There are a number of events related to Craft Brewers Conference 2013. Although we have day-by-day line-ups posted, it may also be helpful for attendees and the #DCBrews community to check out what some venues that are going above and beyond will be offering. Here are the events for Columbia Heights' Meridian Pint. For more of DCBeer's CBC coverage, click here.
Monday, March 25
Wild Ales with Leelanau Brewing & Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales –Meridian Pint – 5pm-12am Join Charles Psenka, Chief Liaison for Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales and founder of Leelanau Brewing, for a sampling of his fine wild ales. All beers from both of these breweries utilize open-fermentation and wood-aging with “bugs” to produce a fascinating and distinctive house character. The Pint will offer a wide variety of these wild ales on draft as well as 8-oz bottle pours, and Charles will be on-hand to talk and enjoy all things beer with you. There is no admission for this event. Doors open at 5 PM and bottle pours will only be available upstairs. This event overlaps with the East Coast vs West Coast Punk Rock Brew Tour being held in the basement from 7 PM to 12 AM.
Drafts:
Jolly Pumpkin: Bam Noire, Calabaza Blanca, Fuego Del Otono, La Parcela, Madrugada Obscura, Noel De Calabaza 2011, Noel De Calabaza 2012, Oro De Calabaza
Bottle Pours (8-oz):
Jolly Pumpkin: Baudelaire IO 2011, De Viento, ES Bam, Luciernega 2011, Maracaibo Especial, Oro De Calabaza 2011
Leelanau: Good Harbor Golden Ale, Whaleback White
East Coast vs West Coast Punk Rock Brew Tour – Meridian Pint – 7pm-12am Batten down the hatches, and get on the bus or get out of the way! CBM21 Media and
GreatBrewers.com present the 3rd Annual East Coast vs. West Coast Punk Rock Brew Tour. A beer and music event, the ECvWCPRBT features a soundtrack of punk and hardcore paired with great craft-brewed beer. Come on down and drink the finest American craft beers while moshing out to a soundtrack of punk and hardcore that will include bands from Scissor Fight to Bad Brains and from Black Flag to Suicidal Tendencies. From the East Coast, Smuttynose Brewing Company (the event’s founder) will be joined by their perennial sidekick, Victory Brewing Company. Also this year, newcomer Sixpoint Brewing Company will join the fray. Each brewery will showcase their India Pale Ale and one other draft. Like Punk, the IPA is a beer style invented by the British, but made wholly American in subsequent years by brewers in the U.S. At the helm of the West Coast is Lagunitas Brewing Company (an original East Coast/West Coast founding member) and their trusty compadres, Ballast Point Brewing Company. Oskar Blues Brewing Company and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company round out the roster. The East Coast vs. West Coast event will be hosted by representatives and brewers from many of the participating breweries. Event attendees will be able to have their questions about beer and beer-making answered by several breweries, all in one evening, all the while rampaging to a hardcore soundtrack. East Coast vs. West Coast punk: Who wins? You decide! There is no admission for this event, which is located in the basement. This event starts at 7 PM and overlaps with Wild Ales with Leelanau Brewing & Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales.
Drafts:
Ballast Point: Sculpin IPA, Victory at Sea
Lagunitas: IPA, Sucks
Oskar Blues: Deviant Dale's, G'Knight
Sierra Nevada: Blindfold Black IPA, Ruthless Rye
Sixpoint: Bengali Tiger, Sweet Action
Smuttynose: Big A IPA, Finestkind IPA
Victory: Ranch Double IPA (Simcoe), Swing Saison
Tuesday, March 26
Meridian Pint has four Level 2 Certified Cicerones® on staff and are proud supporters of the program. Earlier in the day, they're hosting a level 2 exam with spaces still available (
www.cicerone.org). Afterwards, they're opening an hour early for anyone in the DC area that hold at least a Level 1 Certified Beer Server degree. Come in with some sort of proof of your accomplishment and from 2-4 you can enjoy $2 off all the great beer on tap for the St. Louis Tap Takeover and Beer Dinner with Schlafly, Perennial, and Urban Chestnut.
