Calling all Chocolate Lovers! Join us at the brewery on February 10th from 1pm – 5pm for our 4th annual Chocolate Fest! Enjoy a limited selection of 8 different chocolate beers while shopping for your Valentine in our vendor area featuring chocolates, sweets, candles, greeting cards and jewelry! This indoor event is free to attend and open to all ages.
Vendors
Taylor Made Chocolates Hand Made Card Factory Boozy Bundt Cocktail Cakes Hill and River Collection Saffron Treasures
Food Truck – Moniques Crepes
Chocolate Beer Variants.
Lime
Mint
Grape
Peanutbutter Caramel
Habanero
Espresso
Coconut Caramel
Admission to this event is free and open to all ages! Come bring your sweetie or just your fellow chocolate lovers!
The tracks are lit, our spirits are warming, and there is a nip in the air. That means it’s time to drag out your Holiday best and head into Ashland for the 5th annual Jolly Jaunt!
New this year is the Classic Holliday theme in recognition of the 75th Anniversary of Ashland Theatre. So whether you dust off that finely knitted sweater, a holiday costume, or your Sunday best, the Jolly Jaunt is your place for holiday cheer. Cruise around town visiting participating locations and then join us at Ashland Theatre for a concert! Proceeds from the ticket sales support the Ashland Theatre and its mission.
Date: December 9th
Crawl Time: 6pm – 8pm
Concert @ Ashland Theatre: 8pm – 10:30pm
Cost: $25
(CREDIT CARD PURCHASES ONLY, ORIGIN WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING CASH FOR JAUNT TICKETS)
Age: 21+ Only
Dress: Classic Holiday Attire
Tickets Now on Sale at Origin Beer Lab
📍 Stop Locations 📍
Ashland Meat Company/The Depot
Ashland Tattoo
Caboose Market and Cafe
Caravati’s
Center of the Yarniverse
Iron Horse Restaurant
Origin Beer Lab
RefunkIt
Tiny Tim’s Trains
Trackside
What is Included in the $25 Ticket:
*Passport Card
*Entry to the exclusive Jolly Jaunt Concert at Ashland Theatre featuring live music from “Don’t Ask Ned,” raffles, and access to a cash bar and concessions.
The Details: The crawl will start at 6:00pm and last until 8:00pm. You can start and stop at any location you choose. Once your card is filled up by visiting at least 4 of the stops, head on over to Ashland Theatre at 8pm to turn your card in for free admission to the concert. The event is being capped at 250 participants, so make sure you purchase your passport card early!
This is a 21+ only event.
The Passport Card: Passport cards will be sold at Origin Beer Lab for $25 starting on November 9th at 4pm (CREDIT CARD PURCHASES ONLY FOR JOLLY JAUNT TICKETS, ORIGIN WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING CASH) and are to be used only on December 9th during the 6:00pm – 8:00pm crawl time. These cards, once completely filled out, can be turned in at Ashland Theatre as your ticket to the afterparty. Only 1 card can be redeemed per person. There are no goods, services, or discounts provided through the passport card at the participating stop locations, unless those locations specifically say so. Net proceeds from the sale of the cards will go to Ashland Theatre Foundation.
After Party at Ashland Theatre:
There will be live music, 2 cash bars featuring beer, wine, specialty cocktails, and concessions! Dance the night away, be jolly, and support Ashland Theatre!
Dude! It is time to get those bathrobes out and head to Carytown for the annual Bathrobe Bar Crawl! Arrive at the Byrd Theatre at 2:30 to pick up your papers (crawl card) and venture around to the spots below to collect your stamp/sticker/initials before you return to the Byrd Theatre for a showing of The Big Lebowski. Don’t miss your chance to join fellow dude and dudettes as you venture up and down Carytown in your finest threads!
Stop Locations
BBQ Chicken
Burger Bach
Mellow Mushroom
New York Deli
Be sure to purchase your Big Lebowski ticket in advance HERE
Get Rover ready to show off his best tricks and his cutest costume, Growl-O-Ween is back! Join us at Center of the Universe Brewing Co. as we hold our favorite dog-themed event.
We’re teaming up with the Hanover Humane society to raise money to fund their mission of educating the people of Hanover County about the proper treatment of animals and rescuing animals and caring for them until they find their forever home.
We’ve got a ton going on for this event, Buckville Hootenanny will be rocking out live on the beer garden stage, and Smoky Joes BBQ is going to be serving up some delicious eats from 2-5. We’ll also have a ton of dog themed events going on including a costume competition and trick competitions!
So load up the car and come on out to enjoy a beer and show of what your dog can do!
