He will make you laugh, confused, interested, uncomfortable, thirsty, and wanting more. Will Herring (aka Willy Beans) of Crossroads Coffee & Ice Cream is sharing his love and knowledge of beer from inside his shop, out into the world via a new web series called Tapside with Willy Beans.

Tapside is the product of community, beer, and enthusiasm originating from the mission of Crossroads, personality of Herring, and the combined brains of the Home on the James production team.

Crossroads has undoubtedly been the creative, quirky, community-minded, social epicenter of the Southside since 2002. One thing you may not know about this little orange shop is its evolution into one of Richmond’s top beer destinations.

Introduced three years ago, Crossroads’ 16 taps have brought new life to this neighborhood hub that is regularly filled with live music and an eclectic cast of characters. “In the end, we are a coffee shop that sells beer. But more than that, we are a gathering spot,” says Herring.

Upon walking into Crossroads, you feel it. You want to linger, have conversation, say “Hi” to your neighbor, be creative, and try something new.

Crossroads’ beer selection is far beyond everyday tastes. It’s a journey. Herring’s choices are random, diverse, seasonal, local, global, delicious, and never mediocre. “Life is too short to compromise on anything…I won’t sell anything I’m not proud of sharing with my customers,” explains Herring.

With this mentality, his social antics, and flirtatiously brewed behavior, the idea for Tapside sparked. For those who frequent Crossroads, one can easily imagine Herring by a fireside, smoking a pipe, stoically talking about featured beers. But who can relate to that? So Home on the James shifted gears to Herring in his safe place, next to the taps of his own shop, in front of his own people, drinking his own beer, welcoming you to join him.

“The hardest part of the production is holding the camera still,” says Hunter Davis, producer of Home on the James. “I’m usually laughing throughout the scenes. It takes no time for Will to create a character and become it. Everything is improvisation and rarely scripted. Drinking beer is all about having fun and Will masters that. I hope it shows.”

Tapside is merely an extension of Crossroads, a way to bring it home with you. If you haven’t had the opportunity to share a beer with Herring, now you can. Upon a recent visit, a customer enthusiastically exclaimed she never thought she’d be lying in bed, an intimate space, while her husband pays more attention to Herring on the screen of his cell phone than her.

Richmonders can check out Tapside with Willy Beans on the Crossroads RVA or Home on the James Facebook pages.