Ardent Craft Ales

On the Grid : Ardent Craft Ales

"One of the first breweries to set up shop in Scott’s Addition, Ardent Craft Ales boasts a wonderful outdoor space where you can grab a table and try several of their innovative beers along with snacks from one of the several rotating food carts located on-site. (Coming up in 2017: Continental Divide, Return Of The Mac, and Intergalactic Tacos.) Featuring a solid rotation of their well-known year-round beers, and a nice mix of seasonals, reserves, and collaborations, including a nod to Patrick Henry, “Give Me Stout or Give Me Death,” with nearby neighbors Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and national newcomers Stone Brewing Co., Ardent offers pints on site as well as growlers to-go." - The Frontier Project

How to Spend 24 Fabulous Hours in Richmond, Va. - Eater DC

"Ardent is one of more than 30 breweries in the Richmond area. It features a kid- and dog-friendly patio, making it a great place to sample a summery Saison or a tart Gose." - Missy Frederick

"Ardent Craft Ales, Scotts Addition by The Frontier Project. One of the first breweries to set up shop in Scott’s Addition, Ardent Craft Ales boasts a wonderful outdoor space where you can grab a table and try several of their innovative beers along with snacks from one of the several rotating food carts located on-site. (Coming up in 2017: Continental Divide, Return Of The Mac, and Intergalactic Tacos.) Featuring a solid rotation of their well-known year-round beers, and a nice mix of seasonals, reserves, and collaborations, including a nod to Patrick Henry, “Give Me Stout or Give Me Death,” with nearby neighbors Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and national newcomers Stone Brewing Co., Ardent offers pints on site as well as growlers to-go."

Richmond

17 of the Best Breweries in Richmond, Virginia - Eater DC

"This Scott’s Addition production brewery, taproom, and beer garden offers some thirst-quenching beers, from the big, tropical Leigh Street DIPA to the Summer American Sour Blend, a small-batch blend of aged saison with a pleasantly peppery finish. Ardent’s patio, festooned with red umbrellas, borders exceptional Texas barbecue outfit ZZQ. Bringing smoked meat back to Ardent is highly encouraged." - Stephanie Ganz

Tom Yenk

Google

Good variety of brews available here. They had a lot of IPA's available, if that's your thing. There was a nice selection of food options on the menu. The place has a good atmosphere with seating, available inside and out. I will definitely be back.

TG Fitch (VA Renaissance Man)

Google

Tasty beers and more! Plenty of room inside and out. As a dark beer fan, I appreciated the availability of a Porter and a Stout in June, both of which were excellent. The lighter beers were great for a summer evening as well. No complaints! Convenient option to order from your table, and food arrived almost immediately. A great choice whether you're looking for a flight of flavorful craft beers or just a tidy place to hang out. Cheers!

justin carpenter

Google

In town visiting and brewery hopping. Had a great time at Ardent. Staff was very friendly and even did a small brewery tour. There’s a huge outdoor patio area with plenty of options covered and uncovered. Inside taproom has a nice laid back industrial feel with seating and friendly staff. Altogether a great spot to relax and throw back a few with friends. Cheers!!

Wanderers Compass Travel Blog

Google

Very large yet cozy patio to relax in. Open industrial look. The beers are good and the staff was talkative. Would like to see more dark beers and a slightly larger selection. They do serve more than just beer such as wine and hard seltzer.

Louisa Gtg

Google

Great selection of stouts that were pretty good and high percentage! The salmon sandwich packed a punch so it’s for the spicy lovers! The old bay chips were too much even for me, and I like old bay.

J B

Google

This is a must try in Scott's Addition! The beer is amazing and the staff is awesome. The food options at the brewery are very good - would suggest the kimchi grilled cheese and the Italian sandwich. Ardent is family friendly, they have good food choices and juice boxes. The best bbq place in the area is just next store if the food options dont peak your interest. Go early to get a good seat! Highly recommend

Allen Mitchell

Google

Excellent spot for a beer with your dog! Stopped in on a Monday at noon, the beer garden area is nicely shaded, and bowls/treats for your dog are provided. We had a flight of 4 beers: Pilsner, English Mild, IPA 14 (their signature IPA) and One More Turn, a hazy IPA. We also had the Greek and Southwest salads. Everything was great! It is definitely worth a visit!

