My pick of the week: D.C. makes history with the official release of DC Brau Brewing Company's first batch of beer. DC Brau, the first operating production brewery in the District of Columbia in over 50 years, is hosting a launch party on Friday, April 15, at Meridian Pint. At long last, Public Ale, their 6 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) American-style pale ale, will be poured on draft starting at 5 p.m. The beer will be on special for $4 a pint until 8 p.m. and $5 for the rest of the night. Meridian Pint will be the exclusive site for DC Brau's Public Ale for the rest of the weekend but look for kegs and cans across the District by the end of the month. But show up Friday for a chance to celebrate with founders Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock. You may even score a commemorative t-shirt.

On Monday, Birch & Barley is hosting a five-course pairing dinner featuring nine beers from Victory Brewing Company. Brewmaster Bill Covaleski will guide the pairings and talk about the brewery, which he started in Downingtown, Pa., in 1996. Tickets are $76 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity, and were still available this morning.

Not up for a formal sit-down dinner? The Big Hunt in Dupont Circle will tap a cask of Cherry Blossom Ale from Oliver Breweries in Baltimore at 5 p.m., just in time for spring. For those hoping to hang on to winter a while longer, Galaxy Hut in Clarendon is having a barleywine night, featuring Firestone Walker Abacus, Southern Tier Backburner and Sierra Nevada Bigfoot on draft. These intense, high-alcohol brews are sure to having you thinking back to your winter coat and mittens.

On Tuesday, Flying Dog Brewing Company is sharing some of the special brew they made for Amsterdam beer bar In de Wildeman's 25th anniversary. The rest of this one-time release brew is headed straight to Europe, but Flying Dog managed to siphon some off for their loyal locals. You can try In de Wildeman Farmhouse IPA at ChurchKey starting at 6 p.m.

Tuesday is quite a night this week. Lyon Hall in Arlington is having a spring beer dinner featuring a variety of European brews including top picks from Brasserie DuPont in Belgium and Austria's Hofstetten Brewery. Clyde's in Alexandria is hosting a beer dinner featuring new local star Port City Brewing Company. Also, Biergarten Haus on H Street NE is having its weekly trivia night with more German beer and food specials than you can fit in a boot.

On Wednesday, Meridian Pint is hosting an evening with Baltimore beers and brewmasters from Oliver Breweries, Stillwater Artisanal Ales and The Brewer's Art. Standouts on the list of 22 rare drafts and casks include collaborations like Le Revelator, the second beer brewed exclusively for Meridian Pint, and Channel Crossing #3, the third ale brewed by Brian Strumke of Stillwater and Stephen Jones of Olivers. The event goes from 5 to 8 p.m. but Baltimore can show D.C. a thing or to about partying, so expect to stay late, especially if you want to get through even half of the list.

On Thursday, Belga Café is showcasing five beers from Unibroue of Canada by comparing them with five similar brews from Belgium. The pairing dinner includes four courses and costs $79 per person. A rarity for D.C., Bernard Johnson, East Coast manager for the brewery, will be leading the dinner. Beers like La Fin du Monde and Trois Pistoles were some of the first Belgian-style beers available in the District, but there have been few chances to meet someone from Unibroue, which has its headquarters outside Montreal.

Finally, if the crowds at Meridian Pint's DC Brau launch on Friday sound unappealing, perhaps the Washington Wine Academy's beer cruise on the Potomac River is more your speed. The evening will feature tastings of 40 beers from around the world conducted by experts from the academy's D.C. Beer School. An array of cheeses, crudite, bruschetta and antipasto will be served. Tickets are $58.50 and the boat departs at 8:30 p.m. from the Washington Marina in Southwest D.C. and returns at 10:30 p.m. Anchors away!

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

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PICKS OF THE WEEK

On Monday Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown will pour six beers made by HaandBryggeriet of Norway. The list, all on draft, includes new releases from the small-scale brewery whose beers can usually only be found in bottle in the U.S., if at all. The four part-time brewers who make up HaandBryggeriet specialize in recreating traditional Norwegian ales like Norwegian Wood, a 6.5-percent alcohol by volume smoked beer spiced with juniper berries and calling on ancient Norwegian history as they have with Odin's Tipple, a strong imperial stout-like beer inspired by Norse mythology. Those looking for a full experience can order a flight of 5-ounce pours of all six beers and a special pizza with Norwegian smoked salmon on dark rye crust. The event is restaurant wide and starts at 5PM with no reservations necessary. Read more about Scandinavia's thriving beer scene in my interview with Garrett Oliver.

