When I got an email invitation to taste a new brew called Batch 19, my friend Tammy of the Lagerheads told me to bring “at least two or three other MillerCoors offerings.” I laughed, thinking that was funny, since she leans toward Belgians and small American craft brewers. I wrote back something about bringing some Bud Ice Lime Light Dry Ultra, or some such buzzword beer. But on the walk over, I called to…

Photo by Eddie Arrossi, courtesy SAVOR It was beer geek paradise at the National Building Museum on Saturday night as SAVOR blew into town. The monstrous beer and food pairing event, showcasing 70 craft beer makers with over 150 beers on display, sold out in a mere ten minutes this year. Offerings of some classic beers (Allagash White and Stone Levitation) and newer concoctions (New Holland Mole Ocho Ale with Mexican Spices and Brewer’s…

Magic Hat’s winter variety pack is in stores now with a mix of their standards and seasonals. (I picked mine up from the Giant in Columbia Heights.) With the name on the box, you might expect the Feast of Fools Stout to be inside, but no such luck. The variety is a good mix for parties, covering a range of pale to dark with four distinct flavors. And with most of the mix coming…

Photo by Samer Farha The title of this event, “Chimay Vintage Beer and Cheese Tasting,” was only partially misleading. There was some “vintage” Chimay to be had – one six-liter bottle of 2007 Chimay Grand Reserve (the blue label). And there was Chimay cheese to taste, if you ordered the special pizza with Chimay cheese. Good thing I read the full description on the DC Beer Week Facebook page, and ended up getting what…

Call up your favorite designated driver and break out your iCal – DC Beer Week is only a week away. With at least two events per night, a determined beer geek could fill every evening with multiple tastings across the city. But why run around when you’re trying to enjoy some good beer and stay out of the heat? The most in-depth calendar for Beer Week lives on their Facebook page, but here are…

According to CNN’s politicalticker blog, President Obama will meet this week with Officer James Crowley and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. over a beer to discuss the false home invasion arrest fiasco in Boston from last week. The beers chosen by each man? Budweiser for Obama, Blue Moon for Crowley, and undetermined for Gates (Gates may not even drink beer, as it turns out). Maybe Bud is Obama’s beer of choice, but being the president,…

There are two new big bottle standouts on beer shelves across D.C. this summer. The Lagunitas is a seasonal, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be the same batch this time next year. Track them down before they’re gone: Harpoon’s latest installment in their “100 Barrel Series” is the Helles Blond Bock. This rich and malty bock is smooth and creamy, like an alcoholic vanilla milkshake. Vaguely sweet with a touch of hops, a lovely…

Is it wrong to expect an innovative brewery to have equally forward thinking alehouses? Because heading to the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD, I was trying to think what kind of otherworldly experience it would be, coming from folks who turn out great beer like the 60-Minute IPA as well as interesting mixes like the Midas Touch. Would the menu continue fusions where the beer left off? Would the atmosphere push together styles that…

Is it wrong to expect an innovative brewery to have equally forward thinking alehouses? Because heading to the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, MD, I was trying to think what kind of otherworldly experience it would be, coming from folks who turn out great beer like the 60-Minute IPA as well as interesting mixes like the Midas Touch. Would the menu continue fusions where the beer left off? Would the atmosphere push together styles that…

Blended sour ales such as The Lost Abbey’s Cuvee du Tomme were the talk of the festival. Photo Craige Moore Think for a second about that scene in Willy Wonka when they first get inside the candy factory. But instead, substitute all of those amazing sweets with 68 small and independent brewers showing off their company’s best with food pairings selected for each. Oh no, you’re no Charlie – you’d be seconds behind Augustus…