Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome.
Popped in for a flight. Beertenders made good recommendations, and marked our cups and most importantly were engaging with us as opposed to just trying to get us out of the way. I tried:
Gingerbread Stout
Raspberry Stout
Sidamo Coffee Stout
Bourbon Sidamo
Each of the above is exactly where my beer palate lies, I could not be happier. Hardywood just NAILS it on «big» beers. On the other side of the coin, with half pours of each I was pretty well done considering the abv% of each.
There was a very average band playing, so we went back into the first room in order to be able to speak or think.
Hopefully they will start shipping to NC sooner than later.

Four and a half stars. A food truck was in attendance the Sunday afternoon we swung by, and live music followed another social event in a side room. Lots more space than seating with an open warehouse format looking down at an outdoor patio of picnic tables absorbing the overflow from the dozen or so high-​tables inside. Most swag by the entrance bar, with a few kitschy things at the side bar. Limited bottle selection ready to go. Recycling and trash bins scattered around the space. Friendly staff and great prices on their beer. I’ve heard their release parties have gotten overcrowded recently, but I’m just glad that their success is building enough momentum to distribute more up our way.
Filled a growler with their apple brandy GBS and tap danced their darker options– coffee’s their popular experimental factor, with more success than failures. I was tempted to buy a growler of Christmas Morning too, since the bourbon GBS had tapped out the day before. The pour list on the website wasn’t too outdated, but definitely featured a different rotation in-​house than I had anticipated. If I lived in Richmond, I’d be here way too often; as it is, I intend to fill a growler every time I swing through town, especially in the colder months.

This served as a good pit stop on my way down to North Carolina. Even though I was unable to get my hands on the Peach Tripel, which is seasonal and no longer in inventory at this time, I was able to put down some pretty decent brews. Since I was unable to locate it locally anywhere in the South Jersey region, and it will probably be removed out of circulation pretty soon, I went with the Kentucky Christmas Morning. I also went with the Cream Ale due to my wife’s curiosity. $ 11.00 for two beers I think was pretty reasonable.
The atmosphere of the Brewery is casual. Due to a concert taking place that night, we were not able to access one of the tasting rooms. No big deal, we were served at the bar located in the brewery building. It is a large, open space with some seating. The parking was setup with a few picnic style tables just in case you want to enjoy your special brew outside; weather permitting. In addition to sipping your suds outdoors, there are a variety of food trucks on the premises.
The staff at Hardywood Park was friendly enough. The bartender answered my questions and allowed me to sample before I purchased a growler. Prior to my visit, I briefly communicated with a staff member via email prior to my trip, and they were very willing to address my questions.
I don’t usually drive to North Carolina; to be honest I hate it. My visit here made the drive down a little more bearable. If I find myself driving south in the future, I will certainty consider making a stop here. I purchased a bottle of «Full Color» and a growler of Pineapple Great Return for $ 27 total. Overall left happy.

Hardywood is the exact kind of place Richmond needs. Now, I’m not much of a drinker, but I have sampled a few of their alcoholic offerings and they’re not half bad. Their Gingerbread Stout is a seasonal favorite that regularly sells out, so if you like the taste of Guiness and gingerbread, you’re gonna love it!
What I really love, though, is how much Hardywood does to support the local community. Whether it’s hosting some of Richmond’s best and up-​and-​coming food trucks every Thursday, hosting art and record fairs or just showcasing some of the best bands around inside the brewery itself, Hardywood is doing it. In fact, they’ve done so well in Richmond, they’re opening a second location closer to Short Dump. Yes, I said Short Dump. Enjoy your craft beer, you suburban scumbag!
All in all, a great place to hang, especially in the summer months in the outdoor seating areas. A+

I’ve been to Hardywood many times for the food truck Thursday events over the Summer. However, tonight was my first time having an opportunity to explore the inside. It’s a pretty nice space, not much seating though. The bartenders were friendly and quick. I’m not that big on beer, and mainly came to partake in my companies holiday party, so I can’t say that Hardywood would be a frequent stop for me; however, after some coxing from a co-​worker I did have a beer that was mixed with bourbon (sorry don’t remember the name) it was pretty good, tasted much like what I would expect a liquid tiramisu to taste — coffee (ish).

We came in on a Sunday just after the Gingerbread release… we’ve been many, many times before but this time definitely warranted a 5 star review. We were there shortly after open, and surprisingly we were not the first ones there! I guess the GBS release is always a big deal, but we figured because of the frigid temps and the fact that it had been out for a few days, we figured it wouldn’t be busy. But alas, there was a line in the brew room for the bottles, but we were able to get a few glasses of GBS for our wait. The staff is super duper nice, and literally everyone I encountered was amazingly kind and helpful. I ended up spilling some of my glass on myself and on the floor (I’m SO clumsy!) and one of the employees saw and got me a rag and helped me dry off, I offered to clean up the spill but before I even got the words out another employee appeared with a mop. I really feel like the employees enjoy their jobs and you can really tell it in their interactions with customers.
and of course, the GBS didn’t disappoint! :)