Flying Dog must have some serious connections because they’ve got a small stockpile of tickets to the Thursday night Thievery Corporation concert next week and they are actually willing to give them away. DCBeer is now in possession of two of those tickets and we will be giving them away to coolest commenter on the site.
So here is the deal: We are offering TWO VIP Artist Experience tickets for Thursday Jan. 21st at the 9:30 Club–courtesy of one of your favorite local breweries Flying Dog. VIP treatment includes the Flying Dog presents Artist Experience Meet and Greet with Thievery Corporation pre-show Beer Tasting where you’ll hang out with Flying Dog and the musicians for a bit. Rare DC sightings of draft versions of Snake Dog India Pale Ale, Old Scratch Amber Lager and Road Dog Porter will be available for you to enjoy FREE (because you are a VIP). This tasting starts at 7PM and doors for the actual show are at 8PM.
How do you get these tickets?
Comment on this post and tell us (1) what your favorite thing about the beer scene in DC is and (2) what would you like us to add to DCBeer.com or write more about. We want this site to be your go-to for beer info in DC so let us know what you want. Getting all your friends to comment might also sway the judges. Also if you haven’t already, sign up for our Twitter feed! We are at – Twitter.com/dcbeer
Tags: Flying Dog
1) My favorite part of the DC beer scene has been discovery. Since becomming a beer snob through homebrew, learning that the IS a scene through which beer people actually talk about good beer has been a lot of fun (well, the drinking part of it wasnt too shabby either!).
2) I think the DC Beer.com does a great job, an aspect that could be added would be a focus on styles of beer (would also make for a ready post when you needed something). I find that understanding the basic styles of beer and what they are “supposed” to taste like leads to an appreciation when a brewery does something truly special with a beer (either by nailing the style or thinking outside the style box!).
oh, as a side to my previous post…the 21st is my birthday as well!
1) My favorite thing about the DC beer scene is the amazing selection. Within the past few years, the scene has totally exploded and there is always something new to try.
2)Would be cool if DCBeer could sponsor some meetups or more tastings where people can mingle and wax poetic over delicious beer. Maybe even a monthly post-work Churchkey meetup – I always want to go to Churchkey as soon as they open to secure seats, but no one ever wants to go as early as I do. And it is just not as much fun without another beer geek to share the experience.
Funny you should mention such a meetup up TJ as DCBeer and Flying Dog are planning one. We weren’t thinking Churchkey for the first one but we will see what we can do. (I am partial to the Black Squirrel but I am totally open to other venues.)
1. I was excited to move to DC from Philly, having heard great things about a growing beer scene in DC. The best part about the explosion of beer here has been its accessibility. I am at no loss to share with friend my passion for beer at a variety of establishments, with different foods, styles, atmospheres and price points. There is something for everyone and it makes sharing my “hobby” with my friends even more fun.
2. DC Beer is one of my “go to’s” for local info, but I’d love to see more interviews with local proprietors, brewers, restaurant owners etc. Perhaps a special on interviews with local homebrewers.
1. When I ask for a local beer at a bar or restaurant I am no longer given Heineken as a choice. Yuengling isn’t the only “microbrew” offered around town as was the case 6 years ago when I moved here. There almost seems to be a friendly competition among bar/restaurant managers to offer the best selection of beer available and they seem to be open to customer feedback as well. Finally, I want to give props to Samber Market in Mount Pleasant for having perhaps the best beer selection in the neighborhood and yet somehow people don’t know to go there.
2. I’d like more content about homebrew, more detailed reviews of stores known for their liquor selection, profiles of distributors, brewers, breweries and bartenders that care about good beer.
DC doesn’t have a brewery. DC doesn’t have particularly chill bars. But what DC does have is great beer selection. There are some fantastic beer stores in pretty much every part of town. The Brickskeller and Churchkey have huge amounts of microbrews but there are many standard bars with great selections (The Big Hunt, Reef, Black Squirrel), many restaurants with tons of brews (Red Rocks, Pizza Paradiso, RFD), and every dive has at least a microbrew to enjoy (2<3'd at Solly's). I have coworkers who brew and two brews fermenting in my own basement. People often talk about how DC is full of well-educated and affluent people–that means we know beer!
Keep letting us know where the rarities are. I really appreciate when you folks give me a heads up so I know where to snag a limited release or when to schedule a special happy hour. Thanks for the public service.
1. My very favorite thing about the DC beer scene is ‘The Brickskeller Game’ – Starting with the Brickskeller’s gigantic menu, we order interesting looking beers, which they never have. If you order one they “just ran out of”, it’s the next person’s turn. We keep ordering until we each finally hit one they do have. The last person who gets a beer drinks free that round. I love that game.
2. More local beers! Even more!
(1) that I can get a decent belgian at more than one bar.
(2) more history of the DC beer scene, and a family tree of sorts, identifying which people have been involved in which bars, and who has had the most influence in beer selection
What makes DC a great beer town? The diversity of people — and the fact that people rotate in and out — means that we’re never going to be identified with only one style. There will always be a place for summer Hill interns to drink $3 Yuengling. The older staffers drink, and share, the regional microbrews that constituent lobbyists bring. The diplomats, peace corps alumni, and hangers-on come back with a taste for what parts of the country still think of as “the weird stuff”. And the rest of us non-traveling, non-Hill types? Well, we’re mostly working government hours, so why not hit up a few good happy hours starting around 5… 4 on Fridays? No shortage of good, local neighborhood bars for us. Maybe a rep from Flying Dog, Dogfish Head, some other Premium brand, or a beer-loving restaurateurs or bartenders will be around to introduce us to something new.
The thing I most appreciate out of dcbeer.com is the heads-up for all the beer rep happy hours, and the beer week events (it’s what got you on my RSS feed in the first place). But I don’t always have the free time to get to these things — government hours don’t apply to the self-employed — and so I drink at home, with neighbors, on the back porch. I’d like to know more about which liquor stores have good staff and good, new bottles to bring home. Schneider’s of Capitol Hill has recommendations are always helpful, especially for liquor — but I know their selection cold at this point; I bet there are better neighborhood stores out there.
1) My favorite thing about the DC beer scene is the overwhelming appreciation of good beer from damn near everyone I know. I don’t think I can even remember the last time I went any bar in DC with someone who didn’t want to order something that was new and interesting to them. That widespread attitude and curiosity for new things is what drives all the great venues out there to keep on producing fresh tap lineups and bottle selections.
2) I would definitely like to see more coverage of things relating to homebrewing. The microbrew/craft beer scene has exploded and I believe that homebrewing is following quickly behind that. With so many folks picking up the hobby we could really use a reputable place like dcbeer.com to go to that provides reviews and event info relating to LHBS locations in the DC area, online hombrew vendors, etc. It would also be cool to see you all organize or advertise some homebrew beer competitions/tastings or something the way you do with happy hours and commercial events.
These comments thus far are great.
Looks like plans for monthly TweetUps and shining the light on Home Brewing via Beer Camp DC and many more ideas and plans are right on point.
Cheers to the DC beer scene!
See you guys Thursday!
1) My favorite aspect of the beer scene in DC is the sheer volume of brewing talent within shipping distance. There are so many incredible breweries in a small geographical area, which makes it easier for bars/pubs to get great brews and offer them at reasonable prices.
2) I would love for there to be more articles that look behind the scenes of the breweries. As a homebrewer, I’m endlessly fascintated by grains and hops and temperatures and the nitty-gritty inside-scoop details of the beers you cover. Getting the brewers opinion on some of these fundamental ingredients would be awesome.
Also, keep the “where to get great beers” tip line going!