A Dupont Circle beer hall wants to find the greatest stein holder in all of the District.
Sauf Haus (1216 18th St. NW) is slated to host a series of weekly “stein hoisting” contests next month as part of its weeks-long Oktoberfest celebration.
Starting Sept. 17, the beer hall will begin staging competitions every Wednesday and Saturday. During the boozy feats of strength, participants will order a liter of beer, hold the stein parallel to the ground and keep it there, according to the rules. The competitor who holds their stein the longest without bending their arms or spilling any beer wins.
Each winner will automatically be entered into a championship round scheduled to be held on Saturday, Oct. 1. Competitors stand to win a handful of beer-themed prizes and have their photo forever placed on the “Sauf Haus Stein Hoisting Wall of Fame,” Sauf Haus said.
Other “Sauftoberfest” events scheduled to occur between Sept. 17 and Oct. 2 include a guided tasting of 16 German beers, a “Bacon, Brats and Bier” party and a “Mr. & Miss Sauftoberfest Pageant.”
Photo by Cristi Dobrescu of CID Photos
A historic house and museum in Dupont Circle is gearing up for its annual celebration of brats, pretzels and local beer.
Heurich House (1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW) is set to celebrate Oktoberfest on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 1-4 p.m., according to a press release.
The event will feature mugs of beer from local brewers such as DC Brau, Atlas Brew Works and Hellbender. The party will also have German-style soft pretzels from Das Pretzel Haus, grilled sausages from 13th Street Meats, and sauerkraut and pickles from Number 1 Sons.
This year’s Oktoberfest will have “the same format as last year” but will include some new vendors and a special VIP tasting of the sold-out Heurich’s Lager, said Emma Stratton Bray, Director of Public Engagement at Heurich House.
“Heurich’s Lager is a limited release beer that is currently sold out, so we are thrilled to be able to offer it to our guests,” she added.
Der Germutlichkeits will play festive music during the event, Stratton Bray said. And of course, there will be dancing.
Tickets are $60 per person for general admission and $75 for VIP admission. All proceeds go toward the Heurich House Museum.
Photo via Heurich House
Beer fanatics soon can learn the science behind crafting an exceptional, hoppy beer in Petworth.
The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation this Wednesday is scheduled to have a workshop that will cover growing and harvesting hops in the D.C. area, as well as properly storing them for later brewing.
The class is set to take place in the Raymond Recreation Center and Computer Lab (3725 10th St. NW) from 6:30-8:30 pm.
Dana McCoskey, a local biologist and home brewer, is slated to provide participants with basic information on brewing and help them explore the effects of different hops on beer.
The workshop also is expected to include a discussion of beer recipes.
The class is free for D.C. residents.
Photo via Flickr / Hans Splinter
(Correction: This is Heurich’s Lager’s second incarnation, not third.) A beer inspired by the famed brewer who once lived in Dupont’s Heurich House will return to store shelves later this month.
The second incarnation of DC Brau’s Heurich’s Lager is slated to officially launch on March 24, a brewery employee told us this afternoon.
The Starbucks at 1801 Columbia Rd. NW in Adams Morgan is on track to serve beer and wine by January, said employees at the store this afternoon.
Regulators with D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) board approved the Adams Morgan coffee shop’s liquor license application yesterday.
Filed in October, the liquor license application was part of a push to serve beer and wine at 10 Starbucks locations across the District.
Your last day this year to enjoy a beer at Garden District on 14th Street is Saturday.
The beer garden will close its doors for the season this Saturday at 5 p.m., according to co-owners Tad Curtz and David Rosner.
While they brewpub’s co-owners aren’t planning an end-of-season bash, the forecasted sunny weather on Saturday should be suitable for one last drink, they said.
The brewpub will reopen next March.
Customers who frequent The Wydown (1924 14th St. NW) may soon be able to get a different kind of buzz there.
According to a new filing with D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), the coffee bar’s owners have applied for a restaurant liquor license. If the license is approved, co-owner Alex McCracken said he’d like to assemble a small drink menu.
“One or two reds, one or two whites, a couple beers. … probably one or two house cocktails and maybe a punch,” McCracken said. “It’s not going to be a full bar. We don’t have room for that.”
McCracken added that the goal isn’t to compete with other 14th Street bars. Instead, he said he’d like to make the coffee shop a quiet place where customers can chat while enjoying a beer or a glass of wine.
“Most of the places on 14th are great and fun but they’re not really sit-with-a-friend-and-chat [places],” he said. “It gets a little crazy.”
Though The Wydown currently closes at 9 p.m., McCracken said he’d like to start closing at 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on the weekends.
The coffee bar will likely not begin serving alcohol until at least next spring, McCracken said.
Photo via Facebook / TheWydown
A Mediterranean market in Dupont now carries something its customers have long thirsted for: beer and wine from Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.
