LAGERHEADS PICK: It's hard to believe it's been a year since a steady stream of amazing brews have been pumping out of Falls Church, but Mad Fox Brewing Company will celebrate its first anniversary on Saturday. The all-day party includes tappings of oak-aged beauties Slobberknocker American-style barleywine, Madden's famous Wee Heavy, and Batch 100 Strong Black Ale. Other beers from brewers Bill Madden and Charlie Buettner's lineup will be on draft and cask. The first 250 people will receive a free anniversary glass. Live music will be provided by the Levi Stephens Band starting at 9 p.m.

On Tuesday, ChurchKey will have five drafts and two casks of complex brews from Michigan's Jolly Pumpkin. Across the river in Ballston, ChurchKey's sister restaurant Rustico is featuring ten beers from Allagash. The list includes rarities like Little Big Beer, Vrienden, and this year's Curieux. A little further into Virginia, but worth the trek, Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church is tapping their new India pale ale, brewed with pounds and pounds of Centennial hops.

On Wednesday, Little Miss Whiskey's in the Atlas District is hosting a "Brau-B-Que" with the boys from DC Brau Brewing Company. Lyon Hall in Clarendon will debut Duvel Single, a "sessionable" Belgian beer low on alcohol but not so low on flavor.

Thursday is Brew at the Zoo, the annual fundraising event at the National Zoo that pairs beers and beasts (and plenty of boozers). This Thursday, July 14 is Bastille Day, and that means Cafe L'Enfant in Adams Morgan will be hosting their annual block party, complete with the popular French maid relay race at 8pm. Lyon Hall in Clarendon will also be celebrating Bastille Day with specials on French beer, food, and wine.

VIP ticket holders get a preview on Thursday at Brew at the Zoo, but Friday marks the beginning of D.C.'s Belgian Restaurant Week with special prix fixe menus at the participating restaurants. The list includes Belga Cafe, Et Voila!, Granville Moore's, Le Pain Quotidien, L'Ocolat, Marvin, and the entire family of Robert Wiedmaier restaurants: Brabo, Brasserie Beck, Mussel Bar, and Marcel's.

On Saturday, as part of Belgian Restaurant Week there will be a mussel throw-down at Eastern Market from 12 to 3pm. Guests can get a bowl of mussels and a beer for $5 and will have at least some say in the next "Mussel King" of D.C.

Also on Saturday, in addition to the first anniversary party at Mad Fox Brewing Company mentioned above, Clyde's of Tyson's Corner will have a beer dinner featuring Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. The event is likely sold out but you can look for the next beer dinner at the Clyde's Restaurant Group beer dinner series page.

On Sunday, Lyon Hall is at it again. This time the Clarendon bar and restaurant is throwing a Feestdag celebration for Belgian Independence Day. "Palm Sunday" will feature Palm Speciale, a Belgian amber ale on draft, and guests will receive free glassware, t-shirts, and other treats.

All week The Black Squirrel will be serving up bootlegged beers from North Carolina, including those from breweries like French Broad, Triangle, Mother Earth, and Foothills.

All week, and for the rest of the month, Pizzeria Paradiso has nothing but India pale ales on draft at all three locations in Dupont Circle, Georgetown, and Old Town Alexandria. They call it JulyPA Days. I call it hophead heaven.

Send submissions for the D.C. Beer Events calendar to thelagerheads@gmail.com.

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LAGERHEADS PICK: On Wednesday, Meridian Pint celebrates Earth Day with a "Dazed and Enthused" tap takeover with brewer Terrence Sullivan of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Stand outs among the 14 beers on draft include this year's Bigfoot Ale, an American-style (translation: hoppy) barleywine, last year's Pro-Am Audition, a strong, malty old ale style brewed with homebrewing whiz Doug McLendon, and a wood-aged version of Life & Limb, Sierra Nevada's 2009 collaboration stout with Dogfish Head. But the real eyebrow-raiser is Sierra Nevada's 2x4 Ale, a Belgian-style blend of a dubbel and quadruple (mind your d's and q's) aged in brandy barrels with dates and currants added. Bliss!

The Black Squirrel is hosting a week long tribute to SweetWater Brewing Company of Atlanta, Georgia. The environmentally-minded brewery's annual 420 Fest was last weekend, but the crew at the Black Squirrel has brought the party to you, complete with hemp brownies. Featured brews include  SweetWater flagships 420 Extra Pale Ale and India Pale Ale, the not as common Happy Ending Imperial Stout, and SweetWater's blueberry ale, appropriately called Blue.

