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New and Now Availables is a [I don’t know, pick a timeframe that seems reasonable to you, dear reader] feature here at DCBeer.com. In an effort to keep readers informed about the newest beers (local and otherwise) appearing in the market and on beer menus, we’ll be sharing what we see on social media. These may be brand new beers or they may be beers returning to rotations (e.g., seasonals, limited releases), or they may be one-offs. Notably, this list isn’t comprehensive, but really how could it be? Are you a brewery with a beer you’d like to see here? Use our form. Cheers and thanks for reading!

New and Now Availables is a [I don't know, pick a timeframe that seems reasonable to you, dear reader] feature here at DCBeer.com. In an effort to keep readers informed about the newest beers (local and otherwise) appearing in the market and on beer menus, we'll be sharing what we see on social media. These may be brand new beers or they may be beers returning to rotations (e.g., seasonals, limited releases), or they may be one-offs. Notably, this list isn't comprehensive, but really how could it be? Are you a brewery with a beer you'd like to see here? Use our form. Cheers and thanks for reading!

Trying out a new format for this, let's see how it goes!

Sky-Lit Drawl is tasting pretty good right now @RightProperBeer brewpub. It’s a Brett Saison with Peaches and Nectarines added to the whirlpool. Peachy and delicious!

— Brewer Bump (@BobbyBump)

July 21, 2018

Well it looks like the rain has stopped, so it seems like a good time to introduce #RightProperShaw 's newest beer, Low End Theory! An IPA that leans more towards 2010 IPAs, expect lots of malt to balance the light hoppiness. Check the Rhime, then come check out this new brew!! pic.twitter.com/9i0bkOnb2J

— Right Proper Brewing (@RightProperBeer)

July 17, 2018

Find our newest Double IPA release “Madoff” in the Tap Room and @blaguarddc tonight! It’s a double version of our delicious Ponzi IPA coming in at 9.5% ABV! #solarpoweredbeer #dcbeer #ponzischeme #craftbeer pic.twitter.com/2CGw8UcJ4L

— Atlas Brew Works (@AtlasBrewWorks)

July 20, 2018

Tasting room exclusive release: Orange Summit farmhouse ale, 6.3% ABV. Fermented with our Norwegian ale yeast, we added house-squeezed and zested Valencia oranges for an intensely aromatic, citrusy and refreshing beer. 🍊🍺 #dcbrews #madeindc #acreativedc pic.twitter.com/GS7Kni7R6G

— Hellbender BrewingCo (@HellbenderBeer)

July 20, 2018

One hour til release. Biscuits & Marmalade and Raspberry Dissonance drop at 4pm in 16oz tallboyz. Limited run of both. Don’t miss it. pic.twitter.com/w2EEiyrhp2

— 3 Stars Brewing (@3starsbrewing)

July 20, 2018

Tomorrow in the tasting room is our release party for Caps In Five! red ale in celebration of the championship! We will have special pricing on the beer all day and Basic Burger food truck will be on site. https://t.co/aMa1J9YdHT

— Rocket Frog (@RocketFrogBeer)

July 20, 2018

On tap for your weekend: Low County Common, a sour brown ale. This beer is full of notes of raisin & oak with malt-forward acidity after aging in Heaven Hill whiskey barrels with brettanomyces. #sourbeer #wildyeast #drinklocal pic.twitter.com/8aSCn7Id0r

— Denizens Brewing Co (@DenizensBrewing)

July 20, 2018

New Beer #4 (of 4) This Week: Standing Room Only - English Style Barleywine It may be summer, but true to our original branding we continue to bring you flavorful, high ABV options. Grab a tulip & visit our air conditioned tasting room. ABV: 10.7% Draft | Growlers | Friday pic.twitter.com/1O8AD1GcCV

— AdroitTheory Brewing (@AdroitTheory)

July 20, 2018

Guess what is making it's long anticipated return TODAY... our Hoppy Wasser! Our India Pale Lager comes in at 4.8%. Plus, you can take home one of these awesome pint glasses, only a few remaining for sale! #hoppy #dontworrybehoppy #newbeer #IPL pic.twitter.com/7KPFz86Alj

— Caboose Brewing Co. (@CabooseBrewing)

July 19, 2018

Who has had a Brut IPA? We have ours on tap now, Great 8 Brut IPA at Mad Fox Brewing Company. #ipa #beer #CraftBeer pic.twitter.com/K03rrsF7qX

— Mad Fox Brewing (@MadFoxBrewing)

July 21, 2018

Behold! Great 8 Brut IPA. Pils malt, flaked rice & biscuit malt, kettle hop additions of Mosaic and Falconer’s Flight, then double dry hopped. Dry as a bone with hop fruit notes. Cheers!… https://t.co/AIlO4L42WV

— Mad Fox Brewing (@MadFoxBrewing)

July 21, 2018

Portions of the below from a press release.

