DC Beer Week 2014 returns from August 17-24. Although we have day-by-day line-ups posted, it may also be helpful for the #DCBrews community to check out what some players that are going above and beyond will be offering. Here are the events being sponsored by Adams Morgan's The Black Squirrel (2427 18th Street NW). For more of DCBeer's DCBW coverage, click here.
Saturday, August 16 – 12pm – Going Camping with Devils Backbone at The Black Squirrel: Camp out with the Devils Backbone Brewery Company and the Black Squirrel on Aug. 16th, and brush up against the lifestyle of the sustainable and farm-to-tanks. Meet those who ply their trade in a bucolic part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, on Route 151 in Roseland, Va., in a brewery/restaurant/bar that is made of reclaimed wood from the old barns and tobacco sheds of another time, gilded with the stones of local river beds and punctuated with natural pieces from the surrounding areas and wildlife. The brewery even takes its name from one of the mountains overlooking it.
Douse Devils Backbone Base Camp one-offs, including:
- Teddy Bear Vienna Lager FIRKIN spiked with cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon;
- Trail Angel Weissbier;
- Turbo Cougar Maibock
- Dead Bear Imperial Stout.
Enter a raffle to win a Devils Backbone camping hammock, a talking fish, and lots of other Devils Backbone schwag. Our chef will bring home the camping theme with s’mores and fire-roasted weenies.
Monday, August 18 – 5pm – Pennsylvania Week-Long Trifecta Kick-Off Happy Hour at The Black Squirrel: Bet on for your favorite Pennsylvania brewery during this weeklong race to win the brewery crown featuring one-off specialty beers from Troegs, Sly Fox, Victory, and Stoudts. A trifecta is a bet that predicts which beer will finish first, second, and third in exact order. In this race, it’s the beer sales that count. Guess the top three best-selling in the correct order, and you’re eligible to win a bunch of neat prizes from the breweries.
The following rare one-off beers will be pouring:
- Troegs Scratch Beer #146 Amber Rye Ale
- Sly Fox Imperial Wit
- Victory Torching Blonde Ale
- Stoudts Multiple Personality Disorder Munich Dunkle Lager
Kick off the week-long Trifecta beer race and rub elbows with brewery folks at a Happy Hour in the Tap Room on Monday, August 18th from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Promotional prices on Pennsylvania beer at the Happy Hour is a great bet!
Place your betting card for the Trifecta anytime during DC Beer Week and earn a chance to win exceptional prizes from each of the breweries, including private brewery tours, brewery gear, and rare beer. Make your Trifecta bets all Beer Week long; the winner will be announced Saturday, August 23rd, at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 20 – 5pm – Summer Shout-Out to Stouts at The Black Squirrel: It plans to be a dark and stormy night at the Black Squirrel, where we will be pouring 11 varieties of the black stuff, starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday (August 20th). The stouts will be streaming from the tap lines on both the main floor and in the Tap Room. The list:
- 2012 Goose Island Bourbon County
- Great Divide Oatmeal Yeti
- Epic Big Bad Baptist
- Hardywood Sidamo Coffee Stout (bottle)
- Founders Imperial Stout
- Port City Revival Oyster Stout
- Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout
- Perennial Barrel-Aged 17 Mint Chocolate Stout
- Devils Backbone Dead Bear Imperial Stout
- Great Lakes Blackout Stout
- New Holland Night Stalker
To complement the liquid treasures, our chef will prepare a house-ground, nine-ounce stout burger infused with Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.
Thursday, August 21 – 5pm – Rocky Mountain High: Colorado Joint Beer Event at The Black Squirrel: Here comes Colorado. There goes the peace and quiet of the neighborhood. The sound you hear is the din of local potheads shouting to the skies in praise of the Cannabis State.
Put on your best beer-drinking shoes, it is going to be a hoppy-fueled, Rocky Mountain high of a time on Thursday (August 21), starting at 5 p.m. when Oskar Blues, Left Hand, Great Divide, Epic, Avery, and Breckenridge breweries throw a party.
Want to be more like Colorado? Members of the DC Cannabis Collation and the Hemp Lobby will be on hand to talk about efforts in DC for cannabis reform and the upcoming November ballot imitative 71 to legalize recreational use of cannabis in the District. YES ON 71!
So let’s get high on hops with the following rarities from Colorado:
- Oskar Blues Dale’s FIRKIN brewed with mango and dry-hopped with Galaxy, Shipwrecker Circus American Barleywine collaboration with BrewDog, and brewhouse exclusive Vienna Lager;
- Left Hand brewpub exclusives Smoke Jumper Smoked Imperial Porter, Widdershins Barleywine, and Beer Week Coffee Porter;
- Great Divide one-off specialties include their Berliner Weiss, a Flanders Red, and Spiced Saison;
- Avery clocks in with Lilikoi Kepolo Passion Fruit Wheat, Trogdor the Burninator Smoked Doppelbock, and Summers Day IPA Dry-Hopped with Tangerine;
- Breckenridge will bring its seasonal Regal Pils and two other one-off specialty kegs from the brewery;
- Epic, a recent Colorado transplant, will pour Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout and Brainless on Peaches Barrel-Aged Belgian Ale.
