Irish Session at Midnight Brewery, Friday, June 5th, 6-8:30pm

I'm organizing another special Irish music session at Midnight Brewery.  This will be my 6th time doing so.  By "organizing" what I mean is that I invite some of the best area players of Irish traditional music (people better than myself) to come play some tunes at this great brewery!  It's pretty easy to do when you think about it.

If you like listening to Irish jigs, reels and hornpipes and maybe the occasional song, then come have a listen.  If by some crazy chance you are reading this before 6pm Friday June 5, 2015 and you play Irish fiddle or accordion, etc., then feel free to bring your instrument and join in the fun.

Photo from May 2014 session at Midnight Brewery

This will be the first session since the brewery expanded to its new adjacent location in September, so I'm really excited.  If it all works out we should have 8 to 10 experienced players taking part, ranging from fiddle to flute to banjo to concertina to uilleann pipes to bodhran to to guitar and tenor guitar.  Sessions can be unpredictable but we've been fortunate to always have some good juju at these Midnight Brewery sessions.  I'm hoping this time is no different, or even better.

I took a break from practicing this past Saturday to visit Midnight Brewery and they've got some excellent beers on draft at the moment, including an Irish Red, a Southern English Brown Ale, an Oatmeal Stout, a Rye Porter, a Vanilla Double Stout, an IPA, a Pale Ale, a Belgian Tripel and more.  What I like about Midnight is they seem to make solid versions of classic beer styles without feeling the need to get too "innovative" or fancy.

Irish Session

Friday, June 5, 2015

6:00-8:30pm

Midnight Brewery

2410 Granite Ridge Road

Rockville, VA 23146

804-356-9379

I definitely couldn't do this without the help and participation of the very talented players we are fortunate to have in the Richmond area.  Midnight Brewery is located a little bit west of Richmond, about 45 minutes from Charlottesville, so I'm hoping that some trad players from the C'ville area might make it out as well.

Fredericksburg's Battlefield Brewery

Upon pulling up to The Pub, your first reaction might be this can’t be the home of Battlefield Brewery, can it?  Upon walking into The Pub, you still might be thinking this can’t be the home of Battlefield Brewery, can it?  But it is.  This friendly, working-class, blue collar bar and brewery located in a suburban strip mall in Fredericksburg, VA is home to some of the best tasting, no nonsense, craft beer made in Virginia.

There’s nothing pretentious about The Pub.  Apparently you can still smoke in there, and there always seems to be quite a few regulars at the bar doing just that.  The Pub is not a place where exciting things have to always be happening.  Everyone might just be sitting there quietly.  If your idea of a pleasant weekend afternoon is to be in a bar, reading the paper while smoking cigarettes and nursing a beer, occasionally conversing with those around you – or not, then The Pub/Battlefield Brewery might just be the place for you.

outside Battlefield Brewery (The Pub) - Fredericksburg, VA

If you can’t take the cigarette smoke you can just go in and have a growler filled of their Iwo Jima Red Ale, Chancellor Pale Ale, or one of the special beers they might have brewed.  My favorite is the Red Ale, which is every bit the equal to my other number one - the Irish Red produced by Midnight Brewery in Goochland.

Bar area - Battlefield Brewery

I used to hate it when all bars in Virginia were smoke-filled.  Now that most bars are smoke-free, the fact that smoking is still permitted/tolerated in The Pub ironically contributes to its understated coolness.  It’s a very casual atmosphere and if you saddle up to the bar, within a few minutes there’s a good chance that you will have made fast friends with the persons next to you and soon you might be calling the lady bartender by name.

Brewery area - Battlefield Brewery

If you’re in the Fredericksburg area I highly recommend checking out the Battlefield Brewery.  It’s an about-face from the overly trendy and puffed up breweries that you might be used to.  

A Late September Trip to Hatteras and Ocracoke

Despite living most of my life in Virginia, just a few hours away from North Carolina's Outer Banks, I never gave much thought to visiting these narrow barrier islands. I probably would not have gone there any time soon had it not been for my 80+ year old father fondly remembering past trips to the OBX which gave us the idea to do a family vacation there with him this September.  I found a house on Hatteras Island in Rodanthe for us to rent.

