New River Valley Pale Ale

[Germelli1]

Has anyone had this? It was created where I go to school and was later brewed by old dominion brewery in leesburg, virginia (near where I live). Ever since old dominion was bought out I have not been able to find the recipe. Here is some info I got from my college newspaper article that interviewed our "Brewing sciences and technology" professor

Blacksburg has a love/hate relationship with microbreweries. Of particular fame is the New River Valley Pale Ale, created in the 1990s by a Virginia Tech grad student named Kenny Lefkowitz. Unfortunately, NRVPA's distributor Old Dominion was recently acquired by Coastal Brewing Company, in which Anheuser Busch has a 49 percent stake. Sadly, they decided to discontinue NRVPA. I'm tempted to buy stock and protest.

If anyone has a recipe for this I would love it (more for the history of the brew than anything)

 

[vagabondat02]

I remember New River! This one was a Sierra Nevada style cascade bomb. I actually saw one bar serving it out of an SNPA tap because it was cheaper and tasted about the same. I remember it being a little lower in SRM and maybe a little lighter on the finishing hops, but I wasn't brewing when I drank it, so I wasn't in my now familiar "How do I make it" mindset.

 

[fusa]

I remember getting lots of help from Kenny when he worked at Vintage Cellar when I started brewing, and still own some equipment I bought from him. I moved out of the area shortly before his brewery, New River Brewing Co, opened. I was sad to see it didn't succeed when I moved back. He was a very helpful person and very knowledgeable about the brewing process.

 

[Germelli1]

I remember getting lots of help from Kenny when he worked at Vintage Cellar when I started brewing, and still own some equipment I bought from him. I moved out of the area shortly before his brewery, New River Brewing Co, opened. I was sad to see it didn't succeed when I moved back. He was a very helpful person and very knowledgeable about the brewing process.

Blacksburg is quite different then it was even 5 years ago...we now have a LHBS, a microbrewery and the vintage celler with free beer/wine tasting every week.

I just turned 21 so I only recently learned about the brew. I am taking "Brewing sciences and technologies" if I decide to stay in school this fall so maybe that teacher can offer some incite

 

[fusa]

Still wish Vintage Cellar carried homebrewing supplies, they were really a great source of help. EATS has decent selection, but doesn't seem to have people as knowledgeable about brewing. I took a tour of Old Dominion brewery in 1996 or 97. I was surprised that their only marketing expenses were the tours they did on the weekends. I know about Bull and Bone's microbrewery, Radford use to have one too, but I'm not sure how well they did. I went there for a couple of hours one night, and a friend and I were the only customers. And yes Blacksburg has changed a LOT, its amazing how much the place has grown in less than 10 years.

 

[Germelli1]

i know what you mean about the growth...expecially on campus. Eats has a brewing "expert" who was very helpful when I started, but now that I am on my own to feet as a brewer I see that some of his advice was a little off. They have FANTASTIC prices on ingredients compared to some of the post (good ad bad) I have read on here about LHBS.

Most hops are under $1.50 an oz. and I think the most expensive is $1.79 an oz. I got a few vials of liquid yeast for under $5 (expiring this month) but they severely lack on specialy grains and charge horrific prices for equipment. They always have a 10 lb bucket of black patent that they sell out of and they typically have decent supply of caramels but other than that, no way

 

[soot]

Blacksburg is quite different then it was even 5 years ago...we now have a LHBS, a microbrewery and the vintage celler with free beer/wine tasting every week.

I just turned 21 so I only recently learned about the brew. I am taking "Brewing sciences and technologies" if I decide to stay in school this fall so maybe that teacher can offer some incite

O'Keefe is awesome! I'm sure he would know the history of that since he is very knowledgable in the rise and fall of breweries (and I believe includes the first lecture). I enjoyed that course (took it last Fall) very much. He had the brewmaster for Blacksburg Brewing Co. (Blacksburger), John Bryce, come in and talk about his commercial operation / give out free stuff.

Still wish Vintage Cellar carried homebrewing supplies, they were really a great source of help. EATS has decent selection, but doesn't seem to have people as knowledgeable about brewing.

Keith at the VC knows his stuff. A couple other guys there have some useful knowledge as well. As for, Eats I've only talked to the GM but he knew quite a bit when I talked to him on Campus for Earth day.

 

[JJL]

Blacksburg is quite different then it was even 5 years ago...we now have a LHBS, a microbrewery and the vintage celler with free beer/wine tasting every week.

I just turned 21 so I only recently learned about the brew. I am taking "Brewing sciences and technologies" if I decide to stay in school this fall so maybe that teacher can offer some incite

I swear, everything cool always happens right after I leave a place. The place I went to college in WI now has a brewpub and a homebrew club on campus. Then after I leave VA, they get a LHBS right doen the road in Blacksburg. I do remember Vintage Cellar though. They had a great selection.

 

[soot]

I swear, everything cool always happens right after I leave a place. The place I went to college in WI now has a brewpub and a homebrew club on campus. Then after I leave VA, they get a LHBS right doen the road in Blacksburg. I do remember Vintage Cellar though. They had a great selection.

Not to mention the slow support for craft brewing via small weekend festivals.

I introduce to you, the Blacksburg Brew Do: http://www.blacksburgpartnership.org/brewdo/

 

[JJL]

Not to mention the slow support for craft brewing via small weekend festivals.

I introduce to you, the Blacksburg Brew Do: http://www.blacksburgpartnership.org/brewdo/

WTF.....now I'm just depressed..

 

[Germelli1]

Ok, I am very angry!

Who ever sent me the email with the recipe I hope you are still active here. My computer died a few weeks ago and the only thing I lost was emails. Can you please send it to me again and I promise to save it this time if you do!

 

[Germelli1]

Nevermind...I DID back up my emails after all!

 

[iv_hokie12]

O'Keefe is awesome! I'm sure he would know the history of that since he is very knowledgable in the rise and fall of breweries (and I believe includes the first lecture). I enjoyed that course (took it last Fall) very much. He had the brewmaster for Blacksburg Brewing Co. (Blacksburger), John Bryce, come in and talk about his commercial operation / give out free stuff.



Keith at the VC knows his stuff. A couple other guys there have some useful knowledge as well. As for, Eats I've only talked to the GM but he knew quite a bit when I talked to him on Campus for Earth day.

I realize this is an old post, but I just thought I would mention that I never thought I would read about Virginia Tech or O'Keef on this site. I'm taking his class now.

 

[soot]

I realize this is an old post, but I just thought I would mention that I never thought I would read about Virginia Tech or O'Keef on this site. I'm taking his class now.

Awesome! Enjoy it thoroughly! He's a great guy and can talk all day about beer. Definitely join the fermentation club and give a hand if you have time! It's not too much of a commitment and you get a ~6-pack every month!

Cheers!