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Get out your calendars & write it in ink – the 5th annual DC Beer Week returns to the National Capital Region this August from the 11th through the 18th!

“After playing host to the Craft Brewers Conference and the booming growth of local breweries, 2013 has already been a big year for craft beer in the Washington, DC area,” says DCBW founder Teddy Folkman. “We’re excited to be bringing DC Beer Week back for a fifth year in a row to celebrate the breweries, restaurants, bars, distributors and beer aficionados in the region who are dedicated to spreading the gospel about craft beer – as well as those of us who just like drinking good beer!”

As in past years, hundreds of venues in the District, Virginia and Maryland will host a variety of beer-related events throughout the week. Restaurants, bars, breweries and other venues interested in participating in this year’s DC Beer Week should contact DC Beer Week organizers via email at dcbeerweek@gmail.com for more information.

“The entire craft beer community – from the hills of Virginia to Charm City and everywhere in between – is invited to join us in making this year’s Beer Week the biggest and best one yet,” says DCBW committee member and CEO/Executive Brewer of Mad Fox Brewing Company, Bill Madden.

We’ll be updating the website as more information becomes available. In the meantime, be sure to “LIKE” us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram (official hashtag is #DCBW2013), for the latest updates!

For some, the “weekend” started last night. For others, the party has been rolling all week long. While we’re not sure if your liver will thank you, from all of us at DC Beer Week, thanks for coming out strong to support the DC Craft Beer community! There are still some amazing beer events on tap for this weekend, so don’t worry if you just started.

Saturday

If Sours are your thing, make a beeline to Smoke & Barrel NOW! Starting at 11 am today, 18 of their draft lines will be pouring sour suds along with 6 Jolly Pumpkin brews Meridian Pint has been aging for a year in a temperature-controlled cellar. The event is free with purchase of your pints, of course.

“Oodles” of DMV breweries (that’s DC, Md & Va, not the purgatory where you get ID) are yours for the taking at just $5 each at the Smith Commons DMV Brewer’s BBQ this afternoon from noon to 5 PM. Their Mid-Atlantic Brewery Night follows at 7 PM.

Later in the afternoon, starting at 2 PM, Coney Island comes to DC at the Jack Rose Dining Saloon. Shmaltz Brewing Company and founder Jeremy Cowan take over the rooftop with games, prizes, live performers and 15 Shmaltz beers on draft.

Once the sun goes down, there are more collaborations to taste, pints to steal and event a tribute to the late, great MCA to enjoy around town.

Sunday

If you’d rather spend Sunday Funday drinking instead of resting after going hard for the past 7 days, we’ve got a couple more events for you.

Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont will be releasing the new collaboration between DC Brau and Stillwater Artisanal Ales, paired with a pizza special, at lunchtime.

And Churchkey stages The Final Act starting at noon with a slate of Bell’s brews, some of which have never made it outside of Michigan, including kegs of LeBatteur, Wedding Ale, and Roundhouse.

OUR CALENDAR HAS ALL THE DETAILS, FINE DETAILS AND SMALL PRINT.

Tonight we celebrate one of our own as Chocolate City Brewing Company marks its FIRST anniversary. Four of the local’s brews – including 1814 ESB, Cornerstone Copper Ale, First Coast Bohemian Pils, and El Segundo Farmhouse Saison – will be on tap for $5 a piece at Penn Social tonight as DC Benny C keeps the beat and the anniversary party going. It all goes down starting at 7 PM; no cover.

The Bier Baron Tavern on 22nd Street, NW, hosts a Midsummer Night Barley Wine & Vintage Beer Festival tonight starting at 7 PM. The $40 price tag includes a vertical tasting of four vintages of Anchor Brewing’s Old Foghorn and the release of the Baron’s cellar reserve list, featuring an extensive collection of rare vintage beers. Call the Tavern at 202.293.1885 for more details and availability.