The Salt Line (79 Potomac Avenue SE), a New England inspired “oyster and ale house” opens this Thursday, June 1 in the shadow of Nationals Park’s home plate gate. Executive Chef Kyle Bailey (formerly of Birch & Barley and the Executive Chef of the Long Shot Hospitality Group, which also includes Sixth Engine), will be at the helm in the kitchen.

The beer menu strikes a balance between beers from local and New England breweries. A trip to the bar on Saturday night as part of the soft open revealed 24 draft lines devoted to beer. The press release notes, “The beer selection emphasizes New England breweries like Oxbow Brewing Company, Allagash Brewing Company, and Smuttynose Brewing Company, as well as local offerings from Right Proper Brewing Company, Ocelot Brewing Company, 3 Stars Brewing Company, Charm City Meadworks, among others.”

The Salt Line focuses on New England dishes like lobster rolls and clam while also providing more refined and eclectic options like octopus carpaccio, crab and avocado salad, and a seasonal Nashville “hot” soft shell crab. The restaurant’s sustainable seafood comes thanks to Bailey’s status as the DC region’s founding member of Dock to Dish. This CSA-esque program connects commercial fishermen and sustainability advocates through a supply-driven system of sourcing and distributing wild harvest seafood. 

The program debuts at The Salt Line, where Bailey will feature the day’s catch – often underutilized species of fish – purchased from individual fishermen in the Chesapeake Bay region. Everything offered through Dock to Dish will come from within 100 miles of the restaurant, and the program has the potential to nearly eliminate food waste.

The 3,500 square-foot restaurant can accommodate 110 diners with an additional 125 seats on the covered outdoor patio. The Salt Line will be open Monday to Wednesday from 5pm to midnight, Thursday and Friday from 5pm to 1am, Saturday from 11am to 1am, and Sunday from 11am to midnight. The outdoor bar and patio will open at 3pm on weekdays. The restaurant will open one and a half hours before the start of any Washington Nationals home day game. Happy hour specials will be offered Monday to Friday from 3pm to 6pm except on Nationals home games. For more information, please visit www.thesaltline.com.

Below: check out some photos from our trip to The Salt line this past weekend! 

Disclosure: I received complimentary dishes at the soft opening (as is typical of soft openings), but the invitation was not contingent on coverage.

Banner next to The Salt Line’s front entrance. It’s in between similar banners for All-Purpose Pizzeria and a new Dacha location. So...the Capitol Riverfront might have some traffic soon.

Draft beer menu from the soft opening. Most beers were $6-7 for 16oz.

Eat your vegetables.

Oyster shooter with Port City Optimal Wit and yuzu-infused sake.

Raw bar greets guests as they walk in. The raw bar is part of the actual bar, with the intention that shuckers and bartenders can interact together and with guests.

Baltimore-style coddies. Codfish balls on Saltines with house-made yellow mustard.

Nashville-style “hot” soft shell crab.

The Salt Line team visited Woodford Reserve to make a custom blend for the bar. It runs sweeter, but smoother, than typical Woodford.

24 draft lines pour New England and local beers.

Each lobster roll contains the meat from a 1 pound lobster.

Welcome to “Traipsing Through the Beer Aisle” a (kinda) recurring feature here at DCBeer where we walk through a well-stocked beer aisle and point out new and/or noteworthy offerings in the DC market. Today’s beers come from a variety of grocers around the District.

I do a lot of my six-pack shopping at grocery stores now.

/braces for chorus of boos, none of which are saying “Boo-urns.”

No offense intended to small, independent bottle shops, my buying habits these days just lend themselves more to throwing a six-pack in my basket than they do spending hours in a shop deciding whether this 22oz is really worth my money. 

I digress.

Anyway, the surprising thing about this edition of Traipsing is how decent (not good, but decent) the average DC grocery store’s craft beer selection is. That Whole Foods has a good selection is a given, but to see pretty good variety at a Target or Giant is encouraging for consumers.

Anyway, on we go.

Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp series yielded the delicious Tropical IPA last year that was a real hit. This year’s beer is again hop-forward, and according to the brewery uses “wheat malt for a light, dry body and bold American and experimental hops for intense citrus flavor.”

