RVA Beer Explorer: Bell, Boom, Pops, and Weeds

A weekly column highlighting some of the wonderful beer offerings in the area.

June 15, 2016; 9:02 AM • by Richard Hayes

We’re going to miss more than a few beer stories in this weekly column. There is way too much beer news to cover without paying someone a ton of money. Money we plan on spending at the events, releases, and beers we’ve chosen to highlight below. Feel free to note where you’ll be spending your beer money in the comments.

Ring the bell we’ve got a new brewery

Steam Bell Beer Works  (1717 E Oak Lake Blvd, Midlothian, VA) opened up this past weekend. I only had a sample of Time is Money, which they’re calling a Farmhouse IPA. It’s as if a brash if your face IPA meet a cute nice Saison and they had a baby. It was good and I look forward to checking them out further. They’re only open Thursday through Saturday right now so don’t rush out to Midlo.

Boomer guide to va breweries

Those of us that frequent these RVA beer making establishments won’t find anything new in this article on BOOMER. It is however a very handy guide for introducing out of town guests or local beer heathens to the craft bee scene.  It also takes us out of our fair city for a drive in the country with a designated driver of course.

Plus it provided this map, also handy for newbies.

RichmondBeerMap

thanks dad, have a beer

As a dad I’d like to go on record as stating that Father’s Day really isn’t a big deal and kid’s, wives, partners shouldn’t sweat it much. On the other hand I’m big fan of presents, food, and beer. Here are a few local events that hit two of these directly and could be given as a present.

  • Triple Crossing Father’s Day Brunch – Stouts, breakfast sandwiches, and an early opening time. Pay as you go.
  • Strangeway’s All You Can Eat Shrimp – All-You-Can-Eat shrimp boil chocked full of shrimp, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, and sausage, complimented by chicken wings, and tasty sides. Lots of other activities beyond eating. Tickets at the link $25 in advance $30 day of the event.
  • COTU Pig Out – Our friends to the north our roasting pigs. Yes that’s plural as in more than one pig. Ultimate Dad Tickets which includes a mug and food is $20 call  804.368.0299.
  • Hardywood Brewery Keg ‘n’ Oyster Fest – Beer, music, oysters. Hardywood drafts with Rappahannock oysters: presented raw and fried, Rappahannock’s house crab cake recipe and more treats from King Of Pops – Richmond, Goatocado and Slideways Mobile Bistro. Proceeds from the Keg ‘n’ Oyster Fest will benefit oyster replenishment and the James River Association. Pay as you go.

Stone brewing is totally in the weeds and it’s intentional

If you’ve been to Stone Brewing’s tasting room you’ve probably noticed for lack of a better phrase hell of high weeds. It turns out it’s not just laziness (as is the case with my yard) there is a reason for all that growth and it’s called nature.


The tall grasses are a temporary seed mix that was planted after construction to stabilize the soil and reduce erosion. Once it dies back, the permanent native meadows will emerge over time. The main meadows will be a mix of fine fescues called Eco-Lawn that will not require mowing. Some areas will also be planted with native meadow wildflowers.

The result? Low-impact meadows of native grasses and wildflowers that provide habitat for wildlife, reduce water consumption and change with the seasons.

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Richard Hayes

When Richard isn’t rounding up neighborhood news, he’s likely watching soccer or chasing down the latest and greatest craft beer.

June 15, 2016 9:02 AM · in , , and more 3

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