The following was written by Sarah Katz-Hyman. Sarah is a student at University of Maryland and lives in College Park.

Museum Musings

I visited some of my favorite museums (only three on this day) and here are my “oldy but goody” exhibits and “new and exciting.” This list is by no means exhaustive, so please share some of your favorite exhibits from these museums and others.

National Air and Space Museum

Oldy but Goody: The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age

The Wright Brother’s famous first flight occurred in 1903, and now in 2013 we have another rover on Mars, satellites that are reaching the end of our solar system and the ability to fly cross country in about five hours. This exhibit is classic and humbling to think about just how far flight and technology has come.

New and Exciting: Moving Beyond Earth

Who hasn’t thought about being an astronaut for at least one second (literally everyone has, especially if you just read that). This exhibit helps visitors imagine the life of an astronaut through hands-on stations, live lectures and video.

Note: Although I didn’t go this trip, if you have are able to visit the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly you should definitely go. It’s a huge hanger with a ton of cool and important planes throughout history. Highlights for me are the Enola Gay, the Concorde and of course the Space Shuttle Discovery – all three pieces important to the history of aviation, culture and politics.

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American History Museum

Oldy but Goody:  The First Ladies & The Star Spangled Banner

The closest thing we have to royalty, marvel in the fashions of the first ladies. Hoop skirts abound and style reigns supreme. This glimpse into a small part of their lives is fun and another way to put ourselves in the shoes of many steps throughout history.  Oh, and Michelle’s iconic white dress still gets me.

“A little bit of Patriotism every now and again does a man good,” said Benjamin Franklin …not actually. But seeing the original flag that inspired the anthem is awe-inspiring. What is just as interesting is the science behind its preservation. When you are done here you could always head up to Baltimore and visit Ft. McHenry to reenact the whole scene.

New and Exciting: Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 and the March on Washington, 1963

This year is the 40^th anniversary of the March on Washington and the 140^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. The two events, separated by a century’s time, are some of the most pivotal in American history. This exhibit takes a look at the events and how they have shaped our nation. When you are done you can walk up to the Lincoln and look down the mall (I am a big fan of imagining myself in historical places). This exhibit is open until September 15, 2013.

National Museum of Natural History

Oldy but Goody: The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins

This collection about the origins of humans is fascinating. We are a species that is has evolved through unlikely and harrowing means. It’s a great place to start in the museum or a great way to end it. Walking through this exhibit, try to see yourself in all the steps of human history – we have a pretty incredible timeline.

New and Exciting: 2011 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards

Cute animals and impossibly beautiful pictures combine in this not-so-new but soon-to-be-gone exhibit. This gallery makes animals very relatable and incredibly poignant. One of my favorite activities is to caption the ones with the animals with what they are saying. Also, trying to pick that one picture to go above the (fictional, in my case) fireplace. This exhibit is open until April 7, 2013.

Note: I was pretty pooped after three museums in one day, but for nourishment the American Indian Museum offers up an excellent food court encompassing many of the Native American cultures. The exhibits are also great in my experience but I didn’t check any out this time.

Extra note: In just a few years (projected 2015) the National Museum of African American History and Culture will open and this promises to be another very well curated museum.

Going to the Movies is written by Mount Vernon Triangle resident Catherine Taegel.

This week I saw “Warm Bodies” starring Nicholas Hoult as R, the zombie with a heart. This is Hoult’s first stab at the starring role in a film. (You can see him later this year as Jack in “Jack the Giant Slayer”as well.) The story is a of world post zombie apocalypse, but with a twist. R, the young zombie, falls in love with a much alive young female human, and begins to feel again. A friend referred to it as the best both worlds for a date night – zombies for the guys and romance for the ladies. I can get down with that, but I did relatively enjoy both sides.

The film opens with R aimlessly wondering (stumbling) around an abandoned airport with other zombies. His internal dialogue shows us that unlike most zombies we’ve encountered before, there is something in him. He has habits, a personality, and his sarcastic voiceover guiding each scene exposes the utter ridiculousness that is zombies. Since the sole purpose of zombies is to eat humans, it’s befitting that R discovers his one true love on a quest for a meal.

