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WWBG: Forget Sleepaway Camp, Come to Beer Camp Instead

Published May 13, 2016 at 1:00PM | Updated May 13, 2016 at 4:16PM

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.

Just released, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s 2016 Beer Camp Across America features six beers made by 31 breweries across the U.S. Sierra Nevada decided to enlist six regional teams of breweries: Southeast, NorCal, Northeast & Mid-Atlantic, Pacific NW & Rockies, Southwest and Midwest. These collaborative groups make this year’s Beer Camp something of a tour of American craft brewing.

I’m very excited to be able to explore this eclectic collection of beers with you. The previous Beer Camp mixed pack was a bit underwhelming and has since been duplicated with better results by craft breweries across the country. In fact, our own Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company, who collaborates on the Northeast & Mid-Atlantic team here, releases their own strong collaboration mixed packs. But the intervening Beer Camp branded releases from Sierra Nevada, like the delicious hoppy lager and the tropical IPA, showed that there could be something exciting from another mixed pack.

This promise of innovative and well-made craft beer is fulfilled in this year’s Beer Camp Across America where the beers really are the stars.

Sweet Sunny South Table Beer [Southeast Collaborators] (4.9% ABV)

Austin Beer Works, Bayou Teche Brewing, Creature Comforts Brewing Co., Funky Buddha Brewery and Wicked Weed Brewing collaborated to create this tart, refreshing summer beer. I enjoyed mine while watching the Kentucky Derby, which though not hot, evokes the lushness of the South. This table beer, which is a nod to the extremely low alcohol Belgian beers of the same name, is made with corn grits in the grain bill, tea leaves and peaches, papaya, guava and prickly pear. The aroma was both fruity (muscat grapes and stone fruits) and alkaline (baking soda), which is an indicator that there’s going to be some sourness. Sure enough, the first things you get from the flavor are a tartness and big fruit. At colder temperatures the fruit seems to be tropical, but the peaches peek through as it warms. At 4.9% ABV, this is a beer that can be enjoy in the sunshine while you grill.

West Latitude Session Rye Ale [NorCal Collaborators] (5.5% ABV)

Bear Republic Brewing Co., Faction Brewing Company, Mad River Brewing Co., Magnolia Brewing Co. and Maui Brewing Co. collaborated to create this tart, bitter and spicy beer. Another refreshing offering from this collection, the session rye blends the spiciness of rye with the tartness of hibiscus. The result is a very drinkable and sessionable beer. The aroma suggests a hoppy brown ale with it’s clean floral notes and hint of brown bread. But everything changes when you sip it: the black pepper mingles with the slight pucker of the hibiscus creating a unique experience.

Pat-Rye-Ot Revolutionary Pale Ale [Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Collaborators] (5.6% ABV)

Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Dogfish Head Craft Brewing, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Stoudts Brewing Company and Trillium Brewing Company collaborated to create this unique cider blended brew. Made with apple cider from Vermont and Delaware and rye, this pale ale makes for yet another unique offering from the Beer Camp set. The aroma balances green herbs and soda cracker with a hint of black pepper. Surprisingly, the flavor takes a sharp turn with a dry biscuit-like malt that is sharpened by peppery spice and floral bitterness. As it warms, the light fruit of the apple is actually quite apparent. I haven’t had a beer like this one before. It tasted both new and, somehow, old. It’s worth letting this one warm a bit – the cider pay-off is tasty.

Moxee-Moron Imperial Session IPA [Pacific NW & Rockies Collaborators] (7.5% ABV)

Bale Breaker Brewing Company, Barely Brown’s Beer, Black Raven Brewing Co., Melvin Brewing and Odell Brewing Co. collaborated to make this huge beer. Using Yakima Valley hops as the centerpiece of this beer in every step of the brewing process creates a beer that smells and tastes like an Imperial IPA, but manages to stay around the high end for a regular IPA. This is what makes it an imperial session beer — an oxymoron, huh? I get it, though, I prefer to think of it as a session imperial beer as it’s more manageable than a 10% ABV imperial IPA. Anyway, expect big melon, stone fruit and tropical fruit when you smell and taste this brew. Watch out though, it’s too easy to down this one quickly.

Stout of the Union Robust Stout [Southwest Collaborators] (7.5% ABV)

Bagby Beer Company, Beachwood Brewing, The Lost Abbey Brewing Company, Smog City Brewing Co. and Societe Brewing Company collaborated on this flavorful stout ale. Seemingly a traditional American craft stout, this one kind of took me by surprise. My bottle, at least, came across as a hoppy imperial black IPA rather than a chocolatey rich stout. I’m not complaining, in fact it made me like it even more. Sweet coffee in the aroma gives way to a woody, black tea flavor that balances nicely with the char of the black malt. This big brew is quite drinkable and lacks the heaviness of other stouts with similar alcohol contents. In a time of strong, aged or flavored stouts, this one ends up being a welcome change.

Family Values Imperial Brown Ale [Midwest Collaborators] (8.5% ABV)

Schell’s Brewing Co., Dark Horse Brewing Co., Half Acre Beer Company, Perennial Artisan Ales and Sun King Brewery collaborated to make this cocoa-infused strong brown ale. This was the only beer in the pack that gave me pause. To say this is strong is not an overstatement. An expected aroma of brown bread and molasses gives way to a flavor that is dominated by brown sugar and alcohol. This beer’s simplicity surprised me, coming at the end of five other diverse and complex beers. That said, it was still pretty good. I’ve been a big fan of the reemergence of the brown ale, whether it’s full of hops or pumped up with alcohol. While this brew might not blow your mind or change your idea of craft beer, it is a solid brown ale.

Dominion Wine and Beer just got