*This event is free to attend and open to all aged. For the safety or all dogs and humans present, please keep your dog on a leash for the duration of the event
Racers, start your engines! Welcome to the inaugural COTU Pedal Cart Racing Grand Prix for charity taking place at Center of the Universe Brewing Co on Saturday, October 7th. Grab your friends and form a team or go solo to compete in this oversized big wheel race to glory. All donations benefit RABA’s Bikes for Kids by way of Richmond Raceway Cares
A $5 donation is suggested per race and racer. All proceeds benefit RABA’s Bikes for Kids via the Richmond Raceway Cares Foundation.
Racers, aged 10+, are welcome to head to the brewery and race their friends, family, or complete strangers on a quick 2-lap course in the parking lot. Show up any time between 1pm and 5pm to add your name to the wait list. Winners receive bragging rights!
Pedal carts are provide for all racers.
Bike helmets are not provided or required, but reccomended.
All participants are required to show an ID and sign a waiver prior to racing. All under 18 racers will require a guardian waiver signature and ID prior to racing.
Racers will be on the track on a first come first served basis.
Children aged 10 – 17 will only race against those in that age group.
Any unauthorized or dangerous behavior on the course will result in removal from the track.
ABOUT RABA’S BIKES FOR KIDS
RABA Foundation, a 501-c3 organization and the charity nonprofit arm of the Richmond Area Bicycling Association (www.raba.org), raises money to purchase and build bicycles and then donate to Richmond metro area charities. Those charities provide bicycles to children in need so that they may be able to have a more joyful holiday experience. Our nonprofit partners include the Christmas Mother programs in several counties and cities in or surrounding Richmond, VA, and elementary schools in the East End of Richmond. The fundraising and bike giveaway to other nonprofits started in 1999, and the RABA Foundation has given away 5000+ children’s bicycles to date. The program provided 550 bikes in 2022!
ABOUT RICHMOND RACEWAY CARES
GET INVOLVED. SHARE A SMILE. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Richmond Raceway Cares is the community arm of Richmond Raceway. Through partnerships with hundreds of organizations in Central Virginia, we host special events and have strategic alliances that allow us to give a great deal of financial support to well-deserving groups in the Richmond area.
Come rock with us German style at ROCKtoberfest! We’re hosting 3 awesome bands here for a day full of rockin music, beer, food trucks, stein hoisting, arcade, and more! Free to attend and open to all ages. Dogs on leashes welcome in the Beer Garden.
Band Lineup: 1:00pm… James River Junction 6:00pm… The Wybros
Food Truck: Cocky Rooster
German Beers: Oktoberfest Kölsch Amber Kellerbier Brewski Dortmunder
Stein Hoisting Premlinary contest starts at 3:30pm with the main event taking place at 4:00pm
Stein Hoisting Details
Preliminaries Format
Contestants will be given 2 glass liter steins full of water to hold in each hand. Contestants will then all raise the steins together straight out at their sides. Any contestant that spills the water and/or lowers their arm(s) at any point during the competition are eliminated until only 1 person remains. First and second place will receive a COTU prize pack and a slot into the main event taking place at the brewery at 4pm on September 23rd. Entry into the preliminary contest is free of charge. Must be 21+ to participate.
Preliminary Locations/Dates/Times
August 12th @ 4:30pm: Center of the Universe Brewing September 2nd @ 5pm: Origin Beer Lab September 9th @ 5pm: PBR Richmond September 23rd @ 3:30pm: Center of the Universe Brewing More to Come!
Main Event Format
Contestants will be given 2 glass liter steins full of water to hold in each hand. Contestants will then all raise the steins together straight out at their sides. Any contestant that spills the water and/or lowers their arm(s) at any point during the competition are eliminated until only 1 person remains. Entrance into the main event is through the preliminary events only, including the day of preliminary event at the brewery.
Prizes 1st Place: $250 2nd Place: $100 COTU Gift Card 3rd Place: $50 COTU Gift Card
Round up your friends, family, and neighbors for the 5th Annual Circle-Up BBQ Throwdown, benefiting Circles Ashland. 4 BBQ vendors, 2 awesome bands, and 1 great cause are all you need on a Summer Saturday. There will also be 50/50 raffles, a new custom brew, an indoor arcade, and yard games! As always, the event is FREE to attend and open to all ages.
BBQ VENDORS
Bar-q Daddy’s Baby BBQ Jake’s Place RVA BBQ
BBQ COMPETITION
A panel of 10 judges will taste 1 Chicken, Pork, and Beef dish from each of our incredibly talented BBQ Vendors. They will deliberate at the festival, and trophies will be awarded. There will also be a special Overall Winner Award which will be comprised of the top finisher in all 3 categories.