View of beach from our house in Rodanthe

I didn't know much about the Outer Banks before going, mainly imagining it to be an overdeveloped stretch of land with all-you-can-eat seafood restaurants, putt-putt golf and brew-thrus, and no atmosphere or culture whatsoever.  That's kind of how Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head were, but it was a pleasant surprise to go over the bridge onto Hatteras Island and notice the miles and miles of undeveloped land south of Nags Head.  It remains that way for 20+ miles all the way to Rodanthe - with the beach on one side and Pamlico Sound on the other.

Wide-open beach on Ocracoke

The ocean-side beaches in the Outer Banks are all straight and go on for miles in either direction.  That's great for walking long distances, but it's not as visually stunning as the crescent shaped beaches I've seen in places like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, or even Ireland.  I would like to have found a beach on the sound side where the water is shallow and calm and you can toss a frisbee or surf ball, but didn't put forth the effort to find such a spot.  (Perhaps the Salvo Day Use Area?).  It was easy to be lazy and sedentary on this vacation.  The Outer Banks has the effect on a person.

One of the main reasons for going was so that my dad could fish off of a pier, so we made sure to find a house close to the Rodanthe pier.  Unfortunately the wind made fishing undesirable.  Not catching much of anything didn't help either.  In addition to fishing, another popular activity on Hatteras island is kiteboarding.  It stays pretty windy, so there's always a lot of people trying out that crazy sport.  Next on the list of things to do would be hanging out on the beach, checking out the famous Cape Hatteras lighthouse, and going out to eat.  Going out to eat is a big deal in the Outer Banks.

Dad fishing on the Rodanthe pier

There's no shortage of restaurants and it's not long after lunch that you start to think about where you might want to go for dinner that night.  Some nearby places we liked included Waterman's Bar and Grill (excellent seafood, Carolina craft beers, friendly staff, sunsets, and a rum bar where you can order a bushwacker, painkiller, dark n' stormy, and more), Good Winds (somewhat bland atmosphere but well chosen beer selection and excellent views), Waves Market and Deli (awesome sandwiches and burritos plus basic groceries) and Lisa's Pizzeria (surprise - great pizza!).

The view from Good Winds of the Pamlico Sound

We were a short walk from the beach and the water in late September was still plenty warm for swimming, but it was so rough that being in the water or trying to boogie board was a pretty unpleasant experience.  So mostly I just hung around the house, played a bit of banjo, did some reading, and drank beer.  (We did take a fun side trip to the Full Moon Cafe and Brewery in Manteo - about 30 miles away - and I'll write about that in another post.)  On our last day, we decided to take the free car ferry over to Ocracoke.  That would prove to be the best decision we made all week!

The drive from the Rodanthe/Waves/Salvo to the Ocracoke ferry terminal in Hatteras can easily be made in under an hour at a leisurely pace.  Along the way you pass through the villages of Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras.  Ferries leave every half hour and can hold up to 30 vehicles.  It was a Saturday morning, so I was expecting there to be a long line, but we pulled right up and got on the ferry after a 4 or 5 minute wait.  Ocracoke is remote (you can only get there by boat/ferry or plane).  The 40-minute ferry ride quickly drops you off on the far end of the island and it's a 12-mile drive from there to get to the village.  There's nothing built up during those 12 miles - just ocean and sound until the narrow spit of land widens as you come upon Ocracoke village.

Looking out at Silver Lake from outdoor seating at Jolly Roger in Ocracoke

Unlike the other "communities" on the Outer Banks - which are all stretched out along of Highway 12 - Ocracoke actually has a town feel, with the village centered as it is in a semi-circle around a small harbor called Silver Lake.  There are some cool pubs right on the water, like Jolly Roger and SMacNally's, and several hotels and other modest accommodations with water views, plus a few artsy shops tucked away, historic sites, a lighthouse and some bike/golf cart rental places.  No chains.  Nothing corporate.  Fewer than 800 permanent residents.  Ocracoke had a vibe similar to other places that we have loved, and although we only spent a few hours there I'm already thinking about going back next year.

The only drawback that I could see to Ocracoke might be that there's no immediate beach in the village itself.  There is a 16 mile stretch of undeveloped beach that runs along practically all of the ocean side of the island, but beach access begins just a short ways out of town.  That's more of an observation than a criticism, really.  From what I saw, I'd have no problem returning Ocracoke for a week or more.  We also lucked out with a short wait before getting on the ferry coming back.  The ride each way was pretty smooth, even in rough, windy conditions, so there's little chance of getting sea sick on the ferry, even for a land lubber such as myself.