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His romantic interest is Julie (Teresa Palmer) – a spunky, independent, kind, beautiful, and of course the daughter of Grigio (John Malkovich), the leader of the human city who is out to kill all zombies. R spares her life and manages to blend her into the zombie group. He brings her safely back to basecamp at the airport and onto a plane he’s outfitted with random chachkies and, of course, a turntable with a great record collection. (R’s main mode of expression is music. Soul searching early in the film leads him to put on John Waite’s “Missing You” .) R convinces Julie to stay a few days for her own protection. During this time they form a bond, but all good things must come to an end and that’s when the movie really starts to movie. Julie’s quest back to the walled city and R’s desire to support her starts a change that not only warms his own heart, but the hearts of other zombies as well.

The film moves well and luckily it never takes itself too seriously. Hault and Parker’s relative anonymity as actors does the film well. The audience is able to take them at face value and concentrate on the characters as opposed to just seeing the actors as the characters themselves, which often happens in satires. However, there were a few recognizable actors on screen, including – Rob Corddry as M, R’s zombie friend and at certain times his father figure; John Malkovich as Grigio, the leader of the humans that are left after the apocalypse, and Dave Franco (yes, James Franco’s brother) as Perry, Julie’s boyfriend and one of the leaders of the young group set out to collect medical supplies.

Even though I just saw Rob Corrdry, John Malkovich, and Dave Franco as themselves it added to the hilarity of the film. My only disappointment is that I was waiting for John Malkovich to really lose it and I imagine that probably happened in a scene that was eventually cut from the movie. Rob Corrdry comforting a broken-hearted R got a great reaction from the crowd as he asked R “You alright?” and as R shook his head no, Corrdry utters “Bitches.” Well played, Corrdry.

“Warm Bodies” is an alternative take to your typical zombie movie. While it is certainly no “Sean of the Dead” or “Zombieland” it manages to comfortably fit into the zombie satirical genre – silly, fun, and good-natured.

“Warm Bodies” opens February 1, 2013 in theaters nationwide.

Going to the Movies is written by Mount Vernon Triangle resident Catherine Taegel.

Last evening I saw a screening of “Parker” starring Jason Statham (“The Italian Job” &“The Transporter” trilogies) and Jennifer Lopez.  The movie was exactly what I expected it to be – it is starring Jason Statham after all – but I was actually alright with that. Jason Statham has created a nice little action star niche and he is in his groove in Parker.

With all of the heavy hitter movies out there these days – Lincoln, Les Miserables, Zero Dark Thirty, Argo – we all need a little mindless entertainment. And I mean that in a good way. Parker is not going to win any awards. It’s no cinematic feat with a carefully crafted script. It’s a typical action film that doesn’t quite stand up to “Bad Boys” but is at least better than “Public Enemies”.

Jason Statham stars as Parker, a thief who would like to think he has a moral compass, but let’s face it – he’s about kicking ass and taking names. Again, it is Jason Statham. The plot is surface level –  he gets wronged and wants to get even. It really is that simple. The movie opens at the Ohio State Fair and while the entire encounter maybe lasts around ten minutes, it’s probably the longest scene in one place in the entire movie. That’s an action movie for you though – continuously moving with the guide of a revolving door of stolen cars.

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Jennifer Lopez is Leslie. She’s middle-aged, divorced, and down on her luck.  She meets Parker and finds an opportunity to change her stars when she realizes he is not what he seems. This role is not a stretch for Lopez. She doesn’t have to dig deep and once she enters the film, she follows Parker’s lead and we all continue to be entertained. No action film is complete without some nudity. Let me say, I cannot believe she had twins. She was a good match for Jason Statham. They both seem to age slowly – if at all – and got along well on screen.

Notable ensemble members include two HBO actors – Wendell Pierce (“Treme”) as one of the thieves and Bobby Cannavale (“Boardwalk Empire”) as the local cop. Both had such minor, insignificant roles. It’s unfortunate, because they are such great actors. I enjoyed seeing them both, though. (Side plug: If you haven’t watched “Treme” – go do it!) The strangest part of the film is Nick Nolte as Hurley, Parker’s mentor and the father of his girlfriend. Through flashbacks we see Hurley is really the reason Parker is in his current predicament. Hurely is weaved in and appears as a crucial member of the cast, but abruptly leaves halfway through and is never seen again. It’s bizarre, but not unwelcomed.