MUSICAL GUESTS
Road Kill Roy 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Out of Uniform 4:00-7:00pm
CIRCLES ASHLAND
Circles Ashland is a local non-profit offering relationship-based, community-driven initiatives that inspire, inform, and equip individuals, families, and community to resolve poverty and thrive. Circles Ashland connects middle- and upper-income community members with motivated people in our community who are experiencing poverty for a two-year, in-depth, and intentional relationship that connects the person in poverty with support, education, networks, and resources in Ashland. We also work to inform the local community about systemic barriers to overcoming poverty and how to eliminate those barriers using strategies that work right here in Ashland.
At Circles Ashland, we believe poverty is an issue that requires “all hands on deck”- community residents, businesses, local government, other non-profits, friends, neighbors.
Do you think you have what it takes to take home the Inaugural Rocktoberfest Stein Hoisting Championship? If so, be sure to join us for one of our preliminary stein hoisting events around Richmond for your chance earn a spot to the main event taking place at Center of the Universe Brewing Company on September 23rd.
Preliminaries Format
Contestants will be given 2 glass liter steins full of water to hold in each hand. Contestants will then all raise the steins together straight out at their sides. Any contestant that spills the water and/or lowers their arm(s) at any point during the competition are eliminated until only 1 person remains. First and second place will receive a COTU prize pack and a slot into the main event taking place at the brewery at 4pm on September 23rd. Entry into the preliminary contest is free of charge. Must be 21+ to participate.
Preliminary Locations/Dates/Times
August 12th @ 4:30pm: Center of the Universe Brewing
August 24th @ 5:30pm: Fest
August 29th @ 4:30pm: Capital Ale House Innsbrook
September 2nd @ 5pm: Origin Beer Lab
September 9th @ 5pm: PBR Richmond
September 16th @ 5pm: Jack Brown’s Richmond
September 23rd @ 2:30pm: Center of the Universe Brewing
Main Event Format
September 23rd at 4pm at Center of the Universe Brewing Co
Contestants will be given 2 glass liter steins full of water to hold in each hand. Contestants will then all raise the steins together straight out at their sides. Any contestant that spills the water and/or lowers their arm(s) at any point during the competition are eliminated until only 1 person remains. Entrance into the main event is through the preliminary events only, including the day of preliminary event at the brewery.
Join CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation for our annual Music Fest on Saturday, July 29th at Center of the Universe Brewing Company! Come enjoy great music, food and much more, all for a good cause!
We will be announcing the band lineup and our special guests very soon!
Get ready to raise your glass, we’re celebrating Oktoberfest early this summer 🍺🍺🍺
Join us Saturday August 12th for AUGtoberfest! We’ll be enjoying some great german inspired food and music all afternoon long, plus the release of our Oktoberfest beer! Oktoberfest is our take on the classic Munich fest biers. German Munich and Vienna malts are used to give the beer a slightly sweet and malty flavor.
Get your lederhosen on and come celebrate with us, all are welcome! Prost!
Join us at COTU on the first of July from 12 to 5 to celebrate the second ever Heroes Fest! Come out and honor all the heroes in this great country! Whether they’re military personnel, veterans, or first responders we’re saying a huge THANK YOU for all they do!
We’ll be releasing three beers for Heroes Fest! Come by for a pour of the returning Homefront IPA, a classic West Coast IPA with proceeds going directly to Soldiers’ Angels! Or come have a taste of the new Tiki 5-O Lager and T.S.A.F.E. Red Ale, honoring two more charities, Five O’s Tiki Foundation, and Tunnels to Towers!
Charities:
Soldiers’ Angels is a national nonprofit that provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Veterans, and their families. Center of the Universe will be teaming up with breweries across the country in support of their Hops for Heroes campaign. Through this campaign, all proceeds of the freshly released Homefront IPA will be donated to the nonprofit and its service programs which have helped 877,224 Service Members, Veterans, and their families in 2022 alone.
Five O’s Tiki Foundation is a local nonprofit organization working to ensure our law enforcement community and their families have support in times of need. They also work to educate youth and build positive relations between the community and local law enforcement.
The Tunnels to Towers Foundation has a mission to honor the sacrifice of firefighter Stephen Siller who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001. They work to help America’s heroes by doing things like providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children. They are committed to honoring our military and first responders who continue to make the supreme sacrifice of life and limb for our country.
Food: The Cocky Rooster food truck
Live music performed by Stonebrook
As always, our events are free to attend for all ages, and well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome in our Biergarten!
