It had been three years since I last attended the Capitol City Brewing Company‘s Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest. Since 2009, unfortunate conflicts had kept me away from my favorite Oktoberfest celebration of the year. So it was great to be back in the cozy confines of Shirlington Village on October 6 for the 13th edition of the annual street festival.
We set up four chairs in the heart of the festival — at the main intersection and beside the stage — where we enjoyed the live authentic German Alpine music and dancing from Liab’ und Schneid. The spot also happened to be the perfect central launch-point for the 100+ beer and food tents!
With more than 100 different beers from 75 breweries, there was a lot of brew to choose from. And with thousands of people sampling beer at the festival (or still looking for parking), the sampling strategy called for finding the tent with the shortest line. Actually, the crowd wasn’t that bad, unless you were waiting in line for the porta-potty.
I was hunting for fall seasonals and IPAs, and was quite successful. I sampled:
Pumking, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, NY
Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, CA
Little Sumpin’ Wild, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA
Golden Cap Saison, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI
Harvest Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Cherry Bourbon, Lost Rhino Brewing Company, Ashburn, VA
Lot No3 IPA, Evolution Craft Brewing Company, Salisbury, MD
8 Point IPA, Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Roseland, VA
Centennial IPA, Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, MI
Monumental IPA, Port City Brewing Company, Alexandria, VA
Hop Hog IPA, Lancaster Brewing Company, Lancaster, PA
Full Nelson Pale Ale, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA
Favorite fall seasonal: Pumking, an Imperial Pumpkin Ale.
Favorite IPA: To close to call – all five were excellent!
Best of the rest: Little Sumpin’ Wild, 8.7% ABV and full of flavor.
We spent a fun couple of hours at the festival, and with so many breweries and beers to try, we could have made it an all-day event. But the kids were ready to head home, not long after we met up with their cousins and Uncle Rich at the festival. So we all went back to my place to sample from my current stock of bottles and the six-pack of New Belgium’s Red Hoptober that Rick brought along.
What is Sierra Nevada Beer Camp? Beer geeks invade the Sierra Nevada brewery in Chico, California for a three-day “hands-on beer-focused adventure.” Camp activities include an in-depth, behind-the-scenes brewery tour of the entire brewing operation and guided tastings of one-off rarities with Sierra Nevada brew masters. It all culminates in a collaborative brew with fellow campers, and these camps have produced some amazing brews, which Sierra Nevada has gratefully made available to the masses in their Beer Camp mixed 12-pack.
The variety pack debuted in May 2011, and I found the 2012 edition on the beer shelves at Magruder’s last month. I grabbed the 12-pack with no hesitation and couldn’t wait to see what the campers had brewed up this time.
The 2012 Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 12-pack features:
Floral IPA (5.9%), This unique take on the traditional IPA style pairs the bold and intense aromas of whole-cone hop “flowers” with aromatic natural rose hips and petals for complex aromas and unexpected flavors. AKA Beer Camp #53 Long Stem IPA.
Imperial Pilsner (5.6%),Packing a big hop-forward punch and bright crisp finish, this golden pilsner features a hearty dose of “sticky,” resinous Crystal and Pacifica dry hops, which balance the light-bodied yet complex malt backbone. AKA Beer Camp #43 Sticke Pilsner.
Imperial Red (8.1%), This Imperial Red Ale takes the intense hop profile found in a traditional double IPA and turns up the malt. It has aromatic hop notes of grapefruit, peach, and melon – balanced by a smooth and surprisingly robust malt body. AKA Beer Camp #65 Red-oric.
Oatmeal Stout (9.0%), This big oatmeal stout is midnight black in color-with a big, roast, mocha-like aroma. It has a silky body from the use of rolled oats, and a round and lasting finish. Perfect as an after dinner treat. AKA Beer Camp #45 Snowed In Stout.
Want to go to Beer Camp? Sierra Nevada is now accepting entries for a contest to attend their winter 2012 beer camps! Entries are due by September 30 — see SierraBeerCamp.com for more details!
