Time for another edition of...

It's been a while but checking out today's event list I had to do a quick post about all the drinking that is going to happen on this fine day in May!

Big Brew Day at HomebrewUSA

9th Annual Spring Town Point Virginia Wine Festival

Fearnought Release and Derby Party

Town Center Craft Beer Festival

Ironclad Series Debut Bottle Release: Bourbon Barrel Aged Robust Porter

The Mariner's Museum Craft Beer Festival

I'm sure mint juleps (blech) will be downed by many and not to mention all the fight parties tonight!

Be safe out there!

Cheap and Cheery - April 2015

We always make sure to catch Grape and Gourmet's big tasting event, Cheap and Cheery, on the second Saturday of the month. It's a great way to try beers and wines you might not normally buy.

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Another Edition of...

I was putting together events on i-heart-food.com's new event calendar and saw the bottles and taps were going to be flowing this weekend. It's been a while since I posted a map to the local booze trail. Here's what's going on and make sure to check out my calendar for more details on the events:

1 May - Beer Tasting at Grape & Gourmet

- Weekly selection of new arrivals and favorites to try in the store.

1 May - ABSOLUT Artini at MOCA (Sold Out)

- 1920s themed Artini event at Virginia MOCA. Sadly it's sold out but there are rumors of getting tickets if you go to their page and poke around.

2 May - Wine Tasting at Farm Fresh (Great Neck)

- Farm Fresh always pours a couple of wines in the store if you're shopping. Good if the kids are getting on your nerves and you want to take the edge off.

2 May - Wine Tasting at Grape & Gourmet

- Weekly Friday night tasting with regulars. Good stuff!

2 May - Wine Tasting at Yiannis Wine Shop

- Yiannis always has something good on the table and if you're lucky maybe something special.

3 May - Big Brew Day at Homebrew USA

- Big Brew Day is a collection of beer enthusiasts who setup shop outside of Homebrew USA and show you how it's done at home. Last year there was a whole pig, hot dogs, hamburgers and much more. Free to the public. I don't think I need to mention there is going to be a lot of beer there right?

3 May - Town Center Virginia Beach Craft Beer Festival

- Town Center will be cordoned off to keep merry makers in while they enjoy the area's finest craft brews. Food and entertainment will be there too.

3 May - Spring Town Point Park Wine Classic

- The 8th Annual Wine Classic returns to Town Point Park running both Saturday and Sunday. Lots of events and wine will be available.

3 May - Mariner's Museum Craft Beer Festival

- The Mariner's Museum will celebrate craft brews from the Southside and Peninsula in the museum. I haven't been to one yet, but they're supposed to be fun. The Hampton Roads Beard and Stache Society will be volunteering too.

Hitachino Glasses

I didn't post our sweet Hitachino Nest Beer glasses we got at The Birch's St. Kiuchi Day the other week did I? Love these things. We got one of each!

Trip to the Bier Garden

Shelby and I recently had dinner at The Bier Garden in Portsmouth, VA. One of the first establishments to have an extensive beer menu in Hampton Roads. It's the "opa" in our craft beer scene!

We walked around a bit and check out the bar--warm, cozy--it reminded me of some the places we actually ate at in Germany when we lived there. We made our way to the dining area and ordered dinner. We both loved our food, I can't wait to go back. Of course, I had a nice Ayinger Weisse and Shelby had a Duchesse De Bourgogne sour. You're not taking in the whole experience without sipping a good beer while there.

I wrote about The Bier Garden in HR Growler. Please check out my article and leave a comment about your experience or anything related to the story and restaurant that comes to mind.

Read it here: Comfort Zone: The Bier Garden

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Prost!

 

HR Growler - March 2014

Pick-up a copy of today's Virginian Pilot and check out HR Growler! My write-up of Bier Garden is in it and a photo of Shelby enjoying a Duchess.

The Seven Cities Symposium - Re-Tapped!

Last night The Seven Cities Symposium met again at the Virginia Beach gastropub Tapped! at Hilltop Shopping Center. The Symposium is a collection of beer enthusiasts from all around the Hampton Roads (and the surrounding cities--think Williamsburg) who like to share information and news about all things beer.