On Tuesday ChurchKey is hosting a release party for Kentucky Breakfast Stout, one of several cult-inspiring imperial stout spinoffs from Founders Brewing Company in Michigan. Why is KBS, as fan(atic)s refer to it, so special? The rich, boozey beer is made with sweet and bitter Belgian chocolates and freshly brewed espresso and then aged for a year underground in barrels that had bourbon from Heaven Hill Distilleries. All the barrels of beer are then blended together and fermented for an additional week at the brewery before being kegged and bottled and sent to the few lucky bars and stores that get some. All that, and it tastes pretty good, too. Better get there as close as you can to 4PM.

MONDAY

Just over the Potomac in Clarendon Galaxy Hut is featuring two beers from A L'abri De La Tempête, a small brewery on the Ïles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec. Their spiced wheat beer Le Vieux Couvent will be on draft and their barleywine Corps Mort will be available in bottles.

The guest tap program at Room 11 is back this week with Main Engine Start, a 6.2 percent alcohol Belgian-style pale ale from Brooklyn Brewery. The Brewmaster's Reserve Series release is the first beer made at the brewery's new brewhouse.

TUESDAY

In Columbia Heights, Meridian Pint is holding their second bi-monthly home brew competition in the downstairs bar from 6 to 8PM. Twenty-five local home brewers will offer free samples of their beer to be rated by the public as well as staff and guest judges. The winner will receive a $100 gift card to Meridian Pint and a chance to compete against the other 2011 winners in a grand prize showdown at the end of the year. According to beer director Sam Fitz, last month's competition had over 200 brewers and patrons so get there early if you want to try the home brews before they run out.

The Washington Wine Academy launches their first in a series of beer classes focused on the importance and influence of ingredients on specific beer styles led by Mike Reinitz. This week's topic is hops, barley will be covered on March 22, and yeast is on March 29. The class, which includes snacks and a guided tasting of six beers that will help attendees learn to discern the differences between hop varieties and what they do for beer, costs $58. Attend all three in the series for $144.

Rustico in Virginia begins their Cask Madness real ale event to accompany watching March Madness basketball. Both the Alexandria and Ballston locations will be pouring cask ale throughout the end of the month. The list of nine beers includes two of my personal favorites on cask, Tröegs Nugget Nectar and Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted.

WEDNESDAY

Continuing with real ale news, Bourbon in Adams Morgan will have a fresh firkin of Loose Cannon India Pale Ale (another great beer on cask) from Heavy Seas in Baltimore starting at 6PM.

Meet new president Jim Lutz, formerly of Flying Dog, and several personnel from Old Dominion Brewing Company of Dover, Delaware. The special event will take place in the back room at RFD in Chinatown and feature Old Dominion's 2009 Millennium Barleywine, DoppelHop, and a fresh firkin of a surprise beer. On special to order anywhere in the bar will be a bucket with a bottle each of Hop Mountain, Oak Barrel Stout, Big Thaw Bock, English Ale, and Dortmunder Lager for $15.

Conservation-minded Great Lakes Brewing Company wants you to know that Earth Day is coming up. Join them at Red Palace for a happy hour to sign up for clean-up events with the Anacostia Watershed Society. Great Lakes' Burning River Pale Ale and Conway's Irish Ale will be $4 per pint.

THURSDAY

ChurchKey is having a St. Patrick's Day party featuring beers from Cigar City Brewing of Tampa, Florida. Featured brews from this three-year-old award winning brewery include Patio Tools Dry Irish Stout on draft and Bolita Double Nut Brown Ale and Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale in bottles.

