RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
Besides two corporately predictable Hops Grillhouse & Brewpubs, this State Capitol offered RICHBRAU BREWING, based in the heart of Richmond’s cobblestone Shockoe Slip section, and Legend Brewery (which I didn’t visit but bought bottled versions reviewed in alphabetical section).
Richbrau’s plentiful downstairs dining area had dark-stained wooden booths, bi-level marble column bar, and decorative beer barrel balcony while upstairs, large billiard rooms festoon wood bar area and brew tanks adorn rear.
Post-X-Mas ’04, quaffed crisp wheat-backed lemon-grapefruit rind-embittered softie Griffin Golden Ale, mildly phenol red-fruited Old Nick Pale Ale, silkily fruited dry-hopped Real Ale, caramel-butterscotch-splotched dark-spiced Big Nash Porter, and Kahlua-like mocha-marshmallow-deepened Imperial Stout.
Bottled versions of each available on site, alongside brisk grapefruit rind/ orange peel brightened lemony-hopped Richbrau Belgian-Style White Ale, acridly gauzy coffee-butterscotch-hazed Richbrau Brown Ale, and dry chocolate-roasted hop-spiced Richbrau India Pale Ale, tasted afterwards. Post-script: Mc Nasty Nachos are recommended.
On July ’06 trip through Virginia, revisited Richbrau, trying spicy vegetal-dipped grapefruit-sharpened corn-husked Kolsch and lemony banana-surged fruit-hopped candy-tart spritzer Kristal Weizen on tap. With pal Al back home in Jersey, swigged bottled versions of plain pale-toned Richbrau Alley Oop Ale (a dry-bodied grassy-hopped lightweight with faded yellow fruited frontage plus pleated peppery tobacco nip), soft bubblegummy coriander-banana-tinged floral-spiced Richbrau Belgian White Ale, and dry chocolate-roasted coffee-toned honey-dipped fig-soured dilution Richbrau Big Nasty Porter.
Heading West a few miles, one of the finest microbrew stores is undoubtedly Glen Allen’s Wine & Beer Westpark. Bought five Legend brews, Utah’s Uinta Brewery sampler 12-pack, and Colorado-based Oskar Blues Old Chub there.
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