Who here loves April? Raise your hand.

You there, with your hand up: you’re lying. April is a sucky month, and you know it. If you’re a gardener, this is where all the hard work happens. If you like sports, well, there’s probably cricket on somewhere. Game on. If you’re outdoorsy, it’s starting to get warmer, but it rains all the darn time. It’s tax month, wherein you actually have to pay the government way more money than people who make way more money than you do. Nobody goes on vacation in April. There are no good holidays. There’s Easter, sure, and Administrative Professionals Day, so you’ll get some candy, maybe an oddly colored hard-boiled egg if you’re lucky, and for those of you brave enough to have Administrative Professional on your business card, maybe a singing Miley Cyrus “Party in the Cubicle” card.

Yeeeeeha.

We aim to fix this wet flowery slug of a month. Don’t worry, you can thank us later. We’re hereby dubbing April “Beer Month”. Here’s the plan: we’ll be tapping a rare and spectacular beer every Monday in April, so you can start each week off on a high note.

Here’s what we’ve got so far. If we add anything to the lineup, we’ll let you know. Of course we’ll have our normal fabulous craft selection, so if you don’t like the special beer of the week, check here for our current draft list. We guarantee there will be something on there you love.

Monday, March 26th
Bell’s Oberon
What? You have a problem with us starting Beer Month a week early? We’re joining a group of like-minded beer bars and tapping the unofficial official beer of spring and summer at 5 p.m. sharp.

Monday, April 2nd
Weyerbacher Insanity
A barrel aged barleywine with a 93 rating on Beer Advocate. One of our all-time favorites!

Monday, April 9th
Allagash Bourbon Barrel Black
A Belgian stout from one of our favorite breweries, aged for 1 year in Jim Beam bourbon barrels.

Monday, April 16th
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
Yep, on tap. It’s heavy, and hoppy, and syrupy, and delicious. Circle this date!

Monday, April 23rd
Allagash Odyssey
An oak aged Belgian strong ale with a 94 rating on Beer Advocate. The depth in this beer is amazing.

Monday, April 30th
(That’s right, we get an extra Monday in April this year. Bad for people who work regular jobs and don’t like beer, but great for you!)
Bell’s Expedition Stout
We’ll finish up with a classic! If you love stouts, you won’t want to miss the last few drops of Expedition stout for another 8 months or so.

So there you have it. Keep your eyes peeled, because there might be some surprise guest appearances thrown in for the fun of it. After trying each one of these, maybe the only thing you remember about April this year won’t be that horrible April Fool’s Joke your mean Uncle Joe played on you — the one involving a Lionfish and three sticks of chewed bubble gum. Again, you can thank us later. Just leave the Lionfish at home. Stinking invasive species.

Cheers,
Timberwood Grill

Did you know…?

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in all ethnic groups?
• More than 60% of new lung cancer cases are in non-smokers?
• Just by dining at Timberwood Grill on Tuesday, March 20th, you will be contributing to finding a cure for lung cancer?

Timberwood Grill is proudly sponsoring one of its employees on her fundraising campaign to find a cure for lung cancer!

On Saturday, March 31st, 2012, one of our servers will run alongside hundreds of others in the annual Charlottesville Ten Miler. This year, all proceeds of the C10M will go directly to Dr. David Jones’ Lung Cancer Research Program. To help Erica raise money in loving memory of her grandfather, Timberwood Grill is donating 10% of its sales on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 to Erica’s “For Grandpa Moe” campaign.

For more information on the C10M, Dr. Jones’ research, and how you can donate further, please visit www.cvilletenmiler.com or email Erica directly: elberzin@gmail.com

Erica, and all of us at Timberwood, greatly appreciate your business today and always.

Do you have plans for Sunday, February 5th?

Cancel them. Seriously.

We’re throwing a Super Bowl party that nobody in their right mind should miss. In fact, we’ve intentionally chosen *not* to advertise it outside of the Charlottesville area because the Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport actually might not be able to handle all the traffic. And we don’t want to be shutting down airports.

What’s so special about our party? What could possibly persuade you to skip the party your friend is throwing, complete with cheese curls and wine coolers?

Two words:

Awesome Beer.

That’s right, we’re going for a tap lineup of epic proportions. The kind of tap lineup that people will write sonnets about. SONNETS, PEOPLE! Whether you like IPAs, stouts, Belgians, or something in between, we’ll have something fabulous for you to enjoy while cheering for your team… or the commercials — whatever floats your boat. Click here to head on over to our party page to see the latest news. You won’t be sorry you did.

We’ll see you February 5th.

Cheers,
Timberwood Grill

So we were sitting around a couple of months ago, and we thought, what can we do to make Charlottesville a better place? Sure, we try to offer great food and service, but that’s really just our job. We need to actually give something back to the community in return for everything the area has done for us.

