1100 3rd Street, NE

This could be cool – from a liquor license posted at 3rd and L Street, NE:

Union Kitchen

New outdoor Tavern with Food Trucks serving a variety of fare with a seating capacity for 50 patrons and total occupancy load of 200. Entertainment Endorsement featuring live and acoustic music.

Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Wednesday 4:00 pm – 12:00 am, Thursday & Friday 12:00 pm – 2:00 am, Saturday 8:00am – 2:00 am

From DC United:

The special DC Brau craft beer will be a unique, one-of-a-kind brew, crafted specifically for D.C. United and its fans to enjoy. One thousand gallons of the beer will be produced and will be made available exclusively at participating D.C. United official bar partners and at the DC Brau Brewing Company.

While the beer is currently without a name, the two have partnered to launch a contest giving D.C. United fans the opportunity to name the new brew. Fans can submit their suggestions online.

The brew is planned to become available for order on June 11.

Beer Specifications

Classification: Ale
Approx. ABV: 4.5-5.0%
IBU’s: 15
Hops: U.S. Fuggle, U.S. Cascade
Malts: Pale, CaraPils

El Ayudacal courtesy of Capitol City Brewing Company

From a press release:

The fiesta is kicking off at Capitol City Brewing Company this weekend with the unveiling of two cerveza-inspired cocktails to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The Michelada and El Ayudacal will both be available from open to close starting on Friday, May 3 – Sunday, May 5 at both Capitol City locations for only $5.

The Michelada is a popular 1940’s-era Mexican cocktail sometimes compared to a Bloody Mary and is blended with soy, Worcestershire, Tabasco, black pepper and lime. This festive adult beverage is finished with 12 ounces of ice-cold beer and served in a tall glass.

El Ayudacal is the perfect blend of beer and margarita integrating Capitol City’s very own handcrafted Kolsch with fresh lime juice and agave nectar served in a chilled glass with a salted rim.

Delicious or disgusting?

3103 14th Street, NW courtesy of D’Vines

Last week I mentioned D’Vines would begin selling growlers again in Columbia Heights. An update from yesterday’s relaunch:

“over 200 growlers went home in 5 hours… over 1200 12oz bottles not in trash /recycling bins.”

Another reader asked who else sold growlers – so if anyone wants to add other spots to buy growlers please post below. Thanks.

From D’Vines (3103 14th Street, NW):

We are happy to announce that D’VINES, in celebration of Earth Day, Monday April 22nd, 2013 at 6:00PM, will Kick off Growler Filling with FREE Growler Vessels to the First 100 Customers. Our Growler Station has been designed to satisfy 28 different brew cravings, we will have special guest Brandon Skall from DC BRAU, and will feature 4 of their collaborations such as with Ska Brewing, Oliver, Devils Backbone and Stillwater. Our growler website will be updated on Sunday evening for a more accurate list.

3064 Mt. Pleasant Street, NW

Looks like Each Peach won’t be the only place to grab some wine and beer on the 3000 block of Mt. Pleasant Street. Flying Fish has applied for a liquor license. They hope to be able to serve:

Sunday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm; Monday through Thursday: 11:00 am – 9:00 p.m.; Friday: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm; Saturday: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm.

Photo via Atlas Brew Works Facebook page.

Atlas Brew Works will join three other DC breweries – 3 Stars, Chocolate City and DC Brau.

From a press release:

Atlas Brew Works, the District’s newest production craft brewery, today announced the signing of a distribution deal with Premium Distributors of Washington DC, the leader in beer distribution within the District.

“Premium’s track record in craft beer speaks for itself,” said Atlas CEO Justin Cox, “They have the
infrastructure, resources, and professionalism to best represent Atlas in the District.” Atlas Brew Works, founded by Cox and award winning professional brewer Will Durgin, is on track to open this summer with three beers: Rowdy, a hop-forward American-style ale, accented by peppery rye notes, District Common, a California Common featuring Czech Saaz hops, and a third beer which will remain a surprise.

“We are thrilled to be working with a local DC brewery,” commented John Zeltner, President of Premium
Distributors of Washington DC, “Atlas will fill a void in our craft portfolio by offering a DC local and enhance our great selection of beers. Justin and Will are passionate brewers with a commitment to brew high quality beer; we look forward to partnering with them for many years to come.”
The collaborative efforts of Atlas and Premium will guarantee beer drinkers within the District can enjoy a pint of fresh, locally crafted beer wherever fine beverages are served.

624 T St, NW

Brewer Nathan Zeender tells me via email that the Right Proper Brew Pub has leased 624 T St, NW. Their indiegogo page explains:

Our Mission

Washington, DC, needs at least two things: more affordable neighborhood restaurants, and at least one locally owned brewpub.

