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The team from RaR Brewing presented four beers at Snallygaster 2017. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
Thousands of beer enthusiasts poured into The Yards in DC for Snallygaster 2017 to enjoy more than 350 beers and a stageful of bands under a very hot sun on Saturday, Sept. 23.
Here are some pictures and observations on the Snallygaster 2017.
Snallygaster Brew Crew enjoy a beer at Snallygaster 2016.
Hey folks, don’t look now but Snallygaster 2017, the DC area’s most exciting beer festival, is this Saturday, Sept. 23, at The Yards (1300 1st St. SE, DC). Tickets are on sale now for sampling 400 craft beers from around the country as well as entertainment from three fantastic bands.
Beers at Atlas Brew Works (Photo Credit: Mickey McCarter)
The fifth edition of Snallygaster is coming fast to The Yards on Saturday, September 17th. By all accounts, this year looks to be even bigger and better, with 351 beers currently listed and a fine music lineup.
Of those 351 beers, 64 will make their DC debut at Snallygaster. Even more reason to join, be among the first DC denizens to experience the new tastes.
With only three days before the big dance, we highlight a couple of beers we look forward to trying.
Mickey’s Beer of the Day: Atlas Dance of Days, Wheat Ale (Dry-Hopped), ABV 5.7%
Man, it’s hot out there today. What better time than to reach for a refreshing wheat beer. Why, back in the day, I discovered Bell’s Oberon, which became a standby for days like this as it combines two favorite styles: pale ale and wheat. But wait! DC’s own Atlas Brew Works rolled out its Dance of Days this summer, making my new favorite pale wheat. Atlas dry hops Dance of Days, named for a song by ‘80s DC punk band Embrace, with Mosaic and Citra hops. I remember how excited I was to drink my first one at Smoke and Barrel with my friends Christine and Jason early in August. How refreshing to think of drinking it again!
Jeremy’s Beer of the Day: 3 Stars & Charm City Two Headed Unicorn, Barrel-Aged Sour Blond Ale, ABV 6.5%
Let’s stay local. Snallygaster will feature 27 beers from DC breweries, including 3 Stars, Atlas, DC Brau, Bluejacket, District Chophouse, Hellbender and Right Proper. I chose the Two Headed Unicorn even though I have a love/hate relationship with sour beers. I’ve tried a few that I wish I hadn’t, and a few that I absolutely loved. Earlier this year, while at 3 Stars’ tasting room, I tried the Ricky Rosé sour beer and walked away wanting more. So now I’m intrigued by this new sour collaboration beer by 3 Stars and Charm City. Charm City, out of Baltimore, makes mead in bourbon oak casks. This sour blonde ale is barrel-aged with honey, and Snallygaster will mark the first time it’s available in DC. I may have competition just getting a sample.
Make your own beer list.
Get your tickets here.
Snallygaster 2016
The Yards (1300 First Street Southeast, Washington, DC 20003)
Saturday, September 17, 2016
1-6pm (VIP 11:30am-6pm)
$35 (VIP $60 SOLD OUT)
21+
Speedy Ortiz (Photo by Bob Gruen)
Well, as it is DC’s top beer festival, Snallygaster gets a lot of attention annually for the diverse beer selection it collects from across the country.
Set for Saturday, Sept. 17 this year, Snallygaster also boasts a mini-music festival within its gates. And this year, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, the organizers of Snallygaster, have announced the music program headliner as Speedy Ortiz, the popular Massachusetts noise pop quartet.
Speedy Ortiz have three full-length albums under their belt, including last year’s Foil Deer. In June, they released an EP, Foiled Again, a four-track record that includes two outtakes from Foil Deer — “Death Note,” which was unleashed via Sirius XMU, and “Emma O,” which debuted with Zane Lowe’s World First. It also includes two remixes of Foil Deer’s “Puffer.”
Listen to “Death Note” from Speedy Ortiz, released on June 3, via Soundcloud:
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Adding to the headliner so far is the ever-popular Spirit Animal, a Brooklyn rock quartet that features DC’s own Steve Cooper on vocals.
Listen to Spirit Animal’s raucous World War IV EP, published earlier this year (I’ll always swear these guys have a great vibe similar to the Red Hot Chili Peppers):
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/194589558″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Snallygaster 2016 returns to The Yards in SE DC at Lot H/I, located on 1st St. SE and N St. SE, the same location as last year.
Snallygaster 2016
The Yards
Saturday, Sept. 17
1-6pm
$35-60
21+
Snallygaster (Photo Credit: jtnhogs)
The fifth version of Snallygaster comes to The Yards on Saturday, September 17th. The beer festival for people who like too many good beer options, but not enough time to drink them all.
(Update for 9/12/16) The full beer list is out! 351 beers will be poured at Snallygaster, and since you can’t drink them all (well, at least I know I can’t), I suggest you start doing a bit of research and cultivating your own personal Beer List. You can download the full Snallygaster Beer List via PDF, Google Sheets or via the Pombe App.
Get your tickets while you still can, this is one beer festival you don’t want to miss! VIP passes are sold out, but the 1-6pm window is still available.
There will also be music (see our preview of Speedy Ortiz and more here) and plenty of food trucks and stands.
We’ll also preview a few beers this week we’re looking forward to. Stay tuned.
Snallygaster 2016
The Yards (1300 First Street Southeast, Washington, DC 20003)
Saturday, September 17, 2016
1-6pm (VIP 11:30am-6pm)
$35 (VIP $60 SOLD OUT)
21+
Check out our coverage from last year’s Snallygaster and get excited for September 17th.
Beer Director Greg Engert of Bluejacket and beer historian Mike Stein of DCBeer.com talk beer at the National Museum of American History on Jan. 23, 2015. (Photo courtesy National Museum of American History)
Now going four years strong, the Snallygaster beer festival returns to The Yards on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Snallygaster 2015 offers revelers choices among more than 300 beers, at least 50 of which are appearing at the festival for the first time. With only one final day left to go until Snallygaster 2015, Jeremy and I spotlight a beer for your tasting pleasure.
Jeremy’s Beer of the Day: Bluejacket Whiskey Barrel-aged Double Mexican Radio, Imperial Sweet Stout, ABV 11.0%
I wanted to include at least one beer from a brewery in the city. There are about 24 beers available from our DC breweries (seven represented in total), but not many of the dark, high ABV beers that I want to partake in. So I picked Bluejacket’s whiskey barrel-aged version of their Mexican Radio, which is an imperial sweet stout with cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla and chiles. I may need someone to cart me home if I actually have the fortitude to drink all these beers. Game on. (Editor’s note: Bluejacket, of course, is owned by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which also produces the Snallygaster Beer Festival.)
Mickey’s Beer of the Day: Atlas Wet Hop American Summer (2nd Anniversary Ale), Fresh Hop Pale Ale, 5.1%
If we’re going local, my favorite of the new breweries to open in the city in the past five years has to be Atlas Brew Works. The brewery simply makes some tasty beer. And with Atlas about to celebrate its second anniversary, it’s time to drink their second anniversary pale ale, clearly named in honor of the David Wain/Michael Showater comedy that recently found new life on Netflix. Anyway, I haven’t tried this beer yet, but it’s sure to be a winner following in the footsteps of dependable go-to beers like the District Common and the Rowdy Rye.
Party local? Drink local! Check out the full list of Snallygaster beers.
Advance ticket sales end at midnight tonight! It’s your last chance to buy tix online.
Snallygaster 2015
The Yards
Saturday, Sept. 12
Festival @1-6pm
$35
21+ to drink
It’s that time of year. (Photo by Chris Romer)
Now going four years strong, the Snallygaster beer festival returns to The Yards on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Snallygaster 2015 offers revelers choices among more than 300 beers, roughly 50 of which are appearing at the festival for the first time. With only two days left to go until Snallygaster 2015, Jeremy and I spotlight a beer for your tasting pleasure.
Jeremy’s Beer of the Day: Schlafly Imperial Pumpkin Ale, ABV 8.0%
Part of what I like about Snallygaster is, to me, it signals the beginning of the pumpkin beer season. I know, I know, many breweries are releasing their pumpkin offerings earlier and earlier every year. Well, I haven’t had any yet. This Saturday will kickoff what I trust to be a productive season of imbibing all the pumpkin beers. By my count, there are at least 27 different pumpkin beers set to be available, as of today. I choose Schlafly’s version here, because a) I’m hoping to go to St. Louis in a couple weeks and invade the brewery, and b) it is consistently among the best pumpkin beers out there. I also like the Southern Tier Pumking and am seriously looking at the Avery Rumpkin (Vintage 2014), which has a 18.1% ABV!
Mickey’s Beer of the Day: Saucony Creek Captain Pumpkin’s Maple Mistress, ABV 9.5%
I’m sure glad Jeremy punctured the envelope around pumpkin beers first, as I know quite a lot of beer snobs hate them. He and I both love them, however, but I’ll blame him for bring them up first! I first drank a Saucony Creek Captain Pumpkin’s Maple Mistress, hailing from Pennsylvania, at Snallygaster 2014. Many of the good pumpkin beers taste quite a bit like pumpkin pie — like Schlafly above, Dogfish Punkin and the lovely Maple Mistress. Cinnamon, honey and of course maple wound out the package for this boozy beer. The Snallygaster beer list also has several pumpkin beers represented twice as they appear alongide their 2014 vintages. (I’m looking at you Heavy Seas The Greater Pumpkin and Southern Tier Pumking.)
C’mon! You know you want a pumpkin beer (or two).
Snallygaster 2015
The Yards
Saturday, Sept. 12
Festival @1-6pm
$35
21+ to drink
A patron studies a Founders Centennial IPA in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Photo by Fellowship of the Rich)
Now going four years strong, the Snallygaster beer festival returns to The Yards on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Snallygaster 2015 offers revelers choices among more than 300 beers, roughly 50 of which are appearing at the festival for the first time. With only three days left to go until Snallygaster 2015, Jeremy and I spotlight a beer for your tasting pleasure.
Jeremy’s Beer of the Day: Lonerider Sweet Josie: Chocolate & Chipotle Brown Ale, ABV 6.1%
Beer from Lonerider Brewery Company (in North Carolina) is for outlaws. So they claim. This version of the Sweet Josie Brown Ale is rife with chile peppers and chocolate and is making its DC debut at Snallygaster. I don’t know how sweet the Josie that is the beer’s namesake actually is, but she has inspired many varieties of their Brown Ale so far, and should appeal to all types of outlaws. This outlaw won’t fight it.
Mickey’s Beer of the Day: Founders Red’s Rye IPA: Coconut, ABV 6.6%
I’ll leave the chocolate and chiles to my friend and colleague, but one of the flavor profiles that always grabs my attention is the taste of rye! That clean finish and smack of whiskey always win the day in my book. And Founders Red’s Rye IPA (with added coconut) is making its DC debut at the Snallygaster 2015 — and doing so in style: with a cask! Few beers taste as good as those IPAs who have been imbued with the character of wood and whiskey and the addition of coconut could prove a pleasant surprise. I’ll find out Saturday when I drink this beer for the first time.
What beers will you be drinking?
Snallygaster 2015
The Yards
Saturday, Sept. 12
Festival @1-6pm
$35
21+ to drink
Inside Hardywood Park Craft Brewery (Photo by Bill Dickinson)
Now going four years strong, the Snallygaster beer festival returns to The Yards on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Snallygaster 2015 offers revelers choices among more than 300 beers, roughly 50 of which are appearing at the festival for the first time. With only four days left to go until Snallygaster 2015, Jeremy and I spotlight a beer for your tasting pleasure.
Jeremy’s Beer of the Day: Hardywood Park Gingerbread Stout (Vintage 2014), ABV 9.0%
This year, I intend on giving in to the whims of the high ABV beers…especially imperial stouts, porters and pumpkin beers. Unfortunately, those will probably cost the most tickets…oh well. My first choice is the Gingerbread Stout from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery (in Richmond, Va.) because it has ginger, vanilla and cinnamon. That sounds like the recipe for something amazing or something that doesn’t work. I love sweet, so I’m in.
Mickey’s Beer of the Day: Bell’s Hopsolution, Imperial IPA, 8.4%
It’s hard to go wrong with just about anything from the Bell’s Brewery, out of Kalamazoo, Mich., and it’s doubly hard to go wrong with anything offered by them as a double india pale ale. The Hopsolution provides a unique mix of hop varietals from the Pacific Northwest alongside classic German hops that give aromas of fruit, citrus and pine. It’s dry finish and caramel malts provide it with some lovely balance.
Snallygaster 2015
The Yards
Saturday, Sept. 12
Festival @1-6pm
$35
21+ to drink
Friends toast the Snallygaster beer festival.
The Snallygaster is a beast worth embracing!
Named for the dragon-like creature once said to roam the DC area, the Snallygaster is set to return for its fourth year as DC’s preeminent craft beer festival on Saturday, Sept. 12. For the second year, it’s being held at The Yards near Nationals Park stadium (at Lot H/I on First St. SE and N St. SE, DC).
The Snallygaster beer festival is a great time for beer geeks because so many high-end breweries turn up, represented by actual brewmasters or staff from their breweries, at the invitation of beer director Greg Engert of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which includes such well-regarded DC-area beer destinations as Churchkey, Bluejacket, Rustico, and others.
Greg has assembled more than 300 beers for this year’s festival, including nearly 50 making their debut at Snallygaster 2015.
According to a press release from Snallygaster, the beer list includes Perennial Barrel-Aged Abraxas, Allagash Ghoulschip, Bluejacket Whiskey Barrel-Aged Double Mexican Radio, Firestone Walker Feral One (Batch 2), The Bruery Grey Monday, Alpine Beer Nelson, and Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus. The full list is available at http://www.snallygasterdc.com.
Come hungry and Snallygaster 2015 won’t disappoint you there either. Local food trucks and vendors on hand will include Rappahannock Oyster Co., Dolcezza, Big Cheese, Tasty Kabob, DC Slices, GBD, Red Apron, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Pork Barrel BBQ, Westray’s Ice Cream, Cajunators, DC Empanada, Lemongrass, and Mess Hall.
Musical entertainment at Snallygaster 2015 includes Rare Essence, Kokayi, White Ford Bronco, Brothers Brau, and more.
VIP “Kraken” passes are sold out! But “Gargoyle” regular admission passes are still available for $35. An advance Gargoyle pass includes 1pm entry into the festival, 30 food and drink tickets, and a custom Snallygaster 2015 beer mug. Additional food and drink tickets are available onsite for $1 each. (A beer “tasting” serving generally will cost three to six tickets.) A portion of the proceeds benefit the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture.
Snallygaster 2015
The Yards
Saturday, Sept. 12
Festival @1-6pm
$35
21+ to drink