Love beer?: If so, this is the week you’ve been waiting for. The annual Craft Brewers Conference—a
trade show geared toward professionals in the industry—comes to Washington this week,
and plenty of bars and restaurants are hosting beer tastings, parties, and dinners
for the public during the conference. If you don’t see your favorite beer bar below,
it’s worth calling over to see what’s on tap.
Passover feasts and wines: Monday marks the start of Passover this year, and there are plenty of options for
the holiday. Cooking at home? Wine expert
Michael Dumas has tips for picking the best kosher wines. Rather dine out? A number of restaurants host Seder
meals,
from five-course feasts to casual affairs with specials such as Manischewitz sangria
and matzo-ball soup.
Wild ales and punk rock brew: On
Monday, anyone interested in wild ales can head over to Meridian Pint beginning at 5 for a number of draft and bottle pours of the natural stuff, as well
as a discussion with
Charles Psenka of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. More interested in rocking out? The downstairs basement
bar plays host to the East Coast vs. West Coast Punk Rock Brew Tour starting at 7, with craft brews from both sides of the country and plenty of music.
French wine dinner: Bastille hosts a wine dinner on
Monday, featuring French dishes that pair well with wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank region.
The five-course menu is available online. The event starts at 6:30 with Lillet aperitifs and costs $95 per person. Reserve by
calling 703-519-3776.
Beer and sushi: Farmers Fishers Bakers gets in on the brewing action with a beer and sushi pairing event on
Tuesday from 7 to 9. You’ll find a special menu of Japanese-inspired fare paired with five
craft brews from Virginia. All-inclusive tickets are available on site for $44 per
person.
Go “Gnomegangnam Style”: Jack Rose Dining Saloon celebrates four days of beery festivities starting on
Tuesday with an evening pairing Flying Dog brews with stogies from W. Curtis Draper Tobacconist.
Still yearning for the “Gangnam Style” heyday? On
Wednesday, put on your finest Psy-inspired costume and head to the terrace for a party featuring
$6 drafts of Ommegang Brewery’s seasonal Belgian strong ale—Gnomegang—plus dancing
and prizes for the best dressed. That’s from 5 to 10. There’s also a
Game of Thrones-inspired dinner
Wednesday, an Epic Brewing Company tap takeover
Friday, and more. See details on Jack Rose’s website.
Flock to a Goose Island dinner: Brasserie Beck hosts a four-course dinner with
five beer pairings on
Tuesday at 6:30 showcasing brews from Chicago’s Goose Island Beer Company. The meal is $95,
all inclusive, and spaces can be reserved by calling 202-408-1717.
Drink local: Virtue Feed & Grain celebrates local brewers with a number of exclusive and unreleased draft brews on
Wednesday at 5. You’ll find pints from Starr Hill, Tuppers’, Roanoke Railhouse, and more. The
beers are priced individually.
Get funky: The Black Squirrel kicks off its conference festivities on
Wednesday with beers and representatives
from Colorado breweries Funkwerks and Firestone Walker, starting at 7. You’ll also
get a taste of the new oak-barrel pizza with smoked tomatoes, Gouda, and caramelized
onions. Other events during the week include a canned
brew happy hour and a celebration of Colorado breweries.
Brews and tunes: The 9:30 Club gets in the conference spirit with three days of shows featuring
different breweries and musicians. First up on
Wednesday at 7, you’ll find suds from Dogfish Head and tunes from the Feelies.
Tickets are $20 per person. That’s followed by Flying Dog and Escort on
Thursday, and Devils Backbone and the Infamous Stringdusters on
Friday. Check the schedule for prices and showtimes and to purchase tickets.
Oregon wine dinner: Head to Addie’s on Wednesday at 6:30 for a four-course wine dinner crafted around local ingredients and dishes that pair with Pinot Noirs from the boutique
EIEIO Winery in Willamette Valley, Oregon. See the menu online,
and call 301-881-0081 to reserve a space for the event ($105 per person).
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