Our objective is three-fold: We want to create a neighborhood gathering place that makes and serves well-priced delicious food and amazing fresh beer; we want to help our neighborhood thrive by investing in the community and its residents; and we want to anchor Washington, DC on the map as a destination for craft beer. Our business will invest in the growth and development of our employees as well as of our community.

Our Beers: The Short Version

The most important ingredient in beer is the yeast used for fermentation: No other ingredient has more influence on the aromas and flavors of the finished beer. Our brewmaster will source a wide range of yeasts from around the world as well as cultivate “house strains” unique to Right Proper.

Using mixed fermentation techniques as well as secondary and tertiary fermentation cycles, we’ll produce unique beers with complex flavor profiles. Our guests will taste beers that are bitter, beers that are sweet or even distinctly sour. Certain beers will be offered on cask to be served from a hand-pulled beer engine.

We’ll have a two-part beer program, standards and baroques. The standards will consist of beers that can be categorized into definitive historical beer styles. Any lover of craft beer will recognize these brews. The brewmaster will use his talents to put a unique twist on the different styles while still remaining true to the age-old brewing traditions that gave birth to them.

The baroques will consist entirely of barrel aged or barrel fermented beers. Beers of different flavor and aroma profiles will be blended to create unique products. Customers can also expect to find different versions of the same beer dry hopped, blended with fruit or with added herbs and spices.

CityPaper notes:

“the team is now planning to start service in October.”

Updates as they get closer to opening.

100 M Street, SE

@CapitolRvrFront tweets the good news:

“newest bar in the Capitol Riverfront @Gordon_Biersch – open to the public on Monday – 1st & M ST, SE @Nationals Fans”

Anyone get tickets for opening day?

Jack Rose Dining Saloon’s Gnomegangnam Style Party and Feast of the Iron Throne Dinner:

Jack Rose Dining Saloon
2007 18th Street Northwest
Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
5:00pm – 10:00pm | $75

The Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) has chosen to host its annual show in the increasingly-popular small brew destination of DC from March 26-29 and Jack Rose is hosting a week of exciting, beer-focused events to celebrate.

Wednesday, March 27th – Gnomegangnam Style Partyand Feast of the Iron Throne Dinner

* Gnomegangnam Style: 5-10pm on the Terrace
Everyone is encouraged to put on their best Psy costumes and get ready for some K Pop, because Jack Rose is hosting a “Gnomegangnam Style” rooftop party from 5-10pm. Jack Rose will have $6 drafts of Gnomegang, a special seasonal release Belgian Strong Ale from Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY. There will also be dancing, prizes for best Psy costumes & Gangnam Style dancing.

* Feast of the Iron Throne: 7:30-10pm in the Saloon
‘Game of Thrones’ fans rejoice: Jack Rose is hosting a six-course feast showcasing Ommegang’s newest release with HBO, the show-inspired Iron Throne beer which is set to be publicly released in late March. The feast will also feature a variety of show-inspired eats like stews and meats-on-the-bone, each paired with a different unique Ommegang brew.
The 6-course feast with beer pairing will be hosted in Jack Rose’s dining room and is available at $75 per ticket (plus tax and gratuity). There are only 35 tickets for sale at http://www.feastoftheiro.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon is located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC at 2007 18th St. NW. For more information, please visit http://www.jackrosedinin.

See all of tonight’s and the week’s events here.  To add your event, click the events tab up top and then click “add an event”.  You can add concerts, museum/gallery exhibits, fundraisers, sporting events, bike rides etc. You can add anything you think will be of interest to PoPville.

Jack Van Paepeghem works at Meridian Pint and is a Certified Cicerone® You can read his previous post about cellaring here.

Generally I like to keep these posts relevant to the drinking season we are currently in (pilsners in Summer, Octoberfests in Fall, and so forth), but seeing that it is now Spring, writing about barleywines may seem out of place. However, as I write this, it is nearing the freezing point outside and this snifter in front of me is perfectly warming and perhaps making me rethink my hankering for the warmer months ahead. “Barleywine” is a confusing term, as it implies perhaps a muddled fusion of grain and grapes which without further information, sounds not so appetizing. We have the English to both blame and thank for this wine-strength malt beverage and like all things American, we have embraced it and kicked it up a notch and created an entirely new monster which has become the brewer’s shining mark of achievement when well executed. Like the beer itself, the history of barleywine is deep, complex, and full of nuances which transform with age.