☀️🍺✨ Calling all beer and music lovers! 🎶 The weekend of May 20th and 21st, Summer Moon Fest is back again! We’re celebrating the return of this raspberry, lemon zest wheat ale a weekend of great brews and great tunes!
We’ll be featuring bands like Buckville Hootenanny, Crawford Family Band, Earth and Lunar Rendezvous, Flashlight Tag, Jahvaquarium, Phoebe and the Brads, The Boss of Me, Radio Riot, Stormy Vandals, and The Crump Tunes! We’ll also have our acoustic stage set up featuring the following performers: Bobby Baine, New Ridge, Ella Wagner, Princess and the Egg, Lavelle Hall, Tim Perkins, Benjamin Hager, and Annabritt Coakley!
Come enjoy this plus delicious food from The Cocky Rooster and Intergalactic Tacos food trucks! This event is open to all ages and free to attend! Come have a taste of Summer Moon and we’ll see you there!
Love good beer, great people, and fun times?! Yes? Then it sounds like you are in the right place! Below is all the information you need to become a Satellite as well everything you need once you are one.
Satellite Signups – To become a new Satellite, all you need to do is sign up at the kiosk in the taproom. Then, earn points by signing in each time you visit and/or the various other ways below. Then, redeem your points for swag or other Satellite experiences.
Brewery Visits: Each Satellite will receive 1 point each day they visit the taproom.
New Satellite Signup: Satellites will receive 5 points for each new person they sign up to be a Satellite, upon that new Satellite’s next visit to the brewery.
Outside Sales Events: Satellites will receive 5 points for attending any outside event COTU is participating in where there is both a COTU rep present and no points are being redeemed at the event itself.
Social Media Sharing: Each Satellite will earn 5 points by sharing the event(s) of the month on their personal social media page by clicking the share button on a relevant COTU post or event page. Satellites will receive 5 points per event (max 2 per month), but do not earn more points by posting on multiple social media platforms, although it is appreciated. These events will be highlighted on the Satellite calendar.
Point to Swag Conversion*
*Satellite points cannot be used to purchase beer at COTU but can be used to purchase gift cards. Gift cards may be used as normal.
1 Point = $0.25
Other Point Redemption and Earning Opportunities
Additional events and point earning opportunities will be announced, poster on the Satellite Facebook site, and added to the Satellite calendar throughout the year. Below represents some confirmed examples of those events.
Once a Satellite has earned 10 points, they are eligible to use the Satellite glass at the brewery. This perk expires if the Satellite fails to record a point over a continuous 6-month period. They are able to earn it back by earning an additional 10 points. With points never expiring, there is no annual point threshold to retain glass privileges as long as that 6-month point lapse does not occur.
July 4th Squirrels Game – 25 Points
2 Tickets to the Richmond Flying Squirrels game along with $20 in Squirrels Bucks while supplies last.
October 13th: COTU Halloween Party
Satellites will earn 5 additional points, on top of the customary 1 taproom visit point, for showing up in costume for the COTU Halloween Party. What constitutes a costume will be determined by the manager on duty for the event.
December 16th Satellite Holiday Party
Every Satellite with a minimum of 10 points accrued starting January 1st of the same year will receive one complimentary refreshment and free access to the buffet at the event.
Outside Sales Events
There will be intermittent COTU events all around Metro Richmond that include tap takeovers, steal the glass nights, and samplings. These events will be put on the Satellite calendar as well as posted on the Satellite website. Only events appearing on this calendar will be counted as they will have a COTU representative attending that can record the points. There are 2 options for Satellites when attending these events.
Option 1: You can redeem Satellite points for a 12oz or 16oz COTU product of your choice at the location with an exchange rate of 1 beer per 10 Satellite points. Only 1 beer can be redeemed per Satellite per event and the beer must be produced by COTU. The beer will be ordered by the COTU rep on site once notified by the Satellite.
Option 2: If you choose to attend the event, wearing COTU merch, and do not trade in points for a COTU beer, you will be awarded 5 Satellite points that can be redeemed at a later date.
Get your green on and start your St. Patrick’s Day weekend off right! Come join us for a St. Pat’s party right here at Center of the Universe! Enjoy delicious food, live music, festive dances, and of course, delicious stouts, lagers, and ales. Join us in raising a glass to the luck of the Irish!
Birmie’s Fixins food truck will be here keeping us fed! Live music by Albafaire from 5:30 to 8:30 Live Irish Dance performances by Heart of Ireland Dance Academy
This event is free to attend and open to all ages.