Every so often the group likes to get together to meet face-to-face and have a couple of pints. Tapped ran a special where a pour was $2.50 and there were new beers on tap. One of the favorites was the Terrapin Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout. I like stouts, but it's not going to be the first thing I order when I grab a drink. The Moo-Hoo was different and very easy to drink; you could taste chocolate milk in this stuff. Neat.

The turn out was good for the group and the beer list was long. I took Chayce with me and he decided that he is a stout guy. We bumped into John from Two Fathers Beer Co. which was nice. I was able to pick his brain about his operation and talk a little bit about distribution. Two Fathers Bonecrusher Stout was released recently too, unfortunately it wasn't on tap at Tapped that night.

Chayce and I had a great time and it was nice to finally meet these people in person after only interacting online. If you're interested--and on Facebook--check out The Seven Cities Symposium for some good info on beer and beer related events in the area.

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Barley's Angels Christmas Party at Beach Brewing Co. 2013

I was invited to attend Barley's Angels' 1st Annual Christmas party being held at the new Beach Brewing Company location. Rules were you had to bring a beer and a dish. At our house we have a habit of hording beer and wine. It's easy to do when you go to tastings every week and grab a bottle for "later." So I had a few good beers I could take with me and decided I'd take my bottle of Bitter Valentine from Williamsburg AleWerks. The food choice was easy enough, I went with my go-to potluck dish--Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice. It usually is a crowd pleaser and I thought the beer would go well with it.

I cooked the fried rice before the event so I was running a little bit late. It's funny, because Shelby was looking at me sitting in front of my computer before I started cooking and asked what I needed for the rice. I told her I was going to run to the store and get what I need but I'll be on time. She said "I've been married long enough to you to know better." She was right of course.

Lesley Summers

I got everything packed up and headed to the brewery. When I pulled up I was able to see that pretty much everyone was there already so I slipped in. I saw Lesley Summers, Barley's Angels - Coastal Virginia Organizer. She grabbed the fried rice and I went to put the beer in the cooler. This was cool.

Beer! Glorious Beer!

The cooler was filled with plenty of beers I've never had before and I was excited at the thought of trying a bunch of them. The beers were going to be opened and we had little cups to get a swig of each. Great idea. There was plenty of food too. Lots of dips, my favorite being a lobster dip brought by Elizabeth Erschens - Owner, Homebrew USA, if I remember correctly. There were cheese balls too. I love cheese balls, I'd pick the whole thing up and put it on a cracker if I could.

Justin MacDonald of Beach Brewing Company (foreground) giving us a tour of the new brewery.

After scoping out the area I saw Justin MacDonald, brewer/owner of Beach Brewing Company. He wanted to show me around the new brewery, so we headed to the back where the equipment was. The place was huge; the new construction and large stainless steel brewing equipment made it a very impressive sight. We were joined by some other enthusiasts and brewer types while Justin explained how he was getting everything in place and will most likely brewing by Christmas of this year. He said output will quadruple when all is said and done.

After the tour we headed back inside to mingle and I bumped into a few familar faces. Here's one:

Robin Felt, beer maven

I snapped of photos and the women did a gift exchange. Looked like everyone was enjoying themselves and drinking some good beer. I was able to salvage about a small bowl of leftover fried rice that I took home with me.

Barley's Angels - Coastal Virginia with Justin MacDonald

Thanks again to Lesley of Barley's Angels and Justin MacDonald of Beach Brewing Company for letting me hang out.

See the rest of the photos here.

O’Connor Brewing Co. - Black Saturday Block Party 2013

The holiday weekend was punctuated by O’Connor Brewing Company’s Black Saturday Block Party inspired by last year’s Black Friday Hurricane Sandy benefit. A perfect chaser for the Thanksgiving and Black Friday craziness, I planned on stopping by O’Connor’s after a day of shopping small in Norfolk, VA.

I drove Shelby and Marleigh downtown to visit a few friends and support Shop Small. We stopped by With Lavender & Lace, Studio Posy, Nest Home, and Lorak Jewelry. The two of them wanted to walk around and hit a few more stores around Granby St. so I headed down to the brewery on W. 25th St. Pulling up I and hopping out of the car into the cold, the first thing I noticed was someone was grilling. Whatever it was, it smelled great. The brewery’s block was barricaded, restricted to foot traffic; a stage was setup with a band running through its set. I headed in.