There is some skin, explosions of course, suspense and build up, and serious fight scenes. Nearly every five minutes you wonder how Parker is not dead. He defies all odds. Then you realize that this is Jason Statham. He’s the man. It is a mind numbing script that includes played out one-liners. (When asked how he sleeps at night Parker responds, “I don’t drink coffee after 7:00.” I cringed.) I knew there would be cheeseball lines and while I may never know if Parker is his first or last name, did it ever really matter? If you’re looking to escape the everyday and don’t want a film that will just make you think more then go see Parker. It’s sure to entertain.

“Parker” is in wide release on January 25, 2012.

Last night I watched “The Impossible” with Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. The film is about the true story of the Belon family who miraculously survived the deadly tsunami that hit Thailand on December 26, 2004 and killed 230,000 people. Watching “The Impossible” I already knew the ending. It’s no spoiler alert. You know the family survives, but that clearly wasn’t the intention of the film. The journey of a family played a supporting role to the real story of sheer devastation that happened in an instant, with no notice at all. This film was about impact.

“The Impossible” opens in darkness. A thunderous sound, that you assume is the tsunami, grows louder and louder. Seconds later the screen comes alight and the sound climaxes as a plan soars overhead. We are introduced to the Bennett family – Maria, Henry, Lucas, Thomas, and Simon (10, 8, and 5, respectively) – on a plane coming into Thailand to spend Christmas at a beautiful resort right on the Indian Ocean. The first twenty or so minutes of the film are a purposeful build-up. The family relaxes, enjoys a beautiful Christmas day, and expects the next days to be as perfect as the last. The scenes show peace, comfort, and blissful ignorance. However, the audience knows what’s coming and my heart raced as I waited for the impending moment.

Director Juan Antonio Boyana (The Orphanage) did respect to the experience of going through this disaster. He wanted you to feel the terror, pain, and anguish that undoubtedly surrounded the moments just before, during, and after the tsunami. Mission accomplished. You watch the sea rise up, people freeze and brace for the impact, and then you’re at Maria. She’s clinging for dear life to a palm tree and shrieks with terror. It’s real. This is happening. She hears the screams of her oldest son, Lucas (Tom Holland), and watches as he is whisked away by the sea. You feel her maternal instincts as she lunges into the wave, leaving the seeming safety of the palm tree, to get to him. Another wall of water comes rushing to shore and the terror occurs all over again. It is truly unbelievable.

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Boyana smartly switches between the characters navigating above the water, desperately reaching for each other, and being pulled and injured by the treacherous waters below. All kinds of debris, natural and unnatural, swirl beneath the waves and you can feel the anguish as Maria gets torn apart. Maria and Lucas’ journey continues for a while into the movie before the audience is reunited with Henry and the younger two sons. In fact, as we become lost in the overrun, rural hospital that Maria and Lucas end up in, it is unclear when and how the other family members are going to come back into the fold.

After experiencing the tsunami and immediate aftermath the rest of the movie doesn’t quite live up to those moments – expertly played by Naomi Watts and young Tom Holland. It is their determination to survive and stay together that drives the better part of the first half of the movie. Ewan McGregor is no slouch but his search for Maria and Lucas was probably downplayed due to the simple fact of time. Things needed to get wrapped up in a bow.

Showing the impact of the disaster is really the focal point. The disaster and ruin is shown throughout the film – including one very intense flashback. Multiple times in the film Boyana would start with tight shots and expanded outwards, allowing the audience to absorb the environment and the utter endlessness of the devastation. The rush of water, the immediate aftermath at the resort, the inundated hospital, and dozens and dozens of dead bodies wrapped up on a tarmac, were shown from above several times in the film.

The film is a story of resiliency, of family, of the kindness of strangers. The name does it justice – it’s just so unbelievable –  but, as I’ve heard many times, the movie is made in the editing room. No one who was not there that day can ever truly understand the fear and human anguish that was caused. Boyana does a great job of bringing the audience as close to that feeling as possible. However, as scenes became necessary to wrap the movie up and bring the family back together, the film seemed routine, rushed, and familiar. We’ve seen many of these scenes before and it undermined the incredible true story this film is built around. Additionally, the film is actually based around a Spanish family, and is a Spanish-American film. According to Boyana, “it proved impossible to raise funding without international actors.” What a sad commentary, that has received minimal attention in the press.