We’ve been spending a lot of time at the pool, where we can relax with a cold beer among the shady trees in the picnic area, and then jump in the pool to cool off when we get too hot. Rinse and repeat!
Our pool has a strict “no bottles” policy, so we bring craft beer in a can, which is surprisingly easy to find these days as more and more brewers are packaging their beer in cans. Washington Post beer writer Greg Kitsock recently asked, What’s wrong with canned brews? and my answer to that is nothing – nothing at all. Over three years ago, I was promoting craft beer in a can and I like the light, tight package even more today.
My favorite line from Kitsock’s column: Cans create more “drinking occasions,” says Ryan Dailey, Magic Hat brand manager. “Cans are perfect for outdoor concerts, music festivals and other venues where bottles are typically not permitted.” Like the pool!
[For pictures of all of the cans, see the photo gallery below.]
I find a lot of canned craft beer at Magruder’s in Chevy Chase Circle, including:
Starr Hill Northern Lights IPA (Charlottesville, Virginia, 6.5%)
21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon (San Francisco, California, 5.5%)
21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA(San Francisco, California, 7.0%)
Magruder’s also carries canned brew from DC’s own DC Brau:
The Public, an American-style Pale Ale (6.0%)
The Corruption, an IPA (6.5%)
The Citizen, a Belgian Pale Ale (7.0%) (added on 7/25/12)
Corridor Wine and Spirits in Laurel, MD carries a lot of cans. Leinenkugel’s mixed summer 12 pack of cans was a great find! This 12 pack of light brews included:
Canned beer has instant credibility when a brewery like Sierra Nevada starts canning. I bought a 12-pack of canned Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – a classic session brew that is perfect for cans. I also found tall boy four-packs of the fabulous Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA. My tweet says it all.
Remember my last post on the Saranac 12 Beers of Summer 2012? And the new Blueberry Blonde Ale? Well, they can it and sell it by the 12-pack. Beth loves blueberry brew, so this 12 pack is perfect for her.
And by far, my favorite beer can find is Fat Tire. I buy 12-packs of canned Fat Tire at the Harris Teeter in Arlington. We brought Fat Tire on a camping trip to Southern Maryland — perfect with freshly caught Maryland blue crabs! Hell, perfect any time!
Updated: October 28, 2012
New Belgium also sells Tall Boys – 16-ounce cans of Fat Tire and Shift Pale Lager (see pic in the gallery below).
The Brickskeller in Washington, D.C. was once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the bar with the largest selection of commercially available beers, with over 1,032 bottled beers on its menu. (FYI, the current record belongs to Delíríum Café in Brussels, Belgium, with 2,004 varieties available.)
The Brickskeller was where my wife and I celebrated our engagement in 1997 after I proposed at the Lincoln Memorial. I enjoyed many fun beer tastings at the Brickskeller, including the 2010 Strong Ale Tasting, the 2009 Why is There Beer? Tasting, and many others that pre-date this blog. It was a beer destination – a place to bring out-of-town visitors who appreciated craft beer and dim taverns.
Established in 1957, the iconic Brickskeller was sold in December 2010, closed for a few days, and then re-opened as the Bier Baron.
A year and half later, in June 2012, we finally made it back to the site of the former Brickskeller. But not for a celebration, not for a beer tasting, and not to host visitors. I had a Groupon for the Bier Baron that was about to expire.
The deal – $20 for a Beer-and-Appetizer Package for Two ($42 value), which included:
Two beer flights consisting of six 3-ounce draft beer pours per person (a $15 value each)
One appetizer to share (up to $12 value)
I’m glad we had the Groupon because $15 for a beer flight that totals just 18 oz is not a good deal – it’s just over a pint for Pete’s sake. But Beth and I got a beer flight each plus an app for $20, and I couldn’t complain about that.
