Mid-Atlantic Octoberfest!

Octoberfest is just around the corner and we’re ready to share with you, our faithful Cap City fans, festival improvements and a tentative festival line-up. We recently held a brewer brainstorm session to ruminate on what makes a great festival great. Is it the exceptional variety of beers from across the country? An abundance of overfriendly co-eds from the metro area? Or is it simply enough lavatories to keep the lines flowing? We spent countless hours attending local festivals, sampling brews, glad-handing the glad-handlers, and polling other festival attendees say yes to all of the above.

No detail was overlooked, from an expanded and more comfortable festival area, to more family friendly activities and samplings for the underage ice-cream lovers. This year the tent space will extend past the Signature Theatre and Shirlington Library down to Bear Rock Café, allowing for more tent and relaxation space. The Library will host several kid-friendly activities, (face painting anyone?) and Johnny Rockets and Roebecks will be handing out free milkshake and smoothie samples. It’s not exactly brewfest daycare, but there should be enough free sugar flowing to allow mom and dad a few more minutes of festival sampling. This year’s stage will be moved to the intersection of Randolph and Campbell, making room for more biergarten tables and dance space for the Edelweiss Band. Other noteworthy improvements to the Shirlington Village include TWO new parking garages, and a new metro bus station. Public transportation is a great option for beerfests and http://www.wmata.com/ is the metro area’s website for bus and rail schedules and itineraries. Now for the important information;

Current Festival Line-up
1. Capitol City
2.Troegs-PA
3. Raven-VA
4. Abita –LA
5. Allagash-VT
6. Northcoast-CA
7. Stoudts-PA
8. Blackthorn-Cider
9. District Chophouse-DC
10. Woodchuck Cider
11. Sam Adams-MA
12. Fullers-England
13. Rogue-OR
14. Southern Tier
15. Hook and Ladder-MD
16. Starr Hill-Charlottesville
17. Vintage 50-Leesburg, VA
18. Sweetwater Tavern-Centerville, VA
19. Sierra Nevada-CA
20. Gordon Biersch-VA
21. Richbrau-Richmond, VA
22. Weihenstephan-Germany
23. Hofbrau-Germany
24. Bells-MI
25. Smuttynose-VT
26. Avery-CA
27. Williamsburg-VA
28. Lagunitas-CA
29. Oskar Blues-CO
30. Stone-CA
31. Anderson Valley-CA
32. New Holland-MI
33. Bear Republic-CA
34. Old Dominion-Ashburn
35. Shenandoah-VA
36. Clipper City-MD
35. Shenandoah-VA
36. Clipper City-MD
37. Lancaster-PA
38. Paulaner
39. Spaten
40. Chimay

Admission $25 for sample glass and free samples from 12-6:00pm

Free for those not sampling

Edelweiss German Band!

October 4^th

We’re expecting several more breweries in attendance, and this list does not include the many outside food vendors and Shirlington restaurants that will participate on October 4^th.

Interested in volunteering for the event? Contact information and a signup sheet are posted on http://www.capcitybrew.com/. For all other questions about the festival, including whether it’s appropriate to wear your lederhosen (yes it is), or if it’s time to break out the Scottish kilt (no it is not), please email us at brewer@capcitybrew.com.

NEWS FROM POSTAL SQUARE

September is here and its is a perfect time at Postal Square to introduce the newest beer to the Cap City ranks, Orange Blossom Lager. Head brewer Ryan Curley used two row Pilsner malt, wheat and flaked maize to add body to this Standard American Lager. During the whirlpool phase after boiling, 90 lbs. of Orange Blossom honey was added. Any honey introduced at this point will allow the yeast to ferment the added sugar, leaving only the honey’s aroma and flavor. Check the taps on September 5^th for this delicious and delicate lager.

OG 1.049

FG 1. 011

IBU 12

ABV 4.9 %

Soon to be tapped:

Oktoberfest October 1^st

Pumpkinator October 27^th

Capitol City is gearing up for the Great American Beer Festival, October 10-12, in Denver. This year CCBC will have ten beers entered to try and go for the gold, Michael Phelps style! Included are three from Postal Square and seven from the Shirlington store: Hefeweizen, Kolsch, Saison , American Brown, Amber, English Summer, Orange Blossom Lager, Porter, Fuel, and Oatmilk Stout.