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

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I have become a bigger fan with every unique, hop-forward brew I try from Ithaca Beer Company. It follows that my top pick this week is Monday's Ithaca draft night at ChurchKey, which will feature five of the upstate New York brewery's rarer offerings. The list includes Flower Power, a fruity India Pale Ale, Cascazilla, a red ale brewed with fresh Cascade hops, and Ground Break, an American-style (which is code for "hoppy") Saison. Also being poured are two wheat beers from Ithaca's Excelsior large bottle series. White Gold, which the brewery calls a "rustic pale wheat ale," is a dry ale fermented with Belgian, American, and wild yeasts. Thirteen, Ithaca's "double hoppy wheat ale," is an earthy beer made with orange and lemon peel and Citra and Soriachi Ace hops to give it a nice citrus kick.

Across the river in Clarendon Galaxy Hut will tap what is likely one of the last remaining kegs of this year's batch of HopSlam from Bell's Brewery in Michigan at 5PM on Monday. This limited release beer is great anyway you have it, but many prefer it on draft to in the bottle, and on cask to draft. Good news if you can't make it to Virginia, as Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont Circle is currently pouring HopSlam on cask. But it is not likely to last for very long.

Also in Arlington, on Tuesday Fireworks Pizza is having a beer dinner featuring beers from Tröegs Brewing Company of Harrisburg, Penn. But if you are looking for a true Fat Tuesday experience, four area establishments are celebrating Mardi Gras with beer dinners. Jackson 20 in Old Town Alexandria will pair New Orleans-style cuisine like fried oyster po' boys and Cajun shrimp mac n' cheese with five beers from 21st Amendment Brewery of San Francisco. The dinner is $65 per person plus tax and gratuity and will be presented by executive chef Dennis Marron, chef de cuisine Brian Turowski, and 21st Amendment's Dave Wilson.

Dogfish Head Alehouse is having a five-course Mardi Gras dinner complete with a crawfish boil, gumbo, and beignets. Pairings include Indian Brown Ale, Chicory Stout, and Squall IPA. Sound good? If it suits your fancy, you can go three times. The Falls Church location is having their dinner Monday, Gaithersburg is on Tuesday, and Fairfax will be Wednesday.

In another pick for the week, this Saturday the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will hold their 7th annual Brewer's Ball food and craft beer tasting at the Stars & Stripes Club at Nationals Park. Tickets are $115 and go towards the foundation's efforts to cure and control cystic fibrosis and improve the quality of life for those with the disease. The five-hour event features tasting stations from 25 restaurants and breweries. The list includes nearby outfits like Gordon Biersch, Heavy Seas, Oliver, Port City, and Tuppers Hop Pocket as well as not-so-near brewing companies like Ommegang from New York and Sierra Nevada and Stone from California.

Finally, on Sunday Lyon Hall in Clarendon is hosting a "Snout to Tail" farm dinner featuring pork in every course, even dessert. Chef Andy Bennett and beer director David McGregor worked together on pig-perfect pairings that include New Holland Kölsch and Rochefort Trappist 8.

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

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On Monday starting at 4PM, ChurchKey is featuring five draft beers from Brauerei Hofstetten, a small Austrian craft brewery that focuses on unique interpretations of classic German beer styles. I had my first Hofstetten at Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont a few weeks ago. Their Saphir Bock was surprisingly hoppy for the style, as bocks tend to be full of malt and caramel flavors. Highlights include two beers never before released in the United States, Champion Bitter, Hofstetten's take on an English Bitter, and Tannenwipfelbier, an amber lager spiced with Spruce tips.

Also tonight starting at 5PM, Galaxy Hut is showcasing beers from Virginia breweries including two brews from brand new local brewery Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria, and some beauties from Blue Mountain in Afton, Starr Hill in Crozet, Legend Brewing Company in Richmond, and Williamsburg AleWerks.

Monday also provides two opportunities for food and beer pairings. All day, Ella's Wood Fired Pizza downtown is pairing Brooklyn Brewery’s Cuvee Noire, a limited release strong Belgian-style dark ale, with a Fontina, gorgonzola, parmesan, roasted shitake mushroom, and meat ragout pizza for $15. A representative from the brewery will be on hand from 5 to 8PM. Matchbox in Chinatown is pairing small dishes with four Great Lakes Brewing Company beers, Conway's Irish Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Commodore Perry IPA, and Christmas Ale starting at 6PM.

