After a much deserved week of rest, I am out of the bars and back at the computer to give you the low-down on weekly beer events in and around the District. Things are a bit quiet this week, as many are still recovering from Savor madness. More on Savor week later, but read on for a brief run-through of upcoming events, or click on any item in the D.C. Beer Events Calendar above for more details.
Lagerheads Pick: Starting Wednesday, Et Voila! in the Palisades is hosting a five-day Belgian Beer Festival. The celebration kicks off that evening with a five-course pairing dinner prepared by chef Claudio Pirollo. Through Sunday, there will be daily happy hours from 5 to 7 p.m. with featured brews for only $4 and complimentary tastings of other Belgian beers. Each day will also feature a flight of small pours of three beers available for $15, and the kitchen will have a special menu of cuisine à la bière like Flemish beef stew with Belgian frites, Belgian endive salad prepared with bleu and Chimay Cheese, and Hoegaarden ice cream.
Starting Monday, ChurchKey put on every single one of Mikkeller‘s education-focused Single Hop India Pale Ales. Some may have run out already, but many are likely to be on throughout the week. This is an excellent opportuntiy for budding beer geeks to get a lesson in what different varieties of hops taste and smell like, as each 6.8% alcohol-by-volume IPA is brewed with the same recipe except for the hops.
Also tapped Monday, but not sure how long it will last, was a rare cask of Aventinus Eisbock at Old Europe in Upper Northwest. When that beauty kicks, the bar will put on their other of only 200 G. Schneider & Sohn casks to make it to the United States, Wiesen Edel-Weisse. Both rare treats are delightful on cask.
Tuesday is Thunder Burger‘s first anniversary party, where you can enjoy more than 20 draft beers, most of them craft brews, for $5 or less. The place is also serving half-price burgers, including those with game meat like elk, boar, and bison.
On Friday, at the brewery in Rockville, Baying Hound Aleworks is launching a monthly imperial draft series. “Sloppy Drunk” Double Imperial India Pale Ale will be the first of their high-alcohol experimental beers on draft at the tap room for $5 a pour starting at 6 p.m.
Also going on this week is the annual Beer, Bourbon and Bar-B-Que Festival at the National Harbor. Saturday sessions are sold out, but you can still go Friday.
Send submissions for the D.C. Beer Events calendar to thelagerheads@gmail.com.