Sour beers are on the rise; this much is surely true.  These tart, vinous brews have been tingling tastebuds throughout the DC area for some time now, adding believers to their acetic assembly with every pint poured.  With all of this exposure, it’s important to remember where these sour beers came from, both in terms of brewery and blending.

On March 25,  ChurchKey will give you the chance not only to taste one of the most well-regarded US sours but also to understand how it comes to be.  Stop by at 6pm for the first tapping of New Belgium’s La Folie (a blended sour brown ale) in the District.   New Belgium’s Master Blender Lauren Salazar will also be in the building to answer any and all questions fueled by the prodigious funk that will be on display.

I hate to be cheesy and say, “but wait, there’s more,” but in this case –

But wait…there’s more:

At the event, imbibers will also have the chance to taste the three base beers that are blended to create La Folie.  The base ale, known as “Oscar,” is aged for one (young), two (mid), and three (oude) years in oak barrels prior to blending into the final product. Lauren will be bringing along a keg of each for sampling.  Be sure to take advantage of this rare opportunity to understand what it takes to make a superb blended ale.

Sponsorship

In addition to the La Folie/Oscar part of this, which, admittedly, is a pretty big part, there will also be some other tasties on from NB, including a whole bunch of the Lips of Faith series:
La Folie 2012
Oude Oscar 2009
Mid Oscar 2010
Young Oscar 2011
Lips of Faith 2010: Imperial Berliner Weisse
Lips of Faith 2012: Cocoa Mole
Lips of Faith 2012: Biere de Mars
Lips of Faith 2011: Kick
Lips of Faith 2011: Prickly Passion Saison
Lips of Faith 2011: Clutch
DIG

There is no admission fee for this event and all New Belgium drafts (including the Oscars and La Folie 2012)  will be priced individually in 4 oz. and full glass pours.