All that being said, much of the emotion in the film feels very genuine. Boyana makes a point to put in an intro line into the film, citing that the fact that thousands and thousands of families were ripped a part in an instance. This film is really homage to that solemn fact. I did highly enjoy young Lucas, played by Tom Holland, whose sincerity warmed and broke your heart all at the same time. While “The Impossible” doesn’t rank high on my best movies of all time, or even best movies in the last year, it’s still a high impact cinematic experience – worth seeing on the big screen. Viewers beware – this film is intense, graphic, and emotional.

“The Impossible” is playing at Landmark E Street Cinema, AMC Loews Georgetown 14, Regal Ballston Common 12, AMC Loews Shirlington 7, and Regal Majestic 20.

When DC’s population explodes for a days-long of celebration of the 2nd inauguration of Barack Obama this coming weekend, not everyone will be dusting off their screen printed Obama family portrait sweatshirts or marching to the mall via several human funnels with their YES WE DID signs in tow. Even though DC did go 91% for Obama, there are still quite a few who voted for Mr. Romney. In case you were wondering where those people live, I made this highly predictable map of which voting precincts recorded the highest numbers of votes for Romney on election day. The proportional circles (placed at the center of each census tract – not the same as voting precincts) represent average household income based on the 2010 American Community Survey. If you mouse over the circles, you’ll see average income displayed, and if you mouse over the precinct, you’ll see the percentage vote for Romney and Obama (sorry Jill Stein and Gary Johnson).

Going to the Movies is a new PoPville feature by Mount Vernon Triangle resident Catherine Taegel.

I’m Catherine Taegel, a MVT resident, and member of the wonderful DC Film Society(which anyone can join!). I have had no formal training in reviewing movies, but as a lover of all movies – old, new, big, and small – I look to provide thoughtful reviews that will intrigue and guide locals as they attempt to sort through the various cinema offerings in our area.

The other night I attended the screening of “Zero Dark Thirty” at the Regal Gallery Place cinema. Telling a story that is so engrained into the very fabric of our society is a tall order, even for Kathryn Bigelow, whose movie “The Hurt Locker”, portraying the war in Iraq, won a slew of awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture, in 2010. She’s no stranger to controversy – often criticized for glamourizing and sensationalizing war and the personal stories occurring within them. Her direction of “Zero Dark Thirty” is no different.

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The months leading up to the release of the movie has only built more momentum for the film. Questions of the extensive access the director and screenwriter had to Langley, whether or not sensitive and classified information were released, and the level of importance torture played in the capture of Osama bin Laden has even led to a Senate inquiry.

It’s true. Enhanced interrogation is in your face within the first ten minutes. You are introduced to the main characters in the same motion and while it is uncomfortable and disarming, it sets the stage for the movie. However, it is important to note that this scene, and general issue, becomes woven into the story, and is not the story itself. The scene and acts themselves provide a necessary dichotomy as we follow these CIA agents on their quest to find Osama bin Laden and what it appears to take to track a terrorist.

There is a lot of time, events, and character development to cover in “Zero Dark Thirty” and Kathryn Bigelow wastes no time. The film opens with the sounds of September 11^th and goes through the next decade like chapters in a book – using major violent global attacks purported by al-Qaeda as its anchor. The timeline is familiar and fresh in our minds. Real images and reports are interwoven to keep the audience connected to the actual events it is attempting to portray. The film deals with heavy subjects, but you are never in one scene long enough to linger on any emotion.

As the real life CIA Agent Maya, whose real name is unknown as she is still in the Agency, Jessica Chastain is the star of this film. Convinced that Osama bin Laden’s courier network will lead the CIA to the mastermind, Chastain is the center and the pillar of this film. Her portrayal shows Maya as stoic and vulnerable, barely keeping it together, but clearly driven by a higher purpose. (She even says at one point that she believes she was spared from a terrorist attack to see the mission through.) The film keeps pace around her and you are caught up in her determination in nearly every scene. She adeptly manages this film.