The problem with a lot of samplers is that it has two or three beers you want to drink and then a dud or something suboptimal. Troegs’ usually does a pretty great job with theirs. This one is no different. The Scratch series (In this case, Chocolate Stout), can only be had on-premise in draft or via these samplers. A hoppy winter seasonal sits tight with Troegenator (which has won a bunch of GABF medals) and Perpetual (a solid and reliable but not over-the-top remarkable IPA).

As you may have seen, New Belgium did a pretty wide-ranging re-brand. Pictured are two of the new offerings, Whizbang, a hoppy blonde, and Voodoo Ranger 8 Hop Pale Ale. I have to be honest: I have no idea why the hell there is a skeleton ranger on this packaging or why a brewery in Fort Collins, CO has any connection to voodoo. But this guy (or maybe it’s a gal, I don’t know how to check gender on beer label skeletons) now graces the packaging of a pale, IPA, and imperial IPA. I wound up buying a six-pack of the pale. It’s quite tasty in a generic, high-quality hop-forward pale ale kind of way. 

If this sampler is intended to bring us all together as a nation...we are going to need a bigger box. I’m on record as saying that the 6x2 configuration for a beer sample is way better than a 4x3. This has a little bit for everyone (unless you like stouts). Two malt-forward beers: Irish Red and Boston Lager. Two lagers: a Helles and a Pils, and two hop-forward options: Hopscape (another new six-pack offering) and Ella Blanc IPL.

Hey, Austin’s Eastciders, which made its debut last year here in the District, is now being sold off-premise. If you want a pineapple cider, this is the best news for you.

Here’s an IPL you could buy from Yuengling if you want to. (I didn’t want to, personally).

Here’s another one of those new New Belgium offerings. This is a lemon ginger sour ale that is begging to make every beertail menu. 

Chessie is Baltimore’s Union Brewing Company’s barleywine. It did very well at Scion’s Blind & Boozy a few years back, and if you don’t want to #drinkitnow (you should), it’ll cellar well. Along with Mad Fox’s, this is one of the best local examples of the style. Don’t @ me about how I’m inconsistent about whether Baltimore is local or not for the DC beer scene. I already know.

Here’s a Stillwater and Cigar City collaboration whose label references something I am too young to understand. To the right, you’ll see Gose Gone Wild.

Here are many good options from Perennial. These make excellent housewarming gifts, not just because they have a good story, but because they look fancy and they’re likely to be appreciated even by “non-beer people.”

Sorachi Ace is in six-packs now. Sorachi Ace is a strange hop that (to me) makes beers taste like they’re oak-aged even when they’re not. It also has a very strong lemon note. If you like lemons and saisons, here you go.

Exclusive vanilla bean porter! The jury is still out on whether I am worthy of buying this sampler, let alone drinking its contents. Also, wow Ruination in 12 ounce bottles? Is that new? Obviously the art is. Who do I expect to answer me in this inquiry? I have no idea.

Here’s another Sam Adams sampler. It’s probably a little old at this point. Do you want to be drinking Old Fezziwig in mid-February? Maybe. The Christmas spirit has left me until at least September though. The rest here is pretty interesting: a ginger beer, white IPA, and chocolate bock. Okay, I just want non-chocolate bock.

Skeleton Ranger is back again.

Here’s some more New Belgium. That cow on the end is a Ben and Jerry’s collab. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale. [Obligatory Cizauskas plug.] The other three are drinkable, but this is a case (literally and figuratively) for me where I’d have to hold my nose on the fourth beer.

These Wicked Weed 750s clean up nicely. (This is P Street Whole Foods for those of you trying to track down any of these).

Here’s a new Sierra Nevada six-pack. The fact that Sierra Nevada feels they need to make an Orange Pale Ale when they already make the best version of the style that has probably ever been brewed is insanely depressing. But then again when was the last time I bought a six-pack of SNPA? I’m part of the problem I guess. Anyway if you are on Team “I need fruit in all my beers,” congratulations, you’ve won again.

Since I just got an email about Luponic Distortion 005, I’m going to guess this photo is a little out of date.

TASMANIAN IPA ALERT. This beer is insanely tasty. The folks who run Lost and Found and the associated restaurants tend to bring this in a lot, and it never disappoints.

Standing reminder that Lindeman’s Cuvee Rene is a perfectly fine (if not insanely complex) gueuze that is both a good introduction to the style and a budget addition to any bottle share.

DC’s first cidery, ANXO, has a collab with Shacksbury!

15 packs of session beer: it’s not just for Easy IPA anymore.

I like this rebrand from Harpoon. The idea of putting the top three adjectives for the beer right on the packaging is clever, but my guess is that it also railroads consumers into only using those three words when discussing the beer. 

