If you give a City Editor a Drink Up Week, she will need a special cocktail to go with it.
We met up with the maestro of mixing, Michael Hanbury, who is Tasting Room Manager at Reservoir Distillery. We first visited the facility for our roundup of eight local distilleries, which got our brains and taste buds buzzing.
Bartender Dare pours a wheat whiskey for a single grain tasting. | Gif by RICtoday
Enter: The RIC-Roll & Rye. Michael took no time developing something new from this RIC-k Astley inspiration.
The RIC-Roll & Rye is made with mango juice, ginger ale, and a mixture of Reservoir’s Hunter & Scott rye and wheat whiskeys. He tops it with a Les Parisennes morello cherry soaked in kirsch, a German cherry liquor.
Pro tip: When you order this cocktail this week, be sure to get your vocal cords ready. It’s not called a RIC-Roll for nothing.
Copies of “Make it a Double,” Shelley’s memoir, can be found at the distillery. | Photo by RICtoday
Michael may be the mixologist, but there’s a whole team of distillers researching whiskey at work. That’s how we found Shelley Sackier, the Director of Distillery Education.
“I got into whiskey by accident, which is how I believe so many beautiful relationships start,” Shelley said.
Shelley released anew book last month called “Make it A Double.” The memoir chronicles her experience as a woman in the whiskey industry. She discovered Reservoir while doing her own hard liquor literature, and had her job created by the team to utilize and bolster her decades of expertise in spirits.
Learn more about the distillery’s educational efforts at the button below.
Fidos After 5 | Thurs., July 28 | 5-9 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $18 | Bring your pup to see the summertime blooms + listen to live music by Jay Brown’s Grace Street Seven. 🌸
“The Band’s Visit” | Thurs., July 28-Sat., July 30 | Times vary | Altria Theater | $23+ | Catch a performance of this six-time Tony Award-winning musical about a band, a bus, love + loss. 🎶
Now Serving RVA | Fri., July 29 | 7 p.m. | Basic City Beer Co., 212 W. 6th St. | Free entry | The soft opening for a new monthly dance event in Manchester. 💃
Entry Level Virtual Richmond Job Fair | Fri., July 29 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Virtual | Free, RSVP | Get access to local hiring directors or new employees through this HireX event. 💼
Saturday
2022 UnBound11! Gala | Sat., July 30 | 7 p.m. | Candela Books & Gallery, 214 W. Broad St. | $60 | Gather together to support this year’s UnBound11! artists with food, music, a raffle of oddities + spirit photography. 🖼
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | Sat., July 30 | 2-6 p.m. | Meadow Event Park, 13191 Dawn Blvd. | $42+ | These three B’s will have you sipping, smoking, and smiling all afternoon. 🥃
Flying Squirrels vs. Somerset Patriots | Sat., July 30 | 6:05 p.m. | The Diamond | $10+ | The first 1,500 fans ages 15+ will get a Black Panther bobblehead for Marvel Super Hero Night. ⚾️
Sunday
Mimosa Fest | Sun., July 31 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | The Canal Club | $15 | A ticket gets you a $5 voucher for food + drink, which includes a special mimosa menu. 🥂
Harry Potter’s 42nd Birthday Party | Sun., July 31 | 12-7 p.m. | Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop, 3406 W. Leigh St. | Free entry | Celebrate the boy who lived with a movie marathon, costume contest, trivia, TBT El Gallo tacos + Karmalita’s Marshmallows and Confections. ⚡️
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
Hampton Farms has been in biz for 75+ years, so you know they’ve got the snacking thing down. | Photo provided by Hampton Farms
We’re four days into RICtoday’s first Drink Up Week — and we’re loving every second. Here’s something else to add to your plate: Hampton Farms gourmet peanuts — because the only thing better than a drink is a drink + a snack.
Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken, created by the same local duo behind Sweet Frog frozen yogurt,has opened a new spot at the former Sugar Shack location near Regency Square. The chain features Nashville-style spicy chicken sandwiches, nuggets, and waffle fries + specials like brown sugar bubble tea. 🍗
Coming Soon
Green Leaf Medical is opening its latest cannabis dispensary across from Chesterfield Towne Center in a former T-Mobile building. It’s expected to open in November and is adding a drive-thru. Find out what the company president wants for this location + his search for a fifth and final dispensary. (Richmond BizSense)
Biz
The Libbie + Grove area has seen a boost in new businesses over the past two years, after several spots closed due to COVID-19 in 2020. Grit Coffee, Cameo Cakery & Cafe, Conejo + Cocodrilo are all highlighted in what Style Weekly calls “a restaurant renaissance” for the neighborhood. 🌮
The inaugural Community Business Academy is launching a 12-week course this fall to aid aspiring and current Black business owners. The nonprofit Jackson Ward Collective Foundation will lead participants through the steps of creating a business, from ideation to marketing and financial planning. Apply + learn more. (NBC12)
Development
Virginia Housing, the state agency for subsidized housing, is financing 275 apartment units at Henrico’s Virginia Center Commons. The county passed a resolution making 20% of these apartments set aside for affordable housing. The decision doesn’t specify ifrent will be capped or Virginia Housing policy will apply. 💸 (ABC8 News)
Eat
Birdhouse Farmers Market is holding its Birdhouse Annual Dinner on Sun., Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. ZZQ Texas Craft Barbecue (3201 W. Moore St.) will host the market’s biggest fundraiser of the year, where six local chefs create an impressive cooking lineup. Tickets for the fundraiser go on sale mid-August. 🍖
Ranked
U.S. News & World Report has ranked VCU Medical Center No. 1 in the Richmond metro area for the 12th year in a row. Several specialties and facilities — the Level I trauma center, children’s hospital, cancer treatment, cardiology, and urology — were highlighted as part of its high ranking. (VCU Health)
History
City officials are planning to move the home of once-enslaved Virginian Emily Winfreeto a permanent site in Manchester. The city saved Winfree’s Cottage from demolition back in 2002. It’s been sitting in a Shockoe Bottom parking lot until a permanent historical site could be found. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Today Is
Miracle Treat Day. When you purchase a Blizzard at one of Richmond’s 12 local participating Dairy Queen locations, $1 or more is heading towards Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. They hope to raise $10,000 to go towards Wonder Tower construction. 🍦
Trending
Pay tribute to television’s nicest legend Mister Rogers — aka Saint Fred the Neighborly — at an old payphone in the Museum District. Residents have turned the site into a shrine featuring a drawing of Mister Rogers as a saint, surrounded by candles, art + other offerings.(CBS6 News)
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Last week, we told you about the creative fall classes at VisArts. The studio is now offering a new option — art-making kits.
These take-home kits, designed by local artists, contain step-by-step instructions for how to complete the project. Each is stocked with supplies from Plaza Artist Materials.
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Editor’s pick: Shelley gave me a piece of advice while we were talking spirits. There are certain whiskey styles that aren’t cohesive to a beginner’s palate.
I had only sipped corn whiskey before visiting Reservoir. Now, rye is my new pour + favorite cocktail base.
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