Tuesday, March 29, 2016

The Veil Brewing Opens Saturday April, 16th

The Veil Brewing Opens Saturday April, 16th, in the Scott's Addition Neighborhood of RVA! The brewery will join neighbors Isley Brewing Company, Ardent Craft Ales, the upcoming Buskey Cider, Black Heath Meadery, and the soon-to-open new home of Blue Bee Cider, to make for one hell of a reason to visit/move to Scott's Addition. 


Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Deschutes Brewery Chooses Roanoke!


Press Release:
Bend, OR/Roanoke, VA – March 22, 2016 – Deschutes Brewery announced its much anticipated decision on an east coast location today at an event in downtown Roanoke, Virginia. The growing brewery, which was founded in Oregon in 1988 by Gary Fish, has explored hundreds of potential locations in the region over the last two years. The company selected Roanoke based on several criteria including a culture and community that fit well with Deschutes’ decades-deep roots.

“We started Deschutes Brewery when craft beer wasn’t burgeoning and led with a beer style that wasn’t popular at the time – Black Butte Porter,” said Gary Fish, CEO and founder of the brewery. “This pioneering approach was a key driver behind our decision to go with Roanoke, as that same spirit exists in this community and its fast-growing beer culture.”

The future Roanoke facility has been lovingly dubbed “Brew 4” as it takes its place in line after the original Bend, Oregon public house (Brew 1), the brewery’s production facility in Bend (Brew 2) and the Portland, Oregon public house (Brew 3). Brew 4 will be located at the eastern edge of Roanoke with construction on the site beginning in 2019. Eventually, a little over 100 new jobs will be created for the region, and the new brewery will produce approximately 150,000 barrels to start, with a design to increase capacity as needed. Deschutes expects to start shipping beer from the Roanoke location in about five years.
“Roanoke is honored to be chosen as Deschutes Brewery's East Coast location after a very thorough review of several communities in the Southeast,” said Roanoke City Manager Chris Morrill.  “It is a company with a strong culture of community engagement, recognized for its craftsmanship and will be a perfect fit for Roanoke's vibrant outdoor lifestyle.  We are thrilled to welcome Deschutes as we continue to build a diverse, resilient economy.”

Deschutes Brewery chose to add an east coast location after the company’s distribution footprint (which currently includes 28 states and the District of Columbia) reached the east coast. By having a production facility on the eastern seaboard, the brewery will be able to deliver beers – such as its flagship Black Butte Porter – to states east of the Mississippi quickly and more sustainably.
Michael LaLonde, president of Deschutes Brewery, who was an integral part of the east coast location selection team, said, “Although it was a tough decision – we loved so many of the communities that we visited over the past two years – we are very excited to be heading to Roanoke. We love the region and everyone we've had the opportunity to meet and work with during this process has been incredible. We have absolutely been blown away with how the community rallied around bringing us here and has given us such a warm welcome. #Deschutes2Rke we’re on our way and proud to be able to now call Roanoke our second home.”   

For more information on Deschutes Brewery in Roanoke, please visit our website here: www.deschutesbrewery.com/roanoke.

About Deschutes Brewery

Named as OUTSIDE’s Best Places to Work for the last three years in a row and winner of the 2015 Oregon Sustainability Award, Deschutes Brewery was founded in 1988 as a brew pub in Bend, Oregon. Still family and employee owned 27 years later, the brewery is known for brewing a diverse line-up of award winning beers including the exceptional Fresh Squeezed IPA, Black Butte Porter, and Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Deschutes Brewery now ships beer to 28 states, the District of Columbia, and around the world from its main brewing facility located on the banks of the Deschutes River.  


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MEDIA CONTACT:
Marie Melsheimer, Deschutes Brewery




Monday, March 21, 2016

Saltwater Brew N Que 2.0 Info




May 20 & 21: BBQ and Beer Festival a tasty good time 

-- Kick-off summer at the Second Annual Saltwater Brew ‘N’ Que in Chincoteague, Virginia. The weekend event will feature a barbeque cook-off, beer tasting, live music and family attractions. –

CHINCOTEAGUE, Va., March 18, 2016 – No question where craft beer drinkers, barbeque and wing aficionados will be celebrating the start of summer. The second annual Saltwater Brew ‘N’ Que returnsMay 20 and 21 to the Chincoteague Fairgrounds in Chincoteague, Virginia.