So, we came up with an idea. We came up with lots of ideas, actually, but you’ll see more of those next year. For now, we said, why don’t we just see how many toys we can gather for the area Toys for Tots Foundation? We know the economy is awful right now, and sometimes it’s hard to justify buying something for someone you’ll never meet, no matter how small. That’s where we come in. We’re trying to lessen the blow a little.

We’re giving you free food.

That’s right, you heard us. For every toy you bring in from now until Christmas, we’re going to give you a coupon for a free appetizer. And there’s no limit on the number of toys you can bring in. One toy, one coupon; ten toys, ten coupons; etc. It’s just that simple. (Well, there’s one catch: it has to be new and not gift-wrapped. But that’s easy.) Shoot, you can really get into the giving spirit if you want, and bring in a bunch of toys, then use the free app coupons as stocking stuffers for everyone you love! Whoah! Giving multiplied!

Really, that’s all we wanted to report. It’s our first year doing this, but we’re hoping it’ll catch on quickly, and every year after this, everyone in the area will stop in with a toy or three. With your help, we’re hoping to bring a little extra holiday joy to some area children. So bring in those toys!

Sincerely,
The Timberwood Family

Greetings, fellow beer lovers! We’d like to take just a moment of your time to introduce a brewery to you. They’re called Southern Tier, and they’re located in Lakewood, New York. Lakewood is a tiny village on Chautauqua Lake, with a total population of 3,258 people. OK, you’re saying, small town, big beers. Big whoop. But here’s the kicker: they average 97.66 inches of snow a year — that’s more than Buffalo, and only slightly less than Anchorage, Alaska. Luckily for you, the Southern Tier crew fights through the drifts, uphill, both ways, to concoct their amazing beers year round.

That’s all fine, you’re saying, but what’s that got to do with me, all cuddly and warm down here in toasty central VA? Well, it’s got everything to do with you, if you love delicious beer. We have all of the following beers from Southern Tier available in bottles, right now:

Pumking, A- on Beer Advocate, 98 on Ratebeer.
Iniquity, A- on Beer Advocate, 98 on Ratebeer.
Mokah, A- on Beer Advocate, 99 on Ratebeer.
Jah*va, A- on Beer Advocate, 99 on Ratebeer.

As you can see from those consistently high scores, this is a seriously world-class brewery. You can either come on in and try one of these bombers from Southern Tier, or just grab one and take it home with you to explore on your own turf, and on your terms. Either way, we’re one of only a few places in Charlottesville that carry Southern Tier beers, so if you want to try one, we’ve got you covered.

As of this post’s publication time, we also have Pumking on tap, but we can’t promise that will last very long. Check our current draft list on the right side of the page to make sure we still have it before you hold us to that, or keep tabs on us through one of our favorite websites, Taplister.

It’s almost time for our measly 17.6 average annual inches of snow to start falling, so before you get trapped at home by this year’s dusting — er, blizzard, come on in and grab some sustenance for those cold winter nights.

Cheers!

Hey, thanks for stopping by!

Hopefully, you’re here because you stopped by our booth at Top of the Hops on Saturday and grabbed a pretzel cup necklace (or just a pretzel cup, if you showed up late… sorry we ran out of string!) and a chance to win a gift certificate.

While you’re here, check out our draft beer menu, bottle beer menu, and specials menu. We’re proud of all of them, and hope you’ll stop in for something, whether you’re watching a football game over a great beer and dinner special, or just swinging through to grab a six-pack on your way elsewhere. Either way, we want to be your favorite Charlottesville beer and food destination.

And for those of you paying attention (or sober enough to remember…) here’s a link to our Top of the Hops page, where you can look up this year’s winning numbers. If you kept the card that came in your pretzel cup, this is where you want to be. Good luck!

Cheers!

The wait is over!

“Do you have Fat Tire?”

And for years the answer has been, “No, New Belgium doesn’t distribute to Virginia. Yet.” And the wait continued.

Until now.

On Monday, August 22nd, New Belgium Brewery will arrive in Virginia. That’s right, the wait is over. You’ll be able to pour yourself an ice cold Fat Tire right at the Timberwood Grill bar. And even better, now that we’re selling bottles to go, you’ll be able to buy as many bottles as you’d like to take home with you!

If you haven’t heard of New Belgium, well, first of all, you probably don’t like beer. But mainly, it’s because they’re a great brewery that simply hasn’t delivered to Virginia yet. Not only do they make great beer, but they do it in an extremely environmentally conscious way. We’re happy to feature them for both reasons. If you want more information, here’s their website: http://www.newbelgium.com.