Tom Knorr, founder of Evolution Craft Brewing, and the folks behind 3 Stars Brewing preside over an all-you-can-eat crab feast at Smoke & Barrel. The $45 price tag covers tax and gratuity, as well as bottomless Evolution and 3 Stars drafts from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are available at http://goo.gl/Tvj7i.

Bluejacket and DC Brau debut their new collaboration ale tonight starting at 6 PM. Other DC Brau drafts and casks will be available for purchase, too.

It’s Dominion & Fordham Domination as the Coastal Brewing Company takes over all 10 taps at Bourbon in Adams Morgan. No cover, starting at 5 PM.

FOR ALL THE DAY 6 EVENTS, CHECK OUT THE FULL CALENDAR!

Before the week began, we told you about a cool project 7 local breweries were working on together for DC Beer Week – the Solidarity Saison. Hopefully, you’ve had the chance to sample the collaboration over the past few days, and if not, you still have a little bit of time left to taste the blend that really does celebrate the unity and spirit of this growing community.

Videographer Kate M. Tobey of washingtonpost.com has been keeping tabs on the local beer scene for the last year or so. When Beer Week rolled around, she went in search of a story for the paper about how one of the local breweries she’d covered in the past had grown; but that’s not the story she found. “I quickly realized that a community had emerged versus just one brewer or another,” Kate explains. “The Solidarity Saison literally embodied that to a tee, so it really seemed like the best way to tell the DC beer story.” We couldn’t agree more and love the final result – both of the blend and the video Kate crafted:

Don’t miss your chance to taste the Solidarity Saison! It’s on tap Friday night at Meridian Pint starting at 5 PM; and then on Saturday at Smith Commons during their DMV Brewer’s BBQ (Noon–5 PM) & Mid-Atlantic Brewery Night.

In Beer We Thirst!

It’s Day 5 in the marathon of DC Beer Week – hope you haven’t hit the wall yet because tonight includes some majorly good beer!

IT’S CASK NIGHT! District Chophouse & Brewery brings back their epic celebration of drawn beer with FIFTY brews in cask tonight in their Brewer’s Lounge from 6 to 11 PM. The $50 ticket includes light ChopHouse fare, commemorative tasting glass, raffle prizes, and (oh yeah) unlimited sampling from more than 15 local breweries including Bluejacket, Brewer’s Art, Cap City, Franklin’s, Mad Fox, Union Brewing Co, White Marsh and many more! The Solidarity Saison will be making an appearance both on tap and cask conditioned, too. Call the restaurant to inquire about tickets & availability – 202.347.3434.

Tryst in Adams Morgan is hosting a Night of Funk & Folly tonight starting at 8 PM.
Enjoy five samples and one pint of rare beers (including a Brett) from New Belgium Brewing Co., plus snacks, live music, and raffles. Cover is $20 – call the restaurant at 202.232.5500 for more details.

Fans of Hopfenstark should get thee over to Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown tonight at 5 PM for their seven-course dinner paired with the beers from this Québécois brewery. Each course and pairing will be available à la carte as well. Call the restaurant at 202-337-1245 for pricing & other details.

For less structured consumption enjoyment, might we suggest:

Vegetarians (and all of us who feel like we should be hitting the gym more this week) might like to head up Meridian Pint starting at 5 PM for Ommegang’s Tap Takeover with Vegetarian Pairings. Enjoy a discount on 13 Brewery Ommegang drafts by pairing them with one of six special vegetarian mini-dishes.

Nanny O’Briens on Connecticut Ave is reliving the San Francisco Gold Rush as Anchor Brewing takes over their tap lines starting at 6 PM (including the rare, limited release Zymaster series).

Orange ya glad Granville Moore’s let us know they’re tapping a “mystery keg” of an amazingly popular beer – brewed by a mad member of the Canidae family – tonight that has more followers than Justin Bieber’s twitter account. What can it be? Find out 5pm!

And Cigarmaggedon is coming to Jack Rose Dining Saloon at 5 PM hosted by Widmer Brothers Brewing & W. Curtis Draper Tobacconist. The evening features special beer and cigar package prices, along with full-sized beers priced at only $6.

