Young & Hungry » Beer

Pizzeria Paradiso Debuts Gluten-Free Pies on Feb. 15

Chris Shott — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:06:34 +0000

This week's Young & Hungry column explores D.C.'s burgeoning gluten-free pizza scene and how even many of the city's upper-crust (ahem!) pizzerias are now offering non-traditional wheatless pies. Perhaps the latest joiner is the venerable Pizzeria Paradiso, which has been experimenting for months with a new homemade crust made from brown rice, sorghum, and buckwheat flours. In the article, proprietor Ruth Gresser said she planned to launch the gluten-free option around mid-February. And, sure enough, today, Paradiso set a date for its wheatless dough debut via Twitter: Feb. 15 at its Old Town Alexandria location, with gluten-free beers on hand to wash down the gluten-free crusts.

The Lowdown On Hopslam: Searching D.C. For This Rare IPA? Good Luck!

Sam Hiersteiner — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:54:30 +0000

The annual release of Hopslam, the super-rare and coveted Imperial IPA from Michigan's Bell's Brewery that often has retailers jacking up their price guns, is upon us again. And, yes, at some outlets, it's already too late to buy some. Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquors got six cases in on Monday and sold them out by Wednesday. Price: $24.99 per six pack. Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits sold out of their four cases before they even arrived on Thursday. That store was charging $21.99 per six pack. Cairo Liquors sold their five cases in a single day. Its price was slightly less: $20.99 for a sixer. D’Vines of Columbia Heights may be cashing in the most on the yearly frenzy, however, selling Hopslam by the bottle at $6.30 a pop—that works out to $37.80 per six pack. And, as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, the shop still had a few left.

What's so special about Hopslam? City Paper's former "Beerspotter" columnist Orr Shtuhl explored the brew's ambrosial qualities in this very space two years ago. For a fresh perspective on its lingering popularity, Y&H turned to—who else?—ChurchKey's walking malt-and-hops encyclopedia Greg Engert, who reminds us of the local connection between the city and its most sought-after seasonal import. Engert points out that Bell's Brewery founder Larry Bell had attended George Washington University and it was here in D.C. where the young collegian turned into a hophead. “He started drinking craft beer at the Brickskeller and it really opened his eyes and got him to start brewing himself in 1985," Engert says.

ChurchKey's brewhound-in-chief is especially fond of Bell's ultra-hoppy suds. “I think this beer is phenomenal,” he says. “I sold 24 bottles of it the first night it came in ($9 apiece), based on just one tweet. I would put it up against any Imperial I.P.A. in the country. It’s beautifully balanced, hoppy but not a fruit bomb. Not too piney, but with great tropical fruit and herb notes. It’s everything you could want out of Pacific Northwest hops.”

Sipping the stuff during our conversation at Engert's noted beer hall on 14th Street NW the other night, I had to agree. I tend to dislike hoppy beers. No, I take that back, I despise them (apologies to my beer expert uncle, Peter). Probably has something to do with how my palette was ruined by Busch Light and Natural Light in college. But Hopslam has a roundness that sets it apart from the overly bitter pales I’ve tried in the past. I enjoyed it.

Engert also explains that Hopslam is unique because Bell’s Brewery has never changed its annual, small-batch approach to allocating the beer, despite demand that has increased year after year. In fact, as the appetite for craft beer in D.C. has grown and more high quality watering holes have opened, Engert has seen his yearly allotment go down.

Yet, somehow, he still manages to get an exclusive: “We have the only cask of Hopslam in the area, and we’re tapping it for a special event next week,” he says (details here).

But whither Hopslam? Can its appeal last forever, in D.C. or elsewhere? Despite changes in craft brew culture, which have new breweries constantly cranking out special batches and one-off beers, Engert still believes Hopslam reigns supreme. “There’s not going to be another Hopslam,” he says. “This beer comes from a different era. It has such credibility because it has been so good for so long.”

Image courtesy of Bell's Brewery

ChurchKey Crew Hires Veteran Brewer For New D.C. Brewery

Chris Shott — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:08:21 +0000

Megan Parisi, former lead brewer at Cambridge Brewing Co. in Massachusetts, has been hired by Neighborhood Restaurant Group, the owners of D.C.'s beer-centric Birch & Barley/ChurchKey, to head up production efforts at its new brewery, which is now under construction at The Yards near Nationals Park. Y&H colleague and "Brew in Town" columnist Daniel Fromson has the scoop in today's Post. Parisi will be largely focusing on making barrel-aged sour beers, not unlike Belgium’s tangy lambics, at the forthcoming brewery facility, which, Fromson reports, will also feature a brewpub-like tasting room and a 200-some-seat restaurant managed by Kyle Bailey, Birch & Barley's Rammy-winning executive chef. The new facility is expected to open in late 2012.

