By DCist contributor Celeste Dawn Mitchell
Two thousand of the khaki crowd’s finest came out to party Thursday at Friends of the National Zoo’s Young Professionals’ (or FONZ YP’s, if you will) sold-out Brew at the Zoo. Proceeds went toward its Asian elephant conservation project. Just in case patrons forgot they were partying for a cause, four-ounce fill-lines on souvenir mugs intimated that this was a classy tasting affair, not a frat kegger.
Though ticket prices were nearly on par with the price of a Nissan Pavilion show, music was an ambient enhancement and not a focal point. Nonetheless, Arlington country-folk-rockers The Hickories performed “1965” and other tunes from their debut EP for those who chose to ditch the beer lines and grab a spot on the grass.
Several breweries and popular food tents like Chef Geoff’s, Mie N Yu, La Tasca and Lebanese Taverna were fresh out of goods by 8 p.m. PGA Tour Grill, on the other hand, staggered its shredded beef rib sammies to last through the night, while Tryst/The Diner/Open City had more fluffy carrot cake than anyone could ever need.
Meanwhile, Arlington’s Extra Virgin seemed to have an endless supply of filet mignon. The aroma of their chargrilled steak paninis wafted throughout Lion/Tiger Hill. Chipotle showed its commitment to endangered pachyderms with class, dishing their filet mignon equivalent, barbacoa tacos. District Chop House & Brewery served up an Amber and a summery Hefeweizen, and Great America Restaurants (the Sweetwater Tavern folks) seduced lines of sinners with Yellow Devil Pilsner. Abita Brewing Company’s grapey Purple Haze also drew quite a crowd. Some might call it a chick beer, but that would be beerist.
At last call, breweries adopted a more lax “fill line, schmill line” service policy as they filled souvenir mugs to the brim. At the night’s end, amidst digit exchanging and drunken plotting to hijack the zoo’s golf carts, everyone embarked on their zigzag stumble home–or to the Red Line afterparty– through the darkened zoo. And no, you pandarazzi, Butterstick did not come out to play.
