Return of the Beast: Snallygaster Beer Festival Preview

The beast returns to Capitol Hill on October 8. You won’t want to miss the 10th anniversary of Snallygastter, one of the east coast’s premier beer events. There is no other place where you can enjoy 350 plus unique beers served by 175 breweries while looking at the dome of the US capitol.

It isn’t only the 8000 attendees who appreciate this unique setting. Jake Endres from Crooked Run Fermentation said “ We have been to beer festivals in different cities and sometimes they don’t really capture the essence of the city. But being at Snallygaster with the Capitol dome as your background is amazing. The weather is usually really nice and the list of breweries is incredible. Snally is as good as it gets. We are always proud to be pouring with some of the best breweries in the US and abroad.” Many of the brewers attend Snallygaster and are happy to talk about their beers while folks are enjoying the tastings.

Beer enthusiast Scott Samborn said “I’ve been to a number of festivals and I think we almost take Snallygaster for granted. As a local who can take the subway to it, you kind of forget that this rivals festivals that people travel all over the country to attend.”

A lot of people don’t realize that Snallygaster grew out of the Rustico Oktoberfest. After five years in Alexandria, the event grew so large they needed to find a bigger space. They moved to D.C. and renamed it Snallygaster, after the legendary mythical monster that inhabits the D.C. area. Neighborhood Restaurant Group (NRG) beverage director and Snallygaster coordinator Greg Engert explains the significance of the event for the local brewing community after watching it grow over the years.

“We, Neighborhood Restaurant Group — Bluejacket, Churchkey, Owen’s Ordinary, The Sovereign and more — are passionate about craft beer, service and hospitality, and throwing fantastic parties,” Engert says. “It’s just so incredible to have the opportunity to do this on Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the most beautiful settings for an outdoor beer festival I can think of.”

Christian Layke whose brewery, Silver Branch is attending for the first time commented, “We are excited to be adding Silver Branch to the great lineup at Snallygaster this year. We’re going to be using a traditional side-pull faucet to pour Killer Castle, our unfiltered Pilsener. We’ll also have Fear the Ungnome, a Belgian Golden Ale. We’re looking forward to a great time!”

The NRG strives to improve the experience every year. This year the space will be more spread out and there will be more seating. The two stages will have DJ’s and four bands entertaining people as they enjoy the excellent selection of beers and food.

Elliott Johnson from D.C.’s Soul Mega “is super excited to participate in Snallygaster this year.  As craft beer enthusiasts and long-time attendees, we appreciate the experience that NRG offers to breweries and festival-goers every year. We can’t wait to engage everyone with our brand!”

Engert reminds us that “at the end of the day, it’s our way to raise money for Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, which is the nonprofit we started back in 2011. This is the single biggest fundraiser for Arcadia every year.”

What could be better? Come out and enjoy great beer, music and food while supporting a worthy cause.

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Dan Rozman