Richmond Visit 4-4 to 4-8

Add Final Gravity to your list. I put them right up there in the Top 4 of my favorite breweries in RVA and their beers are equally up there with the 3 you mentioned as well. Hardywood is also having their Soft Opening (April 4-5) and Grand Opening (Apr 6-8) of their new West Creek facility when you're in town so definitely check that out if you are able to. I've not been by there yet but hear it's quite the impressive space.

I'm not RVA local so someone else may have a recommendation on a share location but breweries are definitely out unless it's something outside normal operating hours or off in a completely separate space away from the public. I know there is an upstairs to The Answer where there are often bottle shares that some of their regulars coordinate. Would be worth a shot contact them about this. If you are looking for people for the share or to set up trades and are on facebook here are a few local RVA groups you could post in to gain some interest.

- RBE Richmond Beer Elite (Richmond Beer Group)
- RVA Tastes & Trades (Trades Page)
- Questions and The Answer (The Answer "fan" group)
- Under the Crossing (Triple Crossing "fan" group)
- Behind the Veil (The Veil "fan" page) - no trade posts allowed
- Behind the Veil Trades Only (Trades Only posts)

As for shopping, you could check out Short Pump Town Center in Richmond / Short Pump area or if your wife is into outlets make the 45min - 1 hour trip to Williamsburg. Both places have nearby breweries.

 

You can reserve/rent out the back bar area at the Answer, and you can bring bottles to share, obv assuming you clear it with them, as I went to one of these just this past Saturday. However you have to hit a hourly minimum, etc.

 

The state did pass a law a couple years ago that allows people to bring their own beer / wine to restaurant for on site consumption. (It's still illegal to do this at places classified as a brewery and not a restaurant) It's up to that restaurant if they want to charge a corkage fee or not. Most do and oftentimes the fee per bottle is so high it's basically like they won't allow it even though they are stating a price just to be within the law. Others, like The Answer, will require a rental space fee be paid. Makes sense if you think about it. A business would rather you purchase the alcohol you consume directly from them so they can make $$ as opposed to be bringing my own beers that were purchased for a fraction of the restaurant mark up to enjoy with my meal. https://www.styleweekly.com/richmon...r-to-richmond-restaurants/Content?oid=2363441

 

I live in Richmond and I can't think of a single place where you could host a bottle share without having to rent a space or pay a significant fee. BYOB is just a very uncommon thing in VA.

As for bottle shops, I like the southside Once Upon a Vine, Saison Market is usually good too.

 

The RVA Tastes & Trades fb page linked above would be a good place if you wanted to get a head start. That's primarily for IP trades within the local RVA area. Even if you're not sure what specifically you are ISO just post what you have FT and a general idea of what you are looking for and that could help get you going.

 

Does Final Gravity release cans or is it crowlers only?

 

Crowlers only. They will Crowler just about any of their beers, with rare exceptions. Cost typically runs b/w $9 - $11 plus $1.50 for the Crowler itself. They will also do 32oz / 64oz Growler fills as well. Does not have to be their growler either. Bring in just about any of your own. Check out the Verified Venue on Untappd and it will show what they have along what sizes pours / fills are offered. FG does a great job keeping it updated regularly.

 

On the shopping tip...if your other half is looking for the "boutique" shopping experience, go to Carytown. Its 5+ block stretch of boutique shops and restaurants. Whats even better about this strip, unlike Shortpump Mall, is that its a hop skip and a jump from many of the area breweries.

Place to grab a pint or two with some good German inspired sausage dishes and a solid tap list, The Cask. It is very close to the end of the Carytown strip.

 

Yeah Carytown is defibitely the place to go shopping

 

Hey James, curious what if anything you were able to work out on a share location, and when. Wife and I heading down Thursday with some Treehouse (Doppelganger and Eureka with Nelson) and OEC sours. Don't know much about those PA beers but love trying new things. I have an IP trade offer posted in the SE Atlantic forum too. Cheers,

 

Either of you two guys coming to RVA from out of town, you can hit up my man Scott at a bottle shop in Glen Allen called De Fles Winkel, i am sure he can work out a trade to two.

 

Nice, thanks, I'm staying right near there, will definitely stop in.

 

Also: Has anyone been to zzq yet?

 

My coworkers go for lunch a lot (I'm not a fan of afternoon meat comas), and from what I hear, the food is good but not amazing, lines can be long, and its expensive.