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The week of organized beer fun includes rare brew nights, tasting dinners, and you can even enjoy craft beer while making art. Read on for my picks and for more details on any event, click on it in the D.C. Beer Events Calendar above.
PICK #1: On Tuesday starting at 5 p.m., the taps at Meridian Pint will be taken over by Epic Brewing Company of Salt Lake City, Utah. Brewery co-owner David Cole is bringing 15 of his beers, most of which have never been to D.C. before. In addition to three from the classic series, the list contains brews from Epic’s elevated series, which are different with every batch, and a whopping nine offerings from Epic’s rare and interesting exponential series. Some of the most drool-worthy include Rio’s Rompin’ Rye, described as freshly baked rye bread with lemon and spices, and Brainless on Peaches, Epic’s Brainless Belgian ale aged with organic peach puree in French Chardonnay casks. Epic, indeed!
PICK #2: Also on Tuesday, ChurchKey is sharing a true rarity: Belgian lambics on cask. Hanssens Oude Gueuze and Oude Kriek are hard enough to find in bottle, but nearly impossible to find served via hand pump, even in Belgium. Lambic is a blend of several vintages of sour ales produced by spontaneous fermentation from wild airborne yeasts. The gueuze and kriek are made similarly, but the latter is aged with black cherries. Casks will be tapped at 6 p.m. and will likely not last long, depending on how many eager drinkers can stand the tartness of these mouth-puckering brews.
You can start your post-Easter week by hopping over to RFD to partake in their weekly “Hoppy Monday” special. This week’s featured beers include the award-winning Red Nectar amber, Stoudts Smooth Hoperator American-style doppelbock, and hometown favorite DC Brau Public pale ale. All three brews are on special for $4 a pint all night. Bonus: it’s half-price burger night. For those who want to make a night of hop-forward beers in Chinatown, Iron Horse is featuring Flying Dog El Dorado single hop imperial India pale ale on special for $3 a pint all evening.
On Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Belga Café will host a pairing dinner featuring Belgian blonde ales. Chef Bart Vandaele will prepare three courses matched with seven beers and personally guide the tasting. The menu includes Bavik’s Petrus Blond paired with steak tartare, Ommegang & Brasserie d’Achouffe’s Gnommegang with fish and spring vegetables, and Unibroue’s Ephémère, a delightful sweet apple beer from Quebec that should go nicely with a dessert of kiwi soup and passion fruit sorbet.
On Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Elephant and Castle in the Penn Quarter is hosting a beer dinner featuring the brews of Baltimore’s Heavy Seas Beer with brewery founder Hugh Sisson.
Also this Wednesday, The Black Squirrel kicks off “Fat Summer” with a constant stream of beer from New Belgium Brewing Company of Ft. Collins, Colorado. Throughout the summer, Black Squirrel will replenish their stock of Fat Tire and several other New Belgium brews including Ranger IPA, Mothership Wit, 1554 Enlightened Black Ale and whatever else they can get their hands on.Weekly food pairings start with chef Gene Sohn‘s infamous bison burger stuffed with brie and wrapped in Smithfield ham.
On Thursday starting at 6 p.m., Bourbon in Adams Morgan will feature several Belgian-style witbiers in all their refreshing orange peel and coriander splendor. The event, coined “Wit Riot,” will showcase Great Lakes Holy Moses, Dogfish Head Namaste, Flying Dog Woody Creek White, and the rare, hoppy Mikkeller Not Just Another Wit.
The most unique event of the week is the Renwick Gallery‘s craft beer and craft making “handy hour” on Thurday at 5:30 p.m. For $15, attendees can pillage a found-art buffet and work on their own crafty pursuits while sipping on a variety of craft brews from ChurchKey and listening to local musician Aaron Thompson.
Finally, on Saturday Great Lakes Brewing Company is throwing a crawfish boil at Little Miss Whiskey’s in the Atlas District. Perks include a commemorative cup and all the beer and food you can eat from 2 to 6 p.m. for $30.
For the complete list of beer events, check out the calendar above. If I missed something, let me know.
Send submissions for the D.C. Beer Events calendar to thelagerheads@gmail.com.