Please welcome Andy MacWilliams back to the site. You may have seen him at a beer share or two.

The official beer lineup for Snallygaster is live and once again, it’s an expertly curated list that has something for everyone. With that in mind, here is a deep dive into some of the beers that have me excited.

Lambic and mixed fermentation

When the gates open for VIPs at noon, expect to see a rush heading to Cantillon (Gargoyle), which, fine. But don’t sleep on the 3 Fontenein booth (Jabberwock). All three beers at this booth have a chance to shine. Blend 25 of Oude Geuze Cuvee Armand & Gaston was bottled in 2018 and there isn’t much left out there anymore. A sample of this bottle from a year ago had it drinking nicely; it will be interesting to see what another year of age has done. Perzik Rood is a fresher bottle from the 2021/22 season, but it’s a blend of 2, 3 and 4 year old lambic back blended with more 4 year lambic. Double your pleasure, double the funk. If you know DC Beer, then you know the crew loves smokey stuff. The Geturfd is a sherry barreled peated lambic. Peated malt is not a traditional ingredient in lambic, but then again modern lambic has eschewed tradition. This booth is a must hit. 

Tilquin (Poseidon) is quietly pouring three gueuze variants that haven’t made appearances in our market previously.  All three beers being poured (Cuvee’s Marie-Catherine, Paul, and Jean Paul) are traditional gueuezes featuring 1, 2 and 3 year old lambic with only the percentages of the blends and the length of aging differentiating each pour. For lambic nerds, the Tilquin booth should be a fun place to compare variations of a single style side by side.

Allagash (Gargoyle) is bringing a Resurgam variant aged in a brandy barrel.  The Allagash coolship program has been one of the most reliable of American sour producers and this is a beer likely to fly under the radar. De Garde (Rodan) is similarly one of the most reliable sour producers in the US and the Tableau Lilly on their tap list, a sour red ale with Tempranillo grapes, could be a jammy alternative for the closet wine drinkers in attendance.

Even in Seattle, Washington, Floodland Brewing (Medusa) is hard to come by. Here they’re bringing four different mixed fermentation offerings. Floodland isn’t distributed this far east and a chance to try their suite of products, especially the MMXXII, a gin barrel-aged saison with wine grapes, should prove interesting. Make your PNW friends jealous. 

Lagers: not just palate cleansers anymore

The US has been going through a lager renaissance over the last 5 years and Snallygaster has some of the best lager producers from all over the country attending.

Of course, Bierstadt Lagerhaus (Nessie) has a slow-pour pils on the menu. This Denver brewery has popped up at Churchkey, Shelter and elsewhere and is known for their traditional German styles. Keep your eyes out for a lukr tap handle.

Just because it’s dark doesn’t mean it’s not a lager. Schwarzbiers, dark lagers brewed with roasted malt, can be beautifully chewy and full while not feeling heavy like some of the stouts on the roster. Good Word’s Scorch the Earth (Rodan) should be a wonderful representation of a cult favorite style.

The DC Beer crew likes smokey stuff. They REALLY like smokey stuff. The Live Oak Grodziskie (Rodan) is brewed exclusively with oak smoked wheat malt, which may sound aggressive. At 3% ABV, it is anything but. If you’ve never tried this traditional Polish style, then seek it out, you will not regret it.

Never done a milk pour? The Human Robot (Nessie) folks are all about them. When you’re at their booth trying their traditional Hallertau Pils see if they’ll hook you up with one. And then get back in line to try the Smoked Rosten, their take on a traditional style from Bamberg.

The hoppy stuff

Alvarado Street (Drogon) is a new generation haze producer out of Monterrey that doesn’t make their way out East often. Contains No Juice will deliver what you expect from a hazy IPA in 2023: traditional hop mixture and 8% ABV. Don’t skip out on the Fins & Faultlines while you’re there though, a dry West Coast style IPA that feels just a touch new school as well.

