Beer

Sam Fitz is a Certified Cicerone® and the Beer Director at Meridian Pint and Smoke & Barrel.

The DC beer community got a loud shout-out from the staff at Maxim magazine, who named the nation’s capital “Beer City of the Year” in their most recent edition. While the rapid rate of growth of our local beer scene is undeniable, cities like Philadelphia, Asheville, Chicago, San Francisco and San Diego have long had a hold on such accolades. Maxim catapulted DC to the front of the pack and cited its bars, breweries, and “gray market” as the primary factors. Bars and breweries? Obviously. The “gray market”? It may be what sets us apart from other US markets, but it is certainly not what makes DC such a great beer city.

The structure by which beer is sold in this country was born out of the failure of Prohibition. To keep brewers distanced from their consumers, beer must be sold first to a distributor and then to a retailer. This simple principle, the three-tier system, operates from coast to coast with few exceptions. The “gray market” in DC is one of them, and it is created by a provision in DC’s legal code:

An importation permit shall authorize the licensee to import, transport, or cause to be imported or transported, alcoholic beverages into the District. An importation permit shall be issued to the licensee under a retailer’s license, class A, B, C, or D, and a pool buying agent if the Board is satisfied that the alcoholic beverages bearing the same brand or trade name are not obtainable by the licensee from a licensed manufacturer or wholesaler in the District in sufficient quantity to reasonably satisfy the immediate needs of the licensee and when the licensee has paid the appropriate taxes.

What this essentially means is that if you have a restaurant in DC and desire to carry an alcoholic product not adequately supplied by the three-tier system, then you can procure it yourself, provided you give you the District its share in the form of taxes. The origins of this provision as well as its age are unknown to this author, but more than likely it was not enacted with craft beer in mind. Regardless of the reason, restauranteurs in DC are exercising their right to bring in products never before seen in our market.

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Right?

The Planet Chocolate City building is located at 3225 Georgia Ave, NW and has been vacant for years. Don’t you think this would make an awesome location for a Chocolate City Beer pub?

I’m happy to introduce Adventures of the 35 Year Old (Alcohol) Virgin. Since I personally had my first beer at 15 years old I was fascinated by Ben’s premise – “At 35 years old, I had never tasted, tried or drank an alcoholic drink of any kind. During 2012 that all changes drink by drink.” You can read more about the background here. For the first Vol. on PoP – AV will tackle Bud Light. If you have a drink you think he should try let us know in the comments. Follow all of his adventures here.

Bud Light

At first it was so much nicer than I expected it to be, almost enjoyable. But by the fourth sip I wanted to be f’ing done. I wanted a Sprite.

So the evening was all set. Joe and I headed over to our weekly dinner at our cousin’s Chris & Natalie and they were prepared to make dinner for my first beer—a classic starter beer—Bud Light. We had rustic grilled cheeses with several different cheeses to choose from, spinach, bacon and a few choice breads. And there was homemade tomato soup and some salad.

But I’m guessing you’re still stuck on “Bud Light”. Yes, yes, I know.

Let me quickly explain.

This journey, this Adventure, is a process. I will be trying at least 25+ beers on this little experiment during 2012 and so for me, it made sense to start with one of the most popular and common beers available to kick off my beer experience.

I had no regrets in my choosing, while many of you had several before I even had my first sip. And now I know why.

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Photo by PoPville flickr user random lady

Sam Fitz is a Certified Cicerone® and the Beer Director at Meridian Pint and Smoke & Barrel.

The meaning of the term “craft beer”seems to vary from person to person. To some it implies a higher quality, to others a higher price, and for a few it has even come to denote hoppy beers. The Brewer’s Association of America defines ”craft brewers” as producers of all-malt beers, owned less than 25% by a non-craft alcoholic beverage industry member, and showing annual production of 6 million barrels or less. But “craft brewers” are so much more than any generalization or narrow definition. They are artisans making beer that is innovative and experimental but often refined and perfected, and their product is not designed out of a need for mass distribution, but rather from a desire to achieve a taste that the brewer and like-minded consumers can cherish.

Giving consumers a real choice as to what they drink is perhaps the greatest attribute of craft beer, which varies so greatly it is hard to believe there isn’t at least one beer for everybody. One of my favorite games is finding a brew for the person who “doesn’t like beer”. More often than not, this individual simply suffers from a lack of exposure to what is available to them every day. Beer doesn’t have to be light and fizzy. Dark Belgian ales, or perhaps a sour kriek, are often welcomed by red wine drinkers. Wheat beers can be a great beginning for those adjusting their palates to the array of flavorful brews now available. Chocolate, coffee, fruit and spices are commonly introduced into craft beers to create fascinating results. Bourbon barrel-aging is adding a new kick to the marketplace. The point is, in order to evaluate and even appreciate craft beer, you need to go out and try its many incarnations. It’s unlikely you’ll enjoy everything you drink but, if you can’t find anything that pleases, you’re not trying hard enough.

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Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

From a press release:

On Saturday, January 21, Rustico, located at 4075 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington, will officially become home to The Beer Academy a.ka. Brew U. Guided by Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s Beer Director Greg Engert, The Beer Academy will offer a comprehensive curriculum for beer enthusiasts with two-hour tutorials, once a month for the entire year. Each class will be held from 1 PM to 3 PM on Saturdays at Rustico in Arlington, and is priced at $24 per person. With a Food & Wine “Sommelier of the Year” as their guide, students will receive a first-class education, as well as tastes of at least six beers, hand selected by Greg to exemplify the featured theme of each class.

Those who attend the inaugural class on Saturday, January 21 will get schooled on Tasting Craft Beer: Examining the Flavor Spectrum across the History of Beer. During this course, students will be led on a journey through Greg’s flavor profiles (Crisp, Hop, Malt, Roast, Smoke, Fruit & Spice, Tart & Funky), while sipping and studying six different beers. Future classes will focus on topics such as casks ales, sour ales, farmhouse ales of the world, and brewing locally vs. locally sourced brewing. To heighten the experience, Rustico will offer their full brunch menu a la carte with standouts such as buttermilk biscuit sliders, sweet potato skins and crispy deviled eggs to the attendees.

The Beer Academy will commence on January 21 and run every four weeks, with subsequent classes scheduled for February 18, March 17, April 14, May 12 and June 9. Dedicated students, who wish to enroll in the full year will receive a discount of $6 off each class (additional discounts for packages of three, six and nine classes are also offered). To reserve a spot for The Beer Academy please call Rustico at (571) 384-1820.