WWBG: Maryland Day Beer Festival Tomorrow in Gaithersburg

Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). It is written by Garrett Cruce, a Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server.

Come celebrate the incredible Maryland beer scene! This Saturday, March 25, 2-5 p.m. Downtown Crown Wine and Beer is hosting its 2017 Maryland Day Beer Festival, inside the shop and outside under a tent. They will be serving a total of 44 Maryland beers — 22 on tap inside and 22 in the tent, and one special can release! Weather is forecast to be 73 degrees and sunny!

On tap inside:

1. RAR Brewery Galaxy Hyde American IPA
2. RAR Brewery Edward Hyde Double IPA
3. RAR Brewery Pineapple Grenade American IPA
4. Manor Hill Brewing Red Juice IPA
5. Manor Hill Brewing Trinity IPA
6. Manor Hill Brewing Hidden Hopyard 6 Double IPA (Reissue)
7. Union Craft Brewing Older Pro Gose (Barrel Aged with Blueberries)
8. Union Craft Brewing Wook IPA
9. Union Craft Brewing Pajama Pants Coffee Oatmeal Stout
10. Burley Oak Brewing Company Mango Blood Orange J.R.E.A.M.
11. Burley Oak Brewing Company Fruit Of Our Labor: Boysenberry
12. Oliver Brewing Co. Vae Victus Double IPA
13. Waredaca Brewing Company Baymore NE Style Double IPA
14. Flying Dog Brewery Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter
15. Jailbreak Brewing Company Czech The Technique Pilsner
16. Red Shedman Farm Brewery Strawberry Rhubarb Blonde
17. Diamondback Brewing Company Gone Till November Oat IPA
18. Diamondback Brewing Company Jazz Cabbage Pale Wheat
19. Steinhardt Brewing Framboise Flanders
20. DuClaw Brewing Co. Sweet Baby Java
21. Barley & Hops Grill and Microbrewery Working Girl Grisette
22. Peabody Heights Brewery Acid Tripel

There is no entrance fee inside Downtown Crown Wine and Beer. The tent will have a $20 entry fee for six tickets redeemable for beer pours from 11 Maryland breweries and/or food plates from participating Downtown Crown restaurants. Enjoy live music and a big screen showing March Madness games outside. Bring the entire family because, in addition to beer, there will be two special sodas from Manor Hill Head Brewer Ben Little: strawberry and blueberry lemonade sodas.

On tap in the tent starting at 2 p.m.:

1. Waredaca Brewing Company White Flag Belgian Witte
2. Waredaca Brewing Company Runaway Double IPA w/ Florida Grapefruit
3. RAR Brewery Country Ride American Pale Ale
4. RAR Brewery Groove City Hefeweizen
5. Manor Hill Brewing Dust Up Pale Ale
6. Manor Hill Brewing Grisette
7. Jailbreak Brewing Company Chairy Cherry Cream Ale
8. Jailbreak Brewing Company Ephemeral IPA Volume 3
9. Union Craft Brewing Old Pro Gose
10. Union Craft Brewing Steady Eddie Wheat IPA
11. Oliver Brewing Co. Speed of Darkness Russian Imperial Stout
12. Oliver Brewing Co. Creator Destroyer Espresso Brown Ale (Nitro)
13. Barley & Hops Grill and Microbrewery Koha New Zealand IPA
14. Barley & Hops Grill and Microbrewery Double IPA (Unnamed as of yet)
15. Red Shedman Farm Brewery Ginger Apple Cider
16. Red Shedman Farm Brewery Suicide Blonde
17. Diamondback Brewing Company Green Machine IPA
18. Diamondback Brewing Company Omar’s Pale Ale
19. Burley Oak Brewing Company Sorry Chicky Dry-Hopped Sour
20. Burley Oak Brewing Company Savage AF American IPA
21. Peabody Heights Brewery Old Bohemian Pilsner
22. Peabody Heights Brewery Sleeping With the Fishies Imperial Mole Stout

For those looking to pick up a special release: at 1 p.m. Downtown Crown Wine and Beer and Manor Hill Brewing will be releasing their collaboration Red Juice IPA!

Below are a few of the beers you’ll find on tap, including the Red Juice IPA.

Burley Oak Brewing Company, Sorry Chicky Dry-hopped Sour Ale (4.4% ABV)

There was a time when you had to leave the U.S. to find potato chips that were flavored with something other than BBQ or sour cream and onion. There was also time when you had to travel or find an import to experience a Berliner Weiss-style beer. Now you can buy a bag of Lays dill pickle chips and every brewery seems to have at least one sour.

What if you could get that dill pickle chip experience IN your sour beer? Look no further! The hops added to this sour give it an intriguingly herbal aroma and flavor — much like dill. The lactobacillus added during the brewing process gives off a vinegar tang, but the expected lemon flavor appears as it warms. Burley Oak set out to amp up their sour by adding hops. They succeeded! More tangy than pucker-inducing, enjoy a sample of this out in the tent.

Peabody Heights Brewery, Old Oriole Park Beer Bohemian Pilsner (4.5% ABV)

Peabody Heights is located on the site of Oriole Park 5 in Baltimore. This beer feels like one you might catch from the vendor on the stadium steps. It’s simple and crystal clear — a malty and slightly sweet lager that is super crushable. This will be on tap in the tent along with their superb stout, Sleeping with the Fishies. I’ve come to know Peabody Heights’ beers in recent months as big IPAs — and that stout — but this beer is no less interesting.

Manor Hill Brewing and Downtown Crown Wine and Beer, Red Juice IPA (6.5% ABV)

Manor Hill’s Ben Little and Downtown Crown’s David Birks got together and created this big red beer brewed with heritage Maris Otter and specialty malts; then hopped with Idaho 7, Azacca and Topaz hops. Already known for their excellent canned beers like Citra Splendor and Hidden Hop Yard, Manor Hill has created a small-run classic in Red Juice IPA.

Stick your nose in the glass and you’ll get a mix of red fruit and sweet tea — just a tease for what’s to come. This amber IPA balances toasted malt with a juicy fruit punch. Not only will this delicious beer release in cans, it will also be on tap inside! Be there for the 1:00 p.m. release because there were only 75 cases canned — it’ll go fast!