Hannah Serrano and Hardy Porter

As soon as I walked to the check-in table I bumped into AltDaily.com’s Hannah Serrano, who is also Marketing and Events Director at O’Connor Brewing Co. She walked me in and we chatted a little bit about how things were going. We passed by Bobby-Qs and CXB BBQ and Eats, this was what smelled so good when I got out of the car. I was definitely not going to miss out on that food. Porter Hardy of Smartmouth was near the street food so I snapped a photo of him and Hannah.

Barley's Angels

Checking out the food, I saw one of the Hoffmann Beverage trucks being manned by the local chapter of Barley’s Angels, a local group of female beer enthusiasts. The truck was pretty high-speed, LCD panels displayed what beer was coming out of the tap below it. All the O’Connor flagship brews were being poured: Green Can, Great Dismal, Norfolk Canyon, and more. I grabbed a Black IPA and walked around some more.

Several bands were slated to play that night: Nate Sacks, The Janks, BANTUSTANS, and The Wet Boys. Radiant patio heaters kept everyone warm outside in the docking area and street, though the amount of people in close proximity of each other and beer helped out a lot too. Approximately 500 attended the block party but it would be easy to think there were a lot more. Inside the brewery I bumped into Kevin O'Connor, brewer/owner of the brewery. He was all over the place, chatting and checking up on the event.

There were also small batch beers for the occasion and people could buy flights of these to get a taste of each. Traditionally, craft brewers will let the shop come up with their own recipes and formulas. Here’s what was offered:

Small Batch Flight

Chincoteague Oyster Stout – Oyster Stout
Schwarzwald – Black Lager
Winter Pecan – Pecan Porter
Bockenspiel – Bavarian Weizenbock
The Dark Monk – Abbey Ale
Maes Howe – Wee Heavy
Session Quad #2: Insomnia – West Coast Style IPA

By the end of the night O’Connor Brewing Co. poured approximately 4.5 barrels of beer! That’s about 1,500 standard, 12-oz cans of beer! If you stacked those they’d be as tall as—I have no idea, but I bet it’s pretty high. Everyone was having a good time and the food was great. I walked away with some lumpia in my coat pocket, saving it for Shelby and Marleigh.

All-in-all a great night. If they do it again next year, and you’re in the area, you better go.

Kevin O'Connor Brewer/Owner

Lynnhaven Pub, Virginia Beach, VA

I was recently asked to meet with someone to talk over some exciting opportunities coming along in the near future. We were going over places to grab a drink and Jarod (the guy I was meeting) suggested Lynnhaven Pub in Virginia Beach. Great idea!

Rob McGraw. Owner, Lynnhaven Pub

Lynnhaven Pub has been around since the 60s or 70s and is tucked away off the old West Great Neck Rd. It would be easy to pass by the place and not notice it tacked on the end of a non-descript building, but inside you’ll find one of the better selections of beer in the city. Owner, Rob McGraw, has established the pub as a go-to destination for local beer lovers. He keeps a eclectic rotation of beer on tap and has much more in bottles in the case next to the bar. Old timers who haven’t been to the bar in the past several years might not recognize the selection and they’re going to miss their $1 domestic drafts. Rob has created an outdoor area where patrons can hang-out year round. There is also a bar, grill, and a smoker.

Speaking of food, in addition to great beer, they offer creative and delicious food. When we decided to go to Lynnhaven Pub, I messaged Rob that we’d be stopping by for a drink. He said he was looking forward to it and had a couple things he wanted me to try. Cool, I figured he had some new beers he wanted to share. I showed up at the pub and saw Jarod sitting in the back working on his laptop. I walked the length of the wooden bar, passing occupied stools; I saw that a few Victory brews were on tap and Founder’s Breakfast Stout.

After I settled in Rob came out and said he made some beer can chicken using Stillwater Classique beer he wanted me to try. He also had oak barreled smoked brisket coming out. He actually brings the barrels down from Blue Mountain Barrel House brewery nestled between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, Virginia. These are barrels that were previously used to age whiskey and bourbon, then used by Blue Mountain Brewery. The smoke produced by these barrels is recognizable and adds a rich flavor to the food cooked in it.