This unique event is part barbeque competition, part beer festival and part country music festival. The barbeque competition is officially sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society. Registration for amateur and professional teams is currently available online at www.saltwaterbbq.com and there is over $6,000 of prize money at stake.

On Friday, May 20, spectators have the chance to participate in the People’s Choice Wing Tasting event from 6 – 8 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the gate for $5 to taste wings and vote on favorites. There is no gate entrance fee on Friday, and there will be live music and large pour beers available for purchase from the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department.

On Saturday, May 21, there is a suggested donation of $5 at the gate for adults ages 13 and over. This includes live music, kids’ activities, access to the professional BBQ competition, food vendors and more. The craft beer tasting wristbands are sold separately. Prices are $20 in advance or $30 at the gate for adults 21+ and event hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Large pour beers are not included in the wristband price. There will be an after party at The Jackspot restaurant on Main Street from 7 – 10 p.m., which will feature live music, drink and food specials.

Event Director Daina Behe said, “We are so excited to be bringing this event back to Chincoteague for a second year. We had a blast last year, and were able to donate over $5,000 to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. This year, we’re hoping to double that donation with the growing support of the town and all of our attendees. As of today, our beer offerings include over 20 breweries who will be bringing at least two to three selections each, and we’re adding to that number.”

Sandy Fulton, event organizer and board member for the Kansas City Barbeque Society noted, “Excitement and smoke will be in the air once again when this BBQ contest comes back to Chincoteague for a second year. Professional BBQ cookers will be coming from up and down the East coast to compete in this contest. Pro BBQ food vendors will be there for you to try the best BBQ you have ever eaten. You also get a chance to vote for your favorite wings at our People’s Choice contest!”

For more information on the Saltwater Brew ‘N’ Que tickets and event lodging, please visit:www.saltwaterbbq.com or contact Sarah Witkowski at 410-213-2600 or switkowski@burbageproperties.com or contact Daina Behe at 848-459-8738 or dainabehe@gmail.com .


Thursday, March 10, 2016

Another Visit to Stone!

Clay and I (with wives in tow) had a few in Stone's newish tasting room last Friday night. The tasting room is -as Clay put it- essentially, the hottest bar in RVA right now. To give you an idea of the vibe, we experienced people yelling directions at their Uber driver (they got annoyed eventually hung up), no where to sit for around 30 minutes, and a mixed crowd of older folks, young professionals, and students. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect from the newest bar in RVA.



The decor of Stone's tasting room is minimalist and industrial. If you've been to a tasting room before, you'll be familiar with the setting. Lots of metal and wood, concrete floor, and places to stand and sit. The staff are helpful and prompt despite suffering side glances and snide comments on a few occasions by impatient patrons.

We've arrived.

The four of us had a good time even if the venue is not equipped to be a bar. It would have been better had it not been 35°F outside -there is ample seating in the beer garden. The tasting room is going to be excellent once the crowds die down and the restaurant opens.

That isn't a line, just people hanging out.

The beer selection from Stone's repertoire is grand. On my first order I went straight for the chocolate with the Xocoveza Mocha Stout (pronounced "Chocoveza"). This milk stout is loved by many and is probably Clay's favorite Stone beer. This was my first Xocoveza, so I had no expectations and didn't know it's pedigree. It absolutely blew me away with its complex and rich flavors: chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, chili heat. This may well be my favorite Stone beer this year. It's astound how much flavor this beer conveys. My words will not do this beer service: just drink it and enjoy.

12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
My next order was the delicious 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout -a mouthful in many ways. This stout has a lot of flavor, but it's not quite the complexity of the Xocoveza. I probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't had one before, though. It's a very dark black stout with light brown head. The chocolate, oat, and malt smells are pleasing. In the mouth, the stout is very smooth and the alcohol is prominent. Smooth dark chocolate and surprising syrupy mouth feel make this beer a sipper. I really enjoyed this stout and likely will get a growler or two in the future.

All the people!

The bar with the goodies.
We had a good time and enjoyed the beer! The lighting is a little stark and the decor is spartan, but it's a tasting room -not a bar. If you expect a tasting room with dozens and dozens of Stone brews, you'll be satisfied. It's a great opportunity to taste some of Stone's harder to find beer and connect with the brewery. I would recommend going on a warm day or night. The beer garden will give everyone enough room to stretch out and be comfortable.

Have you been there yet? What did you think? Favorite Stone beer there?