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.
After a two year hiatus, Summer Moon Music Festival is back!! If you like live music, helping charitable organizations, or both, this is the weekend you’ve been waiting for.
This 2-Day long festival is a battle of the bands for charity and features 21 local bands who will be taking the stage to battle it out for their organization of choice. To accompany the bands, there will be food trucks and two draft beer stations, so you won’t have to worry about lines to get a delicious cold one.
We are excited to welcome the Summer Moon Music Festival back to our Biergarten, and with it comes our oh-so-refreshing Summer Moon Imperial Wheat Ale. Brewed with fresh lemon zest and hundreds of pounds of raspberries, this big beer brings tons of tangy fruit flavor!
As always, this event is FREE, RAIN or SHINE event! Supervised, well behaved children and dogs on leashes are welcome to attend the festivities!
Band lineup (Times Coming Soon): Bobby Baine Buckville Hootenanny Crain Brothers Band Crowded Minds Earth and Lunar Rendezvous Flashlight Tag Howard Eckstein Jahvaquarium Lavelle Hall Mark Daniel and the Ranch Shakers Mark Werblin Oh! Cleary Sisters Phoebe and the Brads Red Lobster Cult Rick Vanderploeg Something Shiny Stormy Vandals The Crump Tunes The Stand Tim Perkins Working On It
We are rolling out live music, food trucks, giveaways, and buckets of ice cold beer for a one day bash to celebrate “Brewski” Premium Craft Lager! Admission is free and open to all ages. Well behaved and leashed dogs are welcome in the beer garden.
Band Lineup and Times:
1:00-3:30: Vexine 4:00-6:30: Honky Tonk Heroes
🌮 Food Trucks:
TBT El Gallo – Elevated Mexican Street Food
Jus Cukn’ – Southern BBQ at its finest
👾 Activities:
Indoor Arcade
Corn Hole
Can Jam
Giveaways
Let’s Talk Brewski
Whether you’re into finely crafted small batch artisanal brews or you just enjoy cracking open a cold one after a long shift, we can all agree that beer is pretty great. Brewski brings a little something for everyone. We made this beer with the intention of inviting everybody to the party. The style, a German Dortmunder, is a well balanced and easy drinking lager clocking in at 5% ABV. That said, you are welcome to just ask for the Lager that works as hard as you do, and order up a Brewski!
Center of the Universe is proud to present the 4th Annual COTU Christmas Market! Looking for something unique for that hard to buy for person on your list? Or, are you just looking for a little something for yourself!?! Well don’t worry, we have you covered. We will have handcrafted vendors at the brewery for a one day market for all your shopping needs. Admission is free, as always! Freekin’ Rican will be on site with delectable fare, so come hungry!
Vendor list to be confirmed by the first week of December. If you would like to apply to be a vendor, please email info@cotubrewing.com for more information.
How long is an Olympic swimming pool? Who named the Pacific Ocean? Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize? Why are we asking these questions?
Because trivia is back at Center of the Universe! Every Tuesday night, starting at 6:30, Nathan Carlson will put your knowledge to the test and pit you and your friends against other groups hungry for the prize. Show your knowledge of all things trivial in four rounds of competition! The team with the most points will take away the grand prize, but don’t worry, the runner up won’t leave empty handed. Trivia is free to play and all are welcome, so come on in, grab a beer, order some food from Freekin’ Rican, and get ready for a battle of the brains here at COTU!
Everybody has music, brats, and steins for Oktoberfest. This year, we’re cranking that up to 11. This is the year that the COTU Rocktoberfest storms the stage. Grab the fam and come out for two full days of multiple German style beers, German food, and as much live music as we could fit into two days. There is so much rockin’ about to hit Ashland that you can’t miss a minute!
Saturday 9/25: 12-3pm– The Dogwoods are back to pack the house out again. This brand new band filled the Biergarten and then some at their first show as a group in July, and just recently opened for Lynyrd Skinner. You don’t want to miss their encore performance to kick off the weekend. 3-6pm– We have some COTU faves, The Royal We, bringing us through the afternoon with rockin’ takes on hits from the 60’s through the 90’s. This is the first time they’re back in the house in almost a year, so get here early if you want a front row seat for these guys! 6-8pm– 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 9/26 1-6pm– COTU classic Something Shiny and the newer group Crowded Minds will be sharing the stage through our Sunday Bingo. They’ll be switching out throughout the day, so you’ll be able to catch them both rockin’ the house no matter when you get here. They’ll also have a can drive set up for Feed More RVA during their set. Bring 5 cans, get a Bingo card!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST!!! We have limited edition 22 oz COTU stoneware steins that we’ll be selling from the start of each day. These are first-come-first-served, and they ARE a limited quantity run so make sure to get yours!