Customers can now purchase bottles of Keo beer from Cyprus, Turkish brew Efes and Greek Naoussa Xinomavro from Mediterranean Way Gourmet Market, located at 1717 Connecticut Ave. NW.
Husband and wife owners Niko and Oana Adamopoulos assembled the beer and wine list with help from Niko’s experience as a wine consultant in Greece, the according to a press release.
Mediterranean Way first opened its doors in 2013. In addition to beer and wine sourced from its namesake, the market also sells olive oil, balsamic vinegar and refrigerated deli products.
Columbia Heights beer bar Meridian Pint has swapped an old form of entertainment for a slightly less old form of entertainment.
The bar removed its shuffleboard tables and installed a row of video games and pinball machines earlier this week, said general manager Heather Kendrick.
Where patrons once could slide little pucks across a board, they can now test their skills at Elvis- and Elvira-themed pinball machines, perform fatalities in Mortal Kombat 3 and take potshots at deer in “Big Buck Hunter.”
“Looks great down here,” Kendrick told us via e-mail yesterday afternoon. “Had a crowd for the debates last night and it all went over really well.”
The Washington Post’s Fritz Hahn wrote about the swap yesterday afternoon and noted that Meridian Pint’s bartenders sling discounted craft beers between 5 and 7 p.m. on weekdays.
Photo courtesy of Meridian Pint
The number of D.C. Starbucks seeking to sell alcohol is growing.
Starbucks has submitted liquor license applications to serve beer and wine at five additional D.C. locations this week, including locations in Shaw and Adams Morgan.
This week’s applications brings the total number of District Starbucks looking to serve alcohol to 10. Last week, the company applied to serve beer and wine at locations in Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Chevy Chase and downtown.
The locations that were added to the list of applicants this week are:
- 815 O St. NW (Shaw)
- 3416 Wisconsin Ave. NW (Cleveland Park)
- 1000 H St. NW (downtown)
- 237 Pennsylvania Ave. SE (Capitol Hill)
- 1801 Columbia Rd. NW (Adams Morgan)
A Starbucks spokesperson told us via e-mail last week that the push for alcoholic drinks is part of the company’s new “Starbucks Evening” service, which also includes a small plate menu.
Though the spokesperson did not say what might be on tap, a sample menu shows the coffee chain may serve red, white and sparkling wines by the bottle and glass and “craft beer.” Menus vary by region, meaning it’s possible the stores could serve local beer and wine
Small plate possibilities include truffle mac and cheese, bacon-wrapped dates, chicken skewers and truffle popcorn.
It may soon be possible to order something more potent than coffee at five D.C. Starbucks locations.
A recent public hearing notice for new liquor license applications shows that Starbucks seeks to serve beer and wine at five locations in Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Chevy Chase and downtown. The company also applied for liquor licenses in Arlington and Reston.
If the applications are approved, the following locations would serve alcohol:
- 443 7th St. NW
- 1700 Connecticut Ave. NW
- 5500 Connecticut Ave. NW
- 1810 Wisconsin Ave. NW
- 1301 Connecticut Ave. NW
A Starbucks spokesperson said via e-mail that the push for alcoholic drinks is part of the company’s new “Starbucks Evenings” service, which also includes a small plate menu.
Though the spokesperson did not say what might be on tap, a sample menu shows the coffee chain may serve red, white and sparkling wines by the bottle and glass and “craft beer.” Menus vary by region, meaning it’s possible the stores could serve local beer and wine. Small plate possibilities include truffle mac and cheese, bacon-wrapped dates, chicken skewers and truffle popcorn.
A stretch of road in Columbia Heights will become an outdoor beer hall this weekend when local bar Meridian Pint hosts an Oktoberfest neighborhood street festival.
The festival will take place along 11th Street NW between Park Road and Monroe Street NW between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. this Saturday. That block of 11th Street will be closed to vehicle traffic during the festival.
As with any Oktoberfest celebration, beer and Bavarian grub will take center-stage, and Meridian Pint will serve 20 seasonal American beers, multiple German beers and traditional German food during the festival.
But the festival, co-hosted by the Columbia Heights Initiative, isn’t limited to beer-drinkers. Attendees can also enjoy face painting, a moon bounce, live music from a Bavarian band, a dog show and a charity dunk tank.
Meridian Pint General Manager Heather Kendrick said the Oktoberfest will go on even in the case of rain.
“At this moment, we’re waiting to hear if Tropical Storm Joaquin is going to rain on our plans, but regardless of what happens it will go on,” Kendrick said. “If it does rain, we’re going to focus on having a trop-toberfest and do our best.”
Photo via Facebook/ Meridian Pint
Oktoberfest — at least here in America — is a time to celebrate German culture and beer, and few places know either subject better than the Heurich House Museum in Dupont Circle.
The historic D.C. home of German immigrant and brewmaster Christian Heurich, who built a beer empire in the District in the early 20th century, will host its fourth annual Oktoberfest this Saturday 1-4 p.m.
