What’s On Tap: July 2017

Greetings, beer nerds! As you likely know, there are a number of fantastic establishments in the DMV where you can grab a pint, and their menus are always evolving and adapting to your tastes. If you’d rather avoid the guessing game, check out some of what’s coming up on tap at a few of the area establishments below.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5

Summer of Sour Series: American Solera DC Debut
Starting in July and continuing all summer long, the Sovereign is rolling out a slew of rare sour beers every Wednesday. Join each week as the bar showcases some of its favorite producers of Belgian-inspired sour beers from across the globe. The Sovereign kicks things off with the official DC debut of American Solera. Recently crowned the best new brewery of 2016, American Solera specializes in mixed-fermentation farmhouse ales aged in oak barrels. Don’t miss this incredibly rare opportunity to try Ahoma, Foederville, Amber Canyon Magik and Grissetta Stone. 5-11 p.m. Free to attend. The Sovereign: 1206 Wisconsin Ave. NW, DC; www.thesovereigndc.com

SATURDAY, JULY 8

Fourth Annual Port City Brew Old Town Alexandria Pub Crawl
The fourth annual Port City Brew Old Town Alexandria Pub Crawl will be an open house-type crawl, which means you can visit participating bars and restaurants in any order. Show up at any participating venue between 2-3 p.m. to get passes. Find the Port City team at each location to get your pass stamped. The reward for visiting all the stops will be a limited edition pint glass. 2-6 p.m. Free to attend. Port City Brew Old Town Alexandria Pub Crawl: King Street in Alexandria, VA; www.portcitybrewing.com

MONDAY, JULY 10

Atlas Brew Works Craft Beer Invitational
Join on July 10 at Kapnos Kouzina in collaboration with Atlas Brew Works as they launch the first edition of the Craft Beer Invitational. There will be a four-course dinner with a welcome beverage, featuring select craft beer pairings from Atlas Brew Works. There will also be famed dishes from rising culinary star Chef Kat Famoso. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets are $65. Kapnos Kouzina: 4900 Hampden Ln. Bethesda, MD; kapnoskouzina.com

TUESDAY, JULY 11

Food & Beer Pairing with Drinky Events at 801 Restaurant
Summer in the DMV is hearting up, so why not cool off with a beer tasting? Taste six beers from Franklins Brewery (Hyattsville), paired with six tasty bites from 801 Restaurant. Join in for a fun, educational evening. 7-8:30 p.m. Tickets are $35-$40. 801 Restaurant: 801 Florida Ave. NW, DC; www.drinkyevents.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 12

The AleSmith Speedway Stout Extravaganza
Join as Rustico Ballston hosts their friends from AleSmith Brewing Company. There will be 15 different beers on tap, and a cask from the San Diego brewery. Not to be outdone, the bar will also pour a number of beers rarely seen on the East Coast. Don’t miss the Hall of Fame .394, an amped up version of AleSmith’s ode to legendary San Diego Padre Tony Gwynn. 5-11 p.m. Free to attend. Rustico Ballston: 4075 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; www.rusticorestaurant.com

THURSDAY, JULY 13

Tiempo De Fiesta: A Spanish Tap Takeover
ChurchKey will pour no less than 30 exceptional drafts from six of the best craft brewers from Spain. To celebrate the occasion, they invited Estadio’s Executive Chef Rufino Bautista to add a few of his favorite dishes to ChurchKey’s menu, available for one night only. There will also be a five-course tasting menu paired exclusively with Spanish beers, available in Birch & Barley downstairs. 4-11 p.m. Free to attend. ChurchKey: 1337 14th St. NW, DC; www.churchkeydc.com

SATURDAY, JULY 15

Jambalaya and Beer Festival
Mustang Sally Brewing Company and the Jambalaya Bros. are putting on their first Jambalaya Festival. Brew fans and food lovers can enjoy this Cajun-inspired event, including plates of chicken or pork jambalaya and a side, as well as a three-hour open bar. There will be free brewery tours, live jazz music and a special Mustang Sally glass to take home. 12-3 p.m. or 4-7 p.m. Tickets are $15-$30. Mustang Sally Brewing: 14140 Parke Long Ct. Chantilly, VA; www.msbrewing.com