In keeping with the 4.20 theme, Great Lakes Brewing Company will be at Pizzeria Paradiso Dupont location for their weekly happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Like every Tuesday and Wednesday, all drafts are half price. If that's not cheap enough, find Great Lakes sales representative Bernie Van Order and say, "It's 4:19, got a minute?" for a free Holy Moses White Ale.

Also Tuesday, ChurchKey will host the draft launch of Steenbrugge Abbey Tripel, along with several other Belgian classics from Latis Importers like Palm Ale, Boon Kriek lambic, and several offerings from the sour ale experts at Rodenbach. Across the river in Clarendon Fire Works American Pizzeria is serving a six beer, five course pairing dinner featuring Brooklyn Brewery. Cost is $75 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity, and seats were still available this weekend.

For those interested in hands-on learning about cask ale, on Wednesday Columbia Firehouse in Alexandria is having their second cask lab, this time with Stephen Marsh of Baltimore's Heavy Seas Beer. Learn about how to brew, serve, and enjoy cask-conditioned ale while slow pouring yourself some. Both Dubbel Cannon, a 7.25 percent alcohol by volume Belgian-style India pale ale and Loose Cannon, Heavy Seas' popular India pale ale, will be available on cask, as well as brewery glassware and complimentary snacks.

On Friday there is one last opportunity to get some Earth Day drinking in. The Black Squirrel will be pouring hike-worthy offerings from Long Trail Brewing Company, including their Double India Pale Ale, Imperial Porter, and Belgian White ale.

Also on Friday, cask masters Bill Madden and Charlie Buettner of Mad Fox Brewpub in Falls Church will tap a cask of Fennec Ale, a 4 percent alcohol by volume English-style dinner ale made according to a 1911 recipe.

For the complete list of beer events, check out the calendar above. If I missed something, let me know.

Send submissions for the D.C. Beer Events calendar to thelagerheads@gmail.com.

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Monday was a holiday, and hopefully you had the good sense to contemplate the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a beer in hand (greases the old thinking gears a bit). If you missed the celebration honoring local beer enthusiasts Bob and Ellie Tuppers' 20,000th logged beer at RFD, you can still taste the brew they created to commemorate the momentous occasion. Tuppers' Indian Ink Black IPA, a collaboration ale brewed by the Tuppers and Mad Fox's Charlie Buettner and Bill Madden, went on tap at Mad Fox Brewpub in Falls Church today on draft and cask. RFD still has some as well.

If you (1) love beer and (2) happen to be sitting around wondering what to do with yourself tonight, my suggestion is to head over to Meridian Pint to taste the special brew beer director Sam Fitz created with Stephen Jones at Oliver Breweries in Baltimore. A "generously hopped dark ale," called The Revelator, will be available on dry hopped with Bramling Cross hops on draft, a version aged with Vanilla and Cacoa beans and one aged in American Oak on cask from 7:00pm until it runs out, or Sam and Steve think the masses have had enough.

Those hungry for Hopslam (of the Bell's Brewery ilk) will be pleased to know the hophead-friendly elixir has hit D.C. with full force. You can be first in line to drink from freshly tapped kegs at Rustico in Ballston on Tuesday and Rustico in Alexandria on Wednesday. ChurchKey and RFD may still be pouring Hopslam as well.

In other beer event news, Room 11 is featuring Anderson Valley Nettied Madge Black IPA on their guest tap this week, and The Pug is continuing with their second week of Olivers Pint Night this Thursday with a cask of Olivers Blonde Ale dry hopped with Bramling Cross hops. Also on Thursday, Cork and Fork is hosting a beer and cheese tasting featuring Great Lakes Brewing Company beers. And on Friday Bilbo Baggins in Alexandria is having a beer dinner featuring a selection of domestic and imported beers and tapas with Joe Gold of Victory Brewing Company and Ron Fischer of B. United International Inc. importing company. Finally, Saturday evening join the Washington Wine Academy for a beer cruise on the Potomac River with 36 different brews and a plethora of hors d'oeuvres. (More details are a click away in the calendar above.)

Send submissions for the D.C. Beer Events calendar to thelagerheads@gmail.com.