There were 24 draft beers to choose from. My beer flight included:
Under Dog, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD (4.7%) – a sessionable American Pale Lager
Wildeman, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD (7.5%) – a Farmhouse IPA
The Citizen, DC Brau, Washington, D.C. (7.0%) – a strong and well-balanced Belgian Pale Ale
Sakura, Chocolate City Beer, Washington D.C. (6.2%) – a dark cherry Abbey Ale
Lake Erie Monster, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, OH (9.1%) – an Imperial IPA
Racer 5 IPA, Bear Republic Brewery, Healdsburg, CA (7.0%) – one my favorite IPAs
Beth and I enjoyed an appetizer of Spinich and Artichoke Dip with our beer flights, and then it was time for dinner. I continued the “bargain night” theme with my dinner order. During happy hour (5:00-7:00) a burger and any draft beer is only $10! Considering the burgers are regularly priced at $12 and the drafts are $5-$7, this was an excellent deal. I enjoyed a pint of Racer 5 with my hearty cheeseburger and steak fries.
A lot has changed with the transition of the Brickskeller to the Bier Baron. It was hard to forget my history with the place, knowing that it was no longer a famous beer destination. But I finally made it back – the Bier Baron drew me in with deals and a great beer selection, and I was glad we made the trek.
I always look forward to getting the newspaper on Wednesday morning because the Food section is published in the Wednesday edition of the Washington Post. I love the Post’s Food section for a couple of reasons.
First, I enjoy reading Greg Kitsock’s beer column. Sure, it’s easy to keep up with the Food section through the All We Can Eat blog, but I like thumbing through the print edition to find Kitsock’s column. Lately, the focus of the column has been on Beer Madness, “The Washington Post’s annual suds showdown.”
Second, I look for the Magruder’s ad to find out about their weekly specials and Beer of the Week. The Beer of the Week features a particular brewery, whose line-up of beers is on sale that week. Every Friday and Saturday, a brewery rep or distributor is in the store pouring samples of beer from the featured brewer. I drive by Magruder’s in Chevy Chase Circle everyday on my way home from work. Their convenient parking (for DC), low prices, and friendly service have made it my go-to beer store. And I always try to stop in on Fridays!
Magruder’s Beer of the Week is the inspiration behind this new series of posts on the Boa Beer Blog. First up: Lagunitas Brewing Company from Petaluma, California.
I bought a case made up of four different 6-packs of brew from Lagunitas Brewing Company. The brewery rep pouring the samples didn’t need to sell me on Lagunitas, which has become one of my favorite breweries. Their beer descriptions are the best!
My mixed case included:
IPA (6.2%), Thanks for choosing to spend the next few minutes with this special homicidally hoppy ale. Savor the moment as the raging hop character engages the imperial qualities of the Malt foundation in mortal combat on the battlefield of your palate!
Pils, a Czech Style Pilsner (6.2%), Like Adam and Eve, Issac and Ishmael, Mao and Confuscious, Good and Evil, Day and Night, Hittites and Visigoths, John and Lorena, or Groucho and Moe, Ales and Lagers are as different as can be. Still, we must love each other for who they are, separately but equally, with liberty, and justice, for all. Cheers!
Pale Ale (6.2%), We at the Lagunitas Brewing Company hope you enjoy this genuinely handmade ale. A lot of hard work and enthusiasm go into every aspect of brewing this Mondo Ultra Mega Super Premium Ale. From building the brewery itself to putting the cap on each and every bottle, virtually every step was done by hand. Thanks for your trust and as always: Think Globally, Drink Locally
Censored, a Copper Ale (6.75%), The original name of this original ale was originally derived from an origin so heinous that we cannot reveal its aboriginal oregeny. Sorry. Actually, it’s an easy drinking malty Copper Ale that goes easy on the hops. Whatever.
The Lagunitas brewery rep told me the story behind Censored and the label. It was originally called Kronik, but when the brewery submitted the label for approval, the name was rejected. So Lagunitas slapped a Censored label on top of the original name, and resubmitted it for approval. It came back approved, so the name stuck.