NONE OF THESE SUIT YOUR FANCY? THERE’S MORE ON THE CALENDAR HERE!

It’s Wednesday of DC Beer Week & the party is still going strong. DC Brau’s Genuine 1st Annual Official DC Beer Week Crab Festival Monumental Extravaganza at the Quarterdeck is sold out, but there are lots of other great beer events going on around town tonight:

Smoke & Barrel (2471 18th St, NW) is hosting a Beer, Meat & Whiskey: Utah Edition dinner at 7 PM. Dave Cole, founder of Salt Lake City’s Epic Brewing, and Troy Karnes, a “passionate whiskey missionary” from Park City, Utah’s High West Distillery, explore pairing meat with Utah beer and whiskey. Cost is $45 – call 202.319.9353 to reserve your spot!

Gordon Biersch is serving up a French Farmhouse Beer Dinner in Penn Quarter (900 F St NW) starting at 6 PM featuring their saison brew. Cost is $45 – call 202.783.5454 for details.

On Capitol Hill, enjoy Steam and Liberty Ale drafts by San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing for $5 all day at Cap Lounge (231 Pennsylvania Ave, SE). From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., buy one Anchor draft and all-you-can-eat crab, corn, and coleslaw for $20.

Smith Commons is pouring some of the best craft beer made on the far coast (that’s out West) with $5 draughts & small bottles from Firestone Walker, Stone, Epic, Black Diamond, Anchor, Lagunitas, Maui Brewing Co, Anderson Valley, and The Bruery.

Happy hour really has never been happier:
Rogue is taking over the taps at both Pizzeria Paradiso locations – Georgetown (3282 M St NW) & Dupont (2003 P St NW) – starting at 5 PM. Troegs is doing the same over at The Big Hunt (1345 Connecticut Ave NW) starting at 4 PM, and Allagash & Lost Rhino are taking over the taps at Meridian Pint starting at 5 PM. Weyerbacher is on tap at Penn Social (801 E St, NW) starting at 6 PM and the Solidarity Saison makes its appearances at The Big Hunt & Granville Moore’s tonight starting at 4 PM.SOVA presents their Canned Beer Night (featuring Brewers Art Resurrection) with ½ priced cans til 7; and SO MUCH MORE!

CHECK OUT THE FULL CALENDAR HERE!

[Updated on 8/13/12 with list of beer selection]

IT’S HERE! IT’S HERE! IT’S FINALLY HERE! We sincerely hope your liver is prepared for this. If you are one of the lucky craft beer fanatics who will be casting off with us on the 3rd annual DCBW Craft Beer Cruise & Dinner, here is what you might need to know before heading down to the docks this afternoon:

Tickets are no longer on sale & will not be available at the door. Current ticket holders, please note: Your name will be on a cruise manifest at the Will Call table at the top of the gangplank. Stop there first before heading down the ramp to receive your ticket. If you purchased multiple tickets under a single name, the purchaser’s name will be listed more than once (For example, if Joe Coors purchased 2 tickets, his name will be on the manifest twice). Be sure everyone in your party brings a picture ID (and is of legal age to consume alcohol)! If you purchased tickets through the WCP’s pre-sale, please bring a printed copy of your receipt (thanks!).

Boarding & beer starts at 5 PM. The cruise leaves dock at 6 PM and will return to the marina at 9 PM. The Odyssey docks at the Gangplank Marina at 6th and Water Streets, SW. The closest metro stop is Waterfront SEU station (green line).

Once you’re on board The Odyssey, you’ll enjoy unlimited tastings of more than 40 of your favorite craft beers from across the US and around the world, along with a few you’ve never before! The cruise also marks the debut of the Solidarity Saison – a special session ale crafted from a blend of Saison style beers created by 7 local DC breweries especially for DC Beer Week. So, start hydrating…NOW.

