SAVOR 2020 is taking place on Friday, May 15th, at The Anthem in The Wharf development. Last week they quietly released the initial list of participating breweries, selected via a lottery system and through sponsorships in which a brewery pays to guarantee a spot.
While you can view the complete list on the SAVOR site (and specific beers haven’t been announced yet), we’re highlighting what we find interesting.
DMV Represents
First, there are a lot of local breweries. It’s quite possible that moving SAVOR from a two- to a one-night event has resulted in more local breweries applying for the SAVOR lottery, increasing the chances of representation. Out of the one hundred or so breweries slated to attend, twenty percent are local to the DMV.
DC’s 3 Stars, Atlas, Bluejacket, DC Brau, and Right Proper will be representing. Maryland’s delegation includes Denizens, Elder Pine, Heavy Seas, Manor Hill, Silver Branch, True Respite, and Union. We don’t see Brunswick’s Smoketown Brewing Station in distribution, but there’s a MARC station right there, which is local enough. Virginia will have 2 Silos, Adroit Theory, Board Room, Caboose, Dynasty, Lake Anne Brew House, Old Bust Head, and Wheatland Spring. Port City is a supporting brewery, thus will be at SAVOR as well. Should we stretch the definition of “local” to include Parkway and O’Connor, which show up in NoVA beer stores? Or Redbeard, which has poured its Moriarty imperial stout at Meridian Pint? What about Dogfish Head and Hardywood, who also got in via the lottery process?
SAVOR isn’t cheap. Tickets range from $139 to $249 (!!) this year. Are there too many local breweries represented for your tastes? On the other hand, a lot of people are about to find out how good Wheatland Spring, Dynasty, Elder Pine, and Manor Hill can be, and we’re looking forward to chatting with a lot of familiar and friendly faces.
Savor 2020 Whalez
If you’re feeling jaded about the DMV’s representation, maybe the whalez will entice you. Florida’s 3 Sons won a Best New Brewers 2018 award from RateBeer. Seattle’s Cloudburst will be back, with, we assume, Happy Little Clouds, and their neighbors Fremont will probably bring some barrel-aged goodness. Lost Abbey will no doubt bless attendees with an sour beer or two, as will St. Louis’s Side Project. We’re already trying to convince Vermont’s Switchback Brewing to yet again bring three smoked beers to SAVOR.
Who and what are you most excited for this year, or, do you think all the locals makes the event look too much like a beer fest at Nats Park? Sound off on twitter and let us know, and stay tuned for much more SAVOR coverage.
This post was updated on Friday, February 7th, with additional local breweries.