We find ourselves now firmly entrenched in the holiday season, and along with rampant consumerism, an inundation of holiday music, and the looming specter of holiday travel, there is also a bevy of winter/holiday beers that will be leaving brewhouses across the area. Holiday beers run the gamut of styles, but they tend to run heavier and maltier to fend off winter’s chill. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your preferences), some area breweries are bucking that trend while others have stuck to it. Something for everyone! Below we check out the offerings we’ve heard about. This list will be updated as we hear about more beers, so check back often! Breweries: want to see your beer listed here? Send us an email at [email protected] so we have the details!

Port City Brewing Company - Tidings - 7.8% - Imperial Witbier What They Say: “Tidings Ale is a strong and spicy Belgian style blond ale brewed with local Maryland wildflower honey and Virginia wheat. These special ingredients store away the flavor and essence of summer, and later warm us during the cold winter months. It is gently spiced with coriander, cardamom, fresh ginger and grains of paradise.”

Tidings is my personal favorite holiday beer, anywhere. I really look forward to the release each year. The sharpness of the ginger helps to keep this from becoming too cloying, and the ABV is just right. I want a little bit of a punch in my holiday beers (to keep me in good cheer), but this is low enough that I can also have a few without falling into the tree.

Hellbender Brewing Company - Grampus - Smoked Nut Brown - 6.2% “Grampus is an English style nut brown ale that borders on a porter. Apple and cherry wood smoked malts from Copper Fox distillery (VA) add a subtle smoky aroma that blends beautifully with the British pale chocolate and brown malts, Grampus starts sweet on the palate, but finishes clean and dry.”

3 Stars Brewing - Nectar of the Bogs - Cranberry Saison - 5.0% What They Say: “Bright and crisp with a subtle earthy tartness from the fresh cranberries. Clean dry finish with a lively mouthfeel. Designed with the Fall & Winter Holidays in mind, this pairs perfectly with oven roasted turkey, hams, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Also works great as a counterbalance to creamy and rich cheeses.”

Flying Dog Brewery

Sea Salt Caramel Brown - Brewhouse Rarities - 7.0%  What They Say: “The caramel sweetness isn’t cloying, so you could pair this with a not-too-sweet shortbread or cheesecake. Want to go savory? Try it with dry-rub BBQ or smoked brisket.”

K-9 Winter Warmer - 7.4%  What They Say: ”If it tastes like Christmas, it probably works with K-9. This year's release was brewed with cardamom, vanilla, and chocolate, so try it with buttery cheeses, sweet breads and hearty stews.”

Naughty Egg Nog Ale - 8.4%  What They Say: “With subtle sweetness and a palate full of holiday spice and bourbon, this beer can stand alone as your dessert course all season long.”

Nice - Holiday Milk Stout - 7.3% What They Say: “Slight sweetness from the lactose follows behind a rich chocolate malt profile. Give this nicety a whirl with creamy cheeses like brie and camembert or with dark chocolate desserts.”

The Flying Dog Holiday Collection. This holiday variety pack features four beers designed to pair with a specific cookie from the legendary Otterbein’s Bakery in Baltimore. This “for Marylanders, by Marylanders” pack is only available in our local markets. The four beers include:

Raspberry Leaf Ale - 6.5%: “Bright and fruity raspberry meets notes of steeped tea, making this a perfect pairing with Otterbein's Lemon Sugar Cookies. Oats, honey.”

Horchata Lager - 6.8%: “Cinnamon and vanilla dominate with a sweet, yet clean, finish making this a perfect pairing with Otterbein's Sugar Cookies.”

Christmas IPA - 7.6%: “Resinous and citrus hop character meets bright spruce, making this a perfect pairing for Otterbein's Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies.”

Baltic Porter - 8.4%: “Complex notes of fig, dark chocolate and subtle smoke make this the perfect pairing for Otterbein's Chocolate Chip Cookies.”

Atlas Brew Works

Saison des Fetes - 7.1%  What They Say: “This is a beer to celebrate. Our winter Saison balances spicy French hops, aromatic European malt, and a unique Belgian yeast. Welcome to the farmhouse. Settle in, warm your firkles by the fire, and drink in the festive season.”

Saison des Brett - 7.1% What They Say: “To make Saison de Brett, we start with our La Saison des Fêtes that balances spicy French hops, aromatic European malt, and a unique Belgian yeast. Next we rack the beer into local red wine barrels, add a bit of wild Brettanomyces yeast, and age for 12 months. The result is a complex, funky beer that is amazing when released and will change in flavor if cellared properly.”

