RVA Beer Explorer Weekly Picks

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Death Club Radio Presents: Brains, Beer, and Death – Twisted Craft Ales, Friday

Join us for a fantastically twisted party – be a part of a radio show episode, and raise $$ for hospice families!

Ever wondered what a dying consciousness is like? Intrigued by the neuroscience of self and awareness? Want to meet the Twisted Ales Brewery ghost? Want to raise money for WRIR 97.3 FM and hospice families? Did we have you at BEER?

Come join us at Twisted Ales Brewery in beautiful Manchester near the river for a night of discussion, beers, music and recording Death Club Radio live. Music by DJ DRA.

*** $7 donation at the door

7:30 – creative discussion of consciousness and death
8:30 – live recording of Death Club Radio

SCRAP RVA Rebel Craft Rumble X-Treme Craft Challenge – Hardywood Craft Brewery, Saturday

Beer-drinking, craft-making, smack-talking event like no other. I say that because I really have no idea what this will be like but I want to know.

Welcome to the 1st annual SCRAP RVA Sponsored Rebel Craft Rumble–X-TREME CRAFT CHALLENGE! at Hardywood 2408 Ownby Lane January 27th, 1:00pm-4:00pm.

*ONLY 30 team slots available!

THE FAM $50, THE BUDS $50, THE YOUTH $50, CHARITY CASES $45, THE BIZ $150 (Corporate Teams)

3 rounds – up to 10 teams per round in a raucous Battle to the Win! Three auspicious judges will grant the GRAND PRIZE winner $250.00 and fabulous trophies for the top three winners.

Corporate teams (THE BIZ) are assigned a Celebrity Artist!

• Teams can bring 1 secret weapon!
• Look out for sneaky extra obstacles!
• Great Raffle Prizes
• Audience will have the opportunity to bid on the CRAFTASTIC works of ART at the end!

Vegan Cooking Demo with Keva Miller of FeedShine – Champion Brewing, Saturday

Vegan cooking gets its moment to shine with a demonstration this Saturday at Champion.

This event is part of V72 – Richmond’s First 72H Plant-Powered Weekend! a 72hour celebration of plant-based options in RVA presented by Richmond Vegan Action.

FREE ADMISSION! Keva will demonstrate vegan cooking techniques and ideas and offer samples to the audience.

Keva Miller is a seasoned personal chef, entrepreneur and author of the book, Trill Prep – 100 Recipes, Short Stories & Affirmations That will Turn Your Life On! Miller also founded FeedShine a one-stop shop for practical holistic living and plant-based meal prep, catering and personal chef and life guidance needs.

PAPER BOWL II  RVA’s Paper Football City Championship! – Isley, Sunday

I shall speak great heresy. I don’t care one iota about the upcoming Super Bowl. I would be much more likely to attend this event in Isley where adults flick pieces of paper at each other.

Our 2nd Annual Richmond Paper Football City Championship will be hosted PRO BOWL SUNDAY at ISLEY!

Come flick and kick your way to a handsome prize and serious bragging rights in this fun and easy-to-play game.

Sign Up in person during the month of January for a spot in the tournament, and “follow” us on Facebook or subscribe to our email newsletter for more information.

BEER NEWS

The Secret Garden: Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery in Richmond, Virginia – Beer Affair

Nice press with the longest title ever for Garden Grove in Carytown. One thing I really like about the way this article is written is the feature “10 Things to Taste at Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery (Before They’re Gone)”. It’s a nice way to get a feel for the depth of Garden Grove.

I sip a few samples, then decide on two half-pours of what had initially caught my eye: 2015 Akari, the aforementioned mead/sake hybrid; and Criminal Mischief, the beer/wine hybrid. These beers—or wines—or whatever they are—blow my mind. They’re shocking, strange, pleasant, sweet, savory, sophisticated and playful all at once.

Castleburg will have Crowlers starting Wednesday

That’s really all there is to say. You’ll be able to get cans of Castleburg if you so desire.

DRINK THIS

Dark Cherry Sour Release Party – Väsen Brewing Company, Wednesday

Come celebrate the return of warm weather with our new Dark Cherry Sour!

Our most sour beer yet, this dark, aggressively tart ale was conditioned on Morello sour cherries to give it wine-like richness and depth. Bold tangerine, strawberry and cherry flavors meld with understated notes of chocolate, toffee, and toast from lightly roasted European malts, which lead to a smooth, dry finish.

Spring Pale Ale Release – Legend Brewing, Thursday

It feels like spring out there so why not enjoy a springtime pale ale?

Join us as we welcome a new addition to our seasonal lineup! Our new Spring Pale Ale will sport a light honey color and a mild malty body with just a hint of caramel sweetness in this classic American Pale Ale. Hop aromas start out spicy/herbal and transition into lemon/lime and melon notes. The finish is smooth with a mild bite.

Our new Pale Ale crafted for the spring is the perfect partner for outdoor activities… easy to drink and simply uncomplicated.

Concentric Release – The Veil Brewing, Thursday

Concentric is our first ever bottled collab! We made Concentric back in November of 2016 when our freindz from Oxbow Brewing Company came to visit us in VA for a Tasting Room Remix. We started by brewing a farmhouse inspired ale with organic unmalted wheat from Maine and some Virginia Wildflower Honey. We pumped the wort into our koelschip and allowed it to cool naturally and inoculate with our native microflora. The next morning, we drained the koelschip into freshly dumped Virginia red wine French oak barrels, then pitched 3x Brett strains, 3x farmhouse ale strains, and Oxbow’s house culture. The wort was entirely fermented in the French oak barrels and conditioned for just shy of a year. We then blended all of the barrels together and then bottle conditioned Concentric for approx 2 months. We 🖤 this one. Apple orchard, dry dark soil, musty oak, balanced acidity, and wonderful prickly carbonation. Clocking in at 6.8%, Concentric is a beautiful beer to enjoy all year round. 

Sauternes Saison Release – Ardent, Thursday

We got our hands on a couple of Sauternes barrels, filled them up with our Saison, and let them age for four months. Sauternes is a style of French white wine from the Bordeaux region, and this beer reflects the same complexity expected of French wine. Sauternes Saison is dry, with grape and white oak characteristics from the barrels that enhance the natural fruit and spice notes from our Saison base.

7.6% ABV
27 IBU

Glass House American Pale Ale Release – Final Gravity, Friday

Everyone has spring fever including the brewers judging by all these pale ales coming out this week.

A brand new beer hits the taps at Final Gravity this week! Glass House American Pale Ale featuring Loral Hops presents you with floral, citrus, peppery, and dark fruit flavors all with an easy drinking 5.5% ABV. It’s like gamboling through Lewis Ginter on a warm spring day – in a glass.

BEERSTAGRAM