The Beer Thread

Talking Pints: Local Beer Tastings with Brewers
LivingSocial's 918 F Street ? Washington, DC
https://livingsocial.com/events/cities/1-washington-d-c/774510-talking-pints-local-beer-tastings-with-brewers

    Thursday, July 25 ? 6:00PM, 8:30PM
    Friday, July 26 ? 6:00PM, 8:30PM
    Saturday, July 27 ? 6:00PM, 8:30PM
    Sunday, July 28 ? 6:00PM, 8:30PM
    Friday, August 2 ? 6:00PM, 8:30PM
    Sunday, August 4 ? 6:00PM, 8:30PM
    Wednesday, August 7 ? 6:00PM, 8:30PM
    Thursday, August 8 ? 6:00PM, 8:30PM


What you get

    - Choice of Date and Featured Brewery
    - Tasting of Six Beers
    - Discussion + Q&A with the Brewmaster

In honor of DC Beer Week (August 11-18), LivingSocial's 918 F Street is bringing you this special brewmasters series leading up to all the sudsy events. Grab your ticket for a craft beer tasting and discussion with the folks behind the beer from one of these featured microbreweries:

Thursday, July 25
DC Brau Brewing Company or 3 Stars Brewing Company: Founded in 2009 – making it the first production brewery within the capital's borders in more than 50 years – DC Brau boasts some 40 brews and a cult following.

The District's third newest brewery, 3 Stars, debuted their first beers nearly a year ago with much praise from The Washington Post.

Friday, July 26
Fordham & Dominion Brewing Co.: These two award-winning Mid-Atlantic breweries came together and settled into Delaware back in 2007. With more than 40 years combined brewing experience they continue to produce handcrafted favorites like the Oak Barrel Stout, Double D IPA, Rams Head IPA, and Copperhead Ale.

Saturday, July 27
Evolution Craft Brewing Co.: This small-batch brewery operates out of a converted grocery store near Salisbury, tapping favorites like the Exile ESB English-style pale ale, Lot No3 IPA, Lucky 7 porter, and the Caribbean-style Rise Up stout.

Sunday, July 28
Capitol City Brewing Company: The first brewpub in DC since Prohibition, Cap City pours out four signature brews – Capitol Kolsch, Pale Rider Ale, Amber Waves Ale, and Prohibition Porter – and rotating seasonal brews accompanied by bar eats at their downtown and Shirlington locations.

Friday, August 2
Heavy Seas Beer: With a production brewery in Halethorpe and sales in 18 states as well as DC, Heavy Seas is growing – and fast. The 17-year-old brewery produced more than 35,000 barrels of their flagship beer, Loose Cannon, and others just last year.

Sunday, August 4
Union Craft Brewing: Baltimore's first production brewery in more than 30 years, the year-old Union Craft operates in the city's historic Woodberry neighborhood. Their Balt Altbier won gold at Denver's Great American Beer Festival in the German Style Altbier category last year.

Wednesday, August 7
Mad Fox Brewing Company: This European-style gastropub in Falls Church – touted as the DC area's "most award-winning brewpub" – brews a rotating selection of cask lagers and ales on-site in German, English, Belgian, and American styles.

Thursday, August 8
Gordon Biersch with District ChopHouse & Brewery: Following the 16th-century Reinheitsgebot rules for brewing (ie, using only barley, hops, yeast, and water), Gordon Biersch has been producing German-style lagers – including Marzen, Hefeweizen, and Blonde Bock – at its 9th Street NW location for 13 years.

Since 1997, District ChopHouse & Brewery has been serving fresh hand-crafted beer in the setting of a '40s-era steakhouse. All of their beer is brewed on-site (except for special events and tastings).

Gordon Biersh is a microbrewery?  The rest of the places sound intersting but GB is a chain restaurant with bad food and bad beer.  We were in Columbus once heading to a decent restaurant and our Vice President sees us and tell us to go with him to Gordon Biersh.  5 years later I am still angry about this.

gordon biersh makes horrible beer.

Gordon Biersch only makes lagers.  I prefer ales.

grateful wrote:
Gordon Biersch only makes lagers.  I prefer ales.

i was at a GB about a month ago, and they had a hefewiezen and a belgian golden strong on tap… so while they make mostly lagers, it appears they do make some ales.

and their food, decor, the seats, the tables and windows and rugs on the floor . . . even the sidewalks outside, are tacky.

GB is craft beer for people who don't drink beer.

Anyone know what's the latest with Bluejacket?

