Author Archives: admin

About admin

I am a writer. And a musician/songwriter. And a husband/father. I love good beer, the outdoors, the embrace of family, the company of true friends, the telling of a good story and the inner peace derived from quiet reflection in solitude. Recently I have specialized in beer writing. My most recent adventure is "Virginia Beer: A Guide from Colonial Days to Craft's Golden Age" published fall 2018 by University of Virginia Press. In October 2014, "Richmond Beer: A History of Brewing in the River City" was published by History Press. "Charlottesville Beer: Brewing in Jefferson's Shadow," followed in January 2017. Send me an email at rvabeerguy@gmail.com. As you can see from this site, however, my interests are broader than beer. Spend time, leave a comment or just enjoy. Lee

1930s beer ads teach lessons about Black lives that have mattered throughout history

Posted on July 30, 2020 by admin

Among the lessons learned during our current turmoil is that the causes and people we put on pedestals can quickly go from burnished to tarnished. The present is a fickle judge of the past, and by the time a grandson … Continue reading →

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Beer and race: a complex history still playing out

Posted on January 7, 2020 by admin

     More than 80 years ago, Reuben Ray and Grady Jackson, both African-Americans, sat in a bar they co-owned in Detroit and wondered why whites, rather than those of their own race, were delivering beer to black businesses on … Continue reading →

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Starr Hill adds bright light to RVA’s constellation of breweries

Posted on December 13, 2019 by admin

Pardon me if you sense a bit of sentimentality sprinkled in this account. In September 1999, I drove to Charlottesville to interview Mark Thompson for one of my “Beer Guy” columns in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Thompson had moved into a spot on … Continue reading →

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Roll out the red carpet for top Virginia beers

Posted on June 20, 2019 by admin

Old-timers in the Virginia beer community can remember pitching tents in the woods and meadows of Nelson County as part of the annual ritual to taste and toast the best of craft beers in the Old Dominion. The 2019 Virginia … Continue reading →

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The Great New York ‘Bier’ Trials; Or, How Lager Changed America

Posted on March 19, 2019 by admin

Jacob Haas got out of bed on Tuesday morning, May 18, 1858, and began the day his usual way—with a glass of beer. As he dressed, his routine continued with another glass. And another. And another. By late morning, he … Continue reading →

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Peter and James: The Tale of Two Hemingses

Posted on February 11, 2019 by admin

Note: I have long been fascinated by the tale of Peter and James Hemings, brothers and slaves of Thomas Jefferson. This was written as a precursor—a rough rough draft—of a possible screenplay, one I doubt will ever be fully fleshed. … Continue reading →

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Beeristoric Tour spotlights RVA beer, past and present

Posted on November 1, 2018 by admin

Why are these people grinning? They’re on the Richmond Beeristoric Tour, standing in the courtyard of the former Home Brewing Company, one of the iconic spots in the city’s colorful brewing history. And they’ve just tasted one (maybe two) samples … Continue reading →

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O’Connor, GABF medals and more on RVA BEER Show

Posted on September 28, 2018 by admin

What’s up with agave in beer? Kevin O’Connor explains the evolution of El Guapo IPA, O’Connor Brewing Company‘s best-selling beer, and Ashley Simard takes a look at the retail beer scene around Virginia on the RVA BEER Show on WRIR 97.3 … Continue reading →

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Historic recipes getting new life among craft brewers

Posted on September 14, 2018 by admin

John Marshall, fourth chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and a Richmond resident, was known to favor other drinks over beer, but he would certainly smile on the historic molasses beer brewed at Ardent Craft Ales in collaboration with the … Continue reading →

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Precarious Beer Project balances edgy, traditional styles

Posted on August 31, 2018 by admin

Precarious Beer Project is adding one more feather in the cap of Williamsburg’s beer scene with a mixture of styles ranging from traditional Bohemian pilsner to a watermelon gose using 600 pounds of locally grown melons. Greg Fleehart, head brewer at Precarious, … Continue reading →

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