The HofGarden, a German-inspired rooftop biergarten, is about to make its debut at the Hofheimer Building. (Photo courtesy Jessica Pick)
I’m sure you’ve said to yourself multiple times, “Man, I wish there was a beer garden on a rooftop in Richmond.” Well, no more musing. The owners of the Hofheimer Building, Carter and Annie Snipes, have teamed up with Bobby Kruger to answer your lamentations.
On Wednesday, May 3, at 4 p.m., the Hofheimer will premiere its new German-inspired biergarten, the HofGarden. The Bavarian garden will be two levels, with 5,000 square feet total. There will be bar games aplenty, such as Connect Four and giant Jenga, in addition to areas for sports watching. The name is a mashup of the building’s name — an homage to the rug company the building originally was built for —and the Hofgarten (Court Garden) in Munich that sits between a former Bavarian palace called the Residenz and the Englischer Garten, a large urban park.
The HofGarden will have 24 taps with German beer, regional beer and diverse wines. (Photo courtesy Jessica Pick)
The new beer garden will have 24 taps primarily focused on German beer, regional beer and diverse wines. “On the roof, which is very draft-focused, we will have draft sparkling wine and Potter's cider,” says Kruger, the HofGarden's general manager. “By the glass, we'll have a chardonnay/viognier blend, a sauvignon blanc, a rosé or two, and a pinot noir. Regarding beer selection, I'm focusing on European beers and Virginia beers. We're not doing any Richmond beers or ciders, but I have six to seven Virginia breweries that will rotate taps.”
The group also plans to serve a selection of local and imported sausages and cheeses in keeping with the biergarten vibe. Live music will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays; The Mighty Joshua will kick off the music program next Friday at sunset with a fundraiser for the Makindu Children’s Program. DJs will perform on Thursday nights.
The building, constructed in 1928 and overhauled in 2016, also houses a Peter Chang restaurant on the first floor.