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Oliver Breweries Cherry Blossom Ale (on cask at Pratt Street Ale House, Baltimore, MD) – This one-off brew from Stephen Jones at Oliver Breweries poured a clear mahogany brown and had vanilla, cherry, and English ale aromas and flavors. It was a beautifully balanced malty, refreshing, light-bodied ale.

Mad Fox Saison (Mad Fox Brewpub, Falls Church, VA) – Bill Madden's locally brewed saison is made with yeast from Brasserie DuPont, makers of Saison DuPont in Belgium, and spiced with coriander, bold Tellicherry peppercorns, and black cumin. The 6%-abv hazy gold brew smelled earthy with notes of wheat bread and oranges. It had nice carbonation and had a great combination of citrus, earth, and spice characters.

Schlafly’s American IPA (on draft during JulyPA Days at Pizzeria Paradiso Dupont) – Out of all the beers Greg Jasgur featured during his IPA-fest this summer, this one was my favorite. The special release from The Saint Louis Brewery, makers of Schlafly beers, poured a pale orange amber and smelled sweet and fruity. It tasted buttery with some banana and peach flavors. Despite its high alcohol percentage (8%), the beer was balanced and crisp with a nice boozy punch in the finish.

Mikkeller Cascade Single Hop IPA (on draft during JulyPA Days at Pizzeria Paradiso Dupont) – Not all hops are created equal, and in my opinion, Cascade and Nelson Sauvin are superior. It should be no surprise that the beers made with each of these hops are my favorites out of Mikkeller's Single Hop Series. This hazy orange-amber 6.9%-abv IPA had complex aromas of salt, earth, sour plum, and strawberry. It tasted peppery with some pineapple flavors, and the mouth feel was light and earthy.

Alvinne Cuvee de Freddy 2009 (in bottle at private Imperial Stout tasting) – This 8%-abv murky dark brown ale is a blend of Belgium brewery Picobrouwerij Alvinne's base beer for the Kerasus, their Flemish Sour Ale, and the Mano Negra, their Imperial Stout. The surprisingly sour beer had a mellow taste with hints of dark caramel, roast coffee, and cream, with some funk underneath. It was silky but acidic and sour, and the aftertaste was an interesting balance between tart and roast flavors. Cuvee de Freddy is aged one year in burgundy wine barrels and then blended before bottling with a third portion fresh Alvinne Podge Belgian Imperial Stout.

Deschutes The Abyss 2007 Reserve (in bottle at private Imperial Stout tasting) – This 11%-abv three-year-old Imperial Stout from Deschutes Brewery in Oregon poured a dark mahogany and had a thin tan head. The beer had a particularly complex nose, with fig, licorice, butterscotch, and alcohol aromas. Flavors included alcohol, coffee, dark fruit, nuts, and cinnamon. The aftertaste was roasty and dry like dark, bitter cocoa.

Ithaca Flower Power IPA (in bottle at Pizzeria Paradiso Georgetown) – This IPA from upstate New York poured a deep gold and had a foamy cream head. The 7.5%-abv beer had a grassy, citrusy, hop-filled nose and tasted as it smelled with a nice malt balance. My notes show that it had a "dry, awesome finish" and there was "not much to say but DELICIOUS."

Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 (on draft at ChurchKey) – This Scottish 8%-abv pitch black beer, aptly named "Black Oil," is aged in casks used to mature Highland Park 18 Year Old whiskey. I expected smoke and peat flavors typical of beers aged in Scottish whiskey barrels but was delighted to find this batch had an insanely sweet vanilla frosting flavor and a silky mouth feel that made the beer quite easy to drink, despite the inclination to frost cupcakes with it.

Check out the Super Lists for the rest of 2010: January, February, March/April, May, June, July, August, September, November, and December.

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On Tuesday, Belga Café is having their monthly beer dinner, this time featuring a class by beer sommelier Jens Pifferoen. The menu includes three courses and seven beers for $49 per person.

On Wednesday at Mad Fox Brewpub in Falls Church, brewery founder Bill Madden and brewer Charlie Buettner will be in the bar from 5:00 to 7:00pm to talk about their brews, the weather...whatever. Don't forget – Mad Fox's happy hour includes $3 pints of their house-brewed lagers and ales and runs every day from 3:00 to 7:00pm.