Mad Fox Brewing Company  

Oaked Wee Heavy 2016 - 9%:  What They Say: “A strong Scotch ale aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels...a terrific blend of the Scottish brewing tradition and American spirits melded together. This very full-bodied, dark brew possesses a deep, rich malt character as a result of an extended kettle boil. This brew expresses hints of toffee, plums, currants that are all intensified with an oak smokiness. Lightly hopped as a Scots brewer would with the English varietal First Gold.”

Headcracker - English Style Barleywine – 9%: What They Say: “An English style golden barleywine brewed with English Pale and German pilsner malts to lend a light biscuit flavor on the palate. This brew is hopped with the English hop varietal First Gold, to lend just enough bitterness to balance the malt notes.”

DC Brau Brewing Company

The Stone of Arbroath - Scotch Ale - 8% What They Say: “Stone of Arbroath has a rich, sweet malty aroma with mellow notes of plum and brown sugar. The mouthfeel has a creamy softness with highlights of toffee and intense caramel that are derived from a lengthy 90 minute boil which encourages caramelizing of dense wort sugars. These complemented by a subtle roast character that finishes with a mild acridity that pleasantly coats one’s mouth. Coming in at a warming and subdued 8% ABV it will definitely ruffle many a kilt this spring.”

Alpha Domina Mellis, Part 4 - Double India Pale Ale - 8.5%  What They Say: “The season of Christmas beers is upon us, which means DC Brau returns with its winter warmer, the Alpha Domina Mellis. Now in its fourth year of brewing, the Double IPA includes gallons of wildflower honey from Burnside Farms in Haymarket, VA, and locally-grown Virginia barley that was malted by Pilot Malthouse in southern VA. This year’s hop varieties are a mix of new exciting strains from Oregon and New Zealand.  ADM Part 4 visually grabs the consumer’s attention with an attractive tight, lacey white head and a visually appealing orange-ish hue, which is realized by the addition of crystal malts to the malt bill. A generous 90 minute addition of hops lay the foundation for the punchy, lingering mellon-like bitterness that playfully tingles the palate after every sip, which only helps to perpetuate the intense hop flavor and presence. The honey helps boost alcohol content and adds a crisp, dry finish to the beer, which, like the malt, is only there to support the heavy, hoppy juiciness of this precious hop elixir.  Yeast: Chico Ale MALTS: Canadian 2-row,  Pilot Malthouse 2-row VA barley, C-60 ADJUNCTS: Wild Flower Honey (Supplied by Burnside Farms in Haymarket, VA) and Brewers Crystals HOPS: Citra, Falconer's Flight, Simcoe, Idaho #7, Mosaic, Experimental variety 05256, Wai-ti and Kohatu IBU: approximately 115”

Lost Rhino Brewing Company - Woody Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout - 6.8%

What They Say: “A bourbon-barrel aged stout, this brew has a blend of spicy chocolate, vanilla, and the toasty aroma of coffee. Tasting Notes: A smokey aroma complements the balanced flavors of coffee, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, and dark chocolate

Malts: 2 Row, Munich, Crystal, Carapils, Chocolate, and Black Hops:  Columbus ABV: 6.8% IBU: 30 SRM: 40”

This list’s format is a result of me reading too much Buzzfeed (pro?) and routinely hitting the paywall for both the Washington Post and the New York Times (con) by the second week of the month. With that said, I have been thinking a lot recently about why it’s good to be a beer drinker (usually in the middle of a great night out) and then also why it’s bad to be a beer drinker (usually the following morning). Any kindred spirits out there? Let me know in the comments.

Pro: People know what to get you for Christmas, Hanukkah, and your birthday and 9 times out of 10 you actually enjoy it. Whether it’s a six-pack, a beer poster (like this one which I received last Christmas!), a beer cookbook, a bottle opener, a trip to a brewery, etc. you will almost certainly enjoy yourself while sipping, viewing, reading, or using this gift, and your friends and family will pat themselves on the back for knowing you so well. It’s a win-win.

Con: Since you probably didn’t check a bag on your trip home for Christmas (and you’re probably not inclined to do so on the way home), you will need to finish that six-pack before you leave. Not the worst thing in the world.

Pro: You have something to talk about with strangers at bars. Being able to ask people what they’re drinking and have a semi-intelligent conversation about it will save you from staring at your phone while waiting for your date and will make you look both personable and smart when your date shows up. I’ve had conversations with dozens of strangers at bars just because I asked them what they were drinking. Pro-tip: Asking (attractive) people this question is also fertile ground for relationship building. Although this has never led to any actual emotional entanglements for me, I stand by the fact that it damn well could.