On Tuesday ChurchKey is hosting a D.C. launch party for Epic Brewing Company from Salt Lake City, Utah. Brewery representatives will be available to talk about the brewery and its beers. Out of the three drafts and six bottles being poured from Epic's Classic, Elevated, and Exponential series, standouts are the Smoked & Oaked Release #2, a Belgian-style beer mad with smoked cherry wood malt, and Hopulent IPA, an "over-the-top" Imperial India Pale Ale made with ten pounds of dry hops.

Tuesday is the first night of the next round of trivia at Biergarten Haus on H Street, Northeast. Doors open at 7:30 and spots fill up quickly for the German food and beer specials and nerdy fun.

On Thursday, the overachievers at ChurchKey supply the fun again with a meet-and-greet draft night featuring Great Divide Brewing Company from Denver, Colorado. National sales manager Dave Duffy presents seven Great Divide drafts including two of my favorites, Claymore Scotch Ale, a strong, malty Wee Heavy and Wild Raspberry, a refreshing fruit beer made with plenty of red and black raspberries.

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

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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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On Monday Pizzeria Paradiso put on all Christmas and celebration ales at their three locations in Georgetown, Dupont Circle, and Old Town Alexandria. Then Tuesday evening Galaxy Hut in Clarendon changed all their drafts to holiday ales and winter seasonals. If you are looking for a nice, warming holiday beer to get you in the spirit before heading out of town, or to share with old friends and family right here in D.C., your best bet is to head to one of these spots. (It should be noted that Meridian Pint may very well have a few special stouts leftover from the Bell's Brewery event this week.)

Check out full draft lists for each location below. The line-ups are subject to change as each keg is kicked. To help you out (and perhaps live vicariously from afar), I have noted beers with an asterisk that are on the rarer side and may be likely to go sooner than others. In fact, some of them may already be gone, especially the casks. If you have any exceptional ones, let me hear about them.

GALAXY HUT:
Eggenberg Samichlaus Doppelbock
*Mikkeller Santa’s Little Helper
Huyghe Delirium Noel
Dubuisson Scaldis Noel
Gouden Carolus Noel
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
The Bruery 3 French Hens
Ommegang Adoration Winter Ale
Heavy Seas 2009 Yuletide Tripel
21st Amendment Fireside Chat
Schlafly Christmas Ale
*Blue Mountain Lights Out Holiday Ale
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice
Avery Old Jubilation Ale
Flying Dog K9 Cruiser
Stoudt’s Winter Ale
Southern Tier Old Man Winter
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Bell’s Christmas Ale
Abita Christmas Ale

PIZZERIA PARADISO Georgetown:
Bell's Christmas Ale
Chouffe N’Ice Chouffe
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2009
*Dubuisson Scaldis Noel 2008
La Rulles Cuvee Meuilleurs Voeux
Schlafly Christmas Ale
Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary – Fritz & Ken’s Ale
Sierra Nevada 30th Annviersary – Grand Cru
Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary – Charlie, Fred & Ken’s Bock
Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary – Jack & Ken’s Ale
Southern Tier Winter
St. Feuillien Cuvee Noel
Stillwater Saison Darkly
*Three Floyds Behemoth
Troegs Mad Elf
Van Steenberge Gulden Draak Vintage
ON CASK: Oliver’s Merry Ole Ale

PIZZERIA PARADISO Dupont:
Anchor Christmas
Corsendonk Christmas
*Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2008
Dubuisson Scaldis Noel
Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux
Einbecker Winter Bock
Great Lakes Christmas Ale
*Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza
Ommegang Adoration
Sierra Nevada Celebration
St. Bernardus Christmas
The Bruery 3 French Hens
*Van Eecke Christmas Leroy
ON CASK: Stillwater Existent

PIZZERIA PARADISO Old Town:
21 Amendment Fireside Chat
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice
*Boelens Santa Bee
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout 2010
Eggenberg Samichlaus
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Noel
Long Trail Hibernator
Huyghe Delerium Noel
Petrus Winter
Silenrieux Noel
*Silly Noel
Smuttynose Winter
Uintas Labyrinth
Wild Goose Snow Goose
ON CASK: St. George Imperial Stout

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Monday Birch & Barley is hosting Sly Fox brewmaster Brian O'Reilly from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania for a five-course, seven-beer dinner.  Across town Pizzeria Paradiso Georgetown is hosting Steve Jones from Baltimore's Oliver Ales for a paired dinner featuring five British-style ales. Room 11 will have Victory Festbier as their weekly guest tap.