The rest of the actors are no slouch, but there sure are a lot of them. Jessica Chastain’s male counterpart throughout the movie is played by Jason Clarke, an Australian actor, who may not be a name but his face is familiar and his performance kicks off the movie, presenting himself as a clear mentor for Maya. (Jason Clarke had roles in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”, “Lawless”, and will be in the upcoming “Great Gatsby” directed by Baz Luhrmann.) The only character portrayal I had an issue with was Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, played by James Gandolfini. Luckily, the obscure casting is not a momentum killer.

Bigelow does an amazing job of providing insight into tracking a terrorist – working with our allies, being duped by our supposed allies, blending into the scene, seeing through the crowds, navigating political waters, and setting up the raid. The climax of the movie – Navy SEALS entering the compound – gets your adrenaline pumping. The scene is patient, methodical, and engrossing.

There are parts of this story that can never be verified, but it does not mean that the story cannot be told. It is a compelling, character-driven story that captures the climax of an American story that defines a generation.

“Zero Dark Thirty” can be seen in wide release on January 11, 2013.

Jeremy Barr is a writer and journalism student. A native of suburban Maryland, he now lives in Mount Vernon Square. He last wrote about Green Hat Gin.

In early December, I noticed a police truck attached to a light tower on M Street NW between 4th and 5th streets (pictured). A few days later, the light was set up near my house, a few blocks away. It was switched on late at night and stayed on until morning.

I spoke with an officer on the scene, and he said that the light was a response to two recent muggings in the area. Angled as it was, the police light made our living room ceiling light almost unnecessary, cutting down our electricity bill dramatically, I’m sure. But after only a handful of nights, just as we were starting to get used to it, the police truck and light disappeared.

I checked with a spokesman for the city police department to find out more, and heard back from Lieutenant Derek Larsen, who patrols the encompassed area, Police Service Area (PSA) 308.

Lt. Larsen confirmed that the light was a response to a series of muggings in November:

“All of our victims report that the suspects came up from behind them and committed the robbery. We have found that when robberies like this occur the suspects were hiding behind vehicles and in between buildings. We have found that these towers assist us in deterring robberies and burglaries as well as order maintenance crimes, such as drinking in public.”

Larsen said that each of the Metropolitan Police Department’s patrol districts has a light tower assigned to it, and that in this case, the department immediately saw results.

Incidentally another reader sends in a photo of a light tower (above) and writes:

This light tower showed up on both sides of the Harrison Square complex (13&W) after a mugging the night before. Below is an email we received from a resident.

Everyone,
Apologies for the scary email but better that people know and will be alert. Monday night, a little before midnight, a Harrison Square resident was robbed at gunpoint on 12th place by the parking alley and V street. There were two or three assailants, and they were likely hiding near the bushes at the entrance way to the courtyard underneath the decks. No injuries, but wallet and phone were stolen. The criminals ran off towards U street – no news yet on whether anyone has been caught.

Police arrived quickly and a full report was made.

Jack Van Paepeghem works at Meridian Pint and is a Certified Cicerone® You can read his previous post about travels in Sea Change Pale Ale here.

Cellaring

Last time we talked it was about drinking beer fresh and enjoying all those bright green, resiny, juicy, citrusy hops as if they were right off the bine. By all means, continue to drink your IPA’s, pales and other bitter bombs as soon as possible, but how about we celebrate the New Year with some old beers. Old, in this sense refers not to the stale, mistreated, and outdated ones, but beers that have been carefully put down with age and ready for consumption and true appreciation. The idea of a “new” or another year may have some worried as their days are numbered, but for beer, it can be quite the opposite. I want to address the question of why and how we should age beer, and when it is best for consumption.

So first off, if brewers have complete control over their ingredients, process, and final product, why shouldn’t we just drink their beers when they are released instead of aging them? This question has a couple leads. First, when we consider a beer as “fresh” it is also implied that a beer is made ready to drink. Several breweries may have a product ready for sale but instead choose to either hold the beer in bottles, barrels, stainless steel tanks, or other mediums so the beer may have time to come together and for higher alcohols to settle out. For example, the original IPA’s of Great Brittan were aged in wood barrels for up to a year before they were released to the public because they were so harsh and bitter that nobody would’ve cared for them “fresh.” Otherwise, brewers intend on creating beers which have favorable characteristics both when fresh and when aged. One of my favorites is Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Barleywine (that should be hitting the market any day now) which has a juicy, citrusy, piney hop aroma and flavor with a biting bitterness, but as they beer gets a couple years on it, the hops fade and the caramel and toffee malt flavors develop into something complex and warming.

