MidAtlantic October News
By Phil Galewitz
I love Gatorade, particularly after a long run around the neighborhood because those electrolytes in the drink help revive my energy.
It was only a matter of time until a Mid-Atlantic brewer had the same thought as I’ve had for a while: What about making a beer with electrolytes?
Ryan Maloney, a brewer with Mispillion River Brewing in Milford, DE, decided to find out. Over the past few months, Maloney has experimented with many different flavored sports drinks, before deciding on a grape flavored one. His final iteration, War Kitten, is a 5% SportsBerliner brewed with electrolytes and lactobacillus. Its available in 16-oz cans.
“Not only is War Kitten brewed with what plants crave, it also tastes tart and refreshing,” said Mispillion President Eric Williams. Mispillion is not the first brewery to make a beer with a sports drink. J. Wakefield Brewing in Miami made a Berliner-style beer called Haterade, using a sports fruit drink.
Atlas Brew Works in Washington DC has its NSFW, a 9.2% Imperial Black IPA. It will also be releasing its new Naptown Lager, a Helles Lager that is being brewed in tribute to the Navy Marine Corps and named after the Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis that molds them. Proceeds will go to Homes For Our Troops, an organization that helps disabled vets afford adapted living environments.
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery of Milton, DE has just released its newest IPA, Liquid Truth Serum. The IPA is super-aromatic and juicy-hoppy without being deceptively bitter. With 6.8%, this medium body ale is hazy and golden-orange in color with a slightly citrus zest finish.
Dogfish knows IPAs. It made its name with beers like 60 Minute, 90 Minute and 120 Minute IPAs. Under its new IPA making system, the brewery adds all the hops after boiling is complete. The process involves pelletized, powdered, leaf and liquefied hops that are all added post boil creating an intensely aromatic ale with soft, citrusy fruit hop notes. The hop-forward India Pale Ale is part of the annual Art Series beer line up where the brewery collaborates with artists to create custom pieces of artwork for their seasonal ales. The brewery has teamed up with highly acclaimed designer, Marq Spusta, a California-based artist known for his distinct illustrative style, to create the Liquid Truth Serum label and artwork.
“In much the same way Dogfish mixes and matches ingredients to brew truly unique beers, we also enjoy mixing it up by collaborating with visionary, avant-garde artists who work with us to bring life to our beer labels through their personal interpretation and expressions of our beers,” said Sam Calagione, CEO and founder of Dogfish Head.
Congratulations to Revelation Craft Brewing of Rehoboth Beach, DE for its bronze medal in the Gluten Beer category at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival. It won for its Co-Conspirator Apricot Sour Ale, which it makes with Ghostfish Brewing of Seattle. The 4.4% ale is a light, tart and made with probiotic coconut water.
On Monday, Nov. 6, Old Bust Head will be stocking its taproom in Warrenton, VA with Gold Cup Russian Imperial Stout Variants. This includes Horchata Gold Cup aged on vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks as well as a new addition, Coconut Coffee Gold Cup, aged on coconut and blended with cold brewed coffee.
Heavy Seas Brewing in Halethorpe, MD has its Hop Festival on tap for Nov. 4 from noon to 4. It will feature all their favorite HOPPY Heavy Seas beers and a variety of hop-friendly foods prepared by some of the best local restaurants and caterers! More info and tickets: http://hsbeer.com/happenings/eventDetail/hopfest-17
Also in November will be their latest in the Partner Ships Series, a Wee Heavy made with Mad Tree Brewing of Cincinnati. This 8.25% ale is loaded with complex flavors. They used Simpson’s Double Roast Crystal and Weyermann Chocolate Rye to add a unique touch to this collaboration brew. It also includes Burundi Mpanga coffee from Deeper Roots in Cincinnati, Ethiopian Harrar coffee from Chesapeake Bay Roasting Co. in Baltimore, and cocoa nibs from Maverick Chocolate in Cincinnati. Sarah West, a Baltimore native, has been named new director of marketing and hospitality at Heavy Seas.
DC Brau will release Alpha Domina Mellis Double IPA on Nov. 4. The 8.5% brew incorporates wildflower honey from Burnside Farms in Haymarket, VA. A generous 90-minute addition of hops lay the foundation for the punchy, lingering melon-like bitterness that playfully tingles the palate after every sip. The honey helps boost alcohol content and adds a crisp, dry finish to the beer, which, like the malt, is only there to support the heavy, hoppy juiciness of this precious hop elixir.
Also in November, the brewery will be hosting its annual Made in DC Holiday Market, in partnership with Think Local First DC & the Made in DC Program, on Nov. 25. More than 40 local artists and artisans will set up pop up stalls at the brewery to kick off the holiday shopping season on Small Business Saturday from 1-6pm. For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/357127364732938
Starr Hill Brewing in Crozet, VA is releasing its Box of Chocolates Stout Pack. This will be a 12-pack featuring variants of their Double Bass Double Chocolate Stout, including peppermint, chipotle, and mocha versions alongside the original. It will also be available on draft as part of their “Dark Side of the Starr” dark beer tap takeover events happening in November and December.
New District Brewing Co. in Arlington, VA is one of the most dog friendly breweries as there is a dog park directly across the street. On Sunday afternoon Nov. 5, the brewery will host its inaugural Valley Fest Street Festival in collaboration and celebration of the Four Mile Run Valley Arts and Local Businesses including Theatre on the Run, Jane Franklin Dance, and Arlington Cultural Affairs. Area musicians and performing artists will set the stage for entertainment, local artists will showcase their pieces and food trucks will offer tasty delights. A kid’s zone will keep the family busy while beer will be in abundance for adults. Information and Tickets: www.arlingtonvalleyfest.com. New District Brewing is a family and friend owned business. The name New District is derived from when the federal government gave back Arlington and Alexandria in 1846, after previously declaring the land a part of the seat of the federal government in 1801.
Another great beer event in Arlington County, Virginia. In Alexandria, VA Rustico’s annual Novemberfest will return Nov. 4 with an outdoor block party featuring 80 Virginia beers and ciders. Beer Director Greg Engert is sourcing a lineup spanning an array of flavors and styles, with nearly 30 of the finest Virginia producer. Among some of the smaller breweries pouring beers will be Pen Druid, The Veil, The Answer, Triple Crossing, and Aslin.The Rustico kitchen, led by Chef Aaron Wright, will provide a menu of hearty dishes such as BBQ pork sandwiches, sausages and turkey legs. Local bluegrass bands will provide entertainment. Rustico is at 827 Slaters Lane in Alexandria. Advance tickets are available via eventbrite for $25 and include 20 food & drink tickets and admission. Admission is $10 at the door, with food & drink tickets sold a la carte ($1=1 ticket).
Legend Brewing Co. in Richmond is releasing its Winter Seasonal, Ember Ale, a traditional English ESB. This style is known, not for its bitterness as the name suggests, but for its balance and the interplay between malt and hop. Ember Ale is a 6% malt forward with fruity esters, a caramel note and a toasty biscuit finish. Legend is replacing its Chocolate Porter this year with a Lebkuchen Ale on Nov. 13. Its an American Style Brown Ale inspired by the German savory spice cakes of the season. Flavors of brown sugar, nutmeg, molasses, and cinnamon are added to create a warm, roasty 6% ale.