Our chef plans to complement the rare suds with lots and lots of munchies. As an added bonus, this and every Thursday is Burger Night at The Black Squirrel.
Friday, August 22 – 5pm – Michigan’s Mighty Fine Beer at The Black Squirrel: The Black Squirrel plans a night-long toast to Michigan on Friday, August 22th, starting at 5 p.m., when representatives from the breweries of Founders, Bell’s, New Holland, and Jolly Pumpkin unleash their liquid goodies.
The Wolverine State will showcase, among others, the following beer:
- From Kalamazoo-based Bell’s comes Kalamazoo Hopsolution Imperial IPA and Wedding Golden Ale brewed with coriander and orange peel (two exclusives)
- From Grand Rapids-based Founders comes Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS), Rübæus Raspberry Ale, Double Trouble Imperial IPA, Devil Dancer Triple IPA, Imperial Stout, and Oatmeal Stout (nitro)
- From Holland-based New Holland comes Incorrigible White Sour, Pilgrim’s Dole Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Wheatwine, Ichabod Pumpkin Ale, Dragon’s Milk Reserve aged with Chili de arbol pepper, and Night Tripper Imperial Stout
- Jolly Pumpkin will weigh in with Calabaza Boreal collaboration with Anchorage, Bam Biere Saison, and Furgo del Otomo Belgian-Style Ale
Our chef will prepare venison burgers in honor of the state’s official seal.
Saturday, August 23 – 12pm – Great Lakes Brewery Beer and Brats Brunch at The Black Squirrel: Let’s punctuate D.C. Beer Week with an exclamation point by showcasing the Great Lakes Brewing Co. on Saturday, August 23th, at The Black Squirrel, starting at noon.
Celebrate Great Lakes’ exceptional brewing, as exemplified by the suds on tap:
- Blackout Imperial Stout;
- Oktoberfest (served in one-liter steins);
- Wandering Pelican Black Ale (collaboration with Cigar City);
- Highlander (brew pub exclusive); and
- The Wright Pils (seasonal).
Our chef plans to get into a Cleveland state of mind by preparing the city’s famous Polish Boy sandwiches. Never heard of it? Try bratwurst sausage topped with fries and coleslaw, covered in barbeque sauce and served on a hot dog bun.
Saturday, August 23 – 1pm – We Can Brew It: Women in Beer Event at The Black Squirrel:
DC Beer Week Educational (Drinking) Event for Women. Attention Brew Queens: Want to drink pink and learn more about craft beer? Join D.C. Beer Week, The Black Squirrel, and Girls Pint Out for a beer school led by inspiring women in the local craft beer scene including:
- Mari Rodela, DC Brau Brewing Co-owner
- Emily Bruno and Julie Verratti, Co-owners of Denizens Brewing
- Tammy Tuck, DC beer writer
- Elizabeth Hartman, Vice President, DC Homebrewers Club; Co-founder, HOPS (women’s homebrewing club)
- Chrystalle Ball, Girls Pint Out regional chapter head
- Lauren Nagy, Great Lakes Brewing regional sales manager
- Amy Bowman, Owner of The Black Squirrel and Libertine restaurants
This is a ticketed event. The price of admission is $25 and includes 5-ounce pours of six specialty beers and light appetizers.
Doors open at 1:00 p.m. for a one-hour happy hour with promotional prices on featured beer. Beer school starts at 2:00 p.m. sharp.
Stay tuned as we announce more speakers. For more information on the speakers, featured beer, and to purchase tickets, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-can-brew-it-women-in-beer-event-at-the-black-squirrel-tickets-12582068305 or www.BlackSquirrelDC.com
Saturday, August 23 – 7pm – Pennsylvania Trifecta Prize Drawing at The Black Squirrel: You’ve placed your Trifecta bet for your favorite Pennsylvania breweries during Beer Week: Troegs, Sly Fox, Victory, or Stoudts. Now it’s time to announce the winning bets.
A drawing of all the correct Trifecta betting cards will be held at The Black Squirrel on Saturday, August 23rd, at 7:00 p.m.
Prizes include private brewery tours, brewery gear, and rare beers. But you’ve got to play to win.
Stop by The Black Squirrel any time during DC Beer Week to drink a beer from your favorite Pennsylvania brewery and cast your winning Trifecta bet.
