Virginia Beer Wednesdays at CAH

The email from Capital Ale House let me know that Blue Mountain Brewery's MacHayden's Wee Heavy was a "featured beer" in Fredericksburg this week. That's a Virginia beer that I've not yet tried. Since every Wednesday is "Virginia Beer Day" at all Capital Ale House locations, when drafts of Virginia beers are discounted, I decided to stop by for a pint after work yesterday. Many Virginia breweries are represented in the CAH lineup, including Blue Mountain, Starr Hill, St. George, Blue & Gray, and Olde Richmond.

Blue Mountain MacHayden's Wee Heavy pours cola-brown with a beige head. (Cell phone photo at right.) There's not a strong aroma, but I detected light smoke and caramel notes. The taste is very pleasing with bready, dark malts. There's a bit of bitter hops to go along. I found it to be a well-balanced and enjoyable drink.

I could have easily enjoyed a second MacHayden's, but I decided to order another Virginia beer that I've missed trying out, Olde Richmond Batch No. 11 India Pale Ale. I admit I don't know much about this Hampton Roads brewery. Batch No. 11 IPA pours a golden yellow with a very thin head. The aroma is light citrus. The flavor was bitter citrus rind with a sweet malt in the background. It was an enjoyable, though not extraordinary IPA.

I enjoyed my brief visit to "Virginia Beer Day" and I got to try out two, new-to-me beers. Since this is a weekly event, I look forward to returning again to support our local breweries.

Northern Virginia BrewFests: Save the Dates

If your schedule is anything like mine, your calendar fills fast. This seems especially true during the summer. So it's not too early to start making plans for the two annual Northern Virginia BrewFests.

3rd Annual Northern Virginia Summer BrewFest
Saturday, June 26, 2010 - 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday, June 27, 2010 - 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Morven Park, Leesburg, Virginia
Advance tickets are now on sale here.
See http://novabrewfest.com/summer/ for more information.

You can see my report from last year's NoVA Summer BrewFest here.

4th Annual Northern Virginia BrewFest
Saturday, October 23, 2010 - 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 24, 2010 - 11:00 AM - 7:00PM
Special Events Center, Bull Run Regional Park, Centreville, Virginia

Tickets go on sale online August 15, 2010
See http://novabrewfest.com/fall/ for more information.

Read my report from last year's NoVA Brewfest here.

Both of these are not-be-missed events for craft beer fans in Virginia and surrounding areas. Mark your calendar today!

Spring Comes to Blue Mountain Brewery

Our friends over at Nelson County Life bring us this story as a hint of the upcoming Spring. The folks at Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton were planting hops on Monday.

Temps made it to the middle 60’s Monday afternoon in the Rockfish Valley of Nelson County, and people that have been waiting on the warmer weather made use of it! Our Paul Purpura caught up with Stan Driver, owner of Riverside Horticulture & Nursery in Nellysford, getting the ground ready and putting in hops at Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton.

The hops will be used in the beers produced at Blue Mountain. For more on the hop farm at Blue Mountain see the brewery's web site.

More photos at Nelson County Life.
Photo By Paul Purpura : ©2010 www.nelsoncountylife.com

Blue & Gray St. Patrick's Day Parade and Celebration This Weekend

The 8th annual St. Patrick's day parade at the Blue & Gray Brewery will be held on Saturday, March 13. There is a full day of events planned. The parade starts at noon on Saturday, March 13, through the Bowman Center. Irish entertainment will take place at the brewery from 11:00AM - 3:00PM.  The Rappahannock Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society will be giving rides on historic rail cars on nearby tracks starting at 11:00.

Beer by the glass and food will be available for purchase. Homemade soda and hot dogs for kids too!

Like all Blue & Gray events, the St. Patrick's Day celebration is family-friendly. This is a always a fun day and I look forward to seeing you there and enjoying some fresh, local beer.

Pictures from previous years are here and here.

NoVA Magazine Sponsoring Snowmageddon Sorrows Contest

I received this in an email today from the folks a Northern Virginia Magazine. It's probably most suited for our Northern Virginia friends, but I thought I'd pass it along. The magazine is holding a content to help folks get over any blues brought on by the recent Snowmageddon.

We are currently holding a contest for March where we’ll be giving away 10 $100 gift certificates to different bars across the NoVA area and thought your readers might be interested. We’ve focused on March Madness and St. Patrick’s Day, and have 5 sports bars and 5 Irish pubs who have donated the certificates. The contest is a drawing of sorts, and we thought your readers might like to take advantage of the offer and maybe win some free beer money!

Just fill out the survey at http://www.northernvirginiamag.com/snowmageddon to be entered to win. But, you better hurry, the deadline is noon on March 10.

Kybecca Wine Bar Gets Beer Props

Northern Virginia Magazine did a piece this month on Wine Bars. Fredericksburg's kybecca wine bar & shop was among the featured shops. Locals know that in addition to wine, kybecca also boasts an excellent craft beer selection; both in the wine bar and in their store. Northern Virginia Magazine took note of this as well.

The Snyders’ commitment to craft beer is just as great, as evidenced by the dozens of artisan brews they showcase, including: a boatload of Belgians (Maredsous 6, Gulden Draak, multiple Chimay, Orval), the best of North America (multiple Dogfish Head, Unibroue, Bell’s Brewery) and even some gluten-free bottles.

See the complete article here.

Hat tip to City Beat Blog for the pointer to the article.

