DC Beer Week 2010

After last year's successful inaugural week, the good folks at DC Beer Week are back for a second round.  This year's festivities kick off on August 20, 2010 with DC Nerd Nite and Rock & Barley Concert at the Rock & Roll Hotel.  Of course, there are the standard fare happy hours, brewer meet & greets, and beer dinner pairings through out the week.  They've also added some novel events like the Cherry Blossom Craft Beer Cruise on August 22nd.

We've been having trouble viewing the DC Beer Week Web site, which could be do to our IT incompetence.  Absent the Web site, you can start planning your week by checking out this Washington CityPaper article.  You can also find events information on their Facebook page, twitter feed, or on the DC Beer Events calendar.  So basically you have no excuses for not finding something to do between August 20th and 28th.

Hope everybody inside the Beltway is getting thirsty.

gone Dogfishin'

It's not quite like getting an exclusive with Lebron James but this is a big week for us. The Trusty Assistant and her gang of merry men kicked off DC's 2009 Beer Week at Brasserie Beck for the Dogfish Head Happy Hour.

The Beck is known for it's French/Belgian food and brew. Today, they made room at the bar for some of Delaware's finest. From 5:00 - 7:00p it was a first-come-first-serve attack on the brewery fast becoming known for international ingredients. Most know Dogfish Head for their IPAs and rightfully so. Raison D'Etra speaks for itself. However, the Dogfish is walking the cutting edge with ancient recipes and ancient ingredients. It's fast becoming their new niche and they do it well. Raison, Theobroma, and Fort were on tap at $5.50 per this evening.

We focused on Theobroma. The Dogfish Head Rep told us "it's not as hot as you think", which conjures up images of suicide wings and a dare we couldn't pass up. The other bonus of Theobrama is that it is based on cocoa - like all that is good in life. The flyer at the bar notes that this brew includes "Aztec cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, honey, chiles, and annatto." It's a beer and it's hot. Not suicide wings hot but it leaves the taste buds tingling.

We paired Theobrama with the lamb sandwich and some of the best fries in the District. The two make a good pairing but given the Beck's offerings you could pair just about anything with Theobrama. You might also try the Quiche Lorraine.

The only negative to report is that the Beck ran out of both Theobrama and Fort. Sure, Raison is a good brew but running out of the rarities puts a damper on the festivities. It was a two-hour event so there's no good excuse for not allowing patrons to drink and be merry.

A Map of Beer Week Events

Want to know where you're DC Beer Week event is happening? Click on the map below - created by Capital Spice.

DC Beer Week - This Time It's Official

In May, we brought you the unofficial beer week in Washington, DC that culminated in the SAVOR event at the National Building Museum. We are pleased to bring you the Inaugural DC Beer Week as mentioned in the Washington City Paper and detailed on the Fermentation Education group page on Facebook. The festivities kick off on August 16th and run through August 21st.

The highlights:

August 16th: “Unity Jam” at Rock & Roll Hotel - $20 gets you ten 4 oz. sample pours of rare craft beers.

August 17th: Dogfish Head Happy Hour at Brasserie Beck. 5-7 pm

August 18th: Rogue Oregon Oyster and Ale Festival at The Reef. 5-10 pm

August 19th: Belgian Beer Invades the Capitol at Capitol Lounge. 5 pm

August 20th: Brew at the Zoo After Party at Asylum, 9:30 pm

August 21st: Nationals v. Brewers - Drink the Nationals Park’s microbrews. Beer Week attendees receive 25 percent off tickets in selected areas.

There are many more events going on this week so make sure you check the DC Beer Week Web site. You will also find participating breweries and restaurants.

Cheers!