Also included in the cost of admission is a full dinner buffet, DJ, dancing and a 3-hour cruise along the Potomac with the entire Odyssey luxury yacht to ourselves as we pass the majestic skyline of the nation’s capital. The Odyssey does offer a cash bar for wine & spirits, but with all that free-flowing beer, why go to the bar? Regardless, bring a bit of pocket change in case the mood moves you.

Attire: Be comfortable but dress up a little. After all, this is a party!

The participating breweries want to surprise you, so we won’t give away any of the delicious beers they’re planning to pour. However, here’s who will be on board in case you want to play a game of “guess the beer we’ll be drinking” on the way over to the Gangplank Marina [updated on 8/13 with the 80 beers that were offered]:

3 Stars Brewing Co.
- Pandemic Porter
- Urban Farmhouse Saison

21st Amendment Brewing Co.
- Back in Black
- Bitter American

Abita
- “Save Our Shores” (aka, SOS) Pilsner
- Amber

Allagash Brewing Co.
- White
- Black
- Confluence

Belukus Marketing
- Blanche de Bruxelles (Lefebvre Brewery – Belgium)
- Strawberry Lambic (Timmermans Brewery – Belgium)
- Wells Banana Bread (Wells & Young’s Co – England)
- Belhaven Scottish Stout (Belhaven Brewery – Scotland)

Bluejacket
- Sidewalk Saison
- Washington O.C. (Quad w/ Plums)

Breckenridge
- Agave Wheat
- 471 IPA

Brooklyn Brewery
- Lager
- Oktoberfest
- Sorachi Ace

Cap City Brewing Co.
- Oatmeal Stout
- Summer Bock

Chimay
- White
- Blue

Chocolate City Brewing
- 1814 ESB
- Cornerstone Copper Ale

DC Brau
- Oaked Penn Quarter Porter
- Public Pale Ale

District Chophouse
- Ellie’s Saison
- Pale Lager

DuClaw
- Hellrazer IPA
- Mysterium

Evolution
- Lot No3 IPA
- Summer Session

Flying Dog
- Single Hop Chinook
- Single Hop El Dorado

Flying Fish
- HopFish IPA
- Farmhouse Summer Ale

Founders
- Red’s Rye PA
- Dirty Bastard

Gordon Biersch
- Kölsch
- Schwarzbier

Harpoon
- Harpoon IPA

Lagunitas
- Lagunitas IPA
- Lagunitas Pilsner

Lost Rhino
- RhinO’fest
- Rhino Chasers Pils

Mad Fox Brewing Co.
- Kölsch
- Molotov Hoptail Double IPA

New Belgium
- 2012 La Folie Sour Brown

North Coast Brewing Co.
- Brother Thelonious
- Grand Cru

Oliver Brewing Co.
- Ironman Pale Ale
- Cherry Blossom Ale

Ommegang
- Art of Darkness
- Biere d’Hougoumont

Peak Organic
- Peak Organic IPA
- Fall Summit

Port City Brewing Co.
- Monumental IPA
- Porter

Sam Adams
- Verloren
- Norse Legend

Sierra Nevada
Beer Camp Series
- Imperial Pils
- Floral IPA
- Oatmeal Stout
- Imperial Red
Sierra Nevada also poured the Ovila Abbey Saison

Sixpoint
- Resin Imperial IPA
- The Crisp Lager

Troegs Brewing Co.
- Dreamweaver Wheat
- Perpetual IPA
- Sunshine Pils

Uinta Brewing Co.
- Wyld Organic Pale Ale
- Punk’N
- Labyrinth Black Ale

Victory Brewing Co.
- Festbier
- Headwaters Pale Ale
- Hop Devil
- Prima Pils

DC Coalition of Local Brewers also presented the Solidarity Saison – the official beer of DCBW 2012!

HUGE THANKS GO OUT TO ALL OUR CRUISE SPONSORS FOR MAKING THIS EVENT HAPPEN: The Odyssey; DOPS, Inc.; Hop ‘N Wine; Legends, Ltd; Premium; the coalition of the DC Local Craft Breweries; and Washington City Paper.

Check out our photo album on the Facebook page to see how much fun we had!