I also picked up a 22 oz bomber of Hop Stoopid Ale, a double IPA (8.0%) that is “built for everything hop heads desire.” Take the virtual tour with Lagunitas below, then do yourself a favor and try it for yourself.
In 2011 I added 67 new posts to the Boa Beer Blog, or a little better than fives posts per month. And I’m way behind! As I look at my running list of potential blog topics, I see more than 20 beer experiences that should be logged. So I’m going to write a catch-up post and pull in a bunch of 2011 brews who deserve a rightful place at the Boa Beer Blog table.
Random Beer Tasting headlined by Dogfish Head
A trip to Total Wine in McLean, Virgina resulted in a random beer tasting with several Dogfish Head brews that I was trying for the first time. I’m a big fan of Dogfish Head (DE) so this was a favorite 2011 beer moment. The tasting included:
Saison du BUFF, a collaboration between Dogfish Head, Stone Brewing Co. and Victory Brewing Company (6.0%). ‘Nuff said.
Miles Davis Bitches Brew, a unique dark beer with an interesting story as described on the Dogfish Head web site (9.0%).
Burton Baton, an “oak-aged gentle giant” that is a blend of a an English-style old ale and an imperial IPA (10.0%).
This was an interesting four-beer tasting:
Humming Ale, Anchor Brewing Company (CA), a summer release from Anchor (5.9%).
Imperial Porter, Southampton Publick House (NY), a robust Black Ale
Yakima Glory Ale, Victory Brewing Company (PA), a well-balanced Double IPA (8.7%)
Organic Imperial Brown Ale, Bison Brewing (CA), a strong Brown Ale at 7.0%
Old Dominion Brewing Company
Old Dominion Brewing Company (DE) beers were on sale at Magruder’s, so I picked up a couple of cases of mixed six packs, including:
Oak Barrel Stout
Dominion Lager
Dominion Ale
Big Thaw Bock
Hop Mountain Pale Ale
Millennium Ale
Another Random Beer Tasting
Another random big beer tasting in 2011 featured:
Southern Hemisphere Harvest, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
“a beer with fresh-picked hops from the southern hemisphere”
Coffee Stout, Long Trail Brewing Company (8.0%),
available as part of the limited release styles brewed in small batches.
Before we get too far away from New Year’s Eve 2011…
We were having friends over for New Year’s Eve, so I put together a special menu of beers worthy of such an occasion. When you think of New Year’s Eve, you usually think of popping the cork on a bottle of Champagne. Cracking open a cap on a bottle of beer somehow didn’t seem fitting. So I went looking for big bottles of brew with a cork and cage, so I could pop the corks in celebration of 2012. I found a few cork and cage bottles and other specialty brews, which along with the excellent brews brought by our guests provided a fabulous beer menu to ring in 2012.
The Beer Menu
Wittekerke Winter White Ale, Harelbeke, Belgium (7.5%), an authentic Belgian Double Wit Ale.
Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville, California (6.9%), a traditional Winter Warmer.
Santa’s Private Reserve, Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon (6.0%), this Amber Ale has a malty flavor and spicy finish, and is one of my favorite winter seasonals.
Exit 9 Hoppy Scarlet Ale, Flying Fish Brewing Company, Cherry Hill, New Jersey (9.0%), a richly flavored American Strong Ale that is assertively hopped.
Yule Tide, Heavy Seas Beer, Baltimore, Maryland (10.0%), a Belgian Tripel Ale.
Killer Penguin, Boulder Beer Company, Boulder, Colorado (10.0%), a smooth and strong Barleywine Ale.
Infinium, Boston Beer Company, Boston, Massachusetts and Weihenstephan Brewery, Freising, Germany (10.3%), a unique Champagne-like beer that is becoming a New Year’s Eve tradition. (I drank a bottle of Infinium on New Year’s Eve 2010.)
Life and Limb, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, California (10%), an amazing collaboration beer that has its own web site.
Brooklyn Brewery Chocolate Stout, Brooklyn, New York (10%), an Imperial Stout with “a luscious deep dark chocolate flavor.”