Flowers on beach in Ocracoke

I've done a few internet searches recently for islands worth visiting on the East Coast of the United States and the Great Lakes region, and I'm surprised that Oracoke didn't come up on such a query.  I enjoyed staying in Rodanthe, but based on what I know now I would definitely choose Ocracoke over any place on Hatteras.  It may not be the Caribbean, but for a quaint, sleepy, waterside village within driving distance of Central Virginia, you can't beat it!

Musicians' Beer Drinking Formula

It's fun to have a beer or two while playing some tunes, although there's a fine line between inspiration and sloppiness.  This handy-dandy formula could help you keep things in check.

McGann's Pub, Doolin Ireland, November 2004

What you do is multiply the quantity (in ounces) by alcohol (percentage ABV).  The magic number is 250.  You want to stay at or below 250 for every 6 hours of drinking*.  For example, four 12-ounce bottles of 5% alcohol beer equates to 48 (ounces) x 5 (ABV) = 240. That's under 250 so it's in the safe zone.  Having a 5th one would be a no-no, since it would take you over that 250 mark.  By the same equation, if the beer was stronger than 5.2% alcohol, then 3 would be the max.

*Note: the 250 rule does not apply to Guinness Draught.  Drink a Guinness when you're tired.

A typical American pint glass is supposed to hold 16 ounces of draft beer when filled to the brim, although it's rarely filled to the very brim.   For the sake of the formula, let's say that an American pint is 15 ounces.  A British imperial pint, like the kind you sometimes see in Irish and British pubs, is about 20% larger, so let's assume that it is 18 ounces when filled.

12 oz. bottles

4.1% abv or less – maximum of 5 (60 x 4.1 = 246)

5.2% abv or less – maximum of 4 (48 x 5.2 = 249.60)

6.9% abv or less – maximum of 3 (36 x 6.9 = 248.40)

10.4% abv or less – maximum of 2 (24 x 10.4 = 249.60)

15 oz. American pint

4.1% abv or less – maximum of 4 (60 x 4.1 = 246)

5.5% abv or less – maximum of 3 (45 x 5.5 = 247.50)

8.3% abv or less – maximum of 2 (30 x 8.3 = 249)

18 oz. British pint

4.6% abv or less – maximum of 3 (54 x 4.6 = 248.40)

6.9% abv or less – maximum of 2 (36 x 6.9 = 248.40)

I'll let you do the math for other quantities, such as 11.2 oz. bottles or 16.9 oz. pub cans.  If you are drinking out of a 32 oz. or 64 oz. growler, you'll need to know how much you're pouring into the glass and of course the ABV.  The formula could get complicated if you are mixing different quantities of beer with varying alcohol content.  Another way of telling if you've had too much is if you are unable to mentally calculate the formula.

The 250 rule applies only to the playing of a musical instrument, and should be used with caution when judging whether or not you are capable of performing other actions requiring sharp motor skills.

The Accidental Purists at Midnight Brewery, Saturday June 15th, 2-5pm

This will be a busy Friday and Saturday!  On the evening of Friday June 14^th I’ll be sitting in with some friends in the band Scalaheen to play Irish tunes as part of the Petersburg Area Art League’s monthly Friday for the Arts series.  That should be both fun and challenging.  Some of those same friends and I, plus a few more, will be at Midnight Brewery the very next day, Saturday June 15^th from 2-5pm, to “perform” in an open jam under the name The Accidental Purists.  (This is in addition to the regularly scheduled Ashland Jam from 10am-1pm at Ashland Coffee and Tea, which I will also attend). 

This will be my 4^th time hosting a session at Midnight Brewery.  I’m fortunate to have gotten to know several oldtime, Irish, folk and bluegrass musicians in the Richmond/Ashland/Petersburg area over the last few years, so whenever I am asked to assemble an informal group to play at Midnight Brewery I try and invite some of my favorite people to play with – all of whom happen to be better musicians than myself!  On tap this time we expect to have…

Kathleen Stover Whittle – A classically trained musician and teacher, Kathy is now diving head first into Celtic music.  She plays Irish flute and tin whistle in Scalaheen and co-hosts the Hiram Haines Irish Session every 2^nd Saturday in Petersburg.

Kathy Whittle

Lee Owens is one of the regulars at our Ashland Jam.  A long-time guitar player, Lee might not know the names of many tunes but he can sure pick them up!  You can count on Lee to keep a steady rhythm, but he will sometimes surprise you with his flatpicking skills. 

