Best of American Craft Beer Week

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

The American Craft Beer Week (May 16 – May 22) is on all throughout the star spangled country and we have a boatload of beer events right here in Northern Virginia. Too many for one person to tackle on their own, we’ve sifted through the listings to find a few of the most tempting events popping up in Virginia. The DC Beer Events calendar has a more thorough listing, as does the Craft Beer Week website. Happy boozing!

TUESDAY, MAY 17

- DC Brau Meet & Greet at Fire Works Pizza (Clarendon)

May 17, 5:00pm – 7:30pm

2350 Clarendon Blvd. Arlington, VA (map)

DC brewing scene hot shots and media darlings DC Brau will be on hand at Fire Works Pizza in Clarendon. DC Brau CEO Brandon Skall and head brewer Jeff Hancock will be pouring pints of their new American Pale Ale “The Public.” Details.

- American Craft Beer Week Specialty Draft Features at Rustico (Alexandria)

May 17, 6pm – 9pm

827 Slater’s Lane, Alexandria, VA 22314 (map)

Rustico will be flexing its beer muscles this week with a ACBW specialty draft list that will include: Flying Dog Imperial IPA, Single Hop Simcoe, Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale, Sierra Nevada Ovila, Samuel Adams East-West Kolsch, Breckenridge Lucky U IPA. Folks at the Ballston location can take advantage on Wednesday. Details.

- Crafts for a Cause: Sam Adams Dinner at Fish Market (Alexandria)

May 17, 6pm – 8pm

105 King St., Alexandria, VA (map)

Sam Adams will be joining Alexandria’s Fish Market for a five-course beer dinner. The meal will pair some of Fish Market’s finest entrees with a nice array of Adams beers. The full menu is here, but for the lazy, the featured beers are Sam Adams Boston Lager, Lite, Coastal Wheat, Irish Red and Double Bock. Price is $49.99 per person. Dinner starts at 6, so don’t be late.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18

- Tour & Meet the Brewers Night at Mad Fox (Falls Church)

May 18, 5pm – 8pm

444 W Broad St Falls Church, VA (map)

The folks over at Falls Church’s own Mad Fox Brewing will be hosting a meet and greet with their brewers Bill Madden and Charlie Buettner Wednesday evening. The pair will offer a tour of the facilities and answer any of your questions. Don’t forget to stop in and check out their really nice looking bar. http://madfoxbrewing.com/

THURSDAY, MAY 19

- Old Dominion Tasting at Harry’s Tap Room (Arlington)

May 19, 6pm – 8pm

2800 Clarendon Boulevard Arlington, VA (map)

Deleware’s Old Dominion brewery will be presenting a bevy of beers at Harry’s on Thursday. According to the site’s facebook page, the beers will include drafts of Oak Barrel Stout, Fordham Helles Lager and Harry’s Ale (Dominion Ale), and will also have bottles of Hop Mountain Pale Ale. Details.

- Crafts for a Cause: Beer 101 at Total Wine (McLean)

May 19, 7pm – 9pm

1451 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, VA

Harpoon and Saranac will have representatives at Total Wine in McLean this Thursday. The breweries will be showcasing their beer, answering questions, and, hopefully, hurling insults at one-another.

FRIDAY, MAY 20

- Flying Dog Farm-to-Table Dinner at Patowmack Farm (Lovettsville)

May 20, 5pm – 8pm

42461 Lovettsville Road, Lovettsville, VA (map)

The fun part about Craft Beer Week is that it’s not just contained to the metropolitan areas or even the suburbs. Flying Dog will be hosting a farm-to-table dinner waaaay out in Lovettsville on Friday at the Patowmack Farm restaurant. There’s no indication of what will be on the menu, but the website promises local, organic, seasonal cuisine thoughtfully paired with a range of Flying Dog brews. Price is $65 per person and dinner hits the table at 6:30 so… have fun getting out there in time. Details.

SATURDAY, MAY 21

- Starr Hill Dinner at Clyde’s (Tyson’s Corner)

May 21, 7:00pm – 9:30pm

8332 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182 (map)

Clyde’s in Tyson’s will be pairing up its executive chef Brian Stickel with Mark Thompson from Charlottesville’s Starr Hill Brewery for a four-course paired menu. Only 50 spots will be available at $40 a head. Menu promises local asparagus with country ham, steamed Pei mussels, crispy roasted pork belly and more. Beers on hand will be Starr Hill’s Lucy Spiced Golden Ale, Amber Ale, Northern Lights IPA and Dark Starr Stout. Full menu and details.

- Kris King

Tags: American Craft Beer Week, Clydes, DC Brau, Fire Works Pizza, Fish Market, Flying Dog, Harrys Tap Room, Mad Fox, Patowmack Farm, Rustico, Starr Hill, Total Wine