This then begs the question of which beers are worth aging and which are potentially better fresh? In all honesty, it depends on each particular beer and the individual tastes of who is aging it, but one can apply the following guidelines:

-Look for beers with an ABV of 8% or higher. Alcohol is a natural preservative and keeps a potentially perishable product intact and helps the maturation process over time. Beers which do not follow this rule of thumb are generally Belgian Lambics and Gueuzes which are around 6% but contain live yeast and are bottle conditioned.

-Beers which are bottle conditioned contain living yeast in the bottle (whether capped or corked) which continue to ferment and develop flavors. Those ales made with Belgian yeast strains as well as wild yeast strain are perfect candidates for aging.

-Beers which have already undergone aging and/or fermentation in say bourbon or wine barrels can further benefit with time, as burnt oak or tannic flavors may develop and intensify or recede over time, depending on the beer.

-Many breweries produce “anniversary” or “reserve” beers which imply a special designation of a beer that is generally meant for aging and comparison against prior years.

-This ties in with the idea of having a “vertical” tasting, which is to say, a tasting of one particular beer from several different years. However, some breweries change up their particular “vertical” beers from year to year, but are still worth trying against one another.

-In general, look for styles which are all around “bigger” beers: think imperial stouts, barleywines, Belgian strong golden or dark ales, even double IPA’s with a large malt bill pick up an interesting character as hops subside. You probably get the picture. But also, don’t be afraid to throw an oddball or two into the mix, you never know what can turn out incredible 3 years down the road.

When cellaring beer, it is best to buy more than one of each beer that you are putting down in order to try it at different stages to determine its optimal condition for drinking. Again, each beer will have its nuances and evolve differently, but there are certain characteristics which can be expected with aging:

-Higher fusel alcoholic flavors and aromas (think nail polish remover) which were once considered “hot” become subdued and the alcohol becomes pleasantly warming. This is especially helpful for barleywines, old ales, and strong ales which are 12% and above.

-Upfront hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma will fade, but can transform and work with the malt and yeast character over time. Highly/over-hopped beers may benefit with a few months, even years. Dogfish Head 120 Minute, a hop-driven beer, is extra hot, astringent, and aggressive at first, but aged versions are reborn with an amazing barleywine-like character.

-No matter the strength of a seal, whether cork, cap, wax, or steel, all beers will become oxidized over time. This means that oxygen left in the bottle or keg, or that which enters in will transform what beer it is coming into contact with. Positive oxidation occurs when a beer picks up deep sherry or madeira-like notes whereas oxidation can leave some beers tasting like wet, stale, cardboard or paper. You will never forget this flavor once you’ve had it in high concentrations.

-Due to the conditions of a beer over the course of its life, the yeast may become overworked or just simply die out. This process is called autolysis and can leave a beer tasting meaty and like soy sauce. In some beers like old ales or imperial stouts this brings out the “umami” or savory character while in others it can overwhelm and spoil an otherwise great product.

-Sour ales may get sourer just as those beers with significant funk may keep on getting funkier, sometimes they become more nuanced, subtle, and smoothed out, but other times they may just die out completely. Some non-sour beers may even pick up a sour (sometimes desirable) or infected character (always undesirable) depending on the conditions of cellaring.

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I hope by now you’ve become intrigued enough to start your own cellar, so you can subject your favorite beers to the test of time and reward your own patience with something worthy of transcendence. Building a cellar with proper temperature and humidity controls takes a huge investment of time and money, but there are other ways you can do this at home which can yield similar results when you keep certain things in check:

-Find a place where your beer can be out of sight and of mind. Do not keep a stash of tempting beers by places like your desk or bed where you are likely to stick them into the fridge for consumption. Keep inventory so you know what has been where and for how long. Patience is of the essence.

-The darker the space, the better. UV rays contribute to skunking of hops in beer which can absolutely ruin an aged beer. Be especially careful as many Belgian ales come in green glass bottles which are more susceptible to skunking than brown bottles.

-Find a place where you can maintain a relatively constant temperature of 55 degrees. Just as refrigeration slows the aging of beer, overtly hot or cold and fluctuating temperatures can have extremely harmful effects on beer.