The following position(s) are currently available at Center of the Universe Brewing Company. If you would like to be considered for any of these positions and join the COTU family, please send a resume to info(at)cotubrewing(dot)com. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Taproom Server
Job Description – The Tasting Room Server is responsible for greeting, serving, and educating patrons visiting to the taprooms.
Server responsibilities include:
Cultivating a lively, upbeat environment
Assisting guests by providing info about our beers and tasting notes
Maintaining a clean bar and taproom
Opening and closing the taproom with assistance from your coworkers
Occasionally changing kegs
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Salary: $10 an Hour Plus Tips ($15/hr min guaranteed)
CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER. Saturday January 7th, at 6pm we’re playing a Super Smash Tournament right here in our taproom. We’ll be playing multiplayer stock matches with items turned off.
A joy con will be provided to each player, but anyone is welcome to bring their own controllers if desired.
Free to enter and all ages/skill levels are welcome, but good sportsmanship is a must! Grand prize is a $25 giftcard!
Saturday Feb. 4th come join us here at the brewery to celebrate all things chocolate! We’re celebrating by serving up some special small batch beers with flavors inspired by a box of chocolates! Local vendors will also be here with serving sweets and other goods just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Come bring your sweetie or just your fellow chocolate lovers!
Looking for a little Christmas cheer with your COTU beer?!?! Well, come hang out the weekend of December 2nd – 4th and join in on the gingerbread house contest. The winner gets 2 all-inclusive tickets to Kings Dominion’s Winterfest!
Date: Dec 2nd – Dec 4th
Time: During regular taproom Hours
Cost: $20 and includes a pre-assembled gingerbread house and access to additional candy decorations. Houses can be purchased upon arrival, while supplies last.
Judging: All participants will be assigned a number, which will be included in the photo taken by a COTU staff member once the house is complete. Participants can then take their house home to keep. Monday morning, the production crew will do a blind judging of all entrant photos to determine the winner. The winner will be announced and notified on Monday afternoon, December 5th.
The Prize: The overall winner will receive 2 all inclusive tickets to Kings Dominion’s Winterfest! Includes: Admission, Parking, Single Meal deal, and a Souvenir Mug. Valid until 1/1/23.
Get Rover ready to show off his best tricks and his cutest costume, Growl-O-Ween is back! Join us at Center of the Universe Brewing Co. as we hold our favorite dog-themed event from
We’re teaming up with the Hanover Humane society to raise money to fund their mission of educating the people of Hanover County about the proper treatment of animals and rescuing animals and caring for them until they find their forever home.
We’ve got a ton going on for this event, Buckville Hootenanny will be rocking out live on the beer garden stage, and Legendary Provisions is going to be serving up some hot dogs (pun intended) from 2-5. We’ll also have a ton of dog themed events going on including a costume competition and trick competitions!
So load up the car and come on out to enjoy a beer and show of what your dog can do!
*This event is free to attend and open to all aged. For the safety or all dogs and humans present, please keep your dog on a leash for the duration of the event
Rocktoberfest is back and we are bringing the heat to the stage in 2022. Enjoy liters of beer, German Faire, and live music all weekend long! No, we aren’t putting you to sleep with Oompah music, we are lighting the stage up with 5 different bands playing everything from covers to rocking originals. Free admission, open to all ages, and leashed (and friendly) dogs welcome on the beer garden.
Band Schedule
Saturday 9/24:
12-2:30pm
James River Junction is back to pack the house out again. Playing classics that cover multiple decades, this local band will keep your toes tapping all afternoon!
3-5:30pm
Room for Improvement plays a mix of classic rock and blues cover music.
6-8:30pm
Bombage Band is in the house! These guys are Ashland locals and are no strangers to our Biergarten. These vet performers gonna rock us through the end of the day and leave you wanting more for Sunday.
Sunday 9/25
1-3:30pm
COTU classic Something Shiny takes the stage to kick off Sunday.Their unique twist on songs coupled with their humorous stage banter work together to present a most unusual acoustic show. Sit back and enjoy as they play songs spanning 5 decades and several genres in an effort to play ALL your favorite songs in both familiar and very different ways.
4 – 6:30pm
The “Chad’s Fault” duo takes us to the finish line! A fusion of country, rock, and blues, this musical duo delivers popular covers and undiscovered gems. Features the powerful vocals of Vonda Fox and the multi-instrumental musings of Tim Robinson.
Food
Enjoy German classics like Bratwurst and Soft Pretzels from the following food providers:
Legendary Provisions
Publix Food Truck
Admission is free and is open to all ages. Leashed dogs are welcome on the beer garden.