For Friday night, I suggest the following locations for New Beer's Eve revelry:

• Meridian Pint – Seatings for 6:00 and 8:00pm for a three-course menu by chef David Shewmaker paired with beers selected by beer director Sam Fitz for $50. Free rare beer toast at midnight and late night breakfast menu from midnight until 3:00am.
• ChurchKey – Full open bar including all 50 drafts and 5 casks, heavy hors d'oeuvres, DJ, and special tastings from beer director Greg Engert's private stash for $150 per person.
• Birch & Barley – Six-course dinner by chef Kyle Bailey with ten hand-picked seasonal pairings by beer director Greg Engert for $150.
• Brasserie Beck – Three-course tasting menu with specialties like Stellar Bay oyster gratin and Columbia River sturgeon for $65 per person and beer or wine pairings for an extra $25.
• RFD – Buffet dinner from 8:00 to 10:00pm for $15, unique beer specials and $5 drafts all night, DJ, and complimentary beer toast at midnight.
• Mad Fox (Falls Church) – Dinner specials including potato-wrapped lobster, beef Wellington, cowboy rib eye steak plus all the regular menu offerings. Complimentary Champagne and Mad Fox Kolsch toasts at midnight.
• Dogfish Head Alehouse (Fairfax) – Five-course dinner paired with Dogfish Head brews. Early 6:00pm  seating is $60 per person and the 9:00pm seating, which includes a toast and live music, is $80 per person.

Also, if you are looking for holiday ales on draft, Galaxy Hut is sure to still have some left, and at Pizzeria Paradiso the Year End Jubilation continues this week at the Georgetown, Dupont, and Old Town Alexandria locations.

Send submissions for the D.C. Beer Events calendar to thelagerheads@gmail.com.

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MAD FOX BREWPUB

Mad Fox Brewpub, located off Route 7 between Seven Corners and Tyson's Corner, is the long-awaited independent project of adorned local brewer Bill Madden. Madden has achieved fame with winning brews at Capitol City Brewing Company and most recently, Vintage 50 in Leesburg. Recognized as a major player in the brewing world, Madden is often seated alongside some of the biggest names in beer at panel events like the Lupulin Reunulin at The Brickskeller.

According to the website, the venue's concept is somewhere between an English gastropub and a European brasserie. The restaurant's focus on local ingredients will drive a seasonal menu with daily and weekly specials, and a high-domed, wood-burning oven will likely make the brewpub a popular place for Neapolitan-style pizza. But let's move on to what The Lagerheads care most about: the beer.

Madden will pull as many as 10 staples and a rotating selection of over 20 seasonal brews in German, English, Belgian and American styles from his repertoire of over 50 recipes. In typical brewpub fashion, most standards will fall in the low-ABV range, while many of the seasonals will pack more flavor and punch for more adventurous drinkers. Two of our favorites, Madden's Kölsch and Wee Heavy are shoe-in's for permanent slots (we hope). The beers will flow from 12 drafts and 6 hand pumps. (That's six casks people, which is significant.)

More exciting than merely adding another beer place to the local scene is the fact that Mad Fox Brewing Company has plans for production and distribution beyond the brewpub's walls. These plans include growlers, corked bottles, and a barrel room for wood-aged beers. In addition, the Falls Church location moves Mad Fox into the position of being D.C.'s nearest production brewery, for the time being.

MUSSEL BAR

In stark contrast to Marcels, BRABO, and Brasserie Beck, 2009 DC Chef of the Year Robert Wiedmaier's newest Belgian-influenced venture  is described as a casual gastropub and rock-n-roll bar, which sounds like a more appropriate setting for a late-night happy hour to us. Not to hate on Brasserie Beck's location, but K Street is not our first-choice neighborhood (if you can call it that) to spend a Friday or Saturday night. And we have had some of our saddist D.C. moments dodging BMW convertibles down there during rush hour.

As for the food, in addition to serving everyone's favorite bivalves and accompanying frites, Mussel Bar's menu will have savory wood-fired tarts, Belgian custard, and a handful of Flemish entrées. In what is perhaps a throwback to Mediterranean-themed Levante's, the business that formerly occupied the soon-to-be Bethesda beer hotspot's location, doner kebabs also appear on the menu.

But most important to beer freaks like us, the bar will stock upwards of 130 Belgian beers in bottles and on draft (8 taps to be exact), thanks to the direction of Beck manager and beer director Thor Cheston. The selection will likely have many of the same Belgian beers as Beck, and of course includes Antigoon, Wiedmaier's commissioned house beer from Belgium’s Brouwerij de Musketiers.