For more information about The Odyssey, visit www.odysseycruises.com.

Updated regularly with new details!

Come sail away with us on August 12th as we cast off on the 3rd annual DC Beer Week Craft Beer & Dinner Cruise on the Odyssey. You’ll enjoy unlimited tastings of more than 40 of your favorite craft beers from across the US and around the world, along with a few you’ve never before! Also included in the cost of admission is a full dinner buffet, DJ, dancing and a 3-hour cruise along the Potomac as we pass the majestic skyline of the nation’s capital. There also will be a cash bar available for wine & spirits, if you get tired of beer (Blasphemy!).

The cruise will also mark the debut of the special Solidarity Saison – a special session ale crafted from a blend of Saison style beers created by 7 local DC breweries especially for DC Beer Week.

Tickets will NOT be available at the door, so purchase your ticket today!

Ticket holders: Your name will be on a cruise manifest at the Will Call table at the top of the gangplank. Stop there first to check in & receive your ticket. Be sure everyone in your party brings a picture ID!

You still want to know more? Here are the basics:

What: 3rd Annual DCBW Craft Beer & Dinner Cruise
When: Sunday, August 12, 2012 – Boarding & beer starts at 5 PM, Cruise from 6 to 9 PM
Where: The Odyssey docks at the Gangplank Marina at 6th and Water Streets, SW
Metro: Waterfront SEU station
Cost: $125 per person (must be 21+ to attend)
Attire: Be comfortable but dress up a little. After all, this is a party!

New breweries are coming on board every day, but so far on board, you’ll be sampling beers from:
3 Stars Brewing Co.
21st Amendment Brewing Co.
Abita
Allagash Brewing Co.
Belukus Marketing
Breckenridge
Brooklyn Brewery
Cap City Brewing Co.
Chimay
Chocolate City Brewing
DC Brau
District Chophouse
DuClaw
Evolution
Flying Dog
Flying Fish
Founders
Gordon Biersch
Harpoon
Lagunitas
Lost Rhino
Mad Fox Brewing Co.
New Belgium
North Coast Brewing Co.
Oliver Brewing Co – Asst Brewer Derek Davis will be on board!
Ommegang
Peak
Port City Brewing Co.
Sam Adams
Sierra Nevada
Sixpoint
Troegs Brewing Co.
Uinta Brewing Co.
Victory Brewing Co.

Email us at dcbeerweek@gmail.com with any questions, and for more information about The Odyssey, visit www.odysseycruises.com.

The humble Saison began in the farm houses of Belgium as the beer brewed for the household’s consumption during the spring to last throughout the summer. It’s durable and refreshing, and exactly what the brewers of seven local DC breweries were looking to create for this year’s DC Beer Week.

Brewers from 3 Stars, Capital City Brewing Co, Chocolate City Beer, DC Brau, District Chophouse, Gordon Biersch & Mad Fox Brewing each crafted their own interpretation of Saison, and then came together to create the Solidarity Saison – the official DC Beer Week Craft Beer for DCBW 2012! The beer was blended and carbonated at the District Chophouse, except for one cask that was pulled prior to carbonation.

Medium-bodied, unfiltered, and light orange in color, the Solidarity Saison has a very approachable yet unique aroma with notes of clove, fruit, citrus, basil, and of course Hops. It finishes slightly sweet, ends nicely dry, and once combined comes in at 6.4% ABV. With 10 different malts, 10 different hops, and 6 yeast strains, the Solidarity Saison is a great interpretation of the style that reinforces the opinion that together we are stronger than alone. A core concept of the DC Craft Beer Community overall.

The Solidarity Saison will debut on the DCBW Craft Beer Cruise & Dinner on the Potomac this Sunday (another solid reason to not miss the boat), and then will appear on tap at a different host restaurant/bar throughout the week. The Solidarity Saison tapping schedule follows:

Monday – Churchkey/Birch & Barley (6 PM start)
Tuesday – Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont
Wednesday – The Big Hunt & Granville Moore’s
Thursday – The District Chophouse (It’s Cask Night! Solidarity will be offered on draft and cask conditioned)
Friday – Meridian Pint (5 PM start)
Saturday – Smith Commons

Check out everything that’s happening during DCBW on the Official DC Beer Week Events List.

