Flavors of fall

It’s finally here. Fall. Autumn. Boot weather. Hoodies. Scarves. More nice things that require layers! And while you wander the streets from Carytown to Church Hill, take a few moments to explore just how much fall you can squeeze out of the leaf-laden streets of Richmond (despite the street cleaners).

October 24, 2013; 7:42 AM • by Scotti Cutlip

Strangeways

We’ll start the list where most lists should begin: with beer. On tap, Strangeways now has spooky beers such as the Gourd of Thunder Imperial Pumpkin Porter and the Umlaut Boktoberfest to get your taste buds going.

Hardywood

This newly two year-old brewery is returning with the classic Farmhouse Pumpkin Ale, but there’s now also a RUM Pumpkin Ale–which will probably cause you to buy a few too many bottles for your collection.

King of Pops

Who said fall is all cold weather and in desperate need of hot things? You should know that the King of Pops is dishing out flavors from pumpkin spice latte, maple caramel, blueberry cobbler, to cranberry orange and tons of others that can’t fit on the list of chilly goodness.

Amour Wine Bistro

For brunch, try their sweet crepe with roasted granny smith apples, chantilly cream, candied walnuts, and butterscotch.

Can Can

Cinnamon cider or a maple spice chai are the perfect autumnal match for a croissant or three. If you’re there for happy hour, go for a Vesper Rose or Grande Dame cocktail.

Dixie Donuts

For Halloween, these guys are going all out with spooky-looking treats, but for the true fall lover they have butterscotch, pumpkin spice, and chocolate toffee doughnuts to include in your order of three dozen.

Bev’s Ice Cream

Because we know you’ll have four layers on while cruising Carytown, it’ll be the perfect opportunity to indulge in fall ice cream flavors from Bev’s: apple caramel walnut, ginger, pumpkin, rum raisin, pear sorbet, chocolate chai, and blood orange gelato.

Amuse

Sometimes it’s a little too chilly to walk around outside, so head over to Amuse at the VMFA for a homemade butterbeer soda or ginger sparkler champagne cocktail before expanding your artistic horizons.

Rostov’s

Brave the brisk breeze and grab their pumpkin spice and spice-buttered rum coffee in bulk or have them deliver it to you. Either way, your home will smell like a foliage lover’s paradise before you have time to realize that you only hit the snooze button twice.

WPA Bakery

If you haven’t walked around Church Hill yet, you need to right now before all of the leaves are gone. While you’re at it, step into WPA for a slice of spiced peaches and cream cake and pumpkin pecan pie.

Proper Pie

If you want your soul warmed at just the right temperature before heading to Hollywood Cemetery or whatever spooky thing you kids are doing these days, fill up on one of Proper Pie’s savory treats–trust me. They also have a pumpkin & salted caramel pie and a sweet potato & pecan pie for your sweet tooth.

Blue Bee Cider

For fall, nothing is more important than apple cider–it was here before we sprinkled pumpkin spice on everything. But it is also fermented for us grown ups to enjoy beside a warm and toasty at a fire pit. For this season, Blue Bee has a Harvest Ration cider to sooth the aches of cold weather.

Legend Brewery

We’ll end where it all began: beer. Try Legend’s Vampire Red Ale around Halloween or whenever you feel the need to bask in the Lost Boys, and to feel extra fallish, there’s always the Legend Hopfest.

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Hopefully this list will give you every reason to break away from the daily PSL craze and have a go at what Richmond has to offer. So get out there and kick up some leaves, carve a pumpkin, and Instagram the whole process. Also, if you have fall favorites of your own, share below!

October 24, 2013 7:42 AM 0