The first officially designated “barleywine” on the market was Bass Brewery’s Bass #1 in 1854 in Burton-upon-Trent, England. The beer had an ABV of at least 10%, used only pale malt but was darker due to an over two-hour boil, and had a huge hop bitterness like an IPA. But the making of “big beers” like barleywine go back much further. When beer was produced on a domestic scale, beers of varying strength were made from a single mash in order to have a younger beer for easy and sanitized drinking, one of higher alcohol for slightly longer holding which would be more than a table beer, and then a “stock” or “old” ale which was used for blending with young beers to contribute character and body, or for simply rich drinking after extended aging. This is executed by means of the “parti-gyle system” where during the separation of wort (rich sugary liquid) from the grains by means of running water through the mash bed, the first running is collected and separated off which contains the most dense wort. More water is then circulated through the mash to collect more of the liquid nestled in the grains. This less dense wort, known as the second running, is also separated off and so on and so forth. Each separate running becomes its own beer and will either be blended or consumed on its own.

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Photo by PoPville flickr user annejuliet

This is gonna be awesome. I’m most excited about the Dogfish Head one at Smoke and Barrel (2471 18th St, NW).

Monday, March 25 – Dogfish Head Tap Takeover and IPA Showcase with Head Brewer Jesse Prall

Meet head brewer Jesse Prall and enjoy the entire line-up of Dogfish Head IPAs. Highlights include:

Sixty-One – Newly-released IPA brewed with syrah grape must

Firefly – English pale ale utilizing Maris Otter malt and Calypso hops originally brewed for the Firefly music festival

Rhizing Bines – the newest Life and Limb collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head utilizing Bravo and 644 hops with Dogfish Head’s continual hopping technology

New IPA glassware giveaways!

Full Draft List:

60 Minute IPA
90 Minute IPA
120 Minute IPA
Burton Baton
Rhizing Bines
India Brown
Firefly
Bitches Brew
Sixty-One
Hellhound
Noble Rot
Aprihop

Check out the full week’s craft brewers conference schedule here.

2711 12th Street, NE

This edition of Eating Around Town was written by Abbey Becker. Abbey previously wrote about Middle Eastern Cuisine and Market in Takoma Park and she lives near Eastern Market.

When I went to Toki Underground for the first time two years ago, I was hooked. Since then, I’ve been upwards of 15 times, and it’s safe to say that it’s my favorite DC restaurant.

Except Menomale is now jockeying for that top spot. Not only is it a contender as one of the area’s best Neapolitan pizzas, it’s one of the places I want to eat at each and every week.

You may remember reading about Menomale’s struggle to obtain a liquor license earlier last year. Visiting now, you’d never know they hit a bump in the road—their beer, wine, and cocktail offerings are eclectic, fairly priced, and creative.

If you’re a fan of craft beer, you’ll love co-owner (and homebrewer) Leland Estes’s choices for their 10 or so taps. When I went earlier this week, they had Old Rasputin, a high-percentage Russian imperial stout; Rodenbach, a Belgian oaked sour that’s one of my favorites; and Racer 5, an IPA that many of my beer nerd friends consider an excellent, if more “mainstream,” example of the style. Menomale also has a fridge stocked with several bottles, including Rodenbach Grand Cru and Mad Elf.

Sometimes I prefer a glass of wine, and if you’re looking for affordable, go for the Barbera. It’s $6 most times, but when I went on the later side on a weeknight, it ended up being $2 off! I don’t expect much out of the cheapest wine option on a menu, but this one is actually pretty good—not vinegary or too tannic like some cheaper reds end up tasting.

Let’s talk pizza, though.

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We’ve spoken a lot about our favorite local beers and craft beers but today I want to talk about imported beers. I had a delicious Japanese White Beer ( Hitachino Nest) at Red Rocks and I’m hooked on it. Though it’s pretty damn expensive at Red Rocks I’ve seen it at time at D’Vines in 750ml bottles for around 10 bucks. Anyway it’s delicious – if you like white beer and see it offered, you should give it a taste. What’s your favorite imported beer?

Biking around Town is written by Josh Nadas (@dcliterate), a daily bike commuter & avid rider who works for the National Park Service, and lives in Mount Pleasant.

This ride has to be my biggest mistake so far. I went to a brewery, but failed to actually go when I could buy some beer. I’m hoping that you will overlook this lapse in judgement and read on to find out more about the Metropolitan Branch Trail. It’s a great pathway that runs through the central part of DC, and provides an excellent north south route from Union Station all the way to Silver Spring. The trail is not totally complete yet, and this route only represents a portion of the whole trail. My goal was to get you from a relatively central point in town to the Brewery.

The trail itself is on either a quiet street with a bike lane, or an off street multi-use pathway. There is good signage everywhere, except at the K street underpass where you actually get off the road. Oddly they did not install a nice “left turn here” sign. Going northbound on the trail felt like a slight false flat going upwards, but it was very slight. This is a great pathway for riders of all skill levels, and is definitely a great commuting artery for anyone trying to get between Northeast DC and downtown.

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