Talking cocktails: On Monday from 7 to 9 p.m., Petworth Citizen and Upshur Street Books hosts bass player/Shakespeare professor/cocktail aficionado Dave Wondrich, called “the closest thing to a living iPod of drink lore and recipes,” by the New York Times. Come thirsty for knowledge and sample cocktails. Tickets are $7.
The Cinco de Mayo party continues: As a part of its monthly “Royal Knights” spirits exploration series, The Royal in LeDroit Park partners with Espita Mezcaleria for “Nueve de Mayo” on Monday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., featuring mezcal cocktails and arepa tacos from Espita chef Alexis Samayoa, as well as fun extras like frozen drinks and tequila-filled piñatas.
Rockville wine and beer series: Rockville Town Square hosts a drink series on the second Wednesday of every month with nine area restaurants, each of which offers a special menu with wine and beer pairing options–like a mini restaurant week, with participants such as Ev & Maddy’s, La Canela, Sushi Damo and more, and local breweries incliding Flying Dog. Check out the menus here.
Hop over to Hop Fest: Hoppy beer lovers, rejoice. On Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m., DC’s Hellbender Brewing Company hosts 17 local breweries, who will pour more than 20 of their hoppiest craft beers. Participating breweries include Hellbender, Atlas, DC Brau, Caboose, Capital City, Port City, Denizens, and more. The Arepa Zone food truck will be there, too. Tickets are $53.
Cold brew block party: Vigilante Coffee Co. in Hyattsville, MD, collaborates with D.C. United for a limited canned cold brew, “The Black & Red,” and throws a block party to celebrate the release on Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. Head to Vigilante, where you can sip the cold brew, local beer, and listen to live music all day. It’s free to get in.
Baltimore wine and food fest: Looking for an excuse to get out of DC for a weekend? Here’s one: the Baltimore Wine and Food Festival, which takes place in the Inner Harbor on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. You can sample more than 100 wines, spirits, and beers along with an array of snacks including oysters from the Local Oyster, lamb kebabs from Cazbar, and bolognese gnocchi from Portalli’s. It’s $39 for unlimited samples and cooking demos.
Lamb cook-off: Lamb lovers, take note: the traveling American Lamb Jam competition brings together top local chefs, and challenges them to make their best and most creative lamb dish. The tasting competition runs from 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday at Union Market, you can taste lamb from DC chefs like Matt Baker of Gravitas and Victor Albisu of Del Campo. A $60 ticket includes samples of the dishes, local wine and beer, and a DIY lamb spice rub station.
Taste of Arlington: Dive into the Arlington food scene on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Taste of Arlington outdoor street festival. More than 50 restaurants—Yona, Marble & Rye, Barley Mac, FBD Eatery, and more—will dish up tasty samples, and compete in the “Best of the Best” food competition, judged in part by Washingtonian food writer Anna Spiegel. Also on tap: a wine and beer garden, live music, rock climbing and face painting for kids, and more.
Munchies galore: Food incubator Mess Hall presents its first ever pot-themed food festival, Blazed & Glazed, on Sunday starting at 11 a.m. The lineup includes cannabis-cooking workshops, munchies like doughnut sandwiches, local beer, and more. Tickets are available for five entry times on Sunday: 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.*
Burger Bash: The Burger Days blog teams up with Capital Meat Company for the Burger Thrown Down, hosted at the Commodore from 3 to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Seven chefs like Matt Adler of Osteria Morini and Alex McCoy from Alfie’s compete to make the best patty–all of which you’ll taste. Tickets ($75) include seven burgers, six beers, and a ton of fun.
*Correction: Due to a reporting error, this article originally stated that Blazed & Glazed was sold out. There are still tickets available.
Greta started as an editorial fellow in January 2016 and joined as a full-time staff member that August. She now works as a web producer and writer. She was previously an intern at Slate and National Geographic and graduated from the University of Missouri’s Journalism School. She lives in Adams Morgan.