Good luck and god speed, CCBC’s hardworking Brewmasters!

NEWS FROM SHIRLINGTON

Labor day has come and gone, school is in session, and Capitol City Shirlington is hard at work preparing our fantastic fall seasonal beers for the cool weather. On October 1^st we’ll be tapping our heavenly malty Oktoberfest in anticipation of October 4^th’s festival. But don’t keep those lederhosen on too long, because November 2^nd is just around the corner and we’ll be preparing you early on for a long and emotional election coverage with our Election Ale, a light, crisp ale, pale in color with a bold, citrusy American hop aroma. Later, as the leaves begin to change and October grows spookier, we’ll be throwing a tapping party for our Pumpkinator Ale, reminiscent of the pumpkin pie mom used to make at Thanksgiving.

See you October 4th!

Beer in August

August carries a lot of meaning for the brewers here at Cap City; for some it means a trip to the book store to purchase the Cliff Notes to your summer reading list, or it’s time to flake out on the college intern you’ve been seeing before she flakes out on you. And for others it simply means the last chance you have to ride your new Huffy to the pool before the season ends.

Well according to us, and the Oxford English Dictionary, august is anything venerable or awe inspiring, which sums up the way we see ourselves here at Cap City. Two rather august beers on tap that will command your attention. The first, a Czech Pilsner, is an unfiltered lager that has been dry-hopped with 11lb's of German Tettnang hops, creating an assertive yet well-balanced hop flavor. Come try the pils at either our Shirlington or 11 and F locations. Our second seasonal is an incredibly smooth and unfiltered Extra-Special-Bitter. With a caramel sweetness and an herbal aroma of EKG hops, this ale makes the perfect cure for the summertime blues.

The Brewhouse is busy as always. Like every other August, we’re preparing for the Great American Beer Festival and our Octoberfest. The expanded O’fest is expected to be the largest to date; including more beers, vendors, and helping hands. If you’re interested in volunteering or becoming a vendor at the festival, please contact Head Brewer Mike McCarthy at mike@capcitybrew.com.

News From Around Town

Last week several brewers attended the resurrected “Rubber Boots Society” meeting at Old Dominion Brewing Co. in Ashburn, VA. Referred to by one anonymous source as, “Skull and Bones, but with more facial hair,” the group’s goal is to allow area brewers to exchange ideas, pose technical questions, and participate in secretive, misunderstood rituals of the brewhouse. Head Brewer Favio Garcia of Old Dominion discussed yeast management for the small craft brewer and had some excellent insight to share. Thanks again to Old Dominion and all the other brewers that attended.

News from Postal Square

The dog days of summer have their grip on the DC area, but brewmaster Ryan Curley at the Postal Square location will be livening everyone up with his American Brown ale. This is a hoppier version of the long ago favorite, Nut Brown ale. Ryan took the hop profile and flipped it upside down, instead of traditional English hops he used American Galena, Centennial and Cluster. The malt bill is enhanced with Chocolate, Crystal and Aromatic malts to help balance this sure to be classic. So stop in on August 13th and give your olfactory senses and taste buds a work out!

Sports fans on the hill can rejoice! Capitol City has upgraded its current TV’s to 6 new HDTV flat screens. Perfect timing for the start of the Olympics and the college and NFL seasons.

See you on the Hill!! Go SKINS!

Ryan Curley
Head Brewer-Postal Square

Notes from the Beer Trail

Cap City brewer James speaks:
Last week in a desperate attempt to escape DC’s grueling heat and humidity, I traveled to my home state of Maine for relaxation, cold beverages and to say hi to mom, of course.

The first stop on my way to central Maine was Portland, or, as I occasionally must refer to it, “the other coastal Portland”. Maine’s largest city boasts at least seven breweries, but I only had the chance to stop by one of my all time favorites: Allagash Brewing Co.