Lee Owens

Harlan Williams - mandolin, guitar, fiddle, vocals.  Harlan is one of my favorite people to play music with.  His enthusiasm is infectious.  When I had gotten frustrated and gave up playing in 2010, Harlan was the one who motivated me to take it up again.  Harlan hosts a monthly oldtime jam at Rockwood Nature Center.

Harlan Williams

Stephen Rockenbach - 5-string banjo, bouzouki, vocals.  Stephen is a former professional honky-tonk musician now enjoying a career in academia.  A versatile performer, whenever Stephen takes part in a jam it is going to run more smoothly, have a higher quality, and most important, be more fun!  Maybe Stephen will sing a couple for us.

Stephen Rockenbach

John Ely – guitar.  John is another guitarist that I have gotten to know through the Ashland Jam.  John is always one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave.  I admire John’s adaptability and willingness to take on various types of tunes and songs.  I’m looking forward to having him with us at Midnight.

John Ely

Ken Hall – bodhran, bones and song.  Ken is a drummer extraordinaire, who honed his skills through years of playing along with Dervish and De Dannan recordings, before finally moving to an area where he could participate in sessions.  We are fortunate to have an open-minded bodhran player of his skill level joining us.  Ken seems to have a never ending repertoire of fantastic pub songs that he sings very well!  Ken also performs in the band Scalaheen.

Ken Hall

Margaret Graham – fiddle.  Margaret is one of those teenage phenoms that either makes you want to hang up your instrument forever, or practice like crazy so you can try and keep up with her.  The scary thing is she keeps getting better each time I hear her play.  Hopefully Margaret will take pity on us mere mortals who can’t always play at Liz Carroll and Ricky Skaggs speed!  Margaret also fiddles in Scalaheen. 

Margaret Emily Graham

Laura Fields - bodhran, baritone ukulele.  My wife Laura holds the rare distinction of being one of the only bodhran players to whom people say “could you please play louder?”.  Like me, Laura took up playing music recently as an adult and can sympathize with what a struggle it can be at times, albeit a rewarding one.  In addition to bodhran, Laura likes to play baritone ukulele on oldtime tunes, and, unlike me, started learning to play by ear from the start, so she is well on her way to being a very competent player after less than a year in the saddle. 

Laura Fields

Paul Willson – guitar.  Paul is a singer-songwriter and accomplished musician with a jazz background who I have gotten to know a little bit through the Rosie Connolly’s Irish session.  He is also damn good at traditional music.  Having Paul will add another element of professionalism to our very talented, Accidental ensemble.

Paul Willson

Finally, down as a “maybe” I have Andy Cleveland on fiddle.  Andy joined us last time at Midnight and instantly lifted the music to a higher-level.  A member of the band Handsome Molly, Andy is one of the best all-around musicians I have ever played with, and I feel like we all take a leap forward when he's around.  Andy’s playing is a reflection of his equally witty, snarky personality.  I hope Andy can be there if he’s not busy doing chores.  Who knows, we might even have a few other special guests as well.  

maybe Andy Cleveland

What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon…enjoying excellent craft beer and pleasant music on the day before Father’s Day!  

Let these fine players take care of the tunes as you taste a pint or two of that awesome Midnight beer!

Ashland's Center of the Universe Brewing Company to open November 16th and 17th

The Richmond, VA area seems to be in the midst of its own craft beer revolution.  Credit should probably go to the creative brewers at Hardywood Park for getting the ball rolling last year.  Soon after Hardywood came Goochland County’s Midnight Brewery, who are second to none when it comes to tasty session beers and drinkability.  Starting next week, another brewery will be joining the ranks:  Center of the Universe Brewing Company in Ashland. 

Center of the Universe (COTU) will celebrate its grand opening Friday, November 16^th from 5-10pm and Saturday, November 17^th from noon-6pm.  There will be music, food, games and of course lots of beer on hand!  You can avoid long lines for beer tickets by purchasing them in advance here:  http://cotubrewing.com/store/grand-opening-beer-tickets

COTU is located on the outskirts of town in the old Herald Progress building at 11293 Air Park Rd, 23005.  There, they have a sizable and welcoming tasting room where visitors will be able to hang out and enjoy pints, thanks to a Virginia law allowing on-site consumption that took effect this summer.  COTU's beer will also be available in some local shops and restaurants.

