As we approach Savor Beer Week, we will be highlighting some exciting beers and events to attend every day throughout the week.
Beer: 3 Stars and Evolution‘s Syndicate Saison
Why you should drink it: D.C.’s next brewer is coming at you with a limited release that is sure to be talked about.
I love Savor Week. Yes, of course there are the rare beers, the fantastic pairing events and beer celebrities all over the city. But it’s more than that. It is one of the few times D.C. is looked upon as a city having no relations to politics, cronyism or whatever else the rest of the country associates with things “inside the Beltway.” All eyes focus on D.C. — not with contempt, but as the place to be if you love all things beer.
So it is with elation that on the first day of Savor Week, we will be getting a taste of what’s to come from the District’s own 3 Stars Brewery. Since their facilities aren’t up to production speed just yet, they teamed up with Delaware’s Evolution Craft brewing to create the Syndicate Saison — an oak-aged, black and red peppercorn-spiced farmhouse ale that 3 Stars brewer Mike McGarvey says is “clean, crisp, and refreshing with a dry, spicy finish and fruity nose you’d expect from a belgian/saison blend.” To me, that sounds perfect for the quickly arriving summer swelter.
On Monday evening, Churchkey will host a launch party for the Syndicate, and will be serving the beer on draft starting at 6 p.m. While Churchkey will hope to be serving this beer throughout the week, previous releases from local breweries such as DC Brau and Port City resulted in rapidly depleted stocks and a few frowns set off by those treacherous words: “Sorry folks, the keg is kicked.” I assume this highly anticipated beer will be a hot commodity and may be destined to a similar fate.
But fret not, ye craft imbibers! Even if you’re unable to attend the release party, the Syndicate will be popping up throughout the city at various other bars and restaurants during Savor Week as follows:
RFD – Tuesday, May 31
Pizza Paradiso (Dupont) – Wednesday, June 1
Bourbon (Adams Morgan) – Thursday, June 2
Meridian Pint – Friday, June 3
The Big Hunt – Saturday, June 4
Make sure to give it a try before it is gone from our city forever.
Small Pints
A doggone crabby Policy
Savor’s kick-off event at Policy offers some of the best things the Mid-Atlantic has to offer: craft beer and crabs. From 12-6 p.m., Flying Dog, Heavy Seas, Port City, DC Brau and Dogfish beers will be $5, even including specialty casks. Chef Brian Murphy will be cooking whole crabs, crab cakes and soft shell crabs with all the fixings. Take advantage of the weather, grab a seat outside, and do up your day off in style.
Schafly don’t bother me
Head over to the Big Hunt for a night featuring Schafly beers. Often found on tap at Meridian Pint, Pizza Paradiso and The Big Hunt, these St. Louis beers are not to be missed. With the temperature closing in on 90 degrees on Monday, I’d recommend arming yourself with an incredibly refreshing Schafly Kolsch. One of the best interpretations in the country may be your best weapon against summertime in the city.
Please note: This event has been moved to Thursday night.
Redrum! Red-rum!
In such a topsy-turvy world, you can always count on Iron Horse to be even more backwards than you. In the vein of a craft beer social experiment, Daniel over at Iron Horse brilliantly creates a situation where you really do put your money where your mouth is. “ROVAS” (SAVOR backwards) features $5 pints of all craft beer and $10 light domestic beers (read: Bud Light and Miller Lite). Do people really like Bud Light so much that they’re willing to pay $10 for it? Or are they just afraid to go out of their element? Let your wallet do the talking — test your dedication to your macro brand, and maybe you’ll come to the dark(er) side of full bodied craft beer. This event goes on until Thursday.