Mike Moyer

Google

Great beer, great food, great service and an awesome atmosphere. I would definitely recommend!

John S.

Yelp

During our stay in Richmond VA we made our way to an area the locals told us about called Scott's Addition. Very interesting and fun area. On and around Leigh St. there are some great local breweries and this was one of them we stopped in. Ardent had a great outdoor patio area, and the indoor seating area had plenty of room for many to enjoy some of their beers. The staff was kind, friendly, and knowledgeable about their beers, and what to offer us based on our taste. We will definitely add this to our list of brewery stops in the future when we visit RVA.

Jed R.

Yelp

This was our first stop after getting BBQ in Richmond. I got a flight and there were plenty of options to choose from, including non alcoholic options. Sit outside if the weather is nice. Decent brews, good patio, great spot to just hangout.

Taylor L.

Yelp

A warm and inviting brewery with a community atmosphere among a post industrial neighborhood. Huge outdoor patio. The beer list is modest but the brews are great.

Brian B.

Yelp

Went here for a trial, as they offered sours, since my wife is not much for beer. The. Meatballs and pretzels were fantastic for appetizers, outdoors seating was cool even in the dead of summer, and they even brought the food out to the tables outside (now, I think that was only because it was not busy, but still nice touch and shows caring staff)

Amy I.

Yelp

I love Ardent Cidery! I had two different ciders and both were delicious! I had the Mixed Berry Gose and I think the Cosmic Pale Ale and both were delicious ! The service is super fast and they had some outside picnic tables and some inside seating. There's also EasyBurger right there ! It's one of my favorite places!!

Anthony F.

Yelp

Ardent is my favorite brewery in Virginia. I love Pilsners and lagers and Ardent brews some of the best. I feel like most breweries concentrate on IPAs but Ardent provides a nice mix of all, so all types of beer drinkers should be satisfied. It's a great space to hangout whether you are inside or outside, there's plenty of seating options. All the staff is friendly and attentive, it must be a great working environment as a lot of the staff have been there for many years. There's plenty of food options as well as Ardent has a nice menu of sandwiches, salads and appetizers. Also within the same parking lot you have Eazzy Burger and ZZQ BBQ which are top notch! You can pickup beer to go and they also provide delivery options as well. Visit the Barrel Room around the corner for some of their beers while watching comedy or singing along with karaoke night. Fun, food and great beers. What more can you ask for?

Gregory F.

Yelp

Overall pretty solid and cute interior - still decorated for the holidays when we went! Tables were a tad small for games - but plenty good enough if you're just enjoying some beers. Bartender wasn't really sure what they were known for - so we just winged it on the beers we got. My partner liked her Earl Gray Brown Ale - I'd say the milk stout was nothing too special. Wish I had ordered something else but... you can't win 'em all!

Kimberly R.

Yelp

We did not try the food but we did try the beer. The vibe is great. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Love the outdoor area! It is so spacious regardless of where you sit. The staff was kind and prompt. Unfortunately, the beer fell short for us. We tried about 4-5 beers and can't say any of them stuck out to us. We'd give them another try next time we are back in the area!

Pam W.

Yelp

One of my favorite Richmond breweries, and now definitely high on my list because I'm not drinking at the moment and they had a really tasty kolsch nonalcoholic beer! It tasted just like their regular beer with all the depth and character a good beer has. To be honest, most nonalcoholic beer I buy from the grocery store is meh. I hope to find this one at Whole Foods or Total Wine. Thanks to the owner for offering a high-quality nonalcoholic beer for patrons who enjoy beer but don't want the alcohol. So yummy!

Chase F.

Yelp

Great brewery with a cool patio that connects to Eazzy Burger. Had the Pops IPA and wings for Lunch, definitely recommend both!

