RICHMOND, Va. — Cold weather ushers in the season of stouts, and among all the local breweries there are plenty to try, in addition to other exciting winter releases.
Use the web-based site or cellphone app Trinkin to see if the beer you seek is still available at a store or the brewery’s tasting room. Or call them.
There are some brews that aren’t necessarily holiday specific, but which will release during the holiday season. These will make fantastic gifts for the beer lover in your life.
For other gift ideas, click here for the complete 2015 Local Holiday Gift Guide.
Sidenote: A growler is good for a week unopened in the refrigerator (sometimes more, sometimes less) and you have about 24 hours to drink it before carbonation begins to disappear. Some beers listed below aren’t available by bottle, but by growler only.
Stouts are the suds of choice in the winter, for their richer tastes, higher alcohol content, and temperature; stouts are not served as cold as an IPA, pilsner or lager.
WINTER RELEASES
Ardent Ales: Dark Rye Imperial Stout and Coffee Stout are now out and Earl Grey Brown Ale, Northern English Brown ale with hints of bergamot, will release around Jan.4, 2016. All available on draft and in bottle.
Blue Bee Cider: Hewe’s Crab will release on Dec. 12. It’s the first-ever single varietal cider made with 100% Hewes Crab cider apples. It’s from the first crop of their young trees and it may be another few years before they can repeat a harvest of this size.
Center of the Universe: Travesty, a milk stout, releases on Dec. 5 and will be available at the brewery on draft and in 22 oz. bottles. Orange is the New Stout releases on Dec. 12 and will have the same distribution.
Hardywood Brewery: Bourbon Barrel Gingerbread Stout Dec. 5 and Christmas Morning, which adds flavor to the GBS with roasted Brazilian and Sumatran coffee beans from Blackhand Coffee Co., will release on Dec. 12. Kentucky Christmas Morning, which incorporates all of the above for a Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout with Coffee & Spices, will release on Dec. 19. Releases will be available by growler and 750 ML bottles.
Isley Brewing Company: Going Mintal — a minty milk chocolate stout — made in collaboration with Ladies of Lager is out now. Stay Mallow Brown Ale release on Dec. 15 and will be available on draft.
Legend Brewing: Winter White and Chocolate Porter are now out and available on draft and in bottle.
Lickinghole Creek: Vanilla Black Bear Porter is now out on draft only. Citra Fresh IPA releases Dec. 12, Goochland Quad and Coconut Quad release Dec. 19.
Midnight Brewery: Christmas at Midnight released in draft on Nov. 21, but bottles are for sale at the tasting room starting Dec. 12. On Dec. 4 the Majority Rules coffee milk stout, chosen by fans, will release.
Rusty Beaver: Merry Krampus, a Christmas Porter with smoky malt from Copper Fox, spiced with freshly shaved ginger, ceylon cinnamon, Jamaican freshly ground nutmeg, allspice and whole clove. Available in the tasting room in bottles and on draft for growler fills and pints.
Strangeways Brewing: Tirami’zu Brew Rum Barrel Aged Porter out now; Ape of Armageddon (Stout brewed in Woodford Reserve barrels) and Tequila Barrel Aged Imperial Stout release Dec. 5, Beyond the Ouija Tripel (Oak Brett), Virginia Stingo Red Wine Barrel, Aged Strong Ale, The Snake & The Snowman bottle release on Dec. 19. These will be on draft and in 750 ML bottles.
Triple Crossing Brewing Company: Black Dolphin Imperial is on draft and sold by bottle, but not for much longer. Double Falcon Smash — bust, malty, alcoholic and with an intense hop profile — will release on Dec. 19. Available on draft and in 22 oz. bottle, exclusively in the tasting room.
BREWERY CONTACT INFO
- Ardent Craft Ales, 3200 West Leigh Street, Richmond, (804) 359-1605
- Blue Bee Cider, 212 W. 6th Street, Richmond, (804) 231-0280
- Center of the Universe 11293 Air Park Road, Ashland, (804) 368-0299
- Garden Grove Brewing Company, 3445 W Cary Street, Richmond, (804) 918-6158
- Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, 2408 Ownby Lane, Richmond, (804) 420-2420
- Isley Brewing Company, 1715 Summit Avenue, Richmond, (804) 716-2132
- Legend Brewing Company, 321 W. Seventh Street, Richmond, (804) 232-3446
- Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, 4100 Knolls Point Drive, Goochland, (804) 314-438
- Midnight Brewery, 2410-B Granite Ridge Road, Rockville, 804-719-9150
- Rusty Beaver, 18043 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Ruther Glen, (855) 478-7892
- Strangeways Brewing, 2277A Dabney Road, Richmond, (804) 303-4336
- Triple Crossing Brewing Company, 113 S Foushee Street, Richmond, (804) 308-0475
