The Sovereign, Neighborhood Restaurant Group's Belgian-obsessed Georgetown spot is hosting five events in July to celebrate Belgian Independence. Beer Director Greg Engert and Executive Chef Peter Smith will have weekly lambic features, rare Trappist tastings, and a three-course Belgian Restaurant Week prix fixe from July 15th through July 21 ($35++).
The Weekly Lambic Features will take place each Wednesday during the month of July. Additionally, on Saturday, July 23, Greg Engert will host a special Belgian Trappost Ale at The Sovereign. Details on all of these events are below.
The Sovereign’s Belgian Independence Day Celebration List of Events
The Sovereign Lambic Showcase Part 1: Cantillon Rhubarbe on Draft + More! – Wednesday, July 6th 2016 – 5pm – Close
Featuring a very special keg of Cantillon Rhubarbe! Originally brewed and released as Cantillon Zwanze 2008, then again for Cantillon Zwanze 2012, this year's iteration was made with lambic that initially intended to be used for the Lou Pepe Kriek bottling; because there were not enough Schaerbeekse cherries to produce a full batch, the remaining two-year old lambic was used for Cantillon Rhubarbe. Additional bottle pours include Drie Fonteinen Golden Blend 2014, De Cam Oude Gueuze 2015 and Girardin Kriek 2015 by the glass.
The Sovereign Lambic Showcase Part 2: Cantillon Lou Pepe – Gueuze 2013 Bottle Pours + More! – Wednesday, July 13th 2015 – 5pm – Close
Featuring bottle pours of Cantillon Lou Pepe – Gueuze 2013. Though not a gueuze in the traditional sense, LPG is made exclusively from special two year old lambics that have been aged in used wine barrels. This vintage of LPG consists of lambics brewed in 2013, then blended and bottled in 2015. Additional bottle pours include: Drie Fonteinen Intense Red 2014, Tilquin Oude Gueuze Tilquin à l’Ancienne 2015 and Lindemans Spontanbasil 2015.
The Sovereign Lambic Showcase Part 3: Drie Fonteinen Hommage 2015 Bottle Pours + Cantillon Gueuze 2015 on Draft (& More)! – Wednesday, July 20th 2016 – 5pm – Close
Headlined by Drie Fonteinen Hommage 2015, a lambic blended with 30% Pajottenland raspberries and 5% sour cherries. First brewed in 2005 to commemorate the passing of Drie Fonteinen's founder, Gaston Debelder, Hommage was then first bottled in 2007. In 2014, a second batch of Hommage was released after having been bottled in June of 2013, and this event fill feature bottle pours from batch 3. Additional beers for this event include: Cantillon Gueuze 2015 (draft) and bottle pours of Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek 2015 and Girardin Gueuze 1882 (Black Label) 2015 by the glass.
The Sovereign Lambic Showcase Part 4: Cantillon Saint Lamvinus 2015 + Cantillon Vigneronne 2015 Bottle Pours (& More)! – Wednesday, July 27th 2016 – 5pm – Close
Featuring bottle pours by the glass of Saint Lamvinus 2015 and Vigneronne 2015 poured by the glass. Cantillon Saint Lamvinus is a grape lambic produced yearly from Merlot and Cabernet-Franc grapes,while Cantillon Vigneronne is a grape lambic produced yearly from Italian white grapes, most often of the organic Muscat varietal, though it depends on the harvest. Additional bottle pours by the glass: Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze 2015 and Lindemans Cuvee Rene – Kriek 2015.
The Belgian Trappist Ale Tasting with Beer Director Greg Engert – Saturday, July 23rd 2016 – 2pm – 4pm
Spend a Saturday afternoon with Beer Director, Greg Engert, and the Trappist ales of Belgium. Greg will guide attendees through ales sourced from each of the six Belgian Monastery brewers. Tickets for the private tasting are $35 each, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Each guest will receive six 4 oz. tasters of Trappist beers from draft and bottle. The private tasting begin upstairs at The Sovereign at 2pm. For reservations, call (202) 774-5875, and do so soon as space is very limited.
The Belgian Trappist Ale Tasting List
- Westmalle Extra (From Bottle)
- Orval (From Bottle)
- Chimay Cinq Cents (Draft)
- Achel 8˚ Bruin (From Bottle)
- Rochefort 10˚ (From Bottle)
- Westvleteren 12 (From Bottle)