We began the tour with a tasting of some of Allagash’s finest Belgian style ales, followed by a walk-through of the brewery and bottling line. Afterwards I chatted with Allagash head brewer Jason Perkins, who showed me their brewery’s new toy: a Belgian fermenting vessel called a “cool ship” used for spontaneous fermentation. We’ll see Allagash again soon at Cap City’s fall Oktoberfest.

Next stop: hometown Skowhegan, Maine, where the moose and beer gods roam freely. Aptly named by the great Abanaki Indians as “a place to watch”, Skowhegan is blessed to have Oak Pond Brewery nearby to entertain the locals while they “watch” the peaceful surrounding nature (get torn up by ATV’s). Owner of OPB, Don Chandler, brews an tasty array of lagers and ales in an old converted chicken barn in the woodsy outskirts of town. His secret? It could be the natural Maine well water. Poland Springs, you got served!

Last stop on the tour brought me back down to Freeport, Maine, outlet mecca and home to Gritty McDuff’s brewpub. To brace ourselves for the Freeport tourist frenzy to come, my family and I sat down at a table on the deck next to the tall hops vines to enjoy fresh lobstah rolls and sample Gritty’s delicious Vacationland Summer ale and Original Pub Style pale ale. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a proper tour of the brewery, but I’ll leave that for my next trip to the Vacationland.

Get to Know Your Brewery Staff

In an ongoing effort to de-mystify the pasts and personalities of your Cap City brewing team, this week we are bringing you an exclusive one on one interview with the newest member of the staff, brewery assistant John Dykstra. Recently, John sat down for a revealing and hard-hitting interview....with himself.

John: Thanks for sitting down with us today, John.
JD: Very happy to be here John, thanks for having me on.

John: Can you tell us a little about your background?
JD: Sure thing. I was a politics major in college and moved out to Washington DC shortly after graduating to work for a congressman from my home state of Kansas. After about a year working on the hill, I found a job doing Marketing and PR consulting for a private firm in the DC area.

John: And how did you get into brewing?
JD: Well, I actually received a home brewing kit as a gift one Christmas . I had always been enamored with craft beer, but as soon as I started making my own, it really grew into an obsession. So much so in fact, that I yearned to fly the corporate coup and pursue a career in brewing. I contacted our head brewer Mike just to learn a little more about how he got into the profession and talk about possible opportunities. About 6 months after initially speaking with him, he called me up and let me know there was an open position. I of course jumped at the chance. Its been about 5 months now and I'm absolutely loving the work.

John: Can you tell us a little about your favorite beer style?
JD: Hmm...tough call. I really love all styles, but I'm a sucker for a good Pale.

John: What would you be doing if you weren't working at a brewery?
JD: I've always liked more creative endeavors, so possibly cooking...I'm a bit of an amateur chef. Either that or I'd be CEO of Microsoft.

John: We've heard reports from other members of the Cap City brewing team that you once let out a very high-pitched, almost feminine sounding scream after spilling a pitcher of mostly water. Is that true?
JD: Wha...what did you just ask me?

John: Just answer the question.
JD: Well, there was a small amount of cleaning solution in it....and I mean some went in my eyes and it kinda stung and...

John: Sources tell us that the cleaning solution was mostly diluted, and that only a true cry-baby weakling would have let out the banshee-like shriek that you did.
JD: Look, when I agreed to do this interview, my agent told me there wouldn't be any questions about the incident. This is a complete ambush.

John: Why don't you cry about it, pansy boy?
JD: That's it! I'm done with this interview! It burned, alright? It burned my eyes. And that scream was an expression of my pain! This interview is over! You call this journalism?

(A this point, JD stormed out of the interview room, ripping his mic off and kicking over a folding chair on his way out)

That's about all we can muster for this round. Check back for some great festival pictures next month!

Cheers

D.C. in July!

Well it’s almost our nation’s birthday and that means one thing in D.C.; it’s Hot. Congress is out of session, leaving you with more time to plan your next long lunch or early happy hour, and our devoted brewers have planned appropriately with some exciting new beers on tap to help fight the sweltering humidity. But first lets take a moment to catch up and share the latest events and upcoming fun.

