Kathleen D.
Yelp
Strangeways is aptly named. Their brewery originally popped onto my radar about a month ago when my beer friend traded me a box of Richmond-local beers. Their Uberlin Berliner Weiss was, by far, my favorite of the bunch. So light and lovely...and awesome label art!
So when I decided on a whim to casually drive 3.5 hours down to Richmond, I knew a visit to Strangeways was a must. It ended up being our last stop of the weekend before heading home, but it was well worth going a little out of the way to see.
Similar to many other breweries, their location is a little funky -- but it works for them. They're at the end of a strip mall away from downtown Richmond. If you're heading to The Answer from the city center, it's a good place to stop along the way. It's also not too far from the Scotts Addition neighborhood, which is brimming with breweries and delicious food options.
The weather was gorgeous -- a warm and sunny early spring day -- so we walked inside, ordered flights, and chose a picnic table to imbibe. Keep in mind: You may not want to sit at the very end of the seat if no one else is sitting already...unless you want to induce a see-saw effect. I felt so hefty for a second.
For the flights, you can choose any amount up to 10. I couldn't help myself with all their incredible options, so I picked six for my flight:
- Smucker's Jelly Uberlin
- Sour Cherry Cobbler
- Red Sangria
- Lücky Charms
- Pink Lemonade
- Razzle Dazzle
Yep. Basically, you'll be in good company if you're not all about bitter brews and insane stouts. Although they do offer several stouts. My friend enjoyed them (and bought some bottles to go) but I stuck to my flight.
Red Sangria, Razzle Dazzle, and Sour Cherry Cobbler were my standout favorites. I felt like the jelly fell a little short in potency, and the pink lemonade radler would have been better had I been sitting on a beach somewhere. I understand they also had fruit loop and jolly rancher beers in the past, and I'd LOVE to try those if they bring them back someday.
It's worth taking a walk around the brewery before heading out. The operation is pretty large, and they have a diverse stock of beer merch in addition to their bottled to-go section. I only regret not purchasing that 6-pack of Uberlin.
Oh well. I'm sure I'll be back one day soon anyway!