Rob McGraw and Mike

Mike Rowland, who I watched earlier, cooking in a small oven behind the bar, master-minded the following dishes he brought out: Beer Can Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Burnt Ends Tacos with Bacon, Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwiches with bacon and huge Chicken Salad Sandwiches. I wasn’t expecting this! I had enough to share with Jarod and we dug in.

Beer Can Chicken wrapped in Belgian Endive

I tried the Lettuce Wraps first, sweet and simple, the smoked chicken was tucked into Belgian endive and I shoved the whole thing in my mouth. You could taste that the beer had permeated through the chicken and there was a nice smoke flavor on top of that. It all blended well and I knocked out another one quickly. Mike said he wanted to showcase the chicken in the wraps so there wasn’t a sauce or anything on top of the chicken. Perfect.

Burnt Ends Tacos

Next I tried the Burnt Ends Tacos, if you all didn’t know it, I love BBQ. I really love Burnt Ends. Rob was telling me he would usually eat these when they made brisket in the pub but Mike told him they should sell them instead and Rob reluctantly agreed to part with them. I know this would be a hard decision for me too. Good on you Rob! The tacos were delicious and had a thick strip of bacon in there for good measure. The burnt ends were flaky with great smoke flavor. I swear I could even make out the alcohol from the oak barrels he uses. The arugula was a nice added touch. You can’t beat it.

Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich

I moved onto the Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich, moist and the brisket fell apart in my mouth. The brisket was thickly stacked between two pieces of toasted, dressed bread and the platter had a healthy serving of cracked pepper potato chips (which were hard to not to eat.) I ate about half of my sandwich and moved on to the Chicken Salad.

Beer Can Chicken Salad Sandwich

The Chicken Salad was piled high with some lettuce resting on top. The chicken salad was great, with grapes, almonds, paprika and bright red onion in the mix. The chicken was fresh and shredded perfectly. It was hard not to eat the whole thing but I was so full and had a beer I needed to finish up. I boxed up the rest and brought it home for lunch the next day.

I’m going to Lynnhaven Pub again to write more about the beer and how Rob runs the place, but I really wanted to let everyone know about the food. Like I said earlier I thought he was going to have me try some brews but I got a few plates of great food instead. Get by Lynnhaven Pub and grab a couple of good beers and make sure you get something to eat. You’ll not be disappointed!

Eric Wickham and Jarod Goenner

Click HERE to see the rest of the photos at Lynnhaven Pub.

Beer School - O'Connor Brewing Co. Edition

 "Beer Nerd" Dan Yarnell listening to Kevin O'Connor

The Porch, Whole Foods Virginia Beach's beer and wine bar, holds a beer school every Thursday. I've always meant to go to one, but my schedule didn't jibe with theirs and I heard it was always jam-packed. A little while back they started to limit the attendance to keep things under control. This past Thursday worked out perfect for me: I had the next day off, Chayce (my son) was available, and Kevin O'Connor from Norfolk's O'Connor Brewing Company was going to MC the event. 

O'Connor Brewing Company wasn't the first craft brewery in Hampton Roads but when they opened over three years ago it proved a micro-brewery could be successful in the area. Since then, there have been several new breweries established in Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Oysters!

Kevin introduced a few of his beers to us, my favorite being the Bells Beach Galaxy Saison. We had the Norfolk Canyon, Great Dismal Black IPA and the El Guapo Agave IPA. While we were there Chayce and I split a dozen oysters. We bought 6 Battle Creek Oysters from Chincoteague, VA and 6 Blue Point Oysters from Connecticut. Delicious, I was favoring the Blue Points, big, meaty, and juicy.

After the tasting Kevin walked around the room to talk to the patrons and answer any questions they might have had. It's always nice bumping into him, we chatted a little bit and took some photos. I had a good time.  Check out O'Connor Brewing Co. if you're ever in the area.

Chayce

Me and Chayce

24 Oct beer action!

Tomorrow (24 Oct) is a good day if you like beer in Hampton Roads, VA. Tastings and discounts all the way to secret stashes and full-blown tap takeovers. I went ahead compiled 5 events I know about, with links if available:

—Beer Tasting

Grape & Gourmet, 4:30-7:00PM

Weekly selection of beers to sample that are available to purchase.