Seventh Anniversary Party
Come join the fun as Mad Fox Brewing celebrate seven wonderful years with seven exceptional beers at their flagship location in Falls Church. In honor of this special occasion, Mad Fox is releasing some new beers and rare editions of their favorite beers. There will be live music and the annual anniversary glass giveaway, and cake too. 11 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Free to attend. Mad Fox Brewing Company: 444 West Broad St. #1, Falls Church, VA; www.madfoxbrewing.com

Taco, Beer, Tequila Festival
This festival features over 20 taco trucks, 50 craft beers and 40 tequilas. There will be two sessions, one from 12-3 p.m. and the other 6-9 p.m. See the list of regional craft beers on the event’s website. The Tequila Pavilion will have producers of tequilas/mezcals pouring. VIP will have an hour early access and exclusive tastings. Margarita bars will also be available throughout the event. 12-9 p.m. Tickets are $45-$75. The Yards Park: 136 N St. SE, DC; www.tacobeertequila.com

SUNDAY, JULY 16

Firestone Walker Barrelworks Sour Beer Brunch
This one-of-a-kind beer and food pairing experience with Firestone Walker Barrelworks will feature a four-course brunch paired with four barrel-aged sour beers from the Southern California brewery. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Tickets are $55. The Sovereign: 1206 Wisconsin Ave. NW, DC; www.thesovereigndc.com

On Tap Sits with Nicole Waugh

Field Service Representative, Premium Distributors of Virginia

On Tap: What launched your career in the beer industry?
Nicole Waugh: I think my career really took off when I moved from the draft department to the sales team after four years.

OT: What is your dream job?
NW: I’m doing it!

OT: Where do you enjoy drinking a Corona or Modelo in your free time?
NW: On the beach in Key West, Florida. I also like to drink them at Jiffy Lube Live on the Modelo deck.

OT: What’s the best Constellation incentive trip you’ve been on?
NW: When I went to Huntington Beach, California – hands down. Although I was disappointed I didn’t get to visit Compton.

OT: What are a few local breweries you enjoy, and what makes them unique?
NW: Old Ox Brewery, because when I was in the draft department I put their draft system together. And of course, Old Bust Head, because they have amazing beers and baby goats running around sometimes. I must also give love to Flying Dog; they have such a unique style and great beers.

OT: What’s your favorite part of the DC area to hang out in, and why?
NW: I’m more of a country girl, and I enjoy the surrounding areas. I love going horseback riding with my daughter.

OT: What does your perfect Saturday in July look like?
NW: An early morning horse ride, then grilling at the pool enjoying a nice cold Corona with my friends and family.

Q&A with The Midland’s Beer Garden

Trent Allen, Peyton Sherwood & Robin Webb, Owners

On Tap: What makes Midlands different from other beer gardens?
Robin Webb: Barbecue.
Peyton Sherwood: We have a 20-foot diamond-plated steel smoker that was custom fabricated for us by a guy down in Georgia. They know their barbecue down there, and he built a fantastic piece of equipment. We have such a large indoor space. I think the giant mural is a plus as I don’t know anywhere else that has a giant mural of the “Garden of Bee-den.”

OT: Why did you choose a “bee” theme for the beer garden?
Trent Allen: Because it’s a bee-r garden. We told the artist to make the mural happy and have a bee in it. That’s what he came up with.

OT: What kind of barbecue offerings do you serve?
PS: Today, we have St. Louis-style ribs, burgers, brats, shrimp skewers, grilled pineapple and cider glazed-duck with a can of Crispin Cider inside. We’ve got all sorts of stuff.

OT: How do you choose your beers?
TA: We always keep some local and German ones. The rest is filling in different beer styles with whatever the coolest things our distributors have. We rotate every week and often change two taps a day. We’ll have an amber, stout, dunkel, saison and double IPA on to keep the range of beer we carry.

OT: What gives Midlands its neighborhood feel?
RW: The space, free pool and darts, and bluegrass on Sundays.
TA: DJs on Saturdays.
PS: It’s a very laidback atmosphere. The cool thing about this space is that big groups just show up. Everyone’s really chill and the people are some of the nicest customers I’ve dealt with in my 25 years in this business.

OT: Any upcoming events in July?
TA: A whole hog roast on the Fourth, and live music on Friday nights. We’ve just started to organize a dog adoption event with Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.

The Midlands Beer Garden: 3333 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; www.midlandsdc.com