I was looking forward to meeting Brittany Carney after seeing her great, relatable energy at open mics across town.
She and I finally caught up recently and she shared with me a little of what goes on when comics get off stage and teased some of her upcoming endeavors.
(Updated at 10:09 a.m.) I met Andrew after seeing an Underground Comedy show at The Big Hunt. He hadn’t performed that night, but he was there to support comedian friend Andrew Thimmesch and other fellow comedians. I conducted this interview after seeing him perform for the first time at the Bier Baron Tavern in Dupont Circle.
Borderstan: How are you feeling right now?
Andrew Cook: Feeling fine, feeling like I had a pretty good set.
You did! You brought the energy up.
Well, I do my very best. Yeah, that went well, it was later in the show, so getting people back into it is good.
As a fan of stand-up comedy, I find myself attending a lot of local comedy shows. I’ve learned that D.C. has a distinctly good comedy scene, and if you go to enough shows and you will start noticing familiar faces.
One of these familiar faces belongs to Matt Begué and I recently talked to him about his stand-up, among other things:
Borderstan: So you live in Navy Yard?
Matt Begué: Yeah, I live in Navy Yard now. I live right across the street from the baseball stadium. And I moved in right after baseball season, so I don’t know how crazy it gets down there.
It’s a cool spot. I like it there. They say when all of the construction’s done, it’s going to be the most densely populated neighborhood in D.C., which I believe. (more…)
Rob Fink visits 3 Stars Brewing and tells us where to find the beers in Borderstan. (Photo credit: Brian Hussein Stanton)
From Rob Fink. Follow him on Twitter @RobDFink or email him at rob[AT]borderstan.com.
Nestled in the upper reaches of the district at 6400 Chillum Place NW, 3 Stars Brewing has become an integral component of the ever-growing DC beer scene. After formally opening earlier this year, the brewery has rolled out a series of highly expressive and intensely flavored American-style beers. I had the opportunity to visit the brewery this past weekend during its Saturday growler hours (1-4 pm, but they’re closed this Saturday due to a brewer’s wedding!) and now find myself hard-pressed to imagine having a more pleasurable experience.
As an avid homebrewer, it was gratifying to see such a small brewery also have an operating homebrew store, and it truly solidifies the link which craft beer shares with the homebrewing community, at-large. After all, company founders Dave Coleman and Mike McGarvey started out as homebrewers.
Being handed something that reeked of chocolate jostled the homebrewing stupor right out of me. It turned out to be their endlessly chewy Pandemic Porter. Weighing in at a hefty 9.6 percent, this monstrous dark ale is strongly reminiscent of coffee and heaping piles of deep chocolate, which translates roughly to “delicious.” Since desserts practically leap out of the glass, Pandemic will find natural affinities in a dense dark chocolate mousse or even the simplicity of an old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie. Thankfully for those of you in Borderstan, it’s on tap right now at Pizzeria Paradiso on P Street NW, just west of Dupont Circle. Here’s a tip: pair it with the tiramisu.
Next up was a beer called “Southern Belle,” an Imperial Brown Ale hovering at 8.7 percent. A huge malty underpinning gives rise to aromas of warm biscuits, roasted nuts and deep caramel. This beer is actually finished with pecans in the kettle, which only intensifies the already prominent nut flavors and aromas. Given the intensity of the flavor profile, this beer would be great with something like venison and a collection of hearty vegetables – culinary experiment for this winter? Check.
For those of you closer to 14th Street, you can find Southern Belle right now at Stoney’s Bar and Grill on the 1400 block of P Street NW. If you stop in, the aptly named Southern Belle would do wonders with a cheddar burger topped with bacon.
I ended up snagging one of the last growlers of their deliciously heady Harvest Ale (which I wrote about here) not either aforementioned beer, mostly because I’m an unapologetic hophead. Fortunately, the final remnants of this delectable hoppy gem can be found at The Big Hunt just south of Dupont Circle on Connecticut Ave NW.
If you have a hankering for a local, eminently artisanal beer experience, do yourself a favor and free up a Saturday afternoon in the near future and head to 3 Stars Brewing.
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From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
DC Beer Week will feature offerings at four venues in Dupont-Logan. (Luis Gomez Photos)
The time has come to celebrate beer’s growing community – and popularity – in the District. And with more than 180 separate events in the course of one week, DC Beer Week will accomplish just that.
The fourth annual DC Beer Week runs August 12 to 18, and the week will include everything from panel discussions to beer dinners, happy hours and a craft beer dinner cruise on the Potomac.
Here’s a sneak peek at what’s happening in the neighborhood:
- Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe on Connecticut Avenue NW (just north of Dupont Circle) will host the Third Annual Brooklyn Brawl, a beer and cheese tasting event featuring seven selections by Brooklyn Brewery. The Brawl will take place on Monday, August 13 from 6 until 10 pm. Themed flight prices are $21 or $22; the full tasting flight is $53.
- Hank’s Oyster Bar at 1624 Q Street NW will celebrate with the Evolution Beer Dinner on Tuesday, August 14 at 7 pm. Evolution Craft Brewing Company will be on-hand to pair beers with a five-course meal. Tickets are $70. Seating is limited so please call (202) 462-4265 after 5 pm for reservations.
- Big Hunt (1345 Connecticut Avenue NW) and ChurchKey (1337 14th Street NW) are both hosting several events throughout the week, including craft brew debut parties. For more information, visit the list of events.
For more information visit the DC Beer Week website and follow the celebration on Twitter (@DCBeerWeek).
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter@rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
American Craft Beer Week started Monday and ends this Sunday, May 20. To celebrate, one nearby brewery is bringing the suds to DC during the month of May.
DuClaw Brewing Company, based in Bel Air, Maryland, is expanding its selection to the District and Northern Virginia, and is hosting a launch party at the Big Hunt on May 24. The Big Hunt bartenders will be pouring from the tap and the DuClaw crew will be on hand to answer questions and give away prizes.
DuClaw Brewing Company is hosting a launch party at the Big Hunt on May 24. (Alejandra Owens)
Additionally, DuClaw just named the winner of their 2nd Annual H.E.R.O. Homebrew Contest. Vincent and Suzanne Powers of Nottingham, Maryland clinched the title with their Chocolate Chipotle Stout, which will be brewed and available this fall everywhere DuClaw is sold.
The brewery is now searching for the charity to receive all the proceeds from the sale of Chocolate Chipotle Stout. Anyone is free to nominate a charity or organization by June 30 by emailing hero[AT]duclaw.com.
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