Cassie M.

Yelp

Such a chill place to hangout outside especially on a sunny day! They have a good variety of drinks, if you're feeling something NA they have unique canned kombucha flavors, that are tasty! You can get food from Eazzy but they also have food at Ardent! I got this delicious toast with goat cheese & peach jam. Delicious! The service is good & they have plenty of options either if you want to use Apple Pay, cash, or credit, you can order online or in person, or have it delivered to your table or wait there.

Ron C.

Yelp

I came by here yesterday and enjoyed the experience. The service was great and the outdoor seating was nice. I got a nice whiff of the ZZQ barbecue cooking next door. The IPA's and DIPA I had were alright. The 8% Cider I had from a cidery partner was pretty solid. I truly just enjoyed the experience of sitting outside and chilling on a nice day.

William H.

Yelp

Good selection of beers, particularly IPAs, open friendly servers and environment in the Scott's Addition area of Richmond

Payton W.

Yelp

What a great place to spend a summer afternoon! The outdoor space is perfect for a hot day with plenty of shade. I enjoyed each of the three beers I tried and the pretzel was pretty tasty too. Will be returning!

Lexi J.

Yelp

This was my first visit to a brewery being that I'm not a beer drinker. This spot did have cider which most usually don't. Although, they only offered one, I was happy with that! They had a blueberry blackberry cider from Blue Bee that was very good. Not too sweet and refreshing for a warm evening. The patio was pretty packed and seating was limited, but we managed to get a table rather quickly. There's construction going on behind the building which took away some of the outdoor seating. I ordered the Pressed Avocado sandwich with a Caesar salad. It was really good! The Brie and fig spread blended together perfectly! The portion size was perfect too! The staff was super friendly, attentive, and helpful! You have the option of ordering from your table using a QR code or at the bar. I really enjoyed myself and would definitely recommend giving them a try if you haven't!

Melissa T.

Yelp

We visited the establishment as we were visiting a burger place that shared an outdoor seating area! We love sours and they had one on tap which was perfect for us. The staff was friendly and the the inside was nicely decorated. I would definitely go back!

Patrick D.

Yelp

Really good brewery in Scott's Addition, Richmond When we lived the area I would frequent Ardent, but hadn't been for over 4 years. It's just as remembered with good beers, good service, and a ton of outdoor seating, which is wonderful. They vibe outdoors is very inviting and laid out well with plenty of seating without feeling crowded.

Lilly B.

Yelp

Ardent is one of the many incredible breweries in Richmonds Scott's Addition! They have a huge outside area with picnic tables and a great indoor area! The beer list is nicely displayed and there are plenty of menus for meat, cheese, food, and beer! The beer sampler was only $11 which was an insane bargain considering the pours! The pimento & onion toast was out of this world! Cheesy, a bit sweet, topped with scallions! I will seriously be back for more toast!

Ju L.

Yelp

Ardent Brewery was all right. I did not realize they took reservations, as I could not find them on any online reservation platforms/apps, but we did not have trouble getting a table on a late Friday afternoon. The menu is easily accessible thru QR code, and food orders can be placed and paid for online. I had the mousse truffee toast, cucumber salad, and a lemongrass/basil kombucha. The food was ok. Can't really comment on the beers, as I didn't have any. My best friend enjoyed her beer flight though. My kombucha tasted like a soda and had barely any hints of lemongrass or basil.

Dakota M.

Yelp

Ok this place was great! They have a patio area that is spaced out for social distancing, they use a QR scan for your ordering and their food is dynomite! I am very surprised at this place - mostly cause I get dragged to breweries by my partner, and the food is mostly like food truck or frozen to fried food. This is not! We tried a sandwhich and it left me wanting more! So I ordered from the app again for another item! I almost ordered another sandwich to go! The food was so flavorful and delicious! I'm not a great beer coinsurer so I can't talk much to that side of the house. But from the time we put in a beer order to when it was on the table was prob less than 3 minutes each time. I was super impressed by the staff! If we are in the area again, we will def go out of our way to come back!