The brewing company was founded by two brothers – Chris and Phil Ray.  Chris is a major league baseball pitcher, most recently with the Cleveland Indians.  Phil has a background in engineering.  They were home brewing for about four-and-a-half years before deciding to take it to the next level.  Chris and Phil hired Mike Killelea, formerly of Legend Brewing and the current Chairman of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, to be head brewer.

Chris Ray, Phil Ray and Mike Killelea of COTU Brewing Co.

The brewery takes its name from Ashland’s self-proclaimed motto of being the Center of the Universe.

Chris, Phil and Mike are starting with 4 varieties of beer:

IPA – West Coast style with lots of hop flavor and hop aroma.

Pale Ale – a classic Pale brewed with imported English 2-Row and a little Honey Malt.

Kolsch – a light and easy drinking session beer modeled after the beers of Cologne, Germany with Pilsner Malt and imported German hops.

Altbier – a copper colored old German ale, medium bodied and nicely bittered.

I can’t wait to try these!

Atlantic City for the Non-Gambling Beer Snob in Search of Culture

My wife had the opportunity to attend a conference in Atlantic City this month, and I tagged along with her.  We drove there via Norfolk, Virginia, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel, up 13N through the Eastern Shore into Maryland and Delaware, caught the Cape May-Lewes Ferry in Lewes and took it across the Delaware Bay to Cape May.  From there we took the Garden State Parkway to the Atlantic City Expressway.  This route didn't save any time and it cost more in tolls and ferry fares, but it was definitely more pleasant than taking crowded interstates all the way there.  From Norfolk all the way to Atlantic City is pretty easy going driving on rural old highways.

Cape May-Lewes Ferry

We stayed at Caesar's in Atlantic City, which is right on the famous boardwalk.  As far as hotel rooms go, it was very good - nice and clean with expansive views for not too much money.  Caesar's of course has a huge casino.  Thankfully, you can bypass the casino and slots altogether when exiting the building by taking the elevator to the 1st floor street level, which puts you out near the boardwalk.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to re-enter the building that didn't require you to walk by the casino, where smoking is still allowed.

Tun Tavern beer taps

The first place on my list to see was Tun Tavern, Atlantic City's only brewery, located near the Sheraton/Convention Center.  We went there twice and sat at the bar each time.  The service was always very prompt and attentive.  The Tun beers were really good, for the most part.  My favorite was the Irish Red, followed by the Munich Dunkel, then the Oktoberfest, the Oatmeal Stout and finally the Maibock.  I didn't care for the Pumpkin Ale, although some might.  They had other beers which I didn't try, including an American IPA, a Pale Ale and the Tun Light beer.  I ate one meal at Tun Tavern as well - a fresh fruit and chicken salad (healthy!) - and it was good too.  Definitely check out Tun Tavern if you are looking for a cool place to hang out that's away from the casinos and is not a dive bar.

Um, dive bars.  I had also heard about The Irish Pub - an old "authentic" Irish pub located a short ways off the boardwalk not too far from the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum.  I made a point of going to this place too.  It was just OK.  I'm sure they see a lot of tourists in here but it was still kinda grungy.  The people working there are rather gruff and after one pint of Guinness it wasn't somewhere I felt compelled to linger.  It was kinda moldy and smelly in there too.  Check it out for yourself if you want though.

Speaking of the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, I was looking for something to do one afternoon so I decided to go in here.  I really liked it; more so than a lot of more serious or conventional museums.  The Ripley's museum had some freaky stuff, like German Wolpertingers - curious flying creatures that live in the woods, and a reproduction of a New Jersey Devil skeleton, based on eyewitness accounts!  I also saw a rooster that smoked cigarettes, a mermaid that was half monkey/half fish, a one-eyed seeing eye dog, a shrunken head, a life-size replica of the world's tallest man, a genuine Iron Maiden, a vampire killing kit, and much, much more.  Believe it, or not!

Ripley's Believe It or Not! - Atlantic City

One evening we were in search of a more "locals" type of place to eat off the boardwalk, and I had read about a tacqueria on Arctic Avenue, a few blocks away from our hotel.  So we walked in that direction but accidentally found our way into another place called La Finca.  This was a wonderful mistake to make, because La Finca turned out to be an awesome Dominican style restaurant.  Not what I was expecting, but even better!  We each got stewed or grilled chicken with rice, beans, salad and fried yucca.  Washed down with fresh pineapple juice.  Huge portions.  One of the best meals I've had in a long time!  When we were walking out I saw the tacqueria we had intended to go to, but now I'm glad we missed it in favor of La Finca.