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The night before SAVOR has traditionally (three years' worth anyway) had two big events in D.C. The Lupulin Reunulin at RFD, which is hosted at the Brickskeller this year and called ReunuLess in honor of the absence of several key Lupulin competitors, is as formal as a beer panel and tasting/roast can be with brewers like Rob Tod from Allagash, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Bill Madden of Mad Fox poking fun at each other while sharing their most innovative beers with a room full of loyal beer enthusiasts.

While that event's tickets are long gone, the other Friday-before-SAVOR tradition is an informal hang at Birreria Paradiso in Georgetown where many of the brewers and brewery staff in town for Saturday's big event pass the night ordering from the bar's outstanding beer list.

This year Southampton Publick House brewer Phil Markowski will be on hand with copies of his book, Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition and Flying Dog brewer Matt Brophy will be there with a cask of Flying Dog Raging Bitch  and a keg of Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter (settle down, it's not the aged one).

Other breweries that are likely to have representation are Ommegang, Victory, and Three Floyds, but many surprise guests are sure to drop in. This event has no cover and is open to as many beer fans as can fit in Pizzeria Paradiso's Georgetown basement. If you were bummed about not having tickets to Lupulin tonight, we hope news of this brewers' party at Birreria will cheer you up. If you are taking tonight off but up for more beer fun over the weekend, check out our SAVOR Week event master list for your options.

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It's that time of year again. SAVOR is coming to town and with the national craft beer and food pairing event comes a week-long beer party for D.C. Tickets sold out in record time this year, but thanks to the local bars, restaurants, and distributors who take advantage of so many talented brewers being in town for SAVOR, you have plenty of opportunities to taste many of the same beers being served and meet several of the same brewery founders and brewmasters who will be at SAVOR.

The Lagerheads haven't decided if the best way to prepare for an entire week of drinking is to hydrate and get extra sleep now or start drinking to get our livers warmed up. Whichever route you choose, we hope this list of beer events for SAVOR week (a.k.a. D.C.'s Unofficial Beer Week) will help you make good decisions about where to spend your sobriety. (If you prefer a graphical representation of this info, check out our DC Beer Events Calendar. Our tired fingers thank you.)

TUESDAY, JUNE 1

• [LH PICK] East Coast Craft Beer Cask Party at ChurchKey – Leading up to SAVOR, ChurchKey will pour rare casks and drafts and give away glassware from five East Coast craft breweries: Harpoon, Dogfish Head, Peak Organic, Heavy Seas, and Flying Dog. 4 to 8PM.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2

• The Clash of the Titans at The Red and The Black – The event will feature Great Lakes Brewing Company's Lake Erie Monster and Harpoon Brewing's Leviathan, two behemoths among beers. Music provided by Nathan Robinson (of Archivist) and friends. Glassware giveaway. 5 to 8PM.
• Anchor Humming Ale Release Party at ChurchKey -Anchor's new seasonal release, Humming Ale, will be featured on draft and multiple other Anchor offerings will be available. 6 to 9PM.
• Flying Dog Meet the Brewery Night at Pizzeria Paradiso – Both Pizzeria Paradiso locations will have a special selection of Flying Dog beers including Barrel Aged Gonzo, Locally-Roasted Coffee Stout, and a firkin of Raging Bitch Belgian IPA. 5 to 8PM.
• [LH PICK] Three Floyds Tasting at the Brickskeller – The three brothers from Indiana who started Three Floyds Brewing Company will be on stage at the Brick leading a tasting of eight FFF beers, including their Alpha King Challenge winning beer. 6:30 to 10PM. Tickets $35 at LoveTheBeer.com.
• Heavy Seas & BreweryFans.com SAVOR Ticket Giveaway at Elephant & Castle – Loose Cannon IPA will be available for $1 off. Get a raffle ticket for every Loose Cannon purchased for a chance to win a ticket to SAVOR including a salon ticket. 6 to 9PM. Drawing at 9PM.
• Goose Island Sofie Tasting at D'Vines – Free tasting of the Illinois brewery's "sparkling saison" style beer, brewed with wild yeasts and aged in wine barrels with orange peel. Every 13th four-pack is $0.01. 5:30 to 8PM.
• Extended Hump Day Flying Dog Happy Hour at 19th – The golf-themed bar will have a late happy hour featuring Flying Dog Doggie Style Pale Ale and other Flying Dog offerings. 8 to 10PM.
• American Craft Beer Tasting at Granville Moore's – It'll be too late for those award-winning mussels but the folks at Granville Moore's are featuring a bunch of American craft beers including Brooklyn Barleywine, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Brooklyn Local 2, Anchor Porter, Rogue Chipotle, Coney Island Albino, River Horse Triple and others. Free Granville Moore's glasses to the first 30 people. 10PM to 12AM.