-DC is known for its nasty levels of humidity, especially in the summer. If possible, find a place with a humidity content of 50%-70%. This prevents corks from drying out and prevents the onset of bacterial growth. Dehumidifiers are relatively inexpensive and exist for this purpose. On my trip to Belgium this past October, I ordered a 2005 De Dolle Stille Nacht Riserva from the Kulminator in Antwerp. The bottle was covered in mold and other brown and green growth which felt wet to touch, rustic perhaps? Hell no, the beer was tainted with mold and almost made me physically ill. Don’t let this happen to your bottles. Check periodically and remove any residual mold from the exterior.

-Lastly, and while up for debate, store your bottles upright. This reduces the surface area of exposed oxygen in a bottle, allows yeast to settle naturally at the bottom, and prevents yeast build up around the neck or top of a bottle.

The time has come to sample your labor of love. The rule of thumb is to serve beers at the temperature at which they are cellared. However, beers lighter in alcohol or those which benefit at a slightly colder temperature (Belgian Triples, Gueuzes, for example) can be refrigerated before serving. Do not disturb the yeast while pouring (avoid shaking the bottle back and forth between glasses), and don’t rush. Yes, like wine, beer too opens up and transforms as it warms. Give it some time, appreciate, and enjoy. Sometimes you will truly have a profound experience with aged beers.

There are plenty of bottle shops around D.C. from which you can buy beers worth cellaring. It is a seriously rewarding aspect of drinking beer and the winter months are the perfect time to break out these kinds of beers. Can’t wait for your own treasures to age? Stop by the Pint on Tuesday, January 8th for our “Old and Sour” event where we will be pouring 12 aged kegs from our temperature/humidity controlled cellar (some of which being over two years old at this point) alongside 12 tart, funky, and sour beers starting at 3pm. I got a chance to have a sneak peak at some of the beers we are pouring, and while I won’t tell you what they were, I will say that some were expectedly awesome while some took on completely unanticipated and remarkable flavors and characters.

Jeremy Barr is a writer and journalism student. A native of suburban Maryland, he now lives in Mount Vernon Square. He last wrote about his experiences finding a group house.

On Saturday, I tasted Green Hat Gin, billed as the city’s first legally distilled spirit in a century, for the first time. It is produced by Ivy City-based New Columbia Distillers, which began selling .75 liter bottles in early October. I picked up my bottle — part of batch #9, according to the label — at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, which sells it for $35. (John Uselton, co-owner of New Columbia Distillers, used to be the store’s beer buyer). An employee told me that demand for the product is such that they keep it near the front of the store, rather than on their floor-to-ceiling sale walls.

Seeing as that the city now has three breweries — with the addition of 3 Stars Brewing this summer — I got to thinking about why New Columbia Distillers is by its lonesome. I also wondered why it took so long for the country’s most-stressed out city to have a locally-produced spirit to turn to.

Luckily, DC’s has its very-own alcohol historian. I reached out to Garrett Peck, who literally wrote the book on the city’s hooch history. Prohibition in Washington, DC: How Dry We Weren’t tells the story of a city flush with liquor — dispersed at more than 3,000 speakeasies — at a time when its lawmaker residents had outlawed it.

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The book introduces George Cassiday, known as “The Man in the Green Hat” (so, Green Hat Gin) because of his penchant for wearing a green fedora. A legendary bootlegger, Cassiday hawked liquor out of Congressional office buildings before being arrested, bottles in hand.

Over email, Peck shed some light into why he isn’t surprised by how long it took for DC to get its first distillery:

“The microdistillery boom didn’t really start until fairly recently, around 2005. That may seem shockingly late, given how popular craft brewing has been for decades, but it’s true. In that sense, DC isn’t all that late to the microdistillery party, since this is an industry in its infancy.”

Finding adequate space to house brewing and distilling operations has been an issue. “These are quasi-industrial [operations] that require special zoning; DC doesn’t have much industrial space anymore,” he said.

Peck pointed out that many distillers have a background in brewing, as “to distill anything, you first have to brew a beer.” And in that sense, DC was behind the curve on building a craft brewing industry.

