WASHINGTON — Craft beer fans, mark your calendars.
April 10 through 13, more than 10,000 beer experts from across the country will flood D.C. for the 2017 Craft Brewers Conference — and many of them are bringing rare beers to share with locals.
In the four-day span of this year’s conference, Greg Engert, beer director for Neighborhood Restaurant Group, will host 24 beer-focused events with more than 300 different beers, many of which have never made it to the District.
“We’re always looking to find beers that we haven’t been able to pour before, and this is a great opportunity because so many of our brewing friends are in town and have yet to be here with their beers,” Engert said.
There will be ales from well-known brewers such as Stone Brewing Co. and Goose Island, but small producers, like Monkish Brewing Co. in Torrance, California, and Side Project Brewing in Maplewood, Missouri, will also be represented.
“These are tiny breweries that make exceptional beer,” Engert added.
Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas, is packing its rare, small batch Belgian-inspired SPON Méthode Gueuze, which will be on draft at the Sovereign April 12.
“It’s extremely rare. I got a chance to taste some a few months back — it is magnificent,” Engert said.
D.C.’s Bluejacket Brewery and Richmond’s Hardywood Park Craft Brewery are debuting a collaboration double IPA at Red Apron Burger Bar on April 11 alongside nine other beers from Hardywood Park.
Also on April 11, music fans will get a chance to drink for free if they stump the Stone Brewing team with a song from EatBar’s jukebox. And on April 13, Engert will shine the spotlight on brewers across the Pond at an event featuring more than 15 U.K. beers.
Planning 24 events may seem like overkill, but to Engert, it’s an opportunity to take advantage of D.C.’s direct import laws and introduce Washingtonians to some of the newest and best craft beers out there.
“When we find these little amazing breweries located throughout the U.S. that don’t really have enough beer to send more routinely and don’t really have the ability to sign with a distributor, we’re able to work with them to direct-ship small amounts of beer for events and things like this,” he said.
“This allows us to showcase breweries that you wouldn’t normally be able to find in the city and it’s just one of the really cool kind of quirks that makes D.C. such a special craft beer location.”
Editor’s Note 4/7/2016, 8:15 p.m.: Neighborhood Restaurant Group isn’t the only business celebrating the Craft Brewers Conference. Check out a list of events at other local establishments, including Right Proper, Port City, Pizzeria Paradiso and more, on the conference’s website.
Interested in attending an event? Check out Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s schedule, below:
CHURCHKEY PRESENTS: CBC 2017 EAST COAST’S FINEST, ChurchKey, Monday, April 10 at 2 p.m. Featuring 30-plus drafts from some of our favorite breweries along the East Coast: Bissell Brothers, Other Half, Suarez Family, The Veil & Trillium
THE SOVEREIGN CBC SHOWCASE: CRAFT BEER ALL-STARS VOL. 1, The Sovereign, Monday, April 10 at 4 p.m. Featuring 20-plus beers from some of the top American producers of Belgian-inspired ales: Blackberry Farm, Crooked Stave & The Bruery
BLUEJACKET & FRIENDS — PART 1: CREATURE COMFORTS, Bluejacket, Monday, April 10 at 4 p.m. Featuring six guest drafts from Creature Comforts Brewing in the Bluejacket tasting room
THE STILLWATER & IRON GATE EXPERIENCE, Iron Gate, Monday, April 10 — Thursday, April 13, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly. A special weeklong menu of a-la-carte dishes prepared by Chef Anthony Chittum to pair with five delicious Stillwater Artisanal drafts
THE FIRESTONE WALKER CBC WELCOME RECEPTION AFTER PARTY, Hazel, Monday, April 10 at 9 p.m. Featuring eight beers from Firestone Walker including rare kegs of Tequila Merkin & Sour Opal
CHURCHKEY PRESENTS: CBC 2017 — THE NEW SOUTH, ChurchKey, Tuesday, April 11 at 2 p.m. Featuring 30-plus drafts from some of our favorite Southern breweries: Burial, Creature Comforts, Fonta Flora, The Answer & Westbrook
THE SOVEREIGN CBC SHOWCASE: CRAFT BEER ALL-STARS VOL. 2, The Sovereign, Tuesday, April 11 at 4 p.m. Featuring 20-plus beers from some of the top American producers of Belgian-inspired ales: Casey, Monkish, Oxbow & Side Project
BLUEJACKET & FRIENDS — PART 2: ARIZONA WILDERNESS, Bluejacket, Tuesday, April 11 at 4 p.m. The official debut of Potential Grizzlies, a new collaboration beer with Arizona Wilderness, plus six guest drafts from Arizona Wilderness in the Bluejacket tasting room.