Con: You can pretty quickly alienate “wine people.” [Ed. Note: This is not a con.] If you sense this may be happening, you should probably just shut up about beer and act very interested in wine. Then slowly slink away.

Pro: You have a reason to leave your house and explore your neighborhood, city, state, and/or the world. Especially here in DC where there are so many amazing breweries and local watering holes in our 68.34 square miles, you’d be a fool to always drink at home instead of going out and drinking in establishments that are actually making the beer you’re drinking or bringing in some of the most interesting beers available anywhere.

Con: You cannot be at all of the events at once. And you will experience some major FOMO when you have to attend to other responsibilities during fun beer events. Pro-tip: Check out the DCBeer calendar.

Pro: There’s so much to learn, which makes beer an excellent hobby! There are a vast number of ways to increase your beer knowledge and enjoyment. Beer is very social, but doesn’t require a group to enjoy. And you can replicate your hobby on your own by learning how to home brew! Homebrewing can also make your beer hobby less expensive over time, especially if you get good at brewing what you like.

Con: Being a beer drinker can get very expensive, very fast. To drink beer, you have to buy it (for the most part), and, depending on how often and in what way you’re drinking, your beer expenses can rack up quickly. There will always be new beers to try, and between keeping up with new releases, bar openings, and not forgetting what your favorites taste like, your resources can be spread thin.

Pro: You can feel good about supporting the hyper-local beer scene around you. Craft beer is almost always more expensive than its non-craft counterparts, but when you choose local your dollars aren’t just adding to the coffers of AB InBev or MillerCoors or Constellation Brands. Instead you are supporting your neighbors and the local beer scene. We are extremely lucky to have so many award-winning breweries in DC and the surrounding area, and you should feel great about spending your dollars there and at the bars that support them.

Con: Weight gain. Based on my own experience this is one of the reasons women are more apt to like wine than beer. “Beer belly” didn’t get its name for nothing! And because wine has all but been labeled a health food, doesn’t have quite the carb content of beer, and is made from fruit, people have convinced themselves that wine is good for them and beer is bad for them. The calorie count on beer doesn’t help unfortunately. Here at DCBeer we are both pro-beer and pro-exercising to balance out the beer.

Pro: You can impress people. Tons of people drink beer, but many of them don’t know much about it. Even a passing knowledge can be extremely impressive to someone who can’t tell an IPA from a gose.

Con: Really liking and appreciating beer can sometimes be perceived as alcoholism, which is a bummer. There is also the very real risk of alcoholism. [PSA: Be safe and seek help if necessary.]

Pro: The beer community is an incredible group of people to be a part of. Take this story about a collaborative brew by Northern Virginia brewers to raise money for Forge Brew Works’ Matt Rose and his family. Or this story from Flying Dog in nearby Maryland, where they are holding a benefit for severely flood-damaged Ellicott City. Breweries all across the U.S. support amazing causes like responsible water usage, environmental sustainability, energy conservation, and helping their local communities. Bars are also places where communities can really come together. This week I went to a memorial event for a good friend of mine who was killed in Bloomingdale in July. The event was held at Lou’s City Bar where he was a much-loved regular. In between stories shared by family and friends were stories from the staff at Lou’s whose lives he had touched and who had touched his. Drinking his favorite beer (Bell’s Two Hearted) at his favorite bar felt like the most natural way to toast his existence. And there will even be a plaque installed on the bar stool he frequented. Beer people are good people, and the beer community is a great one to be a part of.

A number of breweries release sample boxes, samplers, variety packs, or “collections,” according to their own nomenclatures. These contain, typically, 12 beers total, three each of four different varieties. These are a great way to acclimate consumers to beer portfolios, and they usually include both flagship brands and seasonal offerings.

In recent trips through various grocery stores in the District, I’ve noticed a number of samplers I hadn’t seen before. Here’s what I’ve found and some thoughts I have on each of them. So we’re clear at the start, here’s what I tend to value in a sampler (in no particular order): variety (I’d rather have six pairs of two beers than four sets of three), seasonal appropriateness, and innovation (some of these beers are one-offs, let’s see breweries flex some creative muscles they might not otherwise).

Seen any other variety packs around that I should include here? Let me know in the comments! Onto the beers, which are arranged alphabetically by brewery name.

Blue Moon’s Brewmaster Sampler Contains:

3 - Summer Honey Wheat

3 - Belgian Table Pils

3 - Belgian White

3 - White IPA

Half of this sampler includes year-round flagships, so you’re not going to see a ton you can’t otherwise be getting six of. The Belgian Table Pils has Mandarin orange peel to go along with Mandarina Bavaria hops, among others. At 4.2%, this is intended to be a food-friendly, easy-drinking, sessionable offering. The Summer Honey What is one of Blue Moon’s original offerings and has a GABF gold medal under its belt.