As for what we’ll be getting, and when, here’s how it’s going to work. First, New Belgium is sending 22oz bottles our way. So we’ll only have those for the first couple of months. After that, they’ll add kegs, and as long as they can supply it, and the Timberwood family loves it, we’ll have at least one beer from them on tap. Finally, around the first of the year, they should be sending six-packs our way, which we’ll also carry for your Timberwood or at-home consumption.

Sound like a plan? We’re really excited to finally be able to carry this world-class brewery’s beer right here in Charlottesville, and we hope you’ll stop in and try some soon.

Cheers!

Have we mentioned how much we love our local breweries? There are very few places in the country with as many world-class beers being made within a half-hour drive as Charlottesville. One of our favorites is, and always will be, Blue Mountain Brewery.

Now, if you’re not familiar with Blue Mountain, listen carefully, because this is important. We’re a restaurant, so it’s generally not the best idea ever to tell people to go to other restaurants. But that’s exactly what we’re telling you. The next sunny Central Virginia day we get, clear at least 3 hours out of your schedule. Call in sick if you need to, it’ll be worth it. Grab a friend (at least one, but the more the merrier), hop in the car, and head out towards Wintergreen. On your way out, roll the windows down and let that crisp mountain air invade your senses: taste it, smell it, feel it.

When you get to the brewery, if it’s your first time, you may not realize the amazing changes that have taken place over the past few years. The huge patio, the hop farm, the brand new building, all new as Blue Mountain expands to keep up with the demand for their amazing brews. The gorgeous mountain views, well, those were always there, but you still get to enjoy them. Even before you try a beer you’ll know why this brewery was recently featured as one of Imbibe magazine’s 100 best places to drink in the South.

Once you’ve settled into a table, that’s when the real fun begins. If you’re a beer lover, you should get a sampler. No matter what they have on tap (they’ll always have on at least one seasonal brew, along with their normal lineup), it’s all worth trying. The problem is deciding on just one, when it’s time to order a second round. But we trust that you can manage! Pay attention to the fresh hop flavors, because some of them come from just 50 feet away. The water comes from a well just out back, fed by an untouched forest watershed. These factors and more, combined with brewmaster Taylor Smack’s creativity and knack for a perfectly concocted beer, lead to some of the best beers, not just in the state, but the nation.

Before you leave, be sure to tell your server Timberwood Grill sent you, and it can’t hurt to mention that you’d love to see Dark Hollow on tap out here at the Grill!

After your Afton adventure, you’ll head home relaxed, happy, and (don’t say we didn’t warn you) craving more delicious Blue Mountain beer. Fear not! We always have at least one on tap. Stop by for a Blue Mountain brew, and tell us about your visit to one of our favorite breweries.

Cheers!

We just changed up our sampler, inspired by this break in all the rain. We’ve got some fun flavors on here, so stop in for a table on the patio and try these refreshing brews.

Oskar Blues Little Yella Pils – we start you out with one of our favorite pilsners.
Allagash White – this belgian witbier is one of our staff’s favorites.
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice – this amazingly refreshing cream ale really does taste like cream soda.
Left Hand Good Juju – this beer brewed with ginger is light and crisp.
Bell’s Oberon – another staff favorite, this pale wheat ale is a hit year after year.

Seriously, where else in Charlottesville can you enjoy this perfect early summer weather, sample 5 amazing beers, and order weekly specials like soft-shell crab, filet mignon, and locally raised pork tenderloin, all in the same place? That’s what we thought. The patio is calling your name! Heed!

Cheers!

We just tapped Moylan’s Hopsickle Imperial IPA and we honestly think it is the best beer on tap in Charlottesville right now. Honestly, we’re not quite sure how they managed to squeeze so much hop flavor into this beer. A few reasons you may not want to try this beer:

…

That’s right, we can’t think of a single reason. OK, maybe if you don’t like hoppy beers, you shouldn’t order it; but by all means you need to at least try your friend/husband/wife’s pint so you can appreciate a perfectly crafted beer.

Our quick description:

If hop flavor were a thing – a butterfly, perhaps – this beer would be a three ton centennial Mothra that shoots bitter lasers from its eyes, eats entire pine forests for breakfast, breathes endless cascades of fire, and leaves a swath of caramel-coated destruction in the wake of its tomahawk wings. This beer wants to consume you. But if you’re up to the challenge, much like Godzilla, you’ll emerge victorious, if a little wobbly, from the encounter.

Some other descriptions/rating sites:

Beer Advocate

Rate Beer

Beer Obsession (A well written beer blog that we enjoy, and hope you do too!)

That’s about all. Hopheads, don’t miss this one. Hophead friend/significant other, don’t let your dear hophead miss this one. You’ll hate it, but they’ll love you for it. And as usual, don’t forget your growler.

Cheers!