The scene from last year’s Snallygaster. Photo by Erin.
By DCist contributor Juana Summers
In the 18th century, regions near D.C.—closer to Frederick, really—were said to be terrorized by the Snallygaster, a mythical winged dragon-like creature with a metallic beak full of razor-sharp teeth and large talons. It’s been centuries since anyone has reported sightings of the mythical beast, but its legacy lives on in D.C. in the form of a beer festival. Which makes sense because, with nearly 300 beers on tap, Snallygaster is a monster of a beer festival.
Gearing up for its third year—taking place Saturday at Yards Park—Snallygaster’s impressive lineup isn’t for amateurs. The festival’s intimidatingly huge selection of brews is curated by Greg Engert — beer director of Churchkey, Birch and Barley, and Bluejacket — and maintains some seasonal approach that speaks to the festival’s birth from an Oktoberfest event held at Rustico in Alexandria.
Speaking with DCist, Engert gave us a peek at what to expect at this year’s festival, as well as some of the beers he’s most excited about.
“We’ve included a wide range of just the most exotic and impressive craft beers available to us,” he says. “We’ve continued with a lot of the seasonal beers. The pumpkin ales, the wet hop, the fresh hop beers, the Oktoberfests. But with all the additional beers we’ve brought in, that was an opportunity to just bring some of my favorites into the festival that weren’t tethered to the seasonality.”
With beers from breweries across the country, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with options. Offerings from Anchorage Brewing Company out of Alaska are just one standout. They’ll be showcasing their Galaxy White IPA brewed with Galaxy hops, fresh kumquats, Indian coriander, and black peppercorns. There’s also the local debut of Orgone Accumulator, an orange saison from New York’s Grimm Artisanal Ales. Oklahoma-based Prairie Ales offers up Birra, a Farmhouse ale described as a perfect for drinking while grilling.
On the international side, Engert highlights the “Cantillion Fou’ Foune,” an apricot lambic. Also on the must-drink list are Snallygaster’s selection of small-batch lagers from Franconia (northern Bavaria), which are a feature at Snallygaster but otherwise tough to find.
“A lot of beers today are really big and bold, and in your face,” he says. “These are just unbelievably subtle and nuanced. Outside of once a year when we can get them in America, you pretty much have to go to Franconia for them.”
But Snallygaster isn’t limited to just beer. Expect to also see some interesting ciders floating around Yards Park. “The artisanal cider movement and artisanal mead movement has really picked up both locally and further afield,” Engert says. “So we’re incorporating a cider garden this year.” Some of the featured ciders include one from Monkton, Md.-based Millstone Cellars, as well as AeppelTreow Winery and Distillery in Wisconsin.
Photo by Melanie.
And of course there’s beer from local breweries. D.C. favorites like Right Proper, District Chophouse, DC Brau and 3 Stars are all in the mix, and Bluejacket has several variations on its Snallygaster 2014, funky Farmhouse sour ale. It’s been aged in three different wine barrels with three different fruits, and those will be released at Snallygaster, too. They’ll also debut a new sour ale, Vignette, which has been aged on 500 pounds of locally-grown cherries.
But Snallygaster isn’t just for beer nerds. Engert says he and organizers want it to be accessible for everyone who attends, no matter their level of beer knowledge or budget. “We’re always working toward a way to make an incredible amount of beer less overwhelming and more approachable,” he says.
To that end, they’re releasing a map for Snallygaster attendees so finding that perfect brew is a little less complicated. There’s already a smartphone app available online that breaks down pricing, flavor profile, beer style and location.
Even if you’re going just for the beer, you’ll need something to soak it up. Snallygaster features food from local food vendors like Red Apron Butchery, TaKorean, GBD, and Red Hook Lobster Pound. And there’ll be live music from !!!, local electro-pop band Brett, the Brothers Brau (Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock of DC Brau) and more.
Tickets for Snallygaster can be purchased here, or at the gate. Snallygaster starts at 1 p.m. and goes until 6 p.m. Yards Park is located at 1st Street SE and N Street SE.