I later learned that La Finca is located in Ducktown, a small section of Atlantic City that was traditionally Italian-American.  Nowadays it  is probably more Hispanic.  Culture is definitely lacking in AC, but if you want to experience a little bit of it stroll around Ducktown.  Despite its semi-rundown appearance, Ducktown seems to be a fairly safe, family-oriented neighborhood with many off-the-tourist-path ethnic restaurants, bakeries, pizzerias and groceries.

Atlantic City's well known White House Sub Shop is also located in Ducktown on Arctic Avenue, a few doors down from La Finca.  I had intentions of eating at White House for lunch one day, but when I went in there the place was packed and the subs looked like stomach aches waiting to happen.  So, I left and walked around the corner to Atlantic Avenue, where I found Jonuzi's Pizza.  Jonuzi's was pretty empty on this day, which I found appealing.  The pizza was awesome though: authentic New York style.  A massive slice!

Enormous pizza slice from Jonuzi's

Oh yeah, for cheap draft beers and a quirky, people watching atmosphere, check out the Bally's Wild West Bar.  They had Dos Equis on draft for $2 a cup as part of a 24/7 happy hour.  I wasn't really in the mood for pounding back beers when I went there, but at this cost it was hard to pass up having at least a couple of these while watching the baseball playoffs on TV.  Bally's is connected to Ceasar's so it's easy to get from one to the other without going outside.

Lastly, I suppose I should mention the Atlantic City Boardwalk.  You can walk for miles in either direction from the Ceasar's/Bally's/Trump Plaza midtown area.  There's tacky shops, questionable restaurants and, curiously, lots and lots of places to get a body massage.  I didn't get a body massage, but I did get an Atlantic City baseball cap for .99 cents!  The perfect hat for the world's playground!

Souvenir baseball cap - bought for .99 cents on the Atlantic City Boardwalk

On the drive back from Atlantic City we returned the way we came and this time had a couple hours to spend in the quaint, seaside town of Cape May, which I liked a whole lot better than Atlantic City!  We stopped in a little restaurant/bar by the water for soup and a beer.  I could have stayed there all afternoon and into the evening, but we had a ferry to catch.  I would like to go back to Cape May for sure!

Would I want to go back to Atlantic City?  Don't bet on it.  But I was able to enjoy a good brewery, a great restaurant and a fun museum in the midst of all that scuzzy tourism.  Plus, I got in some valuable banjo practice in the hotel room and I'm happy to report that I did not spend the first dime on gambling.  Right better.

Hardywood Gingerbread Stout and The Magpie

Hardywood's Tasting Room

Yesterday I finally stopped by for a tasting at the new Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond, VA.  I’ve been enjoying the Singel, their flagship blonde Abbey-Style Belgian ale, for a couple months now but I was really excited to try Hardywood’s new reserve series Gingerbread Stout - an imperial milk stout brewed with fresh local ginger and honey.  The Gingerbread did not disappoint.  It’s like a meal in a bottle that can quickly put a Scrooge or Grinch in the holiday spirit.  So good, in fact, that we left with a 64 oz Hyrdo Flask growler of it to be enjoyed over the weekend!  At 9.2% ABV, this post-dinner stout is definitely not a beer you want to mess around with and is perhaps best quaffed in small doses either with dessert or as dessert !

Gingerbread Stout

The ultimate growler

The Hardywood folks really seem to know what they are doing and have made quite an impact since opening in October.  The tasting room and brewhouse at 2408 Ownby Lane is currently open to the public 4-7pm Thursdays, 4-7pm Fridays and 2-5pm Saturdays.  In addition, you can now find Hardywood beers in many fine local watering holes and specialty beer stores.  In my opinion the restaurant that pulls the best pints of Hardywood is The Magpie, a gastropub near VCU in Richmond’s historic Carver neighborhood less than one mile from Hardywood's brewhouse.  In addition to Hardywood varieties, The Magpie offers a modest but well-chosen selection of rotating draft beers from other leading breweries to go with their mouthwatering entrees and small plates.  

 Check ‘em out!

