Snallygaster Returns for Its 11th Year as D.C.’s Biggest Beer Festival

Snallygaster returns for its 11th year on October 14, and this rollicking craft beer festival is the District’s biggest and beastliest.

Brought to you by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group (NRG) – the minds behind favorites like Bluejacket, ChurchKey, The Sovereign, and Shelter – Snallygaster is the can’t-miss event of the year for beer lovers.

Festival goers can sip unlimited samples with the Capitol in the backdrop from a mind-boggling selection of over 400 brews on draft.

“Almost 50 of the over 170 breweries will be new this year,” says NRG’s Greg Engert.

Photo by Mark Raker.

“This is one of our favorite festivals of the year, it’s very well run and the location, with the Capitol in the background, makes this a festival that breweries enjoy going to every year,” says Ben Little, Head Brewer at Other Half D.C. in Ivy City.

“For us, one of the cool things about Snallygaster is that it lines up with the anniversary of the D.C. Other Half facility opening. The next day we’re having our 3rd anniversary party here [in D.C.]. We brew special anniversary beers, and will be pouring them at Snallygaster,” Little says. “The D.C. Third Anniversary Stout, which will be the VIP beer, is going to be a special variant.”

Other Half will also be serving a D.C. Third Anniversary Triple IPA, their Blue Crab Special Reserve, and Drekker Smoothie Sour collaboration at Snallygaster.

Alongside the copious brews, guests can nibble from an array of local food trucks, rock out to live music and DJs, and more. The festival footprint allows for a less crowded feel and plenty of seating for resting those beer-holding hands. An expanded VIP area, more restrooms, and additional water stations aim to make the event even more comfortable and accommodating.

“Snallygaster has an amazing array of beers from around the world,” Ken Correll from Human Robot Brewery in Philadelphia says. “Pretty much everything there, I would enjoy sipping on, if not drinking the whole thing.”

This year, Human Robot is bringing a Smoked Rösten, Helles Lager, and Hallertau Pils.

Photo by Mark Raker.

“Snallygaster is one of the premier beer festivals in the country, which is a testament to the visionary minds behind industry greats such as Bluejacket and ChurchKey” Seth Herman from Bearded Iris Brewing in Nashville says. “We are especially proud to feature two IPAs; Homestyle, our signature single-hopped Mosaic IPA, and Fresh on Fresh, our annual wet-hopped IPA. We’re honored to be invited to pour alongside the more than 170 finest American and International producers featured at this festival.”

For those looking to chat with the brewers themselves, Snallygaster is the place to be.

“It’s like an all-star game of beer for a good cause,” says Josh Chapman of Black Narrows Brewery in Virginia. Chapman has been attending Snallygaster since the beginning. “As it’s grown and gotten bigger, not only has it not lost any of its fervor and its intimacy, I think it’s gotten better. It’s like a car show, where everyone brings out their shiniest toys.”

Black Narrows always brings their award-winning corn lager called How ‘Bout It (which is Chapman’s favorite Eastern Shore phrase, because it can mean absolutely anything you want it to, depending on your inflection). It’s brewed with an heirloom variety of corn called Bloody Butcher which has been grown on the shores since the 1870s. They’re also bringing Spon Salts, a brew made with strawberries and rhubarb. 

“All of our beers are built to highlight the land and waters of Virginia’s Eastern Shore and the rest of the Commonwealth. They are basically ‘Chincoteague in a glass,’” Chapman says. 

Photo by Mark Raker.

Snallygaster also serves as the largest annual fundraiser for the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. Attendees support their efforts to build a more equitable and sustainable local food system by joining in the event.

General admission tickets are still available. Get your tickets soon, as the event is known to sell out.  Between the beer and the limited parking Metro, cab, or rideshare are recommended for transportation. When you need a break from beer sipping, stop by the expanded, family-friendly kids zone. In addition to live music, food for purchase will be available from over 20 vendors serving everything from burgers to falafel, tacos to lobster rolls.

Snallygaster: Pennsylvania Ave NW between 3rd & 6th, DC; snallygasterdc.com // @snallygasterdc

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Dan Rozman