THURSDAY, JUNE 3

• A Toast to SAVOR at RFD – Unlimited samples from 10 breweries featured at SAVOR:  Dogfish Head, Samuel Adams, Ommegang, Sierra Nevada, Saranac, Harpoon, Heavy Seas, Anchor Steam, Magic Hat, Flying Dog, Southampton, Stoudts, Peak Organic, Hook & Ladder, Cisco, and Otter Creek. 6:30 to 10:30PM. Tickets $30 at LoveTheBeer.com.
• Three Floyds Beer Dinner at Birreria Paradiso – The Floyds will guide guests through four courses and seven beers, including the super rare barrel-aged Dark Lord Imperial Stout. Seatings at 6:30 and 9:00PM. $65 includes tax and tip. Call 202-337-4936 for reservations. [SOLD OUT]
• [LH PICK] Odell Tasting at the Brickskeller – Doug Odell of Ft. Collins Colorado will speak about and serve eight of his beers. 6:30 to 10PM. Tickets $30 at LoveTheBeer.com.
• [LH PICK] The Bruery Dinner at Brasserie Beck – The Bruery founder Patrick Rue from California will host a dinner of four-courses paired with five Bruery beers: Orchard White, Saison de Lente, Rugbord, Oud Tart and 100% Barrel-Aged Coton. 7 to 9:30PM. $85 plus tax and gratuity. Call 202-408-1717 for reservations.

FRIDAY, JUNE 4

• Heavy Seas Barrel-Aged Below Decks Barley Wine Tasting at D'Vines - Taste free samples of Heavy Seas' award-winning barleywine aged two ways, in wooden bourbon barrels or cabernet barrels. Every 13th bottle is only $0.01. 3 to 5PM.
• Sierra Nevada Meet & Greet with Ken Grossman at ChurchKey – Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman will be on hand to serve some of his rare barrel-aged brews and cask ales and give away glassware. 4 to 7PM.
• [LH PICK] Sam Calagione Book Signing & Dogfish Head Tasting at D'Vines – Owner and founder Sam Calagione will be selling and signing his book Extreme Brewing. Guests can taste Fort on draft at the store. Free Dogfish Head glass with book purchase. 5 to 6PM.
• Harpoon Brewery Night at Scion – Six Harpoon Brewery beers will be available: IPA, UFO, Munich Dark, Leviathan Imperial IPA, Leviathan Big Bohemian Pilsner, and 100 Barrel Series Single Hop ESB. Food and beer pairings available a la carte. 5 to 9PM. RSVP to joanne@scionrestaurant by May 31, for a free bottle of Harpoon UFO.
• Great Lakes Lake Eerie Monster Debut at DC Bread & Brew - "Release the Kraken!" will feature Great Lakes Brewing Company's Lake Erie Monster and free glassware giveaways. 6 to 9PM.
• Magic Hat Beer Dinner at Policy – Alan Newman, co-founder of Magic Hat Brewing Company in Vermont, will lead a beer dinner upstairs. 6 to 9PM. Call 202-387-7654 for reservations.
• Terrapin Brewmaster Meet & Greet at Rustico - Meet Spike Buckowski, brewmaster and cofounder of Terrapin. Enjoy casks of Hopsecutioner dry hopped with Centennial Hops, Hop Karma Brown IPA aged on wood with vanilla, Gamma Ray Honey Wheat Wine, their newest Side Project, and #11 Boomshakalager. Terrapin pint glass giveaway. 6 to 9PM.
• Abita Bayou Beer Tasting at Eatonville – Meet and greet with reps from Abita Brewing Company in Louisiana and taste six different beers in draft and bottle, plus Abita Root Beer. Admission includes first beer and passed hors d'oeuvres including Fried Oysters, BBQ Shrimp and Exotic Gumbo. Live New Orleans-themed Music. $10. 6 to 8PM.
• [LH PICK] Lupulin Reunuless at the Brickskeller - Without key competitors, a Lupulin Slam reunion (Lupulin Reunulin) is not possible this year. Instead a new lineup of big names in craft beer will be on stage to talk about their beers. Speakers include Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada, Kim Jordan of New Belgium, Rob Tod of Allagash, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Greg Koch of Stone, Nick Matt of Saranac, Bob Pease of the Brewers Association, and Bill Madden of Mad Fox Brewpub in Falls Church. Doors at 6PM. Program 7 to 10:30pm. Tickets $50. [SOLD OUT]
• Meet the Brewers Night at Pizzeria Paradiso Georgetown – Meet brewers Phil Markowski of Southampton and Matt Brophy of Flying Dog and enjoy several great American craft beers from Flying Dog, Southampton, Ommegang, and Victory. Markowski will have copies of his book, Farmhouse Ales: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition available for purchase and signing. Surprise guests and beers are highly likely. 7 to 10PM.