Most recently the Cap City Brewers attended the 5th Annual Harrisburg Brewers Fest in Harrisburg, PA. Organized by Troegs Brewing Co., approximately forty-five breweries attended the fest to promote great beer and help raise more than $111,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Central Pennsylvania, proof that good beer helps fight diseases. Harrisburg is a bit outside the beltway and might sound less than practical for a brewpub that doesn’t distribute beyond the Shirlington patio or growlers at the weekend BBQ, but Cap City is well-known and liked throughout the mid-Atlantic, as evidence by the numerous festival-goers who shared stories of previous visits to our restaurants. One sentimental fellow recounted the day he first fell in love with our lovely Amber Waves. “Her freshness never fades, a rare and infrequent find,” he lamented. Beer festivals can be very touching at times. Here are a few pictures to prove it.

On a happier note, the summer is full of great festivals and beer tastings, and we try our best to attend as many as possible for two reasons. One: we love our industry and support people with the same passion and mission. Two: we’re constantly collecting ideas and business cards as we prepare for the main event of the fall, Capitol City’s Oktoberfest. That’s right folks, Shirlington Village’s expansion means room for more breweries, brats, and lederhosen. Last year we saw more than 5,000 enthusiastic attendees, and we’re making room for more beer lovers and breweries. As October 4th draws close and we begin to dream of brats, pretzels, and malty lagers, we’ll continue to share the planning, brewery lineup, and excitement that is Oktoberfest. Capitol City will be honing its already impressive festival planning and beer pouring skills at the following local events;

August 21st brew at the zoo
August 23rd Stoudts Festival in Adamstown, PA
August 30th Leesburg, VA

Here is a more intimate look at Cap City’s locations and events;

Capitol Hill:

Over at the Postal Square location Head Brewer Ryan Curley is tapping a dry-hopped Amber Waves Ale. Ryan has taken the liberty of ramping up the profile on this longtime favorite by using generous amounts of Amarillo hops, a flavor and aroma hop with a brilliant citrus flavor.

There will be $2 pints, a free buffet prepared by Chef Nelson Molina and live music by DJ Davidchristsuperstar, aka Dave Sandelli, Capitol City’s finest Serving DJ.

The festivities will begin at 5pm on Wednesday, July 9th outside the patio, overlooking the hustle and bustle of Capitol Hill. So come early and stay late. Salute!

Shirlington:

Thursdays now feature $2.00 pints for our Kolsch, Amber, Pale, and Porter lovers. Calling it a good deal isn’t good enough, but we haven’t thought of a clever name yet, so for now you can call it a random act of kindness. Resident Cask Master James Nicholson is always surprising us with his whimsical creations, the most recent of which was an intriguing basil Porter. The chocolate and roasty flavors are paired quite carefully with this aromatic herbal addition. “Malty and memorable,” said one faithful regular. Wednesdays are unofficial “New Cask Night,” so stop by to see what’s on the beer engine.

Upcoming lineup:
July 2 Amber Cask
July 9 Pale Cask dry-hopped with Galena!
July 16: English Strong

In other news that’s fit to print, the addition of eight new flat-screen HDTV’s has the staff and local high-quality television fans simply giddy. Shirlington is welcoming and catering to the NFL and NCAA superfans this fall.

We’re incredibly interested in your opinions as we progress, and we strive to make future visits even more memorable than the last, so we ask that you share any prayers, praises, comments, or concerns with us by responding to this post or stopping by one of the restaurants for pint and a chat.

See you soon,
Capitol City Brewers

Check out this review of Capitol City in boosh magazine

Hello Cap City Fans!

Yes it's true, Cap City has risen from its internet slumber and is ready to share with you our very own Brewsletter. What, you might ask, is a Brewsletter? Well besides an opportunity for the brewers to rest their backs and polish their publishing skills, the brewsletter will keep you up to date on upcoming beers, Cap City events, local festivals, and fun beer information.

In restaurant speak, this first entry is the soft opening for the brewsletter, so keep in touch and look forward to helpful links, festival pictures, and brewhouse Ipod picks of the month. Don't forget to sign up and share the good brews with your friends.

See you in July!

Capitol City Brewers

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