Join brewery founders / brewers Dan Kopman (St. Louis Brewery / Schlafly), Phil Wymore (Perennial Artisan Ales) and Florian Kuplent (Urban Chestnut Brewing Company) for a night of St. Louis craft beer. Urban Chestnut and Perennial are new to DC, and each will provide a handful of drafts while Schlafly, with their diverse portfolio of beers brewed perfectly to style, will fill out the rest of the Pint's draft lines and provide two casks. There is no admission for this event which begins at 3 PM in the basement. A ticketed St. Louis Beer Dinner featuring the same three breweries will take place from 6:30 PM – 10 PM on the main floor, after which that floor will be open to the general public. (Some of the products listed above may not be available until the conclusion of the Beer Dinner).
The list:
Perennial: Aria, Black Walnut Dunkel, Hommel Bier, Saison de Lis
Schlafly: AIPA, AIPA (Cask), AIPA (Dry-Hopped Cask), American Brown, APA, Barleywine, Belgian Golden, Biere De Garde, Black IPA, Coffee Stout, Extra Stout, Hefeweizen, Imperial Stout, Kolsch, Milk Stout, Pilsner, Raspberry Hefe, Rauchbier, Session IPA, Summer Lager, Weizenbock, XIPA
Urban Chestnut: Hopfen, Schnickelfritz, STLIPA, Zwickel
St. Louis Beer Dinner with Schlafly, Perennial & Urban Chestnut – Meridian Pint – 6:30-10pm Join brewery founders / brewers Dan Kopman (St. Louis Brewery / Schlafly), Phil Wymore (Perennial Artisan Ales) and Florian Kuplent (Urban Chestnut Brewing Company) for a five- course beer dinner featuring cuisine from St. Louis native and Meridian Pint Executive Chef David Shewmaker. Certified Cicerones® Sam Fitz (Washington University in StL alum) and Tim Prendergast will also be in attendance, enjoying fine St. Louis beers and discussing their pairings with patrons. Tickets are $75 (tax and gratuity included) and are available at
www.meridianpint.com. Please specify if you are a vegan / vegetarian or have food allergies as we can accommodate these dietary choices and restrictions. Patrons will have access to all of the beers listed for the St. Louis Tap Takeover that overlaps with this dinner.
Amuse-bouche: Schlafly Session IPA, curried deviled eggs and crispy prosciutto
First: Schlafly American IPA three ways(draft and 2 dry-hopped casks), seared scallops with banana leaf-wrapped glutinous riceand mango-coconut curry
Second: Schlafly Export IPA, Mrs. Swift's meat pie with English farmhouse cheddar
Main: Urban Chestnut STLIPA, St. Louis-style pork ribs with sundried tomatoes, baby fennel, and mashed potatoes
Dessert: Schlafly Barleywine two ways (2012 draft and 2010 bottle), creme caramel mille fuille with pinenuts and dried fruit
Wednesday, March 27
Craft Brewers Conference will bring brewers and their beers from all over the country to Washington, DC. To showcase the growth of craft beer across our nation, the Pint will feature the wares of four breweries geographically as distant from each other as possible while still being American. Ballast Point (San Diego, CA), Founders (Grand Rapids, MI) and Hardywood Park (Richmond, VA) are each bringing at least seven drafts, a cask, and their whole crew. Jester King (Austin, TX) will also be present with two drafts and four different bottle offerings available in 8-oz pours or full bottles. This event is open to the public and begins on both floors at 3 PM.