Center of the Universe Brewing Company and the Hanover Humane Society are pleased to bring back the 7th annual Growl-O-Ween October 23rd from 2pm-5pm! Grab your 4-legged sidekick, dressed in their Halloween best of course, and head out to the brewery for a howlin’ good time for the whole family! Admission is free!
Contest Dates: August 28th, 2021 – October 30th, 2021
Contest Description: In each Redrum IIPA 4-pack, there is a token that has a prize on it that is associated with Kings Dominion’s 20th Anniversary of Halloween Haunt. Prizes range from 20% of COTU swag, free Redrum IIPA t-shirts, tickets to Kings Dominion Halloween Haunt, and the grand prize Halloween Haunt package.
Prize Redemption: All prizes must be redeemed at Center of the Universe Brewing Co. during normal taproom hours. Please see contest rules below for prize explanation and redemption procedures. KINGS DOMINION WILL NOT ACCEPT TOKENS AT THE PARK.
Must be 21+ to Enter
Contest Rules
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. TO ENTER THE CONTEST WITHOUT AN UNDER THE CAP TOKEN, PLEASE SEND A SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE TO:
Center of the Universe Brewing Co.
Attn: Promotions
PO Box 1207
Ashland, VA 23005
Eligibility: Redrum Contest (the “Contest”) is open to legal residents of Virginia only who are at least twenty-one (21) years of age at the time of purchase. Employees of Center of the Universe or other companies associated with the promotion of the contest are not permitted to win.
Sponsor: The contest is sponsored by Center of the Universe Brewing Co, located at 11293 Airpark Rd., Ashland, VA 23305.
Agreement to Official Rules: Participation in the Contest constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon being compliant with these Official Rules and fulfilling all other requirements set forth herein.
Contest Period: The Contest begins on August 28th at 12:01am and ends on October 30th @ 11:59pm. Entries submitted before or after the Contest Period will be disqualified.
How to Enter: Entries can be obtained through the Under the Cap Redrum IIPA contest or by sending a self addressed stamped to the address above. Participants in the Under the Cap Redrum IIPA contest will receive one (1) entry for each 4-pack of Redrum IIPA purchased during the Contest Period. Limit one (1) entry per person/household for those participating by mail.
Prize Redemption: All prizes must be redeemed by either bringing your winning chip in to Center of the Universe Brewing Co during normal taproom operating hours, or by mailing you chip to the address above. 20% off COTU Merch coins can only be redeemed in person at Center of the Universe Brewing Co.
Prizes: ALL PRIZES MUST BE REDEEMED AT CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE BREWING CO. OR BY MAIL. KINGS DOMINION WILL NOT HONOR ANY PRIZES AT THE THEME PARK.
20% off COTU Merch: This token is good for 20% one (1) Center of the Universe swag item. 20% off cannot be used on alcohol purchases. These tokens are only valid in person and at the physical brewery location. 20% off tokens expire on December 31, 2021.
Free T-Shirt: This token is good for a free large Redrum T-shirt. These tokens can be redeemed only at Center of the Universe Brewing Co during normal taproom hours. Redrum shirts will not be available for shipping. This token expires on December 31, 2021.
2 Free Haunt Tickets: This token is good for 2 free Kings Dominion Halloween Haunt Tickets good for the 2021 Haunt Season only. Tokens can only be redeemed by either mailing the token to the PO Box above or by coming into Center of the Universe Brewing Co during normal taproom hours. Kings Dominion will not accept tokens at the theme park. This token expires on October 30, 2021.
Grand Prize:
Release of Limitations of Liability: By participating in the Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, and each of the their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with the Contest, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of the prizes, including, but not limited to (a) any technical errors associated with the Contest, including lost, interrupted or unavailable Internet Service Provider (ISP), network, server, wireless service provider, or other connections, availability, or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cellular tower, or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties: (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (c) mechanical, network, electronic, computer, human, printing or typographical errors; (d) any other errors of problems in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, error that may occur in the administration of the Contests, the prizes, the cancellation or postponement of the vent and/or the flyover, if applicable, or in any Contest-related materials; or (e) injury, death, losses or damages of any kind, to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrants participation in the Contest or acceptance, receipt or misuse of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto). Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the entrant be entitled to receive attorney’ fees. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest. Entrant waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.