Dominion’s Pinup Pack Price: $18.99 at Giant-O Street Market Contains:

3 - Double D Double IPA

3 - Gigi’s Farmhouse Ale

3 - Morning Glory Espresso Stout

3 - Candi Belgian Tripel

Let me just go ahead and get this out there: I really do not like these pinup themed beers. I don’t like the shtick or the objectification of women, and I don’t really care for the argument that pinups have a place in history as an “art form.” Nah. That alone would be enough to keep me from buying this variety pack, to be honest. With that said, this pack does offer a lot of stylistic variety. A saison, a tripel, an underrated espresso stout, and a (quite good) DIPA has a little something for everyone, from the bland to the adventurous. Whether that’s enough to get you over the sheepish look you might have to put on bringing this to a house party is another question.

Flying Dog’s Variety Pack Price: $19.99 (on sale for $18.99) at Safeway K Street

Contains:

3 - Numero Uno Agave Cerveza

3 - Easy Session IPA

3 - Doggie Style Pale Ale

3 - Bloodline Blood Orange IPA

Lots to like for hop fans here (and a concession for the lager drinkers among us), but not a ton for those looking for seasonality. All of these beers are year-round offerings from the Frederick mainstay. It would be great to see something like Dead Rise or even some of the Brewhouse Rarities, Heat Series, or Single-Hop Series slipped into this to show off the other beers in Flying Dog’s portfolio.

New Belgium’s Folly Variety Pack Price: $18.99 (on sale for $16.99) at Safeway K Street Contains:

4 - Mothership Wit

2 - Heavy Melon Watermelon Lime Ale

2 - Slow Ride Session IPA

2 - Citradelic Tangerine IPA

2 - Fat Tire Amber Ale

Mothership Wit is the latest “Revival” from New Belgium’s past beers. You get four of them in this pack, along with a Citra/tangerine IPA, a serviceable session IPA, two Fat Tires (you’ve had Fat Tire before, yes?), and a watermelon lime ale that certainly is innovative and not a standard offering. Pretty good variety here, with a healthy mix of year-round and limited offerings. The Fat Tire satisfies the malt-forward need, although 1554 could’ve been a good stand-in, too. Points for a lot of seasonal appropriateness, too.

Red Hook’s Hook Pack Summer Variety Pack Contains:

3 - Summerhook Golden Rye Ale

3 - ESB

3 - IPA

3 - Pale

Three of these beers are pretty average, generic takes on their style. They’re serviceable but won’t do much wowing. The Summerhook, a golden rye ale, isn’t on Red Hook’s website, so not much to say here. Um, if you really like the idea of a variety pack but one of the more interesting ones isn’t available, there’s one thing that this variety pack has going for it: it is, indeed, a variety pack.

Samuel Adams Summer Variety Pack Contains:

2 - Boston Lager

2 - Summer Ale

2 - Whitewater IPA

2 - Belgian Session

2 - Heaven or Helles

2 - Got to Gose

This is really well done. Lots of variety in terms of trying a bunch of different beers. Seasonally appropriate in that you’ve got a lot of crisp, hoppy, or refreshing styles here. And there’s some innovation here in the sense that there’s a Gose with cucumber added and a Belgian table beer. Great work from Sam Adams and a perfect pick-up for summer.

Samuel Adams Pack of Rebels Contains:

3 - Rebel IPA

3 - Rebel Cascade IPA

3 - Rebel Grapefruit IPA

3 - Rebel Rouser Double IPA

This has a single-minded goal: get you acquainted with Sam Adams’ Rebel family of beers. These beers, in turn, have a single-minded goal: deliver the hops. If you have friends who are somehow still not onto IPAs, this is probably not the housewarming gift for them. But if you’ve got some hopheads who also like shotgunning beers, then bringing this over will be like second Christmas.

Troegs Anthology Summer Pack Contains:

3 - Perpetual IPA

3 - Dreamweaver Wheat

3 - Sunshine Pils

3 - Gose

This is another very strong contender. Troegs, if you’re not familiar with them, has been the beneficiary of one of the very best brewery rebrands I’ve seen in a long time. Four very distinct styles, each refreshing for summer in its own way, and featuring a gose that’s out of Troegs famous “Scratch” series. This ticks off all of the boxes for what I like in a sampler.