On Tuesday, Galaxy Hut is tapping three rare kegs from Utah's Uinta Brewing Company: Labyrinth, a strong black ale brewed with licorice sticks and aged in oak barrels, Detour, a Double IPA, and Tilted Smile, an Imperial Pilsner. Meridian Pint will have six beers from California star The Bruery, all for $6. On the east side of town, Belga Café will host their monthly Belgian beer pairing dinner and Biergarten Haus has their weekly trivia night.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, you can visit The Brickskeller for Session 3 of their Beer School, "The Awakening of American Taste Buds," to learn about hops and the birth of the IPA, why industrial macrobeer lagers permeate the US market, and the American Craft Beer Revolution.

From Thursday to Sunday, DC beer fans will have the chance to meet North Coast Brewing Company Brewmaster Mark Ruedrich. He'll be at ChurchKey Thursday, Meridian Pint Friday, and is leading a beer dinner at Brasserie Beck on Sunday evening that will benefit the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and their music education programs.

Starting Friday both Pizzeria Paradiso locations will be serving all Fall beers for their week-long Autumn Fest. Notable brews include German standards like Paulaner and Ayinger Oktoberfest as well as rarities from Hofstetten and Kulmbacher and more American fest and pumpkin beers than you can throw into a pile of leaves.

Finally, starting at noon on Saturday and going into the wee hours of the morning, Great Lakes Brewing Company will be taking over the taps at The Black Squirrel in Adams Morgan. Seven beers from the Cleveland, Ohio brewery will be flowing, including their Oktberfest which will be poured by the stein (that's a liter, people!).

Also on Saturday, for those in the mood for a full Oktoberfest experience, the Capitol City Brewing Company sponsored Shirlington Oktoberfest will feature lots of food, family fun, and beer all afternoon.

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

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The theme this time around seems to be big and beautiful, with several barleywines in the list this month. The strong, heavy style is not a typical choice for spring but we admit to being big beer people (meaning people who are into big, flavorful, strong beers, not people who are large in size ourselves).

If you have had any of these beers, let us know what you thought.

À l'Abri de la Tempête Corps Mort (in bottle at Pizzeria Paradiso Dupont) – This 9%-ABV morbid mouthful from Quebec poured a crystal clear orange amber and had a thin, rimmed cream head. It smelled and tasted like the best parts of a hearty, but not heart healthy, breakfast: bacon and maple syrup with a splash of bourbon. For a barleywine, it had some nice smoky flavors and a typical boozy finish.

The Bruery Rugbrød (in cask at Galaxy Hut) – This murky, medium brown Scandinavian Julebryg-style Christmas beer rings in at 8% ABV.  It had aromas of cola, spice, coffee, and raisin bread and tasted surprisingly sweet, with a toffee backbone and some bitter coffee flavors towards the end. Pronouncing it? Pretend you're clearing your throat and you'll be about as well off as these people.

Mikkeller Funky (E) Star (in bottle at the Birch & Barley Mikkeller Dinner) – This 9.4%-ABV Belgian ale brewed with Brettanomyces poured a clear amber brown with orange hues. The Easter beer's lacing, foamy cream head helped deliver a lovely nose with tons of orange, honey, and some mango. It tasted as it smelled, absolutely delightful. The Easter bunny can leave one of these holiday beers in our basket any day.

HaandBryggeriet Norwegian Wood (in bottle at the National Geographic Society Scandinavian Beers Seminar with Garrett Oliver) – This complex smoked beer smelled like tangerines and tropical fruit with a touch of tobacco. The flavor profile went from fruit to hops and then from malt to smoke. The beer was interesting but balanced, with a charred aftertaste and quite a bit of heat from the alcohol, despite only a 6.5% ABV. It's brewed with juniper twigs. Smoke on that.

