Beer News: Summer brews, old cider, science, malted quinoa

What if malted quinoa is really the answer?!

April 24, 2015; 4:00 PM • by Ross Catrow

The Answer begins brewing

Well, the time has finally come: The Answer will open their taps, from which will flow the frothy fruitions of a whole lotta work. They’re hosting an entire week-long celebration of beer (which is the answer), beginning this coming Monday with official The Answer beers making their debut on Wednesday. Lo! The details follow:

• Monday — Local Tap Takeover ft. Lickinghole Creek, Ardent, and Hardywood.
• Wednesday — First beer release: Petty Larceny, a single-hop Mosaic Session IPA.
• Thursday — Second beer release: Nelson Sauran, a single-hop Nelson Savuin IPA.
• Friday — Third beer release: Larceny, a single-hop Citra IPA
• Saturday — Fourth beer release: Grand Larceny, a Mosaic and Citra Double IPA.

I’m kind of in love with the single-hop focus and clever naming scheme. If you’re planning to pop in over the weekend, know two things: 1) the place is bound to be packed, 2) there are some tentative bottle sales events planned for Tuesday and Sunday–keep your ear to the ground (i.e. make sure you check Facebook).

Summer is coming

Annie Tobey reminds us that spring is here, summer is right around the corner, and that this means a seasonal shift in beer styles! Shandys, raddlers, gose, and session IPAs are all things you’d like to drink on a hot summer’s day–and High Lifes, always a High Life or half dozen. She also mentions New Belgium’s Skinny Dip, which is “figure friendly” at 117 calories–their words, not hers. People! Do not forget about Guinness, the original figure-friendly beer! At 125 calories, it’s just as few calories to rationalize away and it’s classically delicious!

Ye olde cyder shoppe

The Virginia Historical Society and Blue Bee Cider unveiled their Compleat Cyder collaboration this past Monday! Page Hayes was kind enough to write us up some of her thoughts on the 16th-century recipe. If I were a betting man, I’d expect another historical collaboration tout de suite.

Malted quinoa beverage

Robey Martin brings us this fascinating piece about Ardent’s gluten-free, quinoa-based beer–which my grumpy beer friend promptly pointed out was “not beer” and more a “malted beverage, maybe.” I am less grumpy, and more super interested in how exactly brewing with quinoa works.

Science on tap

The Science Museum will host Science on Tap–a beer-related event that will add “Science Hops” to a classic beer-driven festival–on May 9th from 2:00 – 6:00 PM, tickets are $10. Come for the science behind brewing (with help from James River Homebrewers, Original Gravity, and Hugeunot Hops), stay for the live music, food trucks, and, of course, beer.

Run for your beers!

The Hardywood Twilight 4 Miler is this Sunday, and you can still register! Here’s a pro tip: you don’t have to run four miles to drink beer at Hardywood!`

Save on beer

Southern Seasons is doing a bit of spring cleaning in their beer aisle this weekend. Through Sunday, save 20% off beer–which, if you’re buying a six pack, is like getting a whole beer for free!

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National news…

Indiana-based Three Floyds will release their Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout this Saturday at Dark Lord Day–a festival dedicated specifically to the release of this single beer. And, in a big middle finger to Indiana’s recently-passed “conscience law,” they’ve booked Big Freedia.

Takeovers and releases

• Strangeways takes over the taps at Tarrant’s West on Wednesday, April 29th.
• I feel like these Byrd Theatre + Beer events should be considered Center of the Universe takeovers. Tonight’s (at midnight) features Pulp Fiction, Ray Ray’s, and Chin Music.
• The Cask launches their DEFENESTRATOR Doppelbock collaboration which was brewed with a “top-secret house yeast.” In order to learn about this yeast, one must be defenestrated.

‘Graming with @triplecrossing

April 24, 2015 4:00 PM 0