Victory’s Summer Selections Contains:

3 - Summer Love

3 - Cage Radler

3 - Frische Weisee

3 - Vital IPA

From a press release:

HOMEBREW CON 2016 Thousands of Homebrewing Hobbyists Gather in Baltimore for Three-Day Conference and Expo

From the job listing:

From a press release:

Blunderbuss Music Fest

June 11, 2016

1:00pm – 9:00pm Rash Field, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD

Formerly Heavy Seas Island Jam, this music festival will feature national recording artists: Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Four more bands will be announced in February. Robert Randolph and the Family Band is an American funk and soul band led by pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph. Rolling Stone included Robert on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

This event is presented by local Baltimore brewing company, Heavy Seas Beer. Event attendees will be offered several craft beer styles onsite to purchase, as well as a variety of food vendors. Guests are welcome to bring chairs and blankets to take advantage of the spacious stage viewing area.

General admission to the festival is $39 in advance and includes admission to the event and all live entertainment. Food and beverages will be sold a la carte. Other ticket packages available include First Mate, which is $59 and includes admission to the event and all live entertainment, plus five drink tickets redeemable for five Heavy Seas beers (food and additional beers sold a la carte). The final ticket tier, VIP, is $99 and includes admission to the event and all live entertainment, unlimited Heavy Seas beers, access to a special VIP viewing area, private bathrooms, catered food, and more to be announced.

For more information on purchasing tickets for Heavy Seas Blunderbuss Music Fest, please visitwww.hsblunderbuss.com or call 800-830-3976.

Take the Charm City Circulator for quick and easy transportation. There are also thousands of free and paid parking accommodations around the site.

On Tuesday, January 7th the Belly Love Brewing Company and Adroit Theory came together to honor Brooke, a 15 month old who is living with cystic fibrosis.

Tolga Baki, Owner and Head Brewer, and Aubrey Krukles, Brewer, at Belly Love Brewing joined forces with Mark Osbourne, Owner, and Greg Skotzko, Head Brewer, of Adroit Theory for this one-time special brew.

This Friday, January 29, 3 Stars Brewing Company will release bottles of Zombie Date Night, an imperial porter brewed with raspberries and locally sourced Undone Chocolate cocoa nibs. This beer is only released once per year. 

A press release notes that Zombie Date Night has “huge notes of chocolate and roasted malt balanced with notes of tart raspberry and dark dry cocoa [and is] perfect for consumption with loved ones while awaiting the zombie apocalypse.” It weighs in at a hefty 9.6%.

Earlier this year, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group announced the opening of The Sovereign, a Belgian-focused bar and bistro located at 1206 Wisconsin Avenue NW in Georgetown. The two-story space contains an 84-seat first floor dining room and a 47-seat bar on the second floor. 

In anticipation of the restaurant’s early February opening, we’re speaking with Neighborhood Restaurant Group Beer Director Greg Engert about the new beer program and, per usual with Greg, a number of other beer industry-related topics. See the first interview here and the second here. In this third and final interview, we tour the space with Greg and discuss the food menu, among other topics. Because of the nature of chatting while walking around a restaurant, segments are arranged topically below.

What follows has been edited for length and clarity.

We started off in the bottle and keg storage rooms, which was a veritable playground for Belgian beer lovers...

Can’t pour lambics without lambic baskets.

A truly staggering amount of Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze. Some Girardin and Cantillon Gueuze also pictured.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon wants to help you through the winter blahs, and they’re doing it with a new bimonthly dining series. The dinners, which will take place in the cozy upstairs Balcony Room (complete with fireplace!) will focus on a different wing of the beverage program (wine, beer & whiskey coming up), all paired winter dishes from Chef Russell Jones. 

The dinner likely of most interest to DCBeer readers takes place on Monday, February 8 at 7pm and features Goose Island’s “Sister” beers. The menu is below. The dinner costs $125 per person, inclusive of tax and tip.

In November, Heritage Brewing Company (of Manassas) and The Bone BBQ (of Manassas and Gainesville) teamed up to open a small taproom at the Verizon Center.

DC sports venues have improved their offerings of craft beer as the scene has expanded, and the Verizon Center is no exception. The Verizon Center satellite location is the only location where Heritage will be pouring 16oz cans of American Expedition Honey Ginger Wheat Ale and Freedom Isn’t Free IPA.

The tap room is on the first level at section 106.

Last week, a number of Virginia breweries gathered together to brew for a great cause at Fair Winds Brewing Company in Lorton. Their mission? Brewing “Kerri’s Cure” to benefit Kerri Rose, the 32-year-old wife of Forge Brew Works’ owner and brewer Matt Rose. Kerri is battling stage IV adenocarcinoma and is also a new mom.