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Here it is—the week in beer. Rrad on for some brief notes and my picks or click on any event in the D.C. Beer Events Calendar above for the more details.
PICK OF THE WEEK: Kasteel Bruin from Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck in Belgium is one of the beers that turned me on to beer. I had never thought a beer could smell like fresh bread or taste like toffee and dates. Long story short, I haven’t been the same since my first taste of this intensely rich, strong dark Belgian ale. Tuesday evening Belga Café is centering their monthly pairing dinner around beers from Van Honsebrouck. The list includes Brigand, a strong pale ale, Kasteel’s Bruin, Tripel, Rouge, and Cuvee du Chateau, and two St. Louis fruit beers, Framboise (raspberry) and Peche (peach). Dishes like a roasted red beet salad with Belgian beer dressing and a crispy-skinned chicken breast marinated in Kasteel Rouge should make for a lovely evening. Seating begins at 6:30pm and reservations are $49 per person.
Also Tuesday, Schlafly Beer co-founder Dan Kopman will be at Pizzeria Paradiso in Old Town Alexandria for a meet and greet and happy hour with five Schlafly beers. Schlafly’s Kölsch, American Pale Ale, Coffee Stout, Biere de Garde, and Pale Ale (not to be missed on cask) will be $3 from 5 to 7PM and come with a free Schlafly glass. Read more about Dan Kopman in my recent post about his work with The Small BREW Act.
Tuesday is also the last of a series of beer classes focused on the importance and influence of the ingredients of beer on specific beer styles put on the the Washington Wine Academy. This week’s registrants will taste six beers to learn all about yeast. Class starts at 7:30PM and costs $58.
On Wednesday, Belga Caféwill host a happy hour from 5 to 7PM featuring Brewery Ommegang‘s new limited edition strong Belgian golden ale Gnomegang, a collaboration brew with Brasserie D’Achouffe of Belgium. Not familiar with D’Achouffe? You will probably recognize the red-capped gnome on their large bottle beers.
No beer will be served, but for those with an opinion about whether or not D.C. breweries should be allowed to have tasting rooms to serve beer, the hearing for the proposed D.C. Beer Manufacturer’s Act will be in room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building at 10AM. The hearing is open to the public but people wishing to testify must register.
On Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30PM, Chinatown Coffee is partnering with Takorean food truck for a dinner special. Customers can bing food orders into the shop to eat and purchase $3 Lagunitas and Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale. Look forward to more beer and food truck dinners in their weekly series.
It’s still March Madness which means Rustico is still serving up real ale for Cask Madness at both Virginia locations.
Send submissions for the D.C. Beer Events calendar to thelagerheads@gmail.com.