SATURDAY, JUNE 5

• [LH PICK] Stone Founder Meet & Greet at Rustico – Stone co-founder Greg Koch and hoprageous Stone beers including double dry-hopped Stone IPA, 10th Anniversary Blend Imperial Russian Stout, and a cask of Ruination IPA. 11:30AM to 2PM.
• Coronado Tasting with Rick Chapman at Best Cellars Clarendon – Beer tasting and bottle signing with Coronado founder Rick Chapman. 1 to 2:30PM.  More info: 703-741-0404.
• [LH PICK] Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Tasting at Commonwealth – A fundraiser and networking event for women in the beer and hospitality service industries to meet the Women Chefs of D.C. A selection of artisanal cheeses and charcuterie will be paired with three beers from Rogue Ales by Chef Jamie Leeds and Rogue Advocate Sebbie Buhler. 2 to 4PM. $10 WCR members; $20 non-members. RSVP online.
• Coronado Tasting with Rick Chapman at DeVinos – Meet Coronado owner and founder Rick Chapman at a tasting featuring Mermaid Red Ale, Islander Pale Ale, and Idiot IPA. 3 to 5PM.
• Stone Tasting at Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits – Featuring five Stone beers: Levitation, IPA, Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Smoked Porter & Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale. 3 to 6PM.
• SAVOR: an American Craft Beer & Food Experience at the National Building Museum - Attendees will enjoy a reception-style sampling of sweet and savory appetizers and 140 craft beers from 70 breweries and a chance to converse with the brewery owners, brewers and representatives. 7:30-11pm, $95. [SOLD OUT]

SUNDAY, JUNE 6

• [LH PICK] The Bruery and Allagash Brunch at Pizzeria Paradiso Dupont - The Bruery founder Patrick Rue and Allagash founder Rob Tod will lead guests through a six-beer four-course brunch.  Beers include The Bruery's Hottenroth, Tradewinds Tripel, and Coton and Allagash Black, White, and Curieaux. 12 to 1:30PM. $60 includes tax and tip. Call 202-337-4936 for reservations.
• Coronado Founder Meet & Greet at Rustico – Meet founder Rick Chapman and drink two Coronado beers on cask, Irish Stout and Nutter Brown. 2 to 5PM.
• [LH PICK] All 'Ale the Ladies: Women of Craft Beer Meet & Greet at the Black Squirrel – Enjoy great beer, food pairings, and door prizes at this educational event. Featured guests include Sebbie Buehler of Rogue, Gwen Conley of Flying Dog, Julia Herz of the Brewers Association, Carolyn Smagalski of BellaOnline, Ellie Tupper of Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ales, Kelly Zimmerman of Heavy Seas, Erin Tyler of Legends Limited and Susan Greene of Global Brewers Guild. 6 to 8:30PM. Info online. [RSVPs FULL]

MONDAY, JUNE 7

• [LH PICK] Schlafly Happy Hour at The Big Hunt – Meet and greet with co-founder and brewmaster Dan Kopman from St Louis Brewing Co., makers of Schlafly Ales & Lagers. On draft will be the 2010 World Beer Cup Gold Medal Winner- Kolsch, APA (American Pale Ale), and the just-released AIPA (American India Pale Ale). Bottles of a rare Schlafly 750 ml will also be available to purchase. 5:30 to 7:30PM.