The entire menu was awesome, but there were a few stand-outs: Exit 9, Killer Penguin, and Life and Limb. I also really liked the Wittekerke White Ale because it was a lot different than your usual dark winter brews.
The New Year’s Eve celebration with friends, especially fellow craft beer enthusiast, made watching 2011 turn into 2012 a memorable beer-drinking experience.
Today I heard a radio ad for the new Sam Adams spring seasonal, Alpine Spring, which is described as a citrusy, unfiltered lager that is the perfect transition from winter’s heavier brews to the lighter beers of summer. It sounds great…but it’s January 12. Sure, we’ve had a mild winter, but spring brew on January 12?
Since the brewers wait for no season, I figured I should catch up on the many winter brews that I’ve been sampling. Assuming winter brews are on still on the shelves, I’ve got three categories for the winter releases: Go Buy Some Today (and I Mean Today), Worth a Try, and Leave it on the Shelf.
Go Buy Some Today (and I Mean Today)
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (CA), an excellent IPA and my favorite winter seasonal. I hardly ever buy beer by the case, opting instead to mix a case of different six packs for some variety. But I just picked up a whole case of this brew, on sale at Magruder’s. It’s drinkable enough for a session beer, but at 6.8% ABV, be careful.
The Mad Elf, Tröegs Brewing Company (PA), a strong winter release from one of my favorite Pennsylvania breweries. This is a unique beer — a ruby red ale brewed with honey and cherries that clocks in at 11% ABV. The price tag is worth it!
Christmas Ale, Anchor Brewing Company (CA), every year since 1975 the brewers at Anchor have brewed a unique Christmas Ale. The recipe of this longtime American holiday ale is different every year…and always excellent.
Yellow Snow IPA, Rogue Ales (OR), this IPA is fast becoming one of my favorite winter seasonals. It is a bitter brew with a big hop flavor (6.2% ABV, 70 IBU).
Santa’s Private Reserve, Rogue Ales (OR), another excellent winter release from Rogue, this double-hopped Red Ale is a holiday classic (6.0%).
Winter White, Bells Brewery (MI), a delicious blend of American wheat and Belgian wheat beers. This winter release is a welcome alternative to the dark and heavy winter seasonals.
Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale (CA), a hoppy American Strong Ale (7.9% ABV). If you were looking for Lagunitas Brown Shugga’ this winter, it’s not available. Lagunitas admits they screwed up their brewing schedule and couldn’t find space for Brown Shugga’. So they released the self-proclaimed Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale, which doesn’t suck at all. Read more on the RateBeer.com web site. Hilarious!
Worth a Try
Shlafly Christmas Ale (MO), inspired by spiced holiday beverages such as wassail and mulled wines, this 8.o% ale is spiced with orange peel, juniper berries, ginger root, cardamom and cloves.
Shlaflay Winter ESB (MO), a balanced easy-drinker (5.8%)
Breckenridge Christmas Ale (CO), dubbed “bottled joy to the world” by the brewery (7.0%).
Stoudts Revel Red (PA), a hoppy Red Ale (6.2%).
Full Sail Wassail (OR), a strong and dark winter warmer (7.0%).
Port City Tidings (VA), a Strong Belgian Blond Ale brewed with Maryland wildflower honey and Virginia wheat (7.8%).
Shipyard Prelude (ME), this winter warmer is a complex English Strong Ale (6.7%).
Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser (MD), an English Strong Ale (6.4%).
Grand Cru Winter Reserve, Flying Fish Brewing Company (NJ), a Belgian-style strong golden ale (7.2%).
Winter Scotch, St. George Brewing Company (VA), “a malty, full-bodied ale…with a lingering peat smoke effect” (6.0%)
Winter Ale, Blue Point Brewing Company (NY), this winter warmer is a hearty and robust Amber Ale (7.0%).
Hibernator, Long Trail Brewing Company (VT), a drinkable unfiltered Scottish Ale (6.0%).