BrettnotBritt wrote:
Anyone know what's the latest with Bluejacket?

on their facebook page last week, in response to someone asking when they are opening their doors, they replied: "Not a specific date, just later this summer."

BrettnotBritt wrote:
Anyone know what's the latest with Bluejacket?

They've been busy brewing and collaborating with Stone, Bend, 10Barrel, and Maine.
Still on construction, should be finish Aug 11. according to their twitter feed.

While Gordon Biersch isn't the greatest place, the all out hate is a little over the top and ignorant.

Lager's are my least favorite but I'll enjoy a Bock occasionally. They do an above average job at the style. I'd take their Maibock over Rogue Dead Guy any day.

They had an Eisenbock on tap a few weeks ago that was really good.

I think a 'meh' is more justified than 'blech' on their beer and the food/ambiance is still miles ahead of a Green Turtle. I'd also give them props for not ruining the Chophouse Brewing operation when they acquired them.

How do you guys feel about Stone Farkin Wheaton? A 13% imperial wheat stout made in collaboration with actor/homebrewer Wil Wheaton?

James wrote:
How do you guys feel about Stone Farkin Wheaton? A 13% imperial wheat stout made in collaboration with actor/homebrewer Wil Wheaton?

I don't feel anything from a beer until I taste it.

Fair enough. Do you think good or bad thoughts when "wheat" and "imperial stout" are used in the same sentence…was what i was getting at.

slappy wrote:

James wrote:
How do you guys feel about Stone Farkin Wheaton? A 13% imperial wheat stout made in collaboration with actor/homebrewer Wil Wheaton?

I don't feel anything from a beer until I taste it.

James wrote:
Fair enough. Do you think good or bad thoughts when "wheat" and "imperial stout" are used in the same sentence…was what i was getting at.

that's what struck me the most about that.  some think that wheat doesn't age well, if that's true then this would need to be drunk fresh… and generally imp stouts do better with some time on them.  if i found some, and it wasn't stupid expensive, i'd get some just to age it and see if there is anything to the "wheat doesn't age well" argument.

wheat has a very distinct taste, depending on how much the used in the recipe this could be a unique stout.

guess it's settled then, i'm getting some.  ford, have you seen any locally?  imma gonna make a few calls…

slappy wrote:
While Gordon Biersch isn't the greatest place, the all out hate is a little over the top and ignorant.

dang some straight hate on GB!

the location at nats park is nice, and they use to have local brews on tap too.  i thought that was cool.

$9.99/bottle at Total Wine. $10.99 at Chevy Chase. MD will be getting some, but not available yet.

sweetcell wrote:

James wrote:
Fair enough. Do you think good or bad thoughts when "wheat" and "imperial stout" are used in the same sentence…was what i was getting at.

that's what struck me the most about that.  some think that wheat doesn't age well, if that's true then this would need to be drunk fresh… and generally imp stouts do better with some time on them.  if i found some, and it wasn't stupid expensive, i'd get some just to age it and see if there is anything to the "wheat doesn't age well" argument.

wheat has a very distinct taste, depending on how much the used in the recipe this could be a unique stout.

guess it's settled then, i'm getting some.  ford, have you seen any locally?  imma gonna make a few calls…

i also don't quite get the GB hate.  they are boring, but they do make clean, well-brewed lagers.   it's hard to really wow the beer nerds with german lagers - maybe they should try keeping a dopplebock on tap all the time instead of making it a seasonal… or making a properly hoppy pilsner.  on an occasion or two it has been a restaurant where i can take non-beer-drinkers that is better than the other options.  

James wrote:
$9.99/bottle at Total Wine. $10.99 at Chevy Chase. MD will be getting some, but not available yet.

cool, thanks.  i'm going to hit the FB WF on my way home, need to buy some groceries anyways.  might hit something else along the Red Line if i they don't have any.

sweetcell wrote:
maybe they should try keeping a dopplebock on tap all the time instead of making it a seasonal… or making a properly hoppy pilsner. 

Bocks and Pilseners are lagers, so no.  I only ever go there when non-beer drinkers choose the place.

grateful wrote:

sweetcell wrote:
maybe they should try keeping a dopplebock on tap all the time instead of making it a seasonal… or making a properly hoppy pilsner. 

Bocks and Pilseners are lagers, so no. 

dude, are you trying to school me in beer styles?!?  this ain't gonna end well for ya… ;D

my point was, if they want to focus on lagers and they want to impress beer nerds, they should up the output of those two offerings (lagers!).

But weizenbock's are ales, right?

That's my favorite German beer style.