Evan P.

Yelp

Great brewery with a nice outdoor patio, covered outdoor section with plenty of tables, and a large indoor inside the brewery. We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was really laid back and not overly crowded like some of the other breweries. The beer was good, service was quick, and an added bonus is its proximity to ZZQ BBQ right next door.

Nikos K.

Yelp

The beer had a lot of foam on top and I asked her to top it up. She said No, it's supposed to be that way.

Duke D.

Yelp

Ardent is one of my favorite spots to grab a beer outside. Great courtyard, conveniently located in Scott's Addition.

Krystal K.

Yelp

First time back to Ardent since COVID and I was so pleased! Wonderful COVID protocols. QR code at the table to order and very fast service. We ordered a variety of drinks; beer, cider, and kombucha. We were all very happy with our drink choices and definitely kept the drinks coming. We all had dinner as well! Their menu has a little something for everyone. I got the turkey and apple sandwich with a side Caesar salad. The food was very fresh and flavorful. The salad was crisp and dressed nicely. Service was wonderful and everyone was super nice! I love the atmosphere at Ardent. It's so open and relaxing. Beautiful lighting too!

Maria M.

Yelp

Enjoyed my beer here while I ate an Eazzy Burger next door. These two businesses share a large courtyard. Will definitely be back.

Bobbi H.

Yelp

One of our favorite. RVA breweries. Not sure I haven't already reviewed them Great beer, excellent service, comfortable atmosphere....Every visit over the last three years, Ardent has never disappointed. Love their Pilsners the best! *2020 Covid Note: Pick up procedures were on point during height of pandemic and social distancing/cleaniness upon reopening was top-notch.

Sabrina C.

Yelp

So! Gave it another go! I got the Barrel Aged Honey Lemon spiced ale. BOURBON TO THE MAX! Very good beer! Friendly staff and had lots of people! Love the vibe!

Bob M.

Yelp

COVID review: They were spot on with COVID rules. No touch ordering on phone. Only outside. Masks off only at seat. Now the beer. Very good. The beer was complex and mature. (I have been brewing for 30 years). I am an IPA person and had any choices. The DIPA was great. Strong without tasting strong. Attentive staff. Ample outside seating. Not kid friendly.

Mike J.

Yelp

Great beer and fun place to hang out with friends. Definitely recommend stopping by and trying out there beers. Super good and a regular stop!

Austin G.

Yelp

Ardent Craft Ales is a large beer house in the Scott's Addison neighborhood blocks from many other breweries and cideries. It's also one of the best ones we went to if you like IPAs. The space is large with a big indoor area with a long bar and a massive outdoor space that gets full quickly during warmer months. The bartenders are friendly and can pour you a flight of four with healthy pours. There's a pizza food truck in the back serving great slices of pizza.

Samantha L.

Yelp

Ardent Craft Ales is a brewery in Scott's Addition that has a taproom and beer garden. They had a little over a dozen beers on tap. My boyfriend and I shared a tasting flight of Pilsner, IPA 14, Spiced Cranberry Gose, and Pomegranate Gose. Between the two gose, I liked the Spiced Cranberry Gose more. It was light, fruity, tart, salty, and dry. While paying at the counter, we learned about the RVA Beer Trail, where you visit at least five breweries in exchange for a trucker hat. We wished that we knew about this sooner as we already visited some of them.

Nathan D.

Yelp

Vibes | Outdoor | conversation Vibes: the vibe of ardent is pretty cool. It offers an international hipster feel with craft beers (IPAs and imports) from a variety of areas. The staff is knowledgeable, helpful, and enthusiastic about helping you find a good beer. Outdoor: the best part of ardent is the outdoor space. With tables of various sizes 2-8 people it's the perfect spot to enjoy an afternoon with friends or even on a first date. Conversation: overall the place is set up to meet your friends or meet new ones. I went to have a drink with a college friend, and we ended up making friends with the 3 tables around us. That experience does not appear to be unique because many groups were mingling. Pro Tip: free samples so you don't have to guess what you want, you can be confident via a sample. Pro tip: no military or student discount

Stephanie J.