Photo by Tomasz Sienicki/Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license

Behold, The Craft Beer-Infused Cupcake

Chris Shott — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:45:59 +0000

With Crunkcakes and "cuptails" paving the way for all sorts of booze-fueled sweets in the District, it was probably just a matter of time before the local craft beer scene made its sudsy mark in the mixing bowl, too. Sure enough, it appears that D.C.'s own Chocolate City Brewery has now joined forces with dessert chain Hello Cupcake on a new adult-themed confection: DC Love Child, which is described in a press release as a "rich chocolate lager cake with bourbon buttercream frosting topped with a chocolate covered potato chip." The tiny cake, infused with Chocolate City’s Vienna-style lager Cerveza Nacional, makes its debut at Nellie's on U Street NW this Thursday evening and is available for purchase at area Hello Cupcake locations until Feb. 15. Each beer-laden cupcake costs $3.50—that's less than the average pint glass at your neighborhood bar, albeit presumably lighter on alcohol and likely twice the calories.

Read the full press release, if you're jonesing for a malty sugar fix, below:

Two DC Brands Have a Love Child
Hello Cupcake launches new cupcake including Chocolate City Beer

Before DC was known for their craft brews, they were recognized for their craft cupcakeries. This week, two iconic DC brands will collaborate to create a new dessert. DC Love Child, a decadent cupcake made with Chocolate City Beer, will be sold starting Friday in Hello Cupcake’s Dupont and Capitol Hill locations.

DC Love Child, the first cupcake to be made with a DC craft beer, is a rich chocolate lager cake with bourbon buttercream frosting topped with a chocolate covered potato chip. The batter is created with Chocolate City’s, Cerveza Nacional, a unique take on a traditional dark, malty, creamy, smooth and slightly roasted Vienna Lager.

Hello Cupcake and Chocolate City Beer will celebrate their offspring with a “Shot Gun Wedding” on Thursday night at Nellie’s Sports Bar. From 7 to 9 p.m. guests will
get taste a sneak preview of the cupcake along with a free Chocolate City Draft.

Chocolate City Brewery is DC’s second production craft brewery to open in the district. With a variety of different drafts. residents can find their beer at numerous independently owned restaurants and bars including Nellie’s at 900 U Street.

All seasonal special cupcakes are $3.50 individually, or $39 per dozen. DC Love Child will be sold in Hello Cupcake stores until February 15.

Photo courtesy of Hello Cupcake

Watch Robert Weidmaier’s Rockin’ Revel Atlantic City Promo Video

Chris Shott — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:17:00 +0000

The Press of Atlantic City follows up on Y&H's earlier report about D.C. chef Robert Weidmaier's forthcoming Mussel Bar on the Jersey shore with some additional details about the casino-level eatery. For starters, the decor will feature "knotted oak wainscoting and floors, mussel-shaped ceiling drops as well as beer bottle and rope light fixtures." Mussel shells will also be embedded into the concrete 26-seat bar. The menu, meanwhile, will feature eight styles of mussels and the beer program will include 23 taps, eight beers in cask barrels and more than 130 bottles. "There will be a wall of refrigerated beer," Wiedmaier tells the paper. "There will actually be ladders to reach the beer." Developers of the sprawling Revel resort, where Weidmaier's new restaurant will be located, have also put out a promotional video about the D.C. chef's sudsy seaside eatery, which really plays up the whole rock 'n' roll theme. Check it out below.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

Last Night’s Leftovers: Hats Off to Restaurants Edition

Chris Shott — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:24 +0000

Duck ramen at People's Noodle Bar

Foie gras brats are so hot right now. Find them in D.C. at Urbana and the Red Apron Butchery’s mobile cart. [Nation's Restaurant News]

Take a peek inside the new Boundary Road. [Washingtonian]

Toki Underground: where the sake flows like beer. [HuffPo DC]

The Diner hosts CNN's Soledad O'Brien. [Twitter]

Who's D.C.'s hottest chef? [Eater DC]