The festivities will occur in the garden of the house at 1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW. The museum is partnering with the D.C. Brewers Guild to supply beer to partygoers. All eight local breweries in the Guild will bring their best Fall- or German-inspired beers.
Emma Stratton, the events coordinator for the museum, says this is the second year that the Brewers Guild has sponsored the festival. She added that the Heurich House tries to highlight local beer as a way of connecting the past and present of District brewing.
“Oktoberfest is a really great way to showcase the beer scene here in D.C.,” she said. “Heurich was a member of the local brewer’s guild during his time, so there’s a nice connection to the museum
For those with an interest in beer that goes beyond drinking it, representatives from the Brewers Guild will also have an informational booth, and the museum, which documents the history of Heurich, the Districts most successful brewmaster, will be open for the first half-hour of the event.
In addition to beer, guests will also find Oktoberfest staples such as bratwurst, homemade pretzels and sauerkraut and music from German trio Die Drei.
This year’s festival will also include representatives from the German Information Center, a branch of the German Embassy. While the festival will feature plenty of opportunities to learn about D.C. history and German culture, Stratton says that beer is still the main focus of the event.
“We have many things going on, but the primary focus is highlighting the D.C. Brewers Guild members since Christian Heurich was a brewmaster here,” she said. “We always like to feature local breweries whenever we can.”
Tickets for Oktoberfest at the Heurich House are $60 and available online.
Photo via heurichhouse.org
Popular Logan Circle beer bar ChurchKey (1337 14th Street NW) will devote all 55 of its taps to local beers next Thursday at 4 p.m. in celebration of DC Beer Week.
The event represents the “largest single tapping of D.C. craft brews ever,” says ChurchKey.
Greg Engert, beer director at the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which owns ChurchKey, says the idea to pour 55 local beers had been on his mind for a while.
“The idea for a total tap takeover had been increasingly insistent, and when I started reviewing the releases of the 6 independent D.C. brewers we would come to feature, it all started to become a palpable possibility,” he says.
Engert adds that attendees should expect hard-to-find beers and one-time batches alongside old favorites. “There will be no shortage of rare and special brews on tap,” says Engert.
Among the beers served will be 3 Stars Brewing Company’s wine barrel-aged saison, Harvester of Sorrows, DC Brau’s On the Wings of Armageddon and Right Proper’s botanically-laced farmhouse ales Alice and Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne.
Here’s the complete list of all 55 beers being poured:
- 3 Stars Above the Clouds
- 3 Stars Citra & Lemon Peel Saison
- 3 Stars Cognitive Dissonance
- 3 Stars Desolation
- 3 Stars Ghost IPA
- 3 Stars Harvester of Sorrow
- 3 Stars Peppercorn Saison
- 3 Stars Peppercorn Saison – Cherries (Cask)
- 3 Stars Pandemic
- 3 Stars Southern Belle
- Atlas District Common
- Atlas Home Rule
- Atlas NSFW
- Atlas Ponzi
- Atlas Ponzi – Simcoe & Citra (Cask)
- Atlas Pumpernickel Stout
- Atlas Rowdy
- Atlas The 1500 South Cap Lager
- Bluejacket Forbidden Planet
- Bluejacket Goldfinch
- Bluejacket Judge Ruby
- Bluejacket Lost Weekend
- Bluejacket Lost Weekend – Citra (Cask)
- Bluejacket Red Wine Barrel-Aged Swirl
- Bluejacket Rheinard de Vos
- Bluejacket Sub Rosa
- Bluejacket The Jam
- Bluejacket Triple Smoke Barrel-Aged The Wake
- Bluejacket Wallflower
- Bluejacket Whiskey Barrel-Aged Double Mexican Radio
- DC Brau El Hefe Speaks
- DC Brau Pils
- DC Brau Penn Quarter Porter
- DC Brau Citrocity
- DC Brau On the Wings of Armageddon
- DC Brau On the Wings of Armageddon (Cask)
- DC Brau On the Wings of Armageddon – Apricots & Grapefruit (Cask)
- DC Brau Solar Abyss
- DC Brau The Citizen
- DC Brau The Corruption
- DC Brau The Corruption (Nitro)
- DC Brau The Public
- Hellbender Bare Bones Kolsch
- Hellbender Chazzwazzer IPA
- Hellbender DC Solidarity Brew: Red, White & Gluten
- Hellbender Ella KPA
- Hellbende Red Line
- Hellbender Rum Barrel-Aged Red Line
- Hellbender Southern Torrent Saison
- Hellbender & Lost Rhino Dunkelweiss
- Right Proper Alice
- Right Proper Comrade
- Right Proper Diamonds Fur Coat Champagne
- Right Proper Lifehouse
- Right Proper Lookaftering
Photo via Facebook.com/churchkeydc