There was a time when Heady Topper (Nessie) was the very definition of IPA in the US. It may not have been the beer that started the revolution, but it absolutely fueled it. The Alchemist is also bringing Focal Banger, just a bit lighter in ABV and a beer often preferred by Vermonters (like me) over Heady. Try them both.

For those looking for clean, reliable hop expression; seek out Hop Butcher (Rodan). Both offerings are 7.5% New England style IPAs, one exclusively with Simcoe and the other a Citra and Mosaic combo. Great for comparing.

Untold (Poseidon) has been making their way from Massachusetts down I-95 this year thanks to the Neighborhood Restaurant Group beer buyers. The version of West Coast Road Trip on offer is an improved recipe, while the Shadow Caster is the lone example of a Black IPA (or Cascadian Dark Ale). Black IPA is a style fighting off extinction in the beer market; get a sample before it disappears forever.

the big boys

Up until COVID, it was not unusual to see beer releases where people waited in line starting in the wee hours of the morning to lock up special bottles. At Angry Chair (Rodan) in Tampa, this is still a common occurrence. What are folks waiting for, you’re wondering? The most decadent adjunct stouts brewed anywhere. The Imperial German Chocolate Cupcake stout is a must try from this coveted brewery.

Inner Voice (Cyclops) is a brewery not previously seen in DC. Adjustable Rate is a 12.5% brandy barrel-aged barleywine with caramelized orange peel and vanilla. Yes to all of that.

Another brewery new to DC is Xul (Demogorgon) from Knoxville, Tennessee. Their booth will have three very different, very interesting offerings with the Barrel Aged Xuology: 101 peaking curiosities. Aged 14 months in Taconic bourbon barrels then layered with vanilla beans (from both the Congo and the Cook Islands!), macadamia nuts and marshmallows. The 13% ABV will prove this is no kids’ treat.

The Medianoche series from Weldwerks (Medusa) is a rotating expression of adjunct stout. They will have not one, not two, but three versions with them at Snallygaster this year. Of note are the EHT Medianoche and Caramel Vanilla Latte Medianoche. The EHT version spent 27 months in E.H. Taylor casks, while the Caramel Vanilla Latte version was aged in a combination of six year E.H. Taylor, 15 year Blanton’s ,and 10 year Eagle Rare barrels.  Those are all bourbons that top every taters’ sought after list.

get weird

Wunderkammer (Gargoyle) concoctions are one of a kind. Often brewed with foraged ingredients, the terroir of each batch would make Dany Prignon at Brasserie Fantome jealous. What flavors do yarrow, mugwort and sweet gayle produce? Go try the Gruyt, a historic beer style brewed with herbs instead of hops, to find out.

Genius or insanity? Debate the difference over a sample of Scratch’s Wild Carrot and Nettle farmhouse ale (Jabberwock). The Ava, Illinois-based producer has carved out a niche for themselves showing a delicate touch with unusual ingredients.

Not a beer drinker? Well first, what are you doing at Snallygaster? Second, they got you covered. There are a number of quality cider makers pouring this year and Potter’s Raspberries and Brett (Cyclops) is a must try. The commercial description refers to this as “lambic style” and the Laird’s Brandy barrels it rested in should add tannins and complexity.

We’re in the trust tree at Snallygaster, right? Then don’t judge the folks waiting in line for the Imprint (Nessie) Strawberry Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Schmoojee (yes, you read that right). The Schmoojee series is a never-ending rotation of adjunct/smoothie sours. Imprint always pushes the envelope and this will be no exception.

The Brewer’s Art (Nessie) is an old school label in the Mid-Atlantic and once upon a time (back in the aughts), their Green Peppercorn Tripel was the perfect blend of classic techniques and new school thought. Amundsen’s Flight could be labeled as a sahti or gotlandsdricka if anyone still used those terms. This is a red ale fermented with a Kveik strain of yeast, known for producing very fruity esters. It’s then aged with juniper berries in oak and is sure to be one of a kind. Back to their roots with classic technique and new school thought.

This accounting is by no means the definitive list of must-try beers at Snallygaster 2023.  The roster is strong from top to bottom and offers a tremendous variety for every beer drinker’s palate.