Bottom's Up, RVA: Booze News in the Area
Coffee liqueur, canned cocktails, tropical sips, and a new brewery
BELLE ISLE CRAFT SPIRITS
Canned cocktails debut
Moonshine from Richmond’s Belle Isle Craft Spirits has graced local bars and ABC store shelves for more than five years. The business began with a premium moonshine – unaged corn-based whiskey – and has added four flavored ’shines. This fall, the distillery began selling three canned cocktails: just pop and pour! Look for Ruby Red & Soda, Blood Orange & Soda, and Shine & Soda, kind of like hard seltzers, but made with Belle Isle moonshine, all-natural juices and a burst of bubbles. Five percent ABV and 110 calories or less.
THE JUNGLE ROOM
Sabai shows off its tropical side
Tucked behind Richmond’s popular Thai restaurant, Sabai, is their newest endeavor: the Jungle Room. This lounge-slash-tiki bar boasts a handful of flamboyant, exotic cocktails with tropical island décor to match. Enjoy small bites and apps, plus a rotating cast of live DJs each evening. Open Thursday to Sunday. ~ RM
2727 W. Broad St., Richmond
VIRAGO SPIRITS
Coffee liqueur and gin added to lineup
The Richmond-based distillery that opened with rum is experimenting with other spirits. Modern Gin with Oolong Tea was made using a rich blend of botanicals. Tea tames the juniper, Szechuan peppercorn adds a spicy bite, and citrus and anise contribute to the complexity. The botanicals are added at multiple points in the process, as appropriate. Coffee Liqueur uses Dark as Dark roast from Blanchard’s Coffee right here in Richmond. Dark chocolate and espresso notes are complemented with just a touch of sweetness. Nice sippers or in cocktails. ~ Annie Tobey
1727 Rhoadmiller St., Richmond
BLIND DOG BREWERY
The beer is as good as the dog is adorable
The smell of brewing mash mixes with a touch of rubber in this little nano-brewery tucked inside a bicycle shop (new bikes, accessories and repairs). The tasting room adjoins and spills over into the showroom, for a casual, laidback feel. The beers are constantly rotating and evolving, like a friendly blonde ale or a brown, the roasty flavors of a stout, or the hop goodness of a DIPA. And if you’re lucky enough to meet blind Molly, the white Australian shepherd rescue dog, your visit will have been an unmitigated success. ~ AT
4515 W. Hundred Road, Chester