“The craft brewing market began bubbling up in the late 1970 with home brewers and small brewers like Sierra Nevada. Most cities developed significant craft brewing industries – heck, just look at Baltimore up the road – but DC lagged significantly. Our last brewery (Christian Heurich) closed in 1956; we didn’t get a craft brewery until 2011 (and since have added two more – with our fourth, Atlas Brew Works, coming online in 2013).”

The permitting process for DC’s first microbrewery in more than half a century, DC Brau, presented challenges. But new companies, including New Columbia Distillers, have been able to learn from their forerunners’ travails, Peck said.

Concerns about demand for beer also contributed to the delay.

“No one really knew if DC would be a beer drinking city again. It’s long been a cocktail and wine city, but would people take to beer? Yes, as it turns out, we do.”

I think we can all agree with that.

Jeremy Barr is a writer and journalism student. A native of suburban Maryland, he now lives in Mount Vernon Square.

At first, it seemed easy. Craigslist, I was told, is the best way to find a room to rent in this city. Intent on finding a moderately-priced option in a “good,” “pretty good,” or “up-and-coming” area, I scoured the site, sending introductory emails when listings met my criteria.

And then I waited. And waited. I soon realized that the process of getting into a group house in D.C. is as painful — if not more so — than landing a coveted job. Such was my experience in the three separate times I sought housing over the last two years.

I may have only scored a 2 on my Advanced Placement microeconomics exam, but I understand the concert of supply and demand. And in D.C., there is significantly more demand for rooms than there is supply.

As such, in the same way that job seekers are told to “stand out” in cover letters, so to are prospective roommates when emailing listers. The goal, I learned, is to check all the boxes — “correct” age, employment status, etc. — while also putting yourself outside the box. So, while I was happy to report to prospective housemates that I attended a “name-brand” university, was in my early/mid 20s, and was gainfully employed, I was sure to weave in my time teaching English in Hungary and backpacking through Eastern Europe.

I learned quickly to cast a wider net in my search than I would have liked. In one ad I responded to, for a house between Mt. Pleasant and Columbia Heights, prospective roommates were informed that they might be compelled to engage in a foot-race to “win” the room. Ultimately I decided that I could find less insufferable (more sufferable?) people to live with, and, more importantly, that I probably wouldn’t win the race if it came down to it.

Continues after the jump.

More so than to entertain your readers, the goal of these emails is to get an “interview,” a chance to see the room, see the house and, most importantly, meet the housemates. As the saying goes, for every 10 resumes you send, you get one interview. The same is true for Craigslist housing interviews. In my three housing searches, I estimate that I sent close to 250 emails and only heard back on about 20-25 of them.

In one experience, an “interview” turned out to be less personal than I was lead to believe. At 9:00 p.m., I showed up at a group house in Adams Morgan. I ended up being one of five guys, all a little startled and surprised to see one another. After a cursory tour of the house’s dusty and rundown ground floor, I headed for the door. As I turned to leave, a roommate asked me why I was ducking out early. “You already have several of me here,” I said, having noticed that almost all the prospective roommates had boxy glasses and facial scruff.

The eight or 10 interviews I did were strikingly similar. After a 10 minute-long room and house tour, I sat down in the living room with my potential roommates. I normally was given a chance to make a short opening statement — just the basics — before the roommates started posing questions. “What do you like to do on weekends?” “What are your hobbies?” “Do you cook?” I quickly learned the importance of being able to say “yes” and “no” to every question. ‘Yes, I cook (read: I am a foodie and will watch ‘Top Chef’ with you), but not every day (read: Don’t worry, I won’t clutter up the kitchen all the time). ‘Yes, I like going to bars on weekends (read: I have friends and social skills), but I don’t go out much during the week and don’t get too drunk (read: I am responsible, mature and won’t vomit on our couch).

After an interview, I would send a “thank you” note, just as I would after a job interview. And even when I did well, it generally wasn’t enough to get me into the house. On several occasions I was told that, while the roommates liked me, they ended up giving the room to a friend of a friend. Or a third cousin of a roommate. And, while I wanted to, I couldn’t blame them. Picking a known entity seems safer than picking a likable person you found on the internet.

In my case, after months of frustration and emails, I lucked into the same situation. In January, a colleague informed me that she had a room opening in her group house in Mount Vernon Square. After a quick chat with the roommates, I was in. No need to answer questions about my politics, relationship status or social sport preferences.