Pen-packing patrons bid goodbye to Tenleytown's 4912 Thai Cuisine. [Prince of Petworth]

Virginia winemakers finally realize that they're not in California. [Snooth]

Beer geeks freak out! Bell's hugely hyped Hopslam has arrived on local shelves. [DC Beer]

And the theme for this year's Rammy Awards is..."Hats Off to Restaurants." [Dining Bisnow]

Last Night’s Leftovers: Hormone-Free, Veggie-Fed Edition

Chris Shott — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:30:32 +0000

Newly proposed rules for D.C. food trucks include “vending development zones” allowing neighborhoods to decide how many mobile vendors can operate in their area. [WaPo]

Does paying a little more for that hormone-free, veggie-fed beef burger at Black & Orange make you feel good enough to justify the money? [A Hamburger Today]

ChurchKey not only stocks some 555 types of beer—it also serves upwards of 1,558 tater tots in a single night. [CityEats]

Washingtonian critics aren't looking for free food, no matter what anonymous haters say. [Eater DC]

No, seriously, is this José Andrés' place? [HuffPo]

Last Night’s Leftovers: Fashionable Beer Can Edition

Chris Shott — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:00:11 +0000

Beer in a can is hip again, but organic vodka, Greek yogurt, Groupon, Ovaltine, quinoa and Shake Shack are sooo 2011 [WaPo]

The menu at H Street NE newcomer Boundary Road (not to be confused with Boundary Stone in Bloomingdale) includes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with foie gras for $14. Now, where have we seen this before? [Prince of Petworth]

SunDeVich's Ali Bagheri spreads his bread with some "wow" factor [Voice of America]

Chef Garret Fleming leaves Lincoln to join snout-to-tail eatery The Pig [Washingtonian]

Five sparkling cocktails that don't suck [Metrocurean]

Expect even more jibber jabbering about java in 2012 [The Daily Meal]

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

ChurchKey Crew’s Waterfront Brewery Aims For Late 2012 Opening

Chris Shott — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:02:01 +0000

In his weekly beer chat with WTOP, ChurchKey suds expert Greg Engert dishes up a few details about the new "boutique brewery" and restaurant that operator Neighborhood Restaurant Group is planning for the Southeast D.C. waterfront near Nationals Park. The project has already broken ground and Engert tells WTOP, "Hopefully, that'll be coming out—hopefully, keeping our fingers crossed—about a year from now."

Check out the full video below.

Now Holding Glasses And Classes: ChurchKey’s Greg Engert Launches New Beer Academy

Chris Shott — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:46:46 +0000

He might not think much of official cicerone certification programs, at least not as the only path to sudsy perspicacity, but that doesn't mean that ChurchKey beer director Greg Engert is opposed to a proper malt and hops education. Next month, Engert is launching a year-long series of Saturday afternoon tutorials called "The Beer Academy" at sister NRG-owned restaurant Rustico in Arlington. His lesson plan for the inaugural class on Saturday, Jan. 21, is expected to focus on flavor profiles—"crisp, hop, malt, roast, smoke, fruit & spice, tart & funky"—of six different beers. The price is $24 per person and, let's face it, you were going to spend that much on beer, anyway, on Saturdays.

Get the full details, if you're interested, below:

Beer Director Greg Engert Introduces The Beer Academy at Rustico

Get Schooled on the Basics of Beer at Brew U.

Arlington, VA − 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.

As the beer director for Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Greg Engert draws on his extensive beer knowledge to create the beer programming for the company’s ten concepts. To source unparalleled selections, Engert works with breweries around the globe both renowned and remote to ﬁnd the best beers available. Engert specializes in domestic microbrews as well as international craft rarities that are not readily available in the United States. Recognized for his work, Engert has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Food & Wine, Food Arts, The Washington Post, Washingtonian, Beer Advocate, All About Beer, Imbibe, Draft and Mid-Atlantic Brewing News and appeared on national television programs such as Cooking Channel’s Foodography and Unique Eats.

About Rustico

Rustico is a neighborhood restaurant that pairs honest, robust cooking with an amazing beverage program. With a cache of over 400 beers, a bustling bar scene and a passionate kitchen committed to its craft, Rustico is a restaurant to visit with family and friends time and time again. Rustico in Ballston is located at 4075 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington, VA. For reservations or more information please visit www.rusticorestaurant.com or call 571-384-1820.