This month’s beer tasting at Belga Cafe offers guests the chance to enjoy Belgian fruity ales paired with a beer-flavored entrée and dessert.

Cost for the Fruity Ales Pairing will be $49, and it will take place on July 27th at 7-9:30pm.

For more information call 202-544-0100 or visit www.belgacafe.com.

This special event includes:

(1) British Real Ale/Cask Beer and the Birth of the IPA
(2) All about hops
(3) Why industrial macrobeer lagers permeate the US market
(4) The American Craft Beer Revolution
(5) Local Beer–what the DC/Baltimore area has to offer the beer enthusiast.

Cost is $35 per session includes 3oz pours of 12 different beers. Session 3 Beer School will be held on Wednesday, July 28th at  7-9pm.

For more information call 202-293-1885 or visit www.lovethebeer.com.

Are you wondering what the importance of Saisons are?  Probably not, but if you are, Saisons are the original summer brew. You’ll learn about the humble beginnings of this style while tasting some of the very best, most rare, and unexpected versions being produced today.

This exclusive tasting will consist of seven different Saisons and will be accompanied by small bites of complimentary summer foods from Birch & Barley’s Executive Chef Kyle Bailey and Pastry Chef Tiffany MacIsaac.

The Saison tasting seminar will be held on Monday, July 26th from 7-9pm. $35 plus tax and gratuity. To learn more call 202-567-2576 or visit www.churchkeydc.com.

The first meeting place will be at noon, at ChurchKey (1337 14th St Northwest, Washington, DC 20005-3610) and finish at the Commonwealth Gastro Pub in Columbia Heights, around 7pm. During the day we shall visit a variety of hostelries, at least a couple of which most people (even if they think they know DC) will not have visited before!

COST: You will need to purchase a Metro ‘One Day Pass’ ($9)

Suggested meeting times:

NOON at ChurchKey (if you’re comfortable making own way to venue)
11AM at Greenbelt Metro Station (& meet up with your guide for the day)

for more information, visit http://www.spbw.org/

This exclusive brew-cruise will be navigated by Captain Bill Ross and Nick Dean from Harpoon Brewery and will  feature a delicious assortment of beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres.

The Harpoon beer cruise will include a water tour of some of DC’s favorite monuments, including: The Key Bridge, Roosevelt Island, Watergate, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Memorial, Custis-Lee Mansion, Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol, Navy – Marine Memorial, LBJ Memorial, The Pentagon, Jefferson Memorial, National Cathedral, and the Memorial Bridge.

The Harpoon Beer Cruise will be held on 7:30pm sharp.   Leaves from the 31st Street Georgetown Dock. Cost is $50. For more information, call 703-823-4600 or visit www.rickswine.com.

Call each restaurant for details.

Belga Café – 202-544-0100
Brasserie Beck – 202-408-1717
Et Voila – 202-237-2300

Brickskeller’s “Around the World” includes:

(1) Review of beer ingredients and the brewing process
(2) Why certain styles are inherent to particular regions/countries
(3) The difference between abbey beers and trappist beers
(4) History of and growth of interest in Belgian Beer
(5) Bottle conditioning and aging beer
(6) Adjuncts and fruit in beer, and
(7) Beer and food pairings.

$35 per session which includes 3oz pours of 12 different beers. 7-9pm.

202-293-1885

www.lovethebeer.com.

Banana Import at RFD

RFD aka Regional Food and Drink is located in the China Town district of DC, which as we all know isn’t really a China Town at all. Anyway, its my favorite spot in DC for a reason.  The beer selection is outrageous, prices are fair and the music is great.  It’s not pretentious like ChurchKey, but a bit nicer then it’s dungeony sister bar the Brickskeller.

RFD offers over 30 taps and 300+ bottles, all of which rotate frequently.  They also host charity events such as the Flip You Leukemia event that I attended earlier this year, which was a Flip Cup tournament to benefit cancer in young adults.  Great times, great cause.  Love this place.

Learn more about RFD at http://www.lovethebeer.com/rfd.html

Beer Director Greg Engert

ChurchKey occupies the Logan Circle area of DC, which quite frankly, needed it. Sitting on top it’s sister restaruant, Birch & Barley, ChurchKey is all you would expect from a modern DC beer bar. It’s trendy, a bit pretentious and seriously overpriced.

Don’t worry though – ChurchKey is a very cool spot. Yes, 4 oz samples may run you 4-6 bucks while their larger counterparts will cost you upwards of $15. Yes, they have “Hostess Cupcakes” on their menu, for $3 each.  But for all of the areas were ChurchKey falls flat it makes up for in style.  The music is hip, atmosphere comfortable and stylish, and the beers are excellent.

Checkout the beer list at their website – http://www.churchkeydc.com