What’s On Tap: December 2019

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8

Good Tidings Sunday
Port City Brewing Company is going to deck the halls with boughs of holly and good tidings. Start off the day by trying a Barrel Aged Tidings Ale, aged in a chardonnay barrel, followed by Holiday Trivia at 3 p.m. and photos with Santa from 4-8 p.m. Trivia requires a $7 ticket but it’s free to enjoy the Tasting Room or sit with Santa. 12-8 p.m. Free to attend, trivia ticket $7. Port City Brewing Company: 3950 Wheeler Ave. Alexandria, VA; www.portcitybrewing.com

Wicks & Sips
Enjoy a craft beer while having fun making your own candle. During this event you will create your own soy wax candle, selecting the vessel, scent and color of your choice. 2-5 p.m. Tickets $21. Eavesdrop Brewery: 7223 Centreville Rd. Manassas, VA; www.eavesdropbrewery.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10

Crafting Happy Hour
Handi-hour is DC’s original “crafting happy hour.” Get ready for an evening of creativity, live music by local acts and craft beer from local breweries. Featured crafts are tailored to all skill levels. Your ticket includes all-you-can-craft supplies, craft instructions, two beers and a Handi-hour glass for beer and snacks. 5:30-8 p.m. Tickets $25. Renwick Gallery: 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; www.americanart.si.edu

Sip & Write Workshop
Sip on cider and write! As you wind down 2019, use the crazy highs and lows of the past year as inspiration for short stories in this fiction-focused writing workshop. You will discuss techniques for creating characters, snappy dialogue and vivid scenes. Open to writers of all levels. The workshop will be led by Willona Sloan. Your ticket also includes one pour of cider. 7-9 p.m. Tickets $25. Capitol Cider House: 3930 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; www.capitolciderhouse.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 17, 24 & 31

Pints & Pawns Chess Club
Chess players of any skill level are invited. Games may be played both with and without time controls depending on individual preferences. The club meets in the Taproom at T.J. Stone’s, that means if you enjoy beer, then grab a pint or two as an added bonus. Games start at 7 p.m. Free to attend. T.J. Stone’s: 608 Montgomery St. Alexandria, VA; www.tjstones.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11 & 18

The Comments Section: A Stand-Up Comedy Show
The comments section is the best part of most articles, which is why Capital Laughs anthropomorphized it into a comedy show! In this show, a comic does their set, while four comic commentators write thoughts on comment cards. Then, the host reads the funniest as the performer looks on take in the trolling. 7 p.m. Free to attend. Capitol Cider House: 3930 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; www.capitallaughs.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12

Brewlights at Zoolights
Friends of the National Zoo’s hoppiest holiday event, BrewLights, a ticketed microbrew and craft beer event, will take place during ZooLights, powered by Pepco. Guests can enjoy beer tastings from dozens of breweries and sample complimentary snacks, all under the bright lights of DC’s favorite holiday tradition. 6-9 p.m. Tickets $65. Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute: 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, DC; www.nationalzoo.si.edu

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13

Can Jam Beer Extravaganza
Come to City Winery to try several canned beers from local breweries with cheese! Can you imagine the delicious local possibilities? 7-9 p.m. Tickets $40. City Winery: 1350 Okie St. NE, DC; www.citywinery.com

December Brewmaster Tour
Spend your evening like a Brewmaster in the 19th-century home of historic DC brewer Christian Heurich. Admission includes an hour-long guided tour of the museum and a local craft beer tasting. You’ll receive one beer flight per person, featuring 4-oz. pours of three local beers to experience the Brewmaster’s Castle with a drink in your hand. After the tour, guests are welcome to mingle in the Conservatory and purchase full beers. Various times. Tickets $30. Heurich House Museum: 1307 New Hampshire Ave. NW, DC; www.heurichhouse.org

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20 & 27

Friday Night Beers & Bites Tour
The Bluejacket Friday Night Tasting Tour is a special brewery tour offered weekly. Upon arrival, guests will be treated to a signature draft, followed by a full tour of the brewery and operations with three tasters throughout the tour. Guests will then head to the Bottle Shop & Tasting Room to enjoy a flight of three additional tasters each expertly paired with a snack from our talented culinary team led by Chef de Cuisine Marcelle Afram. Various times. Tickets $35. Bluejacket: 300 Tingey St. SE, DC; www.bluejacketdc.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14