—Thirsty Thursday

O’Connor Brewing Co., 4:00-7:00PM

30% off everything in the taproom.

—Young Veterans Brewing Company Tap Take Over

80/20 Burger Bar, 5:00PM

Young Veterans Brewing Company and 80/20 will be pouring 6 delicious drafts from the newest brewery to grace the 757! The guys from YVBC will be here to offer their beer expertise and hand out some awesome swag! DO NOT MISS THIS. The only spot in Norfolk to get all of these!

Even Keel Pale Ale

Jet Noise Double IPA

New Recruit Honey Blonde

Night Vision American Stout

Simper Fi IPA

Pineapple Grenade Wheat

We will run out of these REAL FAST!!! Do not miss it!

https://www.facebook.com/events/188678864652964/

—Secret Stash Birthday Party

The Porch, 6:00PM

It’s our first birthday, and we’re celebrating by tapping some more of Dan’s secret stash kegs on The Porch.

Here is the list…

Bear Republic Barrel Aged Racer 5

Ommegang’s Game of Thrones “Take the Black” (no growler fills)

Firestone Walker Double DBA (no growler fills)

Bell’s Expedition Stout

New Belgium La Folie

Aecht Schlenkerla “oak smoked” Doppelbock Rauchbier

https://www.facebook.com/events/422486031206685/

—Bell’s Steal the Glass

Norfolk Taphouse, 7:00PM

Come have a … pint? … of one of Bell’s awesome brews! Choose from Two Hearted, Porter, Best Brown, or Java Stout and keep the swag.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1397606973808896/

Chow. Norfolk, VA

Coming home from the Williamsburg Outlets we stopped at Chow in Norfolk, VA for dinner. I was looking for something filling and meaty and ordered the Duck-4-Ways special and Shelby got the lamb burger.

I lucked out because Smartmouth’s Notch 9 was on tap too. Smartmouth recent won a bronze medal in a national competition with this beer so I was dying to try it. The duck was delicious. The plate came out with Seared Duck Breast, Braised Duck Thigh and Leg, Duck Cracklin’, and Duck Gravy with sides of Brussels Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes. The breast tasted like a great steak and I couldn’t believe I was eating fowl. The braised meat fell from the bone and the gravy was tasty. The cracklin’ could have been a little more crackling but it was good fresh.

The lamb burger was cooked perfect and dressed nice. We both ate about half our food and took the rest home. I did get a O’Connor Great Dismal Black IPA before we finished out meal—love that beer. I was very happy with Chow and the Southern, comfort food style menu. I’m looking forward to eating there again.

Virginia Draft Beer Festival 2013, Virginia Beach, VA

The Virginia Craft Beer Festival happens traditionally happens October every year. Tents lined the 24th Street park where the event was hosted with over 25 brewers pouring over 50 beers in souvenir glasses.

Rain the day before scared off some of the attendees who crowded in on day two. The weather was nice and the breeze helped air out the park.

Click here to get a list of brewers from Beach Street USA’s site.

Young Veterans Brewing Company →

Check out my story on Young Veterans Brewing Company at WHRO's food blog Let’s Eat!

i<3food

Cheap & Cheery at Grape and Gourmet - Oct 2013

Grape and Gourmet’s monthly wine and beer tasting event: Cheap & Cheery! Virginia Beach, VA.

i<3food

Gordon Biersch Arts & Drafts - Craft Beer Event at the Sandler Center

Gordon Biersch Arts & Drafts - Craft Beer Event at the Sandler Center had a great turnout and the kegs were about dry by the time it was all over. Food was provided by Gordon Biersch and the fries they were serving were addicting.

The following breweries participated: 

Gordon Biersch
Legend
Devil’s Backbone
Starr Hill 
Aleworks
Smartmouth
Beach Brewing
O’Connor 
St. George
New Belgium
Beach Brewing
Green Flash
Stone

Looking forward to next year!

Oktoberfest at The Porch (Whole Foods Virginia Beach)

The Porch at Whole Foods Virginia Beach tapped a keg of Oktoberfest bier in celebration of the coming season. The local Biermeister was on hand to give the traditional chant and everyone raised their glasses. Fun stuff.

i<3food