“Slick semi-sweet” Vienna malting lost amongst musky hop acridity as murky orange vodka whir and molasses-dipped chestnut and acorn sideswipe falter.
AXEMANN AUGER VIENNA STYLE LAGER
MAKKU KOREAN RICE BEER
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.
THE ANSWER
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.
BINGO BEER COMPANY
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.
HARDYWOOD KENTUCKY CHRISTMAS MORNING IMPERIAL STOUT (BOURBON/COFFEE)
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.
TWO TIDES MANGO BLENDER SOUR
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.
TWO TIDES 99 SUPER SIMPLE SUPPERS
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.
CREATURE COMFORTS TROPICALIA INDIA PALE ALE
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.
SOUTHERN BARREL DAMN YANKEE IPA
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.
FARCE JOHNNY SUNSHINE CITRUS WHEAT
On tap at Young Veterans – Virginia Beach. Dry summertime moderation entangles lemony grapefruit bittering with tart passionfruit zesting, mandarin orange spritz and sweet tangerine tingle above delicate sourdough breading.
FARCE CREAMY WHISPERS (VANILLA/ BLACKCURRANT)
On tap at Young Veterans – Virginia Beach, tart blackberry adjunct plus salted cranberry-pomegranate bittering, oaken vanilla dryness and cherry rhubarb pie twang counter less opulent vanilla creaming of fruited cream ale variant.
LOCAL LEGEND BREWING COMPANY
HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA
At the south end of beach resort-lined Hilton Head Island, LOCAL LEGEND BREWING COMPANY promises High Times at Lowcountry. Opened at a vacant Industrial hardware warehouse March ’25 by Asheville-based restauranteur Alan Wolf, whose conceptual plan, culinary intrigue and ‘dynamic beer culture’ stem from his North Carolina days, the spacious sporstbar includes an Adirondack-chaired biergarten.
Designed for interactive family-friendly activities as well as midrange beer consumption, Local Legend’s right side games keep kids busy while parents gobble and quaff.
Inside a grey warehouse, the cement-floored, wood-tabled interior features a unique 40 bucket-seated bar with twelve draughts, multi-TV’s, exposed pipes, sporty back wall mural and glassy overhead doors.
Flagship off-dry blonde lager, Bombshell, let spritzy lemon and fizzy mandarin orange tickle mild floral spicing over delicate pale malt sugaring.
Nearly as easygoing, well-balanced witbier, Great White Ale, put slim orange-peeled coriander sweetness alongside golden wheat graining.
Brisk orange-peeled grapefruit bittering reached the mild pine tones of King Tide, a moderate-bodied New England IPA in need of stylish oated creaming (instead of commonplace dry pale malting).
Black-peppered chai spicing spotted cinnamon, cardamom and ginger sugaring for Chai Brown Ale, leaving menthol peppermint zesting on its vanilla-daubed mocha midst.
Eagle Rare bourbon-barreled Honey Horn Maibock soaked orange blossom honey into oaken whiskey, peaty Scotch and dry rum spirits.
Wintry Belgian golden strong ale, Holiday Ale ’25, a spicy herbal Christmastime celebrator, allowed rummy brown-sugared cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to penetrate candied orange, glazed hazelnut, fig, date and dried cherry subtleties.