Yelp

During COVID-19 it is highly recommended to make a reservation in advance online (especially for the weekends). There is currently outdoor seating only in their beer garden. When you arrive you check-in and they will show you to your table. Once seated you pull the menu up by scanning the QR code that is on the table and order your beer. Most breweries around here are not doing flights at the moment, I wish that Ardent at least offered half pours. I was limited with what I could try because of this. We ordered the tart cherry hibiscus gose, honey ginger and saison. I also tried the IPA at home after purchasing a 6-pack of cans. The beers were good but nothing really stuck out to me. If you are hungry, food is available. Cheers!

Dan C.

Yelp

Tasty craft brews and good space to enjoy indoor and outdoor. Stopped in early to pick up some brews. Not all craft brew spots in RVA are open earlier in the day. Staff was polite and helpful in picking out a few four packs to depart with. Look forward to hang out in the indoor/outdoor space. Plenty of parking around the space and neighborhood. Recommend

Cassie R.

Yelp

Great place to enjoy a beer on a weekend afternoon. I do wish there was more shaded seating in their beer garden, but you can still find one if you're willing to move when another group leaves.

John B.

Yelp

Good selection of beers and great service. Relaxed atmosphere. We enjoyed great BBQ from next door ZZQ.

Dana P.

Yelp

Loved the outside setting! It was a nice night and staff was very friendly! My husband and I got an IPA flight and finished on a stout! All were so good! The French dip sandwich was really good and hit the spot! Would definitely come here again!

Barbara B.

Yelp

The beer here is amazing - I love this place - we usually sit outside and enjoy the weather and the tables with umbrellas. It's very friendly staff and they have nightingale ice cream A++ this is our go to in Scott's addition my fave is the honey ginger beer

Alyx F.

Yelp

Made a reservation for having some beers here and had a really great time! They are practicing good social distancing tactics with outdoor seating, mobile phone ordering and spaced out tables. Everyone was super friendly who we talked to and they were very helpful. I got the Busky Blend which is a sour collaboration with Busky cider and it was absolutely perfect given the heat. We ended up taking home a variety of IPAs!

Mary C. S.

Yelp

Large dog friendly patio and almost all the tables have umbrellas for shade. Hubby had a 4-beer tasting sampler and then settled on IPAX. No food service but dogs still not allowed in the interior as we quickly found out when it began pouring outside. Everyone on the patio is trying to get inside, out of the rain, and we were IMMEDIATELY swarmed by 2 staff members telling us the dogs must stay outside. They were polite, but I thought we were bringing a dangerous weapon into the brewpub.

Katie Rae S.

Yelp

Love the beer garden and the staff is wonderful! Great atmosphere and beer! Check out the happy hour, $3 beer!!

Aubrey W.

Yelp

The perfect place to spend an hour or two sipping beers and trying some delicious bites of food, Ardent should not be slept on in the Richmond craft brewery scene. We tried two of their toasts, which were 7 or 8 dollars each. They were pretty reasonably priced given the size. They consisted of delicious toasted sourdough and were slathered with toppings. We got the pimento toast and the gouda with fig jam toast, but my favorite was definitely the latter. Sweet, savory, and cheesy, it was a perfect complement to our tasting flight. The flight was lovely, but my top brew was the mixed berry gose. Coming in second was the ardent wheat beer. Both were very refreshing and perfect for a warm spring day. Ordering was super easy through the Toast app and a QR code on the table. Overall this is a great spot in Richmond!

Danvy C.

Yelp

This brewery is doing an awesome job with COVID safety regulations. Their seating areas are spaced out nicely, and the walkways are labeled clearly. We ordered a flight of 4 beers which was a GREAT DEAL compared to others around the same block, in terms of price. Nothing really stood out to us this day (visited the last week of March), but all of the beers had a light, refreshing feel to them. Service was great with friendly staff, and free street parking was super easy to find in the area.

Tami M.

