MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29
BEER: Raleigh, North Carolina-based Lonerider Brewery will make its way north for a tasting at Kramerbooks on Monday night. Sample some of their custom brews, like Shotgun Betty Hefeweizen, Sweet Josie Brown Ale, Hoppy Ki Yay IPA, and Dead Eye Jack Porter. 6 PM.
DISCUSSION: Though its existence was first proposed in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, we’re still not entirely sure how to define umami: the savory fifth sensation of taste. At the Smithsonian’s The Riddle of Umami: In Search of the Fifth Taste, journalist and food author John McQuaid will delve into umami’s mysterious history and what part it may play in the future of food. $30, 6:45 PM.
TUESDAY, MARCH 1
MUSIC: Three renowned songstresses from entirely different music backgrounds—Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Patti Griffin, Nickel Creek co-founder Sara Watkins, and “Queen of Modern Folk Music” Anaïs Mitchell—are coming to the Strathmore for a showcase called Use Your Voice. $48, 8 PM.
EAT AND DRINK: Farm-to-table restaurant Firefly is collaborating on a beer-dinner pairing with Right Proper Brewing Company for its 100 Mile Supper Series. Stop by the Dupont Circle eatery on Tuesday night for a four-course meal and the opportunity to learn about Right Proper’s brewing process. $55, 6:30 PM.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2
MUSIC: Australian rock group Wolfmother will bring its Led Zeppelin-inspired tunes to 9:30 Club on Wednesday, where they’ll be playing actual instruments unlike the ones you jammed out to while “performing” the band’s 2005 hit “Woman” on Guitar Hero. $35, 7 PM.
FILM: The Washington Jewish Film Festival runs until March 6, and tonight you can catch Israeli director Michael Vinik’s coming-of-age film Blush, which follows seventeen-year-old Na’ama as she battles the usual suburban high school angst along with heavier family strife.
