Monthly Archives: August 2007

Smithsonian National Zoo + Beer = Brew at the Zoo

The Smithsonian runs a fund raising event every year called the Brew at the Zoo. I got a last minute ticket for this years event. They had beer from over 20 microbreweries, and served hors d’oeuvres from area restaurants. The price of the ticket included a Beer Glass, Food, and all the beer samples you can drink.

As you can see there was a large turn out from the local brewers

Capitol City Brewing Company, The District Chophouse and Brewery, Wild Goose Brewery, Clipper City Brewing Company, Great American Restuarants, Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, Hook & Ladder Brewing Company, Shenandoah Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch Brewery and Restaurant, Fordham Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Old Dominion Brewery, Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Cristal, Cusqueña, Aguila, Boston Beer Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Harpoon Brewery, Brewery Ommegang, Magic Hat Brewing Company, Paleewong Trading Company, Anchor Brewing Company, Dogfish Head Brewery, EX. Matt Brewing Company, Abita Brewing Company, Allagash Brewing Company, Victory Brewing Company, Rogue Ales, North Coast Brewing Company, Belekus Imports, Premium Distributors, Captial Eagle, Inc., and Global Brewers Guild.

I didn’t have as many beers as some of the people I was there with but my personal beer list was

Clipper City’s Loose Cannon

Ommegang’s Hennepin

Brasserie Lefèbvre SA’s Blanche De Bruxelles

Brouwerij Riva SA’s Lucifer

North Coast’s Red Seal

Cusquena

Dog Fish Head’s 60 minute

Clipper City’s Oxford Raspberry

Sweet Water’s American Pale Ale Thanks Nick for the end of night fill my glass beyond the sample line.

When in Rome…well Toronto what do you do

On a recent trip to Toronto we had the good luck to visit the Beer Bistro on King Street. They have a large selection of beers on tap and in the fridges. I started the night with Caledonian 80, then moved on to some of the more local brews from Quebec. I was impressed with the La Maudite and the St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout.

One thing that shocked me was the cost of the American micro brews. I asked the friendly bar man about it and he said they had to special order the beer from the brewers, then have them delivered to the Ontario Liquor board who would take one bottle test it and then release the beer. The Beer Bistro would then have to have the bottles re-labled and shipped to Toronto. This means that a single bottle of Bells costs about the same a six pack in the US.