New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Ft. Collins, Colorado's New Belgium Brewing Co. has made it to Central Virginia!  Since late August a limited number of their beers have been available in local stores and restaurants.  Fat Tire is the brew most closely associated with New Belgium, and the hype surrounding that amber ale preceded its Eastern arrival by several years.  However, I would venture to say that New Belgium's tastiest offering is the 1554 Enlightened Black Ale, a dark beer based on an old, obscure Belgian style.

The 1554 pours black, with roasted, malty overtones and a hint of chocolate.  Not too bitter or too sweet, and thankfully not too hoppy.  1554 also doesn't have a real pronounced Belgian character, or at least the character my taste buds seem to associate with Belgian beers - another plus. This unique flavor is due to that bygone recipe which supposedly dates back to the year it is named after.  To me 1554 seems like a not-so-distant relative to a dark lager or Schwarzbier.  Pick up a six-pack now at your local store.  In Ashland, the Caboose has been stocking it.  Cheers.

St. John's, NL - Guide to pubs not on George Street

Laura and I visited St. John's, Newfoundland in late summer 2011.  We loved it! In the next installment of an ongoing series of articles about this harbour city on The Rock, here's a recounting of the non-George Street pubs we enjoyed.


Yes, non-George street.  Why? Well, the George Street party scene in St. John's, Newfoundland has been well documented.  It's like a mini Bourbon Street with more bars per capita than any other street in North America.  Every visitor to St. John's should have at least one late night bacchanal here - preferably a Thurs, Fri or Sat - and merge souls with the university students and tourists.  But, once the magic of George Street wears off, you may want to explore some of the nearby pubs on Water and Duckworth Street, as well as the neighboring village of Quidi Vidi.  You'll find these pubs to be slightly more sedate, but all the more interesting.  Here's a guide to some of the ones we darkened during our recent 8 nights in St. John's.

The entrance to The Ship

The Ship Pub - 265 Duckworth Street at Solomon's Lane
The Ship, as it is known, may be the best bar I've come across while traveling...right up there with Dick Mack's in Dingle, Ireland and Gamli Baukur in Husavik, Iceland.  The Ship Pub is so welcoming that I think it took only two visits before we felt like regulars.  We kept going back, stopping in almost daily for a drink or ten.  It's the place to meet interesting, intelligent locals who, in our case, shared a lot of the same interests and world views.  The Ship had both the Storm Red and Quidi Vidi Iceberg on tap, plus Black Horse, Guinness, Smithwick's and more.  The food is good too. I wish we had been there when Ricky from Trailer Park Boys stopped in this summer.  Some locals still refer to it as The Ship Inn, although it hasn't been called that in several years.  You can simply call it The Ship.


The Rose and Thistle
At first glance the Rose and Thistle looks like it may be fairly intimidating, with bikers of the tough-looking motorcycle variety lurking about and an assortment of weird-o's inside.  I suspect that we must also be weird-o's because we found this place to be quite comfortable and saw some really good music here.  It had a dark, dive bar vibe that reminded me of Cary St. Cafe in Richmond, VA. The beer is cheap too.  I think they had Labatt Blue Star for $2.75 a bottle.  Compare that to $8.25 for a pint of Guinness up on George Street!


The Duke of Duckworth
This sports bar is arguably the most well known drinking establishment in St. John's.  I haven't seen Republic of Doyle yet (that will change soon enough!), but I've heard The Duke of Duckworth is featured in some episodes of this popular CBC show filmed on location in St. John's.  (Or they are using a set that's made to look like the Duke of Duckworth). We didn't spend a whole lot of time in this pub, but it had a friendly, laid back atmosphere.


Nautical Nellies
Nautical Nellies had a cool, down to earth, hard-working staff of young ladies manning the place.  We were in there a couple times during slower parts of the day, so it was a good location to chill and reflect on how awesome Newfoundland is.  Nautical Nellie's has a prime location right in the heart of Water Street downtown, and on a nice day if you get a table by the large retractable windows it's a fine spot to have a drink and watch people pass.  Even big burly men holding hands then passing out head down on the table. What was the deal with that?  Traditional session with Graham Wells, accordion, and Billy Sutton, fiddle, on Sunday afternoons at 5pm!


Erin's Pub
This place doesn't make much of an effort to present itself as anything more than a dump.  No offense; I say that in the nicest way possible.  This is all the more unusual because it's surrounded by some upscale, trendy looking Water Street restaurants and the contrast between those places and this one is striking.  However, Erin's is the best place to hear traditional Newfoundland/Irish session music several times a week, which is why we went there in the first place.  If it weren't for that though, I probably would have chosen to go somewhere else.