Casks:
Ballast Point: Sculpin IPA
Founders: TBD
Hardywood: Dry-Hopped Imperial IPA
Drafts:
Ballast Point: Dorado Nitro Double IPA, Even Keel Session IPA, Fathom IPL, Sculpin, Sculpin Habanero, Thai Chili Wahoo Wheat, Victory at Sea
Founders: All Day IPA, Breakfast Stout, Canadian Breakfast Stout, Centennial IPA, Old Curmudgeon 2011, Old Curmudgeon 2013, Porter, Red's Rye
Hardywood:Bourbon Cru, Hoplar, Chocolate Heat, Sidamo Coffee Stout, Bourbon Sidamo Coffee Stout, Singel, Raspberry Stout, Hansom Cab ESB
Jester King: Funk Metal, RU55
Bottles (8-oz pour or full bottle):
Jester King: El Cedro, Noble King, Salt Lick, Boxer's Revenge
Patio Bar with Dr. Bill Sysak, Jenn Litz, Stone Brewing, and New Belgium – Meridian Pint – 5pm-10pm Jenn Litz is the editor of Craft Business Daily, a publication for beer supplies, distributors and retailers. She recently traveled to Fort Collins to produce a unique brew with New Belgium Assistant Brewmaster Grady Hall. The beer, Sins & Chronic, is a take on a gin & tonic beer cocktail. Sorachi Ace hops, juniper & citrus spice-blend and even some quinine were employed in the production of this rarity. Jenn will be out on our patio at a satellite bar along with New Belgium staff talking about the beer as well as pouring it along with New Belgium Tart Lychee. Joining them is Dr. Bill Sysak, Craft Beer Ambassador & Beverage Supervisor at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens. Dr. Bill broke into his world-renowned cellar and will be pouring two special drafts from Stone Brewing Company: 2011 Imperial Russian Stout & 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA.
Thursday, March 28
Meet & Greet with Oxbow and The Bruery – Meridian Pint – 3pm-12am
Tim Adams, Oxbow Co-Founder and Brewer, and Patrick Rue, Founder of The Bruery, will be present with many members of their brewing families to meet patrons and discuss their Belgian-style brews. Each brewery will feature nine vintage or hard-to-find drafts, as well as 8-oz and full bottle pours of other rare treats. This event is open to the public and begins on the main floor at 3 PM. There is no admission fee but some of the products may not be available until the conclusion of Beer & Cheese, a ticketed event held in the basement at 4 PM and 6 PM. To guarantee the opportunity to try all of these beers, sign-up for Beer & Cheese at www.meridianpint.com.
Drafts:
Bruery: 4 Calling Birds 2011, 5 Golden Rings, Autumn Maple, Mischief, Saison De Lente 2012, Saison De Lente 2013, Smoking Wood, Sour in the Rye, White Oak
Oxbow: Freestyle 7, Freestyle 11, Freestyle 13, Freestyle 30, Saison Noel, Sasuga, Funkhouse, Oxtoberfest, FPA
Bottles (8-oz pour or full bottle):
Bruery: Cuir, Fruet, Oude Tart, Rueuze, Tart of Darkness
Oxbow: Barrel-Aged FPA, Blended Oxtoberfest
Beer & Cheese with Oxbow & The Bruery – Meridian Pint – 4pm and 6pm
Tim Prendergast, Meridian Pint Assistant Beer Director and Certified Cicerone®, presents the fourth installment of Beer & Cheese, a casual 90-minute tasting experience. Five American artisanal cheeses will each be paired with a beer from The Bruery and a beer from Oxbow Brewing Company. This event will appeal to hardcore beer and cheese heads as well those new to the amazing affinity that American craft beer and artisanal cheese have for one another. However, patrons of this event will have the first opportunity to purchase the drafts and bottles featured in the Meet & Greet with Oxbow and The Bruery occurring on the same day. There are two seatings for this event. Tickets to the 4 PM seating are $40 (tax and gratuity included) and, depending on CBC commitments, may not feature representatives from Oxbow & The Bruery. The 6 PM seating is $45 (tax and gratuity included) and will feature Tim Adams, Oxbow Co-Founder and brewer, and at least one representative from The Bruery. Tickets here available at www.meridianpint.com.
Friday, March 29
Beer Advocate and Meridian Pint bring you a post-Craft Brewers Conference party to remember. 20 local breweries will take over the Pint's tap towers and also provide 20 casks that will be spread out on two levels and the patio. All casks and drafts will be $5 all day and night! In preparation for CBC and Drink Local, the Pint brewed a number of collaborative beers. Breweries listed below with an asterisk will be pouring at least one Meridian Pint collaboration. Here's the list:
