Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
The crew at Virginia Eagle Distributors packed a bunch of us beer buyers onto buses this past Monday and very kindly drove us out to visit a couple of the Virginia craft breweries they represent. The point of our trip was to visit Devils Backbone in Lexington, which I’d never visited but had been wanting to for some time.
This year, participants can pay $40 and sample up to 22 options of either beer or wine, sponsored by the Washington Wine Academy, which owns the Crystal City Wine Shop.
In previous years, the wine and beer walks were separate, but now participants can drink beer and walk with friends who choose wine, according to the Crystal City Business Improvement District, which is hosting the event.
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
Yes, we’re all digging out from the snow, but it’s still Valentine’s Day and that means romantic dinners, chocolates — the works. While beer may not necessarily be the first beverage choice for dinner, there are plenty out there that would play well with desserts of all kinds. As luck would have it, a couple are arriving in our area just in time for the occasion.
This post is sponsored by Grateful Red Wine & Gift Shop (2727 Wilson Blvd)
Roses are nice, but wouldn’t your sweetheart prefer something tastier than flowers for Valentine’s Day?
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
There is a never-ending deluge of events and goings-on in the beer world and in trying to stick to one topic per week, lots of things slip through the cracks. With no one subject in particular dominating my thoughts this week, I thought I’d take the opportunity to hit on a few recent events that caught my attention that I think are worth sharing:
Resolution Honors Arlington’s First Female Judge — The Virginia House of Delegates has passed a resolution honoring Eleanor Spence Dobson, Arlington’s first female judge. Dobson served in the General District Court from 1982 to 1997. She passed away on September 18, 2013. The resolution honoring Dobson was sponsored by Del. Patrick Hope (D). Another Hope-sponsored resolution, honoring the late Arlington civic activist Robert Atkins, is scheduled to come to the House floor on Friday. [Sun Gazette]
Chick-fil-A ‘Date Knight’ Returns — Missed your chance to go on a medieval-themed fast food date with your mom last year? Good news: Chick-fil-A is once again holding its Mother-Son Date Knight at Ballston Common Mall (4238 Wilson Blvd). The food court eatery is one of the participating Chick-fil-A locations nationwide that are hosting the whimsical event. As of last night there were still a dozen reservations available for the event, which is being held the evening of Monday, Feb. 10. The Crystal City Chick-fil-A location has already sold out of its Date Knight reservations. [Chick-fil-A]
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
After a one-year detour to New York, the Brewer’s Association’s SAVOR craft beer festival is back in the District for 2014. For beer geeks like me and many others planning to attend, waiting for the list of participating breweries is becoming a bit of an occasion.
“We are aiming for somewhere around the week of Feb. 17,” The Alehouse said last week. “No official date yet, though.”
The alehouse, affiliated with the Baltimore brewery of the same name, was originally targeting a December opening date. In recent months, it has been hiring staff and, last Friday, announced its Chef de Cuisine would be Marc Kennedy, former executive chef at McCormick & Schmick’s in Crystal City.
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
By now most of us are familiar with many of the more boutique Canadian craft brewers; Quebec-based outfits like Unibroue and Dieu du Ciel whose more esoteric offerings are usually Belgian in style or inspiration. But when we think of Canadian beer, it’s usually of big Lager houses like Molson or Moosehead (or Elsinore for the Strange Brew fans out there). But there’s a full spectrum of Canadian craft brews out there, some of which a new importer is bringing to our area.
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
This week was supposed to be about some tasting notes I have (and we’ll get to a couple in a moment), but I wanted to write about something I’d been thinking about this week first.
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
With the start of every new year come predictions as to how the craft beer business will fare. I was pleasantly surprised by a column I saw this week by wine writer Jamie Goode, who sees 2014 as potentially a “big year” for craft beer — though I don’t believe that craft beer’s rise has to come at the expense of wine’s fall.
Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
2013 is in the books, and it was a great year for beer and those of us who enjoy it. As we enter 2014, I’ve been taking some time for self reflection and reassessment (as one does), and I’ve come up with some beer-related resolutions of my own. Like most new year’s resolutions, mine will more than likely be forgotten a month from now, but it’s good to set goals even you don’t reach them, right?