3rd Annual Holiday Market
The days are getting shorter and the holiday season is approaching. 7 Locks Brewing officially set the date for their 3rd Annual Holiday Market. Get your holiday shopping done at this festive event and enjoy live music, food, activities and local vendors. Participating vendors include Shafa Blends, Tea Thoughts, pottery by Mary Lou Relle, pottery by Kira Kibler, Sandy Shuman Jewelry and DRM Photography. 3-7 p.m. Free to attend. 7 Locks Brewing: 12227 Wilkins Ave. Rockville, MD; www.7locksbrewing.com

The Hip Hop & Craft Beer Share
Join ChurchKey, MistaForty and DJ Analyze as the venue hosts the Hip Hop & Craft Beer Bottle Share. Come celebrate diversity in craft beer while DJ Analyze spins some classic and golden era hip-hop tracks. 2-6 p.m. Free to attend. ChurchKey: 1337 14th St. NW, DC; www.churchkeydc.com

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15

Voarm, Sickdeer, Torvus
Prepare to descend into the underworld with Atlas Brew Works. They’re going to give you more soul crushing black metal to make this a true black winter. Bands include VA doom/black metal group Voarm, DC black/death group Sickdeer and DC occult black/doom group Torvus. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets $5-$10. Atlas Brew Works: 2052 West Virginia Ave. NE, DC; www.atlasbrewworks.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16

Painting & Pints: Winter Wonderland
Come paint and drink amazing beer. We may not all be Van Gogh, but that’s what the beer is for. The session will run approximately 90 minutes and your first pint is included. All design levels are encouraged to participate. 6 p.m. Tickets $30. Fair Winds Brewing: 7000 Newington Rd. Lorton, VA; www.fairwindsbrewing.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year for a Beer
Join Belga Cafe at The Betsy as they get cozy and pop open some of the most anticipated beers of the year. Sit back and relax while sipping and sampling and talking all things beer. Brews include St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, Straffe Hendrik Xmas Blend, Scaldis Noël and Corsendonk Christmas Ale. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets $39. The Betsy: 514 8th St. SE, DC; www.belgacafe.com

Tuesday Brewsday
Every Tuesday the bar in Kramerbooks & Afterwords showcases 18 half-price pints, including new rotating limited and specialty run drafts and cans. Each week highlights different varietals. It’s a great chance to try out new breweries and flavor profiles. 7 p.m. – 1 a.m. Free to attend. Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe: 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW, DC; www.kramers.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18

Holiday Beer Dinner
Join Chef Ryan Gordon and Granville Moore’s beermonger Brendan Kilroy for an evening of food, beer, fun and festivities. Featuring a festive four-course dinner with exclusive holiday beers. 7-10 p.m. Tickets $65. Granville Moore’s: 1238 H St. NE, DC; www.granvillemoores.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21

Draughts & Laughs Comedy Show
Get ready for the finest that comedy has to offer, paired with Twinpanzee’s fresh and delicious signature brews. The North American Comedy Brewery Tour brings the best of the best North American comedians to local breweries across the United States for an evening that keeps the beers flowing and the laughs coming. 8-10 p.m. Tickets $20. Twinpanzee: 101 Executive Dr. Sterling, VA; www.facebook.com/Twinpanzee

Hike and Hops: Sky Meadows and Dirt Farm Brewing
Cold beer is even better at the end of a great day outside. Join REI for a guided hike of the Piedmont Overlook Loop in Sky Meadows State Park. This hike is just more than five miles, and includes spectacular views of the Piedmont and a section of the fabled Appalachian Trail. Then there will be drive a short distance to another peak Blue Ridge experience: the farm-to-pint brewing of Dirt Farm Brewing in Bluemont, Virginia. 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tickets $75+. Washington DC REI: 201 M St. NE, DC; www.rei.com