Photo by Josh Bassett.
With another successful SAVOR Week on the books (take that New York), DC Beer Week shifts the focus from breweries that we can’t normally get in D.C. to beer that is local to us—and rightfully so. With so many breweries opening up in the area, it is often hard to keep track of breweries seemingly popping up on a weekly basis. Most of us beer nerds who spend our time constantly trolling the beer news sites and Twitter feeds have a hard time keeping up with all the growth, so it is great to have a week that focuses solidly on the local beer scene.
And while the focus is beer, there’s so much more to learn and experience while drinking: stand-up comedy, beer cocktails, food pairings, policy panels, education, homebrewing, and even a number of friendly competitions. And, you know…plenty of local brews to try. DC Beer Week is a celebration of all we’ve accomplished for drinking culture in this city: going from being known as a stuffy martini town to having a wide ranging beer culture that many cities respect and even admire.
Though these are our picks, the best event is the one you’re at. You can check out the whole lost over at the DC Beer Week page.
Sunday 8/9
DCBW Brewers on the Block!
DC Beer Week 2015 kicks off at Suburbia at Union Market with over 20 breweries, cideries, and meaderies. The event will feature tastings, live DJs, and a ribbon cutting ceremony with a special guest who will also tap the first official keg of DCBW’s Solidarity Beer of 2015. Tickets are $35 (general admission) which gets you 3 hours of unlimited beers. VIP tickets are $60, which gets you an extra hour and an enhanced beer selection from Suburbia, along with frozen slushies and other summer goodness.
Suburbia at Union Market is located at 1309 5th St NE
Monday 8/10
Craft of Comedy: DCBW Edition
The popular Craft of Comedy is back and this time it’s focused around great (mostly) local breweries at The Big Hunt. Each brewery will have one core and one specialty beer on draft, and any time one of these are ordered, guests will get a raffle ticket good for a bunch of prizes ranging from a shirt to a free brewery tour. Featured beers include 3 Stars Peppercorn Saison and Cognitive Dissonance, Flying Dog Snakedog and Counter Culture, Ocelot Idle Hands and Home, and Lagunitas IPA and Sour Mash Daytime.
The Big Hunt is located at 1345 Connecticut Ave NW
Tuesday 8/11
2nd Annual Battle of Barrel-Aged Beer
Come out and see your favorite breweries compete in this year’s battle at Boundary Stone. Defending champ DC Brau will be looking to hold off some stiff competition. This year’s competitors are: DC Brau, 3 Stars Brewing Company (the 2014 runner-up), Atlas Brew Works, Port City Brewing Company, and Hellbender Brewing Company. Tickets are $20 and gets you a a 4 oz pour from each brewery and a vote to crown this year’s champion.
Boundary Stone is located at 116 Rhode Island Avenue NW.
Wednesday 8/12
Earn Your Beer PhD
Woodrow Wilson is the only president to stay in Washington when he left the White House, and this event takes place at his home, featuring his art, gifts of state, and furniture. Come learn from the experts about D.C.’s brewing past and present, prohibition, and President Wilson’s legacy from Peter Jones and Mike Stein of Lost Lagers; Capital Beer author Garrett Peck; and Woodrow Wilson House executive director Bob Enholm. This is a hands-on learning experience, complete with quizzes, games, door prizes, and, of course, beer. Tickets are $15 per person and include two beers and snacks. Additional beer can be purchased for $5.
The Woodrow Wilson House is located at 2340 S Street NW.
Thursday 8/13
Victory Give ‘N Grub
Victory Beer and Dodge City DC have teamed up to celebrate craft beer and food while simultaneously serving the greater good. On the third Thursday of every month (give or take), Dodge City will host a pop-up restaurant with a guest chef and specialty drafts from Victory & friends. These pop-ups are designed to give established chefs an opportunity to stretch outside the barriers of their current kitchens, and all profits from food sales will go directly to the cause of that chef’s choosing. Bar Pilar Chef Jesse Miller will be leading the DC Beer Week installment, and Victory will be taking over the taps and featuring several rare brews.
Dodge City is located at 917 U Street NW.
Cider and Mead Tap Takeover
City Tap House will offer a selection of ciders and meads on tap in addition to ten cask beers. Refreshing ciders for the evening include Millstone Cellars, Jack’s Cider, Bold Rock Hard Cider, Potter’s Craft Cider, and Mckenzie’s Hard Cider. Standout meaderies that will be featured on tap include Charm City Meadworks and B. Nektar Meadery, as well as casks from breweries such as Flying Dog Brewery, Oliver Brewing Company, 3 Stars, and Mad Fox Brewing Company. Pricing range from $6 to $14 per draft.
City Tap House is located at 901 9th Street NW.
Friday 8/14
Blind & Bitter
In what has become an annual DC Beer Week tradition, Scion Restaurant and Crios Modern Mexican have collected the best hoppy beers available for a one-of-a-kind blind tasting event. The restaurant will be serving 25 different IPAs and DIPAs completely blind, and guests will vote on the best beers of the night. Guests will receive a free prize with every vote, while supplies last. Scion will also be tapping three specialty casks from the previous winners. Featured casks, bottles, and cans will be available for $3 for the duration of the event. All blind beers will be available in 4 ounce and full size pours. Tickets are not required for this event.
Scion Restaurant is located at 2100 P Street NW.
DC Beer Week Takeover
Join a number of top tier breweries and High Velocity at the Washington Marriott Marquis for a tap takeover featuring Atlas Brew Works, Heavy Seas, Hardywood, Sam Adams, 21st Amendment, Schlafly, and more.
High Velocity is located at 901 Massachusetts Avenue NW.
Saturday 8/15
DC Beer Week Homebrew Demo
So you’re pretty good at drinking beer, but how are you at making it? Here’s a chance to learn. Using ingredients generously donated by the DC Homebrew Shop, the DC Homebrewers will demonstrate how to make a delicious ale or lager in the comfort of your very own home. And you get to follow along, pint in hand, on Meridian Pint’s patio. Perfect for novices and advanced brewers alike. No reservations required, food and beers sold a la carte.
Meridian Pint is located at 3400 11th Street NW.
Sunday 8/16
Beer Scavenger Hunt
Bier Baron Tavern, The Big Hunt, GBD, Glen’s Garden Market, Pizzeria Paradiso, and Scion Restaurant are hosting the DCBW Local Beer Scavenger Hunt on Sunday. Going venue-to-venue, scavenger hunters will seek out local beers from 12 local breweries and other clues around Dupont Circle. Teams of up to four can compete to win brewery tours, swag, and other prizes. Teams should pre-register via EventBrite and will be given their starting point 48 hours in advance of the hunt. From there, teams will find beers and get new clues along the way. Prizes will be awarded at Buffalo Billiards starting at 5 p.m.