SURLY DARKNESS DESCENDS UPON UNION MARKET, Red Apron Union Market, Tuesday, April 11 at 4 p.m. Featuring eight rare drafts from the out-of-market Surly Brewing Co. (Minneapolis, MN)
STUMP TEAM STONE, EatBar, Tuesday, April 11, 5 p.m. Stone Brewing Co. will buy a beer for anybody who can pick a song that they can’t name from the Eat Bar jukebox and 10 outstanding Stone beers will be on draft all night long
THE HARDYWOOD & BLUEJACKET COLLABORATION RELEASE PARTY + DRAFT FEATURE, Red Apron Burger Bar, Tuesday April, 11 at 5 p.m. Featuring 10 drafts from Hardywood Park, including a brand-new Double IPA collaboration beer from Bluejacket & Hardywood Park
CHURCHKEY PRESENTS: CBC 2017 — ALL POINTS WEST, ChurchKey, Wednesday, April 12 at 2 p.m. Featuring 30-plus drafts from some of our favorite breweries located westward: Arizona Wilderness, Jackie O’s, Monkish, Perennial & Toppling Goliath
THE SOVEREIGN CBC SHOWCASE: CRAFT BEER ALL-STARS VOLUME 3, The Sovereign, Wednesday, April 12 at 4 p.m. Featuring 20-plus beers from some of the top American producers of Belgian-inspired ales: Jester King, Jolly Pumpkin, Tired Hands & The Veil
SUN KING RISES AT UNION MARKET, Red Apron Union Market, Wednesday, April 12 at 4 p.m. Featuring eight amazing drafts from the out-of-market Sun King Brewing (Indianapolis, IN)
BLUEJACKET & FRIENDS — PART #3: GREAT RAFT, Bluejacket, Wednesday, April 12 at 4 p.m. Featuring six guest drafts from Great Raft Brewing in the Bluejacket tasting room, plus a new version of the collaboration brew, It’s Me, Not You
MEATS & SWEETS WITH GOOSE ISLAND, The Partisan, Wednesday, April 12 at 5 p.m. Featuring 14 rare Goose Island beers, including kegs of BCBS — Vanilla Rye 2014 & BCBS — Proprietor’s 2016, all available a-la-carte and with special Charcuterie & dessert pairings
BURIAL, TRVE & NIGHT SHIFT TAKE OVER HAZEL, Hazel, Wednesday, April 12 at 5 p.m. Featuring 12 beers from out-of-market breweries Burial, Night Shift & TRVE
THE 4 HANDS & OFF COLOR MIDWEST CRAFT SHOWCASE, EatBar, Wednesday, April 12 at 5 p.m. Featuring a selection of 10 delicious & rare drafts from our friends at 4 Hands (St. Louis, MO) and off color (Chicago, IL)
BEERS FROM THE BIG APPLE: FINBACK DRAFTS AT RED APRON BURGER BAR, Red Apron Burger Bar, Wednesday, April 12 at 5 p.m. Featuring eight impressive drafts from the out-of-market Finback Brewery (Queens, NY)
CHURCHKEY PRESENTS: CBC 2017 — UP IN THE MOUNTAINS, ChurchKey, Thursday, April 13 at 2 p.m. Featuring 20-plus beers from established and up-and-coming Vermont & Wyoming craft brewers: Foam & Lawson’s Finest Liquids from Vermont; Black Tooth & Melvin form Wyoming
THE SOVEREIGN CBC FINALE FEATURING WICKED WEED, The Sovereign, Thursday, April 13 at 4 p.m. We’re closing down CBC with 12 drafts from Wicked Weed Brewing of Asheville, NC
BLUEJACKET & FRIENDS — PART #4: GOOD BEER HUNTING, Bluejacket, Thursday, April 13, 4 p.m. A meet-and-greet with Michael Kiser and the Good Beer Hunting team in the Bluejacket tasting room
THE DESTIHL DC DEBUT, Red Apron Union Market, Thursday, April 13 at 4 p.m. Featuring eight debut drafts from the out-of-market DESTIHL (Bloomington, IL). Come taste the first beer from this brewery to ever make it to DC!
SHELTON BROTHERS PRESENTS THE BRITISH NEW WAVE, The Partisan, Thursday, April 13 at 5 p.m. Featuring 15-plus beers from some of the most exciting craft breweries in the United Kingdom: Cloudwater (England), Fyne (Scotland) & Siren (England)
