Summer is here and that means it's time for another round of beer fests celebrating craft beer in and around Washington, DC.

SAVOR

First off we have SAVOR, which is just around the corner with three sessions--one on Friday May 16, starting at 6:30 and two on Saturday May 17 at 12:30 and 6:30. The event takes place at the Andrew Mellon auditorium and will be a celebration of beer and food pairings. 35+ appetizers are on the menu to be paired beers from 48 breweries from around the country. Although Cap City is not on the bill, there are some 'local' breweries from Virginia and Maryland to drink from--Star Hill, Clipper City and Williamsburg Aleworks. If you ever wanted to pair a Hoptimus Prime Imperial Pale Ale with some artisan cheese, this might be your chance. Tickets are expensive! Support your local scene! http://www.beertown.org/events/savor/index.html

NOVA Summer Brewfest

Later this summer Northern Virginia will be home to a more traditional beer fest. On June 21 and 22 at Morven Park in Leesburg, VA, there will be 2 sessions 11am-9pm Saturday, and 11am-7pm Sunday. Tickets in advance are only $20 which includes a 6.75 sampling glass and 4 drink tickets. Additional tickets are a buck a piece. 40 breweries will be offering samples while crowds are entertained by live music. http://novabrewfest.com/summer/

Brew at the Zoo

Having attended this event the last two years, I have to say it is pretty fun. Before SAVOR, this really kinda was the only beerfest in town (that I knew about). Details are limited at the moment, but generally beers that have distribution in the city will probably have a few taps flowing at this event. Also local restaurants will be serving up delicacies again. Looking forward to the return of the Reef's pulled pork sandwich! It's happening August 21 this year. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ActivitiesAndEvents/Celebrations/

Yesterday, Feb. 4th, tickets went on sale for SAVOR--the American craft beer and food event that is being hosted here in Washington, DC. There will be 3 different sessions over the weekend of May 16th and 17th. Each session will be limited to 700 people to ensure maximum contact between attendees and the brewers! Tickets are $85 each--netting you small dishes and appetizers meant to match up with craft beers, a commemorative tasting glass, souvenir program, Craft Beer Taster’s Journal, and lots of 2-ounce samples of specially selected craft beers.

Not only do you get to pair food and beer during the sessions, you can also attend some great educational salons. Garret Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery and author of the Brewmaster's Table will be speaking about beer and cheese. Jim Koch of Boston Beer will be joining Randy Mosher (Radical Brewing and Seibel Institute) for a seminar on beer and food. To top it off, Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione will be going head-to-head with the assistant dean of the French Culinary Institute on Beer vs. Wine.

There is an awesome list of participating breweries at this event: 21st Amendment, Abita Brewing Company, Allagash Brewing Company, Avery Brewing Company, Blackfoot River Brewing Company, LLC, Boscos Brewing Company, Boston Beer Company, The Brooklyn Brewery, Clipper City Brewing Company, Deschutes Brewery, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Florida Beer Company, Flying Dog Brewery, Flying Fish Brewing Company, Foothills Brewing, Four Peaks Brewing Company, Free State Brewing Company, Full Sail Brewing Company, FX Matt Brewing Company, Great Divide Brewing Company, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Harpoon Brewery, Heiner Brau Microbrewery, Hoppy Brewing Company, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Legacy Brewing Co., Montana Brewing Company, New Albanian Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company, New Holland Brewing Company, Otter Creek Brewing, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Port Brewing Company, Rock Art Brewery, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, Rogue Ales, Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Smuttynose Brewing Company , Sprecher Brewing Company, Starr Hill Brewing Company, Stone Brewing Co., Stoudts Brewing Company, The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc, Tröegs Brewing Company, Two Brothers Brewing Company, and Williamsburg AleWerks.

Lots of allstars on that list. As happy as we are to see all these great breweries coming to town, it is a sad realization to see that DC doesn't have a hometown brewery to represent.

SAVOR will be hosted at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium located at 1301 Constitution Avenue, N.W. in Washington D.C.

For more information check out http://www.beertown.org/events/SAVOR/ or stay tuned here for more info as we get it.