Our media partner, Washington City Paper, has been busy collecting all the delicious, thrist-quenching beer events happening in the District next week during the 4th Annual DC Beer Week. Some events require reservations, so start planning now!

Also, there are still a few tickets left for the kick-off Craft Beer Cruise & Dinner on The Odyssey, which sets sail this Sunday, August 12th at 6 PM (boarding begins at 5:30). Tickets are available online:

**Psst, discount ticket seekers should read today’s Thrillist!

Cheers!

TODAY’S THE DAY!

You have the button… You filled out the passport… Now you’re ready to get this party started (granted, we still have a few months, but it’s never too early to plan a debaucherous adventure).

The 3rd annual Craft Beer & Dinner Cruise on the Potomac is scheduled to set sail at 6 PM on Sunday, August 12th, and let us assure you, this is one beer party you don’t want to miss.

Once again this year, we’ll be cruising on the luxurious Odyssey yacht along the majestic Potomac River at sunset, drinking the select sweet fermented nectar from more than 50 craft breweries, and dancing the night away.

We’ll have more details closer to the event, including a full list of breweries that will be pouring on this year’s cruise, but for now here are the basics:

What: 3rd Annual DCBW Craft Beer & Dinner Cruise
When: Sunday, August 12, 2012 – Boarding starts at 5 PM, Cruise from 6 to 9 PM
Where: The Odyssey docks at the Gangplank Marina at 6th and Water Streets, SW
Metro: Waterfront SEU station
Cost: $100 per person (must be 21+ to attend)

Click here to purchase your tickets today!

Email us at dcbeerweek@gmail.com with any questions, and for more information about The Odyssey, visit www.odysseycruises.com.

Beer. Dinner. More beer. Dancing. A bit more beer. Scenic vistas from the deck of The Odyssey. Oh, and did we mention there will be beer on board? Tickets for the 3rd annual DCBW Craft Beer Cruise go on sale May 16th to the public, but you can purchase them at a discount before then through our media sponsor, Washington City Paper. It’s a Real Deal, but pre-sale tickets are limited. Click here for more details.

Click to download and print

Show your support for the Craft Beer movement in the DC area by buying a DCBW Button for $10 at any one of 15 participating bars  & get some sweet deals throughout April when you visit them.

Bier Baron: $2 off all local beers

The Big Hunt: Sunday thru Thursday, 9 PM to 12 AM – $1 off featured craft beers

Bourbon: Sunday thru Wednesday – $8 One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer. You get a shot of your choice of a preselected Bourbon or Scotch and a pint from one of four local brewery draft selections for $8.

Capitol Lounge: $4 Anchor Liberty or Sierra Nevadas

Churchkey/Birch & Barley: Every Monday – Half-price on all 5 cask ales from the engines

District Chophouse & Brewery: Any beer is $2.50

Granville Moore’s: $5 Ommegang BPA’s

Jack Rose: All day on Sunday & Monday – $2 off drafts

Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe & Grill: Saturday thru Tuesday, from 3 to 8 PM – $2 off draft beers

Matchbox: Half-price off a 10″ pizza (one per button, per visit)

Meridian Pint: Sunday thru Thursday – $1 off all DC Brau, Lost Rhino & Port City drafts

Pizzeria Paradiso: 10% off all bottled beers (DC locations only)

The Reef: Sunday thru Thursday – $1 off drafts

Smoke & Barrel: Sunday thru Thursday – $1 off all drafts

Tryst: It’s Happy Hour anytime – a $3-$4 craft beer selection

Also be sure to cut out the DC Beer Week passport from our ad in the March 29th issue of Washington City Paper. If you collect a stamp from all 15 bars on the cut-out, you’ll be entered into a drawing for some fabulous prizes. One grand prize winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to all 15 bars!