Holy Brew Founders Featured in Loudoun Independant Newspaper

Holy Brew founders Scott Kasper and Warren Brown were featured in a video interview and accompanying article in the Loudoun Independant newspaper. Holy Brew is based in Loudoun County, VA and their two beers are available throughout Virginia. Currently Holy Brew offers two beers. Heavenly Light is a light American Lager and Purgatory Pilsner is a "Deluxe American Lager." During the interview they let on that they have a "hoppier" ale coming out soon.

It's always a fun to see Virginia craft brewers get mentioned in the press. See the article and video interview here.

World Beer Festival Coming to Richmond

After being postponed last year, the World Beer Festival is coming to Richmond, VA on Saturday, June 12, 2010. All About Beer magazine sent the following press release.

The World Beer Festival Coming to Richmond
Presented by local charity, FETCH a Cure, the World Beer Festival is one of the premier beer events in the country

February 23, 2010 (Richmond, Va.) – The World Beer Festival, one of the top beer events in the country, will premier in Richmond on Saturday, June 12, 2010, on Downtown Richmond’s Brown’s Island. Produced by All About Beer Magazine, the World Beer Festival is a celebration of the world beer culture, offering attendees a sampling of hundreds of beers from more than 200 domestic and international breweries. Festival goers can also enjoy educational sessions by industry experts, food from a variety of local restaurants, plus live entertainment by local musicians. The festival is presented by local Richmond charity; FETCH a Cure, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping pet owners make better, fully informed decisions about caring for their aging pets.

"We are excited to bring the World Beer Festival to Richmond and are thrilled to be partnered with All About Beer Magazine,” said Joanne Silverman, director of FETCH a Cure. “Highly exclaimed within the beer loving community across the country, this festival is a unique opportunity for Richmonders to sample different beers from around the world while learning more about the history and culture of beer."

All About Beer Magazine has produced the World Beer Festival for more than a decade. It is recognized as one of the premier beer events in the country, with Forbes.com, USA Today, and Wired all calling attention to it. Each year the World Beer Festival is held in Raleigh and Durham, NC, where each has sold out all tickets for several years running. In 2009 the festival added Columbia, SC to its roster of cities.

“We are pleased to bring our World Beer Festival to Richmond, and join its burgeoning beer culture,” said Daniel Bradford, Publisher of All About Beer Magazine. “We hope that the World Beer Festival-Richmond becomes a gathering place for all interested in the exciting world of beer – consumers, retailers, wholesalers and suppliers.”

The festival offers two four-hour sessions, from noon to 4 p.m., and from 6 to 10 p.m. General admission to a single session is $40 in advance, $50 day of the event, which includes beer samples, music by local bands, educational sessions by industry experts, and a festival tasting glass. VIP tickets are also available for an additional $35. VIP benefits include admission to VIP lounge, samples of special beers available only in VIP area, special VIP-area music, and free catered food in VIP area.

Tickets for the World Beer Festival will go on sale in late March at www.allaboutbeer.com. Subscribers to All About Beer Magazine have the opportunity to purchase tickets prior to their being offered to the general public. For more information on the Richmond festival, visit http://allaboutbeer.com.

I've enjoyed previous World Beer Fests in Raleigh and Durham, NC. I'm looking forward to attending this event closer to home. See you there!

Win a Trip to the GABF

Want to attend the Great American Beer Festival? Want to go for free? Here's a chance to do just that, and contribute to a good cause at the same time. Pints for Prostates is giving away a trip for two for the event to be held September 16-18, 2010 in Denver.

The winner and a guest will get a chance to sample beers from an estimated 450 breweries serving more than 2,100 brews at the GABF. They will also receive tickets to one of the top gourmet beer events in the nation: The Denver Rare Beer Tasting II, along with visits to great craft breweries and special access to insider beer events.

The trip includes:

-- Round Trip Airfare for Two to Denver (from anywhere in the continental U.S.)
-- Three Night Hotel Stay at a Convenient Downtown Location (Double Occupancy)
-- Two Tickets for Three Sessions at the Great American Beer Festival (Thurs./Fri./Sat. Nights)
-- Two Tickets to the Denver Rare Beer Tasting II (Friday 1-4 p.m.)
-- Hosted Pub Crawl with Rick Lyke, Beer Writer and Pints for Prostates Founder
-- Special Access to Insider Beer Events to Meet Brewers and Taste Limited Release Beers
-- Gift Cards for Lunch & Dinner at Denver Brewpubs & Beer Bars

The total estimated value of the trip is $2,500. The winner will be selected on Aug. 21, 2010.

Tickets will be available where legal at beer festivals and other events for a $10 donation or three for a $25 donation. If you cannot get to one of our events, you can still enter. Mail a check made out to "Pints for Prostates Inc." for the number of tickets you would like, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope so we can send back your ticket stub(s) to: Pints for Prostates/GABF, 12673 Overlook Mountain Dr., Charlotte, N.C. 28216-6726. You must be at least 21 years old to enter and to take the trip.

All proceeds benefit the Pints for Prostates campaign, which supports programs to fight prostate cancer and help men and their families battling the disease. For more information, contact Rick Lyke at here.

Whiskey Toothpaste?

This is a funny ad, but apparently for a real product advertised in a 1961 issue of House and Garden. I don't think this would be the breath freshener of choice if you were trying to cover up a night on the town.

Hat tip to Sociological Images.