Hardywood Park Craft Announces Community Hop Project RVA IPA

From Hardywood:

The Community Hopping Project:
This years batch of hop rhizomes from Piedmont Hops are set to arrive in mid April. The brewery has started accepting requests for rhizomes in hopes that successful yields will be returned to the brewery to be included in their fall release of RVA IPA. At the end of April the brewery, along with Piedmont hops and Virginia Cooperative Extension, is hosting a sold out hop growing workshop for both newcomers and veterans to learn methods to grow better hops in the upcoming season. “We love the way this project familiarizes the community with an integral ingredient in beer, gives folks a stake in one of our beers, and promotes Virginia as a hop growing region” said Eric Mckay, Co-founder and President of Hardywood. If you would like to reserve some hop rhizomes please follow the link to this google doc form.

About The Beer: RVA IPA
In August, 2011, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery pioneered a new concept in collaborative brewing: community hopped beer. We have always believed that when we brew an IPA, it had better be extraordinary. Continuing a tradition from our homebrewing roots, when neighbors and friends grew hops to contribute to our annual fresh-hopped IPA, we reached out to Richmond’s very passionate beer community to invite home hop growers to donate some of their fresh harvest. Sure enough, they came through. With fresh hop contributions from local home growers, Hardywood RVA IPA captures the terroir of Richmond and the spirit of its hop growing beer enthusiasts. A wet-hopped, American-style India Pale Ale with loads of fresh local Columbus, Cascade, Chinook, Centennial and Glacier hops, Hardywood RVA IPA displays a toasted auburn color with a vibrant, creamy head. Cedar, citrus and herbal notes pervade the aroma, while the flavor offers a floral character and a delightful, resinous mouthfeel that can only be achieved with an assertive dose of freshly harvested hops. Medium- to full-bodied, Hardywood RVA IPA finishes with lingering hints of grapefruit and honey. While only 40 gallons of the inaugural RVA IPA were brewed on the pilot brewery in 2011, Hardywood offers local gardeners free hop rhizomes each spring with educational materials on growing and harvesting hops, with the hope for a portion of their bounty at harvest time. We’re excited that Hardywood RVA IPA has not only evolved as a unique annual beer offering, but also as a fun, community building experience.