What We’re Drinking – Week of 1/12/15

Welcome to a new segment we're going to try to complete weekly. In an amazing burst of creativity, we're calling it What We're Drinking, until we find something better. Anyway, every week, DCBeer staff members will tell you about the beer highlights they had from the previous week. Have a highlight from the last week? Let us know what it was via [email protected], and you might just find your post in another new segment, which is aptly named What You're Drinking.

Chris Van Orden, Co-Editor

Like so many of you, I make it a point to try as many local beers as I can when visiting somewhere new. So when my wife and I walked out of a little coffee roaster in New Orleans' Garden District and spied a brewery around the corner, there was no way we couldn't pop in for a midday drink.

Courtyard Brewing, I soon found out, hadn't officially launched yet, but their ten taps were flowing with Louisiana beer at center stage. The helpful wait staff poured us a handful of samples and I eventually settled on what the board called Gnarly Barley Korova Milk Porter, although the full 'style' description, according to the Gnarly site, is a Baltic Oatmeal Milk Porter.

It was a mouthful in both senses of the term. Rich and chocolatey with dark roast coffee and malt balls, but somehow ending shy of sweet despite the lower carbonation. It was the perfect companion to the French Truck espresso I'd just slugged back and one of those special beers that are all the better for having been stumbled across serendipitously.

Bill DeBaun, Co-Editor

While my colleague was out seeing more of our beautiful country, I stayed decidedly closer to home in the last week with some old favorites. If you hadn't heard, Atlas Brew Works cans are now available in the market (District Common and Rowdy Rye). I had both at a launch event at Solly's on U Street. Although the District Common tasted much the same as it usually does to me (balanced, very drinkable, and crisp with a hint of grassy hops), I was pleasantly pleased to find out that the rye-heavy IPA had its hops accentuated coming out of a can. Normally the rye and malt overwhelm the profile of this beer for me on draft, but tons of pine came out of the can for me. Go figure.

I also was pleased to see Port City Brewing Company's Ways and Means return. This beer has been repurposed as a session IPA, but it's every bit as tasty. Huge grapefruit notes and a crisp finish accentuated by spicy rye.

Finally, I picked up an old favorite at Bluejacket on Saturday. I've said many times that I think Lost Weekend, their Citra IPA is the best beer brewed in the District. I stand by it now that they're using finings to clear it up. Now with vibrant clarity, the beer tastes better than ever. The soft bitterness, white peach and tropical fruit notes make this a beer I keep coming back to over…and over…and over…and over again…

Jake Berg, Staff Writer

Multihead is a 4.8% single-hopped pale ale from Franklin's. It's light on the malt, but because it's unfilitered, it's not as thin and watery as some other American beers around that ABV. What really makes it stand out is the use of "wild" Neomexicanus hops, a strain found in New Mexico that is starting to generate some buzz (Sierra Nevada, Schlafly, and others are using these as well). Look for peach, tangerine, mango, and melon flavors, and a pronounced lack of bitterness thanks to copious dry-hopping. I drank this in ten minutes and promptly ordered another. You should, too.

What did you all drink last week? Share it with us and you'll see it in our What You're Drinking post!

Chris Van Orden, Co-Editor

Bill DeBaun, Co-Editor

Jake Berg, Staff Writer

What We’re Drinking – Week of 1/5/15

What We’re Drinking – Week of 1/19/15

Bill DeBaun

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