Quidi Vidi Brewery is greenish bldg. on left. Scenic location!

Quidi Vidi Brewing Company
I highly recommend going on the brewery tour here and then sticking around for happy hour if the upstairs bar is open.  The tour costs $10, you get to sample all of their excellent beers and choose a complimentary one to have at the end.  The guy who gives the tour has a really funny, dry sense of humor.  At first you can tell he's done this many times before, but once he gets on a roll it's a whole lotta fun. We did it on a Friday afternoon and afterwards they opened the bar for a happy (three) hour(s)!  Folk musicians showed up to play and lots of people poured in for a good ol' time.  This might be just a Friday thing, and I think the bar is only open from 4:30 to 7:30pm, but that would be a good time to go.  Although I think they do the tour several times a day, several days a week. We met up with two girls and a guy here who had been hiking the East Coast Trail for several days.  They were ready to party so after some beers at the brewery we continued hanging with them until the wee hours of the morning, bar hopping at a few of the above mentioned pubs and on George Street, making for a most drunken night in St. John's and a powerful hurting of a hangover the next morning.  Yowza!

Inn of Olde
This little neighborhood place in Quidi Vidi is worth checking out for the kitsch factor.  It feels like your are in a hoarder's house/bar.  Knick-knacks and ornaments are everywhere, with no real rhyme or reason.  There's definitely an intriguing oddness to this place that makes it a stop on tourists' lists.  The owner Linda has a way with people and is instantly likable.  Both times we were there it happened to be early afternoon, so there weren't many others around.  Most folks walk in, get a beer, and then leave.  But, being the only real bar in the Quidi Vidi neighborhood, I'm guessing this place can get pretty hopping and goofy at night.  I hear it's a good place to get Screeched-In in a completely disgusting manner!   


Quidi Vidi Brewing's beers are at most bars, restaurants and corner shops.  All the Quidi Vidi beers are of a high standard, but try the QV Premium or Iceberg first. Storm Beer is a one-man operation that is every bit as good as Quidi Vidi.  The Storm Red might be the best Irish/Amber ale I have tried - or at least an equal to Colorado's Fat Tire and Blue and Grey brewery's Fred Red from Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Quidi Vidi Brewery as seen from East Coast Trail. So near yet so far!

I wasn't that fond of the Yellow Belly Brewery beers.  Granted, they were all out of their flagship St. John's Stout the week we were there, but the couple other beers of theirs that I tried left something to be desired; something wasn't quite right with the recipe.  Finally, obviously mass produced, but still made only in Newfoundland, the Molson products Black Horse and India Beer were liked very much by me, but what do I know? I don't think any of these beers are available in the States.


For my St. John's Restaurant Report click here.
Click here for my Walking, Running and Hiking Guide to St. John's.
And for a rundown of the live music I saw click here.

The Black Velvet - Stout and Cider

We recently were introduced to a beer cocktail called The Black Velvet!

The Black Velvet is a mixture of Stout (like Guinness or Murphy's) and Cider (like Strongbow or Woodchuck).  This is a dangerous combination that's super easy to make. Just fill about half your glass with cider, then pour in the dark beer over the back of a spoon.  You use the spoon to help prevent the two liquids from merging. If you're successful the light and dark can be pretty distinct, as seen in the picture (ours didn't quite look like this).  Oddly when you drink it the flavors remain somewhat distinct also - the stout first with a cider aftertaste. 

The Black Velvet is a very tasty concoction. The stout tempers the sweetness of the cider and/or the cider spices up the stout.  The first time we made these we used Guinness and Woodchuck draft cider.  Then the second time we tried Murphy's and Strongbow.  Both combinations went down smoothly.

There's a place near Lovingston called Albemarle CiderWorks that makes some excellent Virginia Ciders. Not far from there near Wintergreen is a great brewery called Devil's Backbone.  Last time I was at Devil's Backbone they had an Irish style stout on tap called Ramsey's Draft. I would like to try mixing a growler of Ramsey's with an Albemarle Cider. I bet that would be good.  

I suspect you could also use a porter like Fuller's London or one like Hampton, VA's remarkable St. George's Porter.  If you're really fancy instead of the cider you can use champagne or sparkling wine.   I'm not usually one to go in for beer mixtures like this, but I'm beginning to think otherwise. Cheers!