Sunshiny yellow grapefruit tang surges forth as stylish banana-clove sweetness stays setback – nearly recalling a spritzy summer shandy with its candied ginger sugaring seeping into vanilla-daubed wheat base.
Appreciable yellow grapefruit rind, pith and peel essence provides zestful entry for fulsomely fruitful West Coast IPA-inspired golden pilsner. Dry Citra-hopped orange peel, grapefruit and pineapple vibrancy meets Tangier-hopped tangerine, pink guava and passionfruit tartness for tropically aligned ‘Stash.’ Its floral-spiced candied citrus continuance picks up light vanilla creaming above saltine crackered pilsner malt base.
Amber grained rye toasting contrasting semi-sharp orange rind bittering coated by dry juniper-tipped pine hop resin. Mild brown leaf astringency, dank fungi mustiness and musky herbal tinge slowly emerge along with distant brown apple crisping.
“Slick semi-sweet” Vienna malting lost amongst musky hop acridity as murky orange vodka whir and molasses-dipped chestnut and acorn sideswipe falter.
Traditional turbid rice wine glutens of beige sake-like Korean beverage retain soft tone as steamed rice base underlines rummy Pina Colada tartness, vanilla sweet grass pleasantry and salty coconut water souring of ancient cane-sugared recipe.
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
Maybe my favorite brewpub along the Virginia Beach-Fayatetteville-Savannah-Hilton Head-Richmond post-Christmas Southern state journey, THE ANSWER opened 2014 in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition area on West Broad. Featuring an astounding 56 tap lines, the interactive community pub is the brainchild of Vietnamese restaurant entrepreneur An Bui, whose love for Belgian brews and IPA’s got the ball rolling.
Inside a long-windowed, overhead-doored professional Industrial building with extra seating at the enclosed cement-floored Adirondack-chaired covered deck, The Answer also has a game room for family entertainment. A block wood top bar matches the plank wood floor and the right side lounge (with three TV’s) counters the community tabled spot across the bar.
Topnotch outside brews by Oxbow, Perennial, Side Project and more join the 30-plus Answer fare. Highlighted this cold January ’26 eve were a series of superb stouts.
Spritzy lemon fizz tickled lo-alcohol table beer, Little One, placing roasted corn husk across skunky hop musk and light grassy astringency.
Mild straw clear Japanese lager, Kurisupiboi, retained dry lemony herbal hop musk for its sweet rice adjunct and crusty barley roast.
Brisk India Pale Lager, Hushed Casket, let crisp citrus spicing and sticky pine graze sweet vanilla-daubed oated wheat, leaving Simcoe/Riwaka-hopped grapefruit rind, orange pith and lemon pit bittering on its dry finish.
Mellow beige-yellowed Citra-hopped Imperial IPA, Unfamiliar Sheep, stayed bright ‘n lively as lemony yellow grapefruit bittering softly settled alongside milder mandarin orange, clementine and tangelo tanginess.
Thickly creamed Smoothie-like fruited sour, Quadrupel Mother Of Berries, embraced yogurt-milked boysenberry, loganberry, blackberry and raspberry tartness as slight orange concentrate bittering anchored this melted popsicle alternative.
As for the sturdy stouts, bold Answer variant, King Kahuna with Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, spread sweet coffee alongside toasted coconut, glazed hazelnut, toasted almond and macadamia atop black chocolate malting.
Treacly Christmastime Imperial Stout, Tis The Season, draped Vermont maple syrup upon Saigon cinnamon and Tahitian vanilla atop dark chocolate as black peppered Chai tea pungency and ancho chili heat ascended.
“Decadent” Imperial Stout, Colonel Angus, an Oreo cookie knockoff, soaked milk chocolate sweetness into whipped cake battered vanilla creaming, picking up creme brulee, caramel pudding and floured dough illusions.
Bourbon-aged stout, Swiss Chocolate Macaroon, swept bourbon chocolate sweetness inside biscotti, almondine, creme brulee, shredded coconut and cocoa butter tenacity.
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
After some late afternoon big brews up the road a few miles at The Answer, stopped by BINGO BEER COMPANY for a little easygoing dinnertime fare during early January ’26. Opening for business in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition neighborhood during November 2018, Bingo’s family friendly games make it one of the city’s best entertainment options.
An epoxy cement-floored sportsbar/ arcade/ brewpub, the pale blue-walled interior features multiple tap handles on two draught boards. A lager-focused brewery specializing in Detroit-style pizza, Bingo spreads metal-stooled yellow wood tables across the spacious expanse. A dining space and game area fill out the space and an open kitchen exists.
Dry-hopped Italian-styled pilsner, Old Maps, seeped mild Noble-hopped floral spicing into honeyed cereal graining.
Off-dry Mexican amber lager, Costa Chica, a Vienna-malted retained a maize-dried corn tortilla crust for its tingly lemon spurt.
Equally crisp hazy golden German-styled moderation, Bingo Lager, stayed dry, bringing mild floral citrus spicing to ricey toasted oats, picking up latent cherry kirsch and tangerine snips.
Soft-toned Hefeweizen lacked creamy vanilla backing for its banana-clove sweetness, lemon custard tartness and mandarin orange snips, but its powder sugared wheat base held up.
On the dark side, “smooth” cocoa-dried fruticake nuttiness and cold-brewed coffee tones serenaded Black Lager, leaving Brazil nut, hazelnut and walnut upon the dewy carafa malt bottom.
Decadent bourbon coffee-influenced stout variant aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels and given enhanced Brazilian/ Sumatran coffee bean roast. Morning java onrush picks up honeyed vanilla, gingerbread and Graham Cracker sweetness contrasting oncoming burgundy-prune-plum scrum and espresso-driven Bakers chocolate dryness.
Sharply soured gluten-free tropical Smoothie lets eye-squinting orange concentrate bittering saturate briny mango, pineapple and key lime adjuncts as creamy vanilla marshmallow fluff sweetens the backend. Tertiary lemon meringue, passionfruit, dragon fruit and strawberry snips increase sunny fruitful splendor.
Creamy oats provide hazy golden hue for Savannah’s citric-laced NEIPA. Lemon zest spikes mild yellow grapefruit bittering, delicate mandarin orange sweetness and spritzy tangerine-clementine-nectarine tang as dank cannabis and light pining add to dry nature of Motueka-Citra-Strata-hopped moderation.
Zesty orange-peeled grapefruit tang and lemony passionfruit, pineapple and mango tropicalia rub up against dank pine resin in an approachable pale malt setting. Fine midrange IPA is Georgia brewer’s flagship.
At Sonesta Resort – Hilton Head, standard IPA with basic orange-peeled peach, pineapple and mango tanginess plus mild lemony grapefruit bittering receives papery pale malt pasting. Not enough creamy oats and New Zealand hop influence for true NEIPA approval.
