockville Red

Hurley’s Tavern
4028-J Cox Rd
Glen Allen, VA 23060

Saturday May 16th

Copper Fox Brewfest & Mesquite Challenge at Capital Ale Midlothian — Noon – 5PM

I will get more information on the beers but so far I’m excited by O’Connor’s “South by SouthWit” and Hardywood’s Mesquite Scotch Ale.

Join us on Saturday, May 16 as we host the Copper Fox Brewfest & Mesquite Challenge!

Nine Virgina breweries teamed up with Copper Fox Distillery to create nine new beers EXCLUSIVELY for the event. This beer isn’t just any beer, though. Each brewery created their beer using a special ingredient: Copper Fox’s Mesquite Smoked barley malt. The exciting new brews range in styles from Wit to Doppelbock, to Pale, Brown, and Porter and can’t be found anywhere else!

The event will be held from 12 pm – 5 pm in the spacious parking lot at Capital Ale House Midlothian. Live music will be provided by Notch 9, a Richmond based bluegrass and folk band. There will also be homemade BBQ and other fare to pair with the smoky ales.

For guests 21 and over, tickets are $20 and include the following:

– Entrance into the event
– A commemorative Copper Fox glass
– 9 taster tickets to sample every brew
– Opportunity to try some of Copper Fox’s whiskies and gins
– Live entertainment
– Opportunity to vote for your favorite brew with the chance to win a Barrel Kit from Copper Fox that you can use to age your own whisky

For guests under 21, non-taster tickets will be available for $5 and include entrance and live entertainment. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult and entrance is free.

The Brewfest celebrates Virginia agriculture, Virginia brewers, and Virginia ingenuity, and highlights Copper Fox Distillery as one of America’s original modern-day craft maltsters. Come on out and support our local breweries!

Participating breweries include:
Adroit Theory Brewing Company
AleWerks Brewing Company
Center of the Universe Brewing
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Isley Brewing Company
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Midnight Brewery
O’Connor Brewing Co.
StGeorge BrewingCo
Three Notch’d Brewing Company

Midnight Brewery 3rd Anniversary — Noon – 10PM

Midnight will celebrate their anniversary by releasing Man Overboard! Belgian Tripel.

Midnight 3rd Anniv

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