Nils Oscar Barley Wine (in bottle at the National Geographic Society Scandinavian Beers Seminar with Garrett Oliver) – This beautiful, bright orange amber beer was sweet and strong. It smelled like tangerines and vanilla and tasted fruity, hoppy, and alcoholic. It could have been a beer mirage so late in the tasting, but we thought we detected some cantaloupe in the aftertaste. We were impressed with the balance of this 9.5%-ABV English-style barleywine. Not your uncle's beer, but Nils Oscar was named after the Swedish brewer's uncle.

Heavyweight Brewing Old Salty Barleywine 2004 (in bottle at a friend's house) – This 10%-ABV barleywine from New Jersey's defunct Heavyweight Brewing Company was a hazy, resin-like amber and had plenty of sediment (what we like to call "floaties"). It smelled like our favorite kind of barleywine, lots of butterscotch and carmelized sugar, and tasted just as it smelled, very sweet with the addition of dark fruit. It had a warm and boozy but smooth finish. Thanks to Mike for sharing this retired champ.

J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2005 (in bottle at a friend's house) – This renowned English brewery's barleywine was aged in Lagavulin whiskey casks. It smelled like orange slices soaked in sweet whiskey and as a result, was strong and fruity with lots of warmth and the perfect touch of smoke. Thanks to Rob for sharing this rare beauty. It is one of the best beers we've ever had.

Wild Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter (on draft at ChurchKey) – The talented brewers at Flying Dog in Frederick, Maryland, aged this 9.5% Baltic porter-style ale for seven months in new whiskey barrels from Colorado. The smell and taste had predictable coconut, wood, and whiskey flavors over the usual dark chocolate, but each in a delectable amount and combination. This beer is one of the reasons we have been on a barrel-aged porter/stout kick this spring.

Devils Backbone Three Ridges Tripel (on draft at Devils Backbone Brewing Company in Roseland, Virginia) – This 8.5%-ABV Belgian-style tripel was on the sweet, fruity side of the spectrum, but done exceptionally well. We noted distinct flavors of honey, crisp apple, spice, and pear. It was one of those beers that was so good, the notes are little more than a lot of general exclamations like "GREAT," written in capital letters with lots of exclamation points. A good one, to say the least.

Photo by Bernt Rostad used under a Creative Commons license

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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First up, all week there is a rare chance to drink New Belgium Brewery beers at the Black Squirrel. The tiresome folks brought back Fat Tire, Mothership Wit, 1554, and the Biere de Mars from a recent trip to North Carolina. That's beer altruism!

This Monday Galaxy Hut in Clarendon is showcasing The Bruery from Orange County, California. Owner Lary Hoffman and brewery rep Jonas Nemura will have the Berliner Weisse, Mischief, Rugbrød and Saison De Lente on draft, and a cask-conditioned firkin of Rugbrød. Also Monday is the official D.C. launch of Schlafly beers at ChurchKey, where co-founders Tom Schlafly and Dan Kopman will be presenting nine of their St. Louis beers, giving glasses away, and talking about their brewery.

Tuesday is the rescheduled date for Beerspotter Orr Shtuhl's beer pairing dinner with Teddy Folkman at Granville Moore's. Wednesday is a beer-vs.-wine and cheese pairing event at National Geographic with cheese expert Steven Jenkins, grape guru Joshua Wesson, and award-winning brewer Nick Funnell from Sweetwater Tavern in Sterling, Virginia.

As always, click on an event in the calendar for more details.

To many a beer geek's delight, Galaxy Hut in Clarendon has started featuring a different keg or cask and selection of cans on their patio each weekend. The charmingly named "nanobar" is cash only, and will be open every Friday and Saturday night through late fall–weather permitting, of course. (Only so many people can fit in that tin-can covered table in the back.)

Last week Galaxy Hut's nanobar had a firkin of Heavy Seas Big DIPA (Double IPA) and cans of Mama's Little Yella Pils(ner) from Oskar Blues on Friday and a keg of Blue Mountain Lager and cans of Oskar Blues Gordon Imperial Red available on Saturday. This week they are pumping some Founders Pale Ale and have the same cans from last week chilling in a bucket, ready to be slammed.

The patio offerings will always be beers you cannot order inside from Galaxy Hut's selection of 20 taps and 30 bottles of flavorful craft beer. Owner Lary Hoffman rotates drafts often and likes to send out teasers on Facebook, so "Like" their Facebook page to get updates on each new brew.