Brr Seasonal Ale, Widmer Brothers Brewing (OR), a beer with “bold hop flavor, candy sweet finish” (7.2%)
Leave it on the Shelf
Hell, they’re all at least worth a try!
Beth and I sampled these brews over the long Christmas weekend. I picked up most of these beers as singles at Total Wine in Mclean. I love beer stores that sell singles! And I love the winter beer season!
Chocoholics have their Whitman’s Samplers; beer connoisseurs have their variety packs.
I’ve written many times about variety 12-packs, but from Kitsock’s column, I learned about three new mixed packs that I had never tried – and that I had to get my hands on. I found them at Magruder’s, my DC beer store. Thus begins a three-posts-in-three-days review of these 12-packs.
First up: the Sierra Nevada Best of Beer Camp Variety Pack.
What is Beer Camp? Sierra Nevada describes it as a “hands-on beer-focused adventure.” For three days, beer geeks invade the brewery in Chico, California. Camp activities include an in-depth, behind-the-scenes brewery tour of the entire brewing operation and guided tastings of one-off rarities with Sierra Nevada brew masters. It all culminates in a collaborative brew with fellow campers, and these camps have produced some amazing brews. Check the list on the Beer Camp web site!
I bet you’d love to get your hands on some of these beers – and you can through the Best of Beer Camp Variety Pack, which includes:
California Common (Camp #8), a light, easy-drinker, at least compared to the other brews in this 12-pack; a steam beer with flavor (6.5%)
Juniper Black Ale (Camp #16), this delicious, strong black beer is brewed with juniper berries (8.2%)
Double IPA (Camp #29), originally called Ghidorah IPA, this American Double IPA is a strong hop bomb (8.1%)
Weizenbock (Camp #37), a strong wheat beer, full of flavor (6.6%)
I enjoyed these beers during our annual Memorial Day Weekend camping trip at Point Lookout State Park in southern Maryland.
Speaking of camping, Sierra Nevada is now accepting entries for a contest to attend their 2011 summer beer camps. Entries are due July 7 — see SierraBeerCamp.com for more details!
Spring Break begs for a beach, so on our first full day in Florida for Spring Break 2011, we went to Siesta Beach on Siesta Key. We love visiting Siesta Key for its beautiful, award-winning white sand beach…and its beer!
Sarasota Brewing Company is only 3 miles from Siesta Beach and the perfect place to stop for lunch after a morning of sunning on the exquisite Gulf Coast.
We had gone to the beach with my sister’s family and they joined us for lunch, so there were eight of us in total, creating a lot of havoc. It didn’t help that there was only one waitress for the entire brewpub. She was pouring beers, serving customers at the bar, waiting on tables, taking food to customers, and otherwise running around like mad. The poor woman!
Thank God is wasn’t too busy as Rich and I ordered the samplers, which came with five house-made beers:
Sarasota Gold (4.5%), your typical light, easy-drinking beer
Sequoia Amber Lager (5.5%), your typical Amber Lager
Honeymeade Ale (7.0%), OK, finally, not a typical beer. This strong ale made with honey-caramel malt and real honey was delicious.
Sarasota Pale Ale (7.0%), a tasty IPA
Midnight Pass Porter (6.0%), this robust Porter is named for Midnight Pass Road on Siesta Key.
The food was delicious – I had an awesome blackened grouper sandwich, and everyone in the party loved their food. I was still parched from the beach, so after my sampler, I ordered from their guest draft beer selections: Tangerine Wheat from Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, California. I loved the citrusy flavor of this refreshing ale. Beth had a Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat.
Siesta Beach/Sarasota Brewing Company is one of my all-time favorite family activity/brewpub combos!
It had been three years since I last attended the Capitol City Brewing Company‘s Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest. Since 2009, unfortunate conflicts had kept me away from my favorite Oktoberfest celebration of the year. So it was great to be back in the cozy confines of Shirlington Village on October 6 for the 13th edition of the annual street festival.