Photo by Eddie Arrossi Photography

We have on order six water jacketed English-made Angram hand-pumps designed into the backbar mill work for a beautiful display and have searched for the right size refrigerated cabinets so we can have the firkins on display. We have 50 firkins on order as well to ensure that we can keep a good reserve and maybe while away some gems for future vintage tappenings.

Angram is a brand of handpump, and I haven't the foggiest what "water jacketed" means. But six handpumps means...six casks on tap! Six! Churchkey has five, and that's absurd on its own — I believe there's only five total in the rest of the District (between Pizzeria Paradiso, CommonWealth, and RFD). All of which plays perfectly into the paws of Bill Madden, who is deft with English brewing traditions. From the projected beer list on the Mad Fox site, he might bring with him old favorites like the Head Knocker, his golden, honeyish English barleywine.

Then there's the second bit of info: the 50 firkins. Firkins are the physical cask containers, the kegs that look like oversized beer cans. As Madden writes, having that many around means they can always have some properly conditioned casks on deck, which means all six taps should be firing round the clock, and the ability to stash some away for aging. Just something to look forward to for when all this snow clears in, oh, three months.

As one year ends and another begins, the Lagerheads are taking a moment to glance back at the year in beer and reflect. First up, a look at the local front,  in two tomes. Below we give you five of the most influential local happenings in the beer scene in 2009 and what they mean for an up-and-coming beer city like DC. Take a look and tell us what you think.

1. SAVOR (and SAVOR Week) - This May, DC enjoyed the second wildly successful SAVOR food and beer pairing event. It gets our Number 1 spot because of the sheer number of excellent American brewers and breweries it brings to our city. Sure, it's a fairly expensive and exclusive night of eating, drinking, and schmoozing, but SAVOR also results in an entire week of opportunities to meet and learn from American craft beer celebrities (and more important, DRINK THEIR BEER). Mark your calendars for SAVOR #3, which returns to the National Building Museum on June 5, 2010.
2. First Official DC Beer Week – SAVOR's success undoubtedly paved the way for our Number 2 item, last August's inaugural DC Beer Week. Most events sold out, which speaks to the number of locals out there who are interested in learning about and enjoying great beer. Since August, there have been a few just as busy weeks of beer events (remember late October?!), and we expect our DC Beer Events calendar to continue to fill up. So take advantage because there are sure to be DC Beer Weeks, official or not, throughout 2010.
3. Opening of Two Giants: Birch & Barley/ChurchKey & Pizzeria Paradiso Dupont - What can we say? We got two great beer bars/restaurants in 2009 that help put DC more visibly on the national beer map. Each spot not only has an amazing selection, but is also run by passionate people who have the right philosophy about respecting beer. A small mention goes out to Room 11, which opened in August and has a modest but solid beer selection. We are fans of their Monday night specialty keg series.
4. Independent Brewpubs Announced: Black Squirrel & Mad Fox – DC has fresh local beer, but it's primarily in the form of national chains like District Chophouse (owned by RockBottom Restaurants, Inc.) and Gordon Biersch. We love them both dearly, but in order to be a great beer city a wealth of local independent brewpubs is a must. Last year Bill Madden and Amy Bowman each announced plans to open their own brewing operations, Mad Fox Brewpub and Black Squirrel Brewery, respectively.  These brewpubs will join Capitol City Brewing Company as options for fresh, corporate-free, locally brewed beer. A big step for our fair city. *Okay, so Mad Fox will be in Falls Church, which is a bit out there, but NOVA is the "5th quadrant" (a real 4th quadrant if you look at the map), so stop fighting it and look forward to getting out there for great beer.
5. DC's Belgian Beer Knights Tally Goes up to Four - Last year Brasserie Beck's Thor Cheston and Belga Café's Bart Vandaele joined the exclusive ranks of Belgian beer aficionados knighted by the Belgian Brewers' Guild. Our fair city having a total of  four beer knights (including the Brickskeller's Dave Alexander and local beer ambassador Bill Catron) has to mean we're doing something right around here. The Lagerheads wonder how many other cities can boast so many Belgian beer knights per capita.

That's a lot of big beer news and five very good reasons why beer lovers like us are lucky to live in DC. Stay tuned for Part 2 with more beer happenings from 2009, and even more to be thankful for.