Yelp

Really great beer, food and service! Relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere. (Limited parking)

Nick R.

Yelp

Okay okay this may not be the most trustworthy review you've ever read because 1) I don't drink 2) I'm a vegetarian and 3) I don't live in Richmond. (No, come back! Please!) but even for one of my boring ilk, Ardent was a great. Experience. Why? The amount of thought put into the food here is nothing short of prodigious. I may not drink beer, but I do love everything fermented. So with some trepidation I asked for the kimchi grilled cheese. Little did I know...it was delicious. Nice, sour kimchi without overpowering funk, and a spicy and savory pimento cheese that you really should try in something. My friend had the Mexican hot dog, which again, no expectations, but really hit it out of the park. Lime créma, cotija, pickled serranos, on a wagyu hotdog to boot (nani?). Someone has put effort into this menu, it's not perfunctory bar food. Next time I'd really go out on a limb and kick it with a vegan banh mi. Oh, also, pro tip for the .0005% of people who come to a brewery and don't drink beer: the Ninja Kombucha is fire. (In a good way. Not like, super strong alcohol content.) I had the golden berry fennel seed flavor, and besides having my mind blown by that combo, it blew my tongue up to heavenly heights too. Well done, Argent. See you next time I'm in Richmond.

Bill W.

Yelp

Happy hour is great, beer is excellent, with the courtyard restaurants, this place is hard to beat

Kathleen D.

Yelp

Ardent is an open brewery -- figuratively and literally. My friend and I walked by around 8 p.m. on Saturday evening and decided to try a couple brews before moving on to another brewery on our agenda nearby. They have a queue system but fortunately it was short. You show your ID and order your beer from one person who sends it through, and you pick it up when they call your name. Pretty easy. They don't do flights, but they do offer 5 oz. pours like some of the other places in the vicinity, so I ordered a couple of those and waited for my friend. She didn't have the same luck I had. She got flustered by the ID process and confused by the order system, so she ended up with a large IPA when she thought it would be something else entirely. I'm not sure how that happened -- I had already moved along -- but I will say my review rating is likely higher than hers would be. Once we had our brews in hand, we headed back outside to their expansive space and found seats at a picnic table. Lots of kids were running around with toys (hence, they are open to anyone...) and some were even playing with chalk on the ground. The open-air and tent space were both well done. I'd definitely say this is a fair weather brewery, and if we weren't looking to maximize our time in the city, we likely would've stayed longer and tried more options...especially to redeem my friend's poor ordering experience. I enjoyed both of my selections: the honey ginger and the saison. Definitely solid choices!

Haley Alyssa J.

Yelp

Ardent is the kind of brewery where you can easily spend an entire day with some friends. The beer is tasty and strong, with my favorites currently being the Saison and the Honey Ginger. The staff is very helpful if you aren't sure what you want, and they're attentive about cleaning off tables while you sit and chat. The main seating area is a large patio with numerous large picnic tables and tables and chairs equipped with umbrellas to keep you in the shade. The picnic tables also lead to a casual, communal atmosphere, and it's easy to strike up conversations and meet some cool people. It's both dog and family friendly, so you'll frequently see people with pets on leashes snoozing under the tables or babies in strollers while their parents enjoy an afternoon or evening out. You're welcome to bring your own food since Ardent doesn't sell any, but there are also often food trucks parked alongside the patio.

Lauren L.

Yelp

Ardent is always a favorite! It was so nice to be back to a little bit of "normal". I would recommend a reservation. They were able to squeeze us in for an hour. Everything was so easy. We were able to sit outside and order everything from our phones. The staff brought the drinks out quickly after ordering. They also had a water cooler with ice cold water inside and outside.

On the Grid : Ardent Craft Ales

How to Spend 24 Fabulous Hours in Richmond, Va. - Eater DC

"Ardent is one of more than 30 breweries in the Richmond area. It features a kid- and dog-friendly patio, making it a great place to sample a summery Saison or a tart Gose." - Missy Frederick

Richmond

17 of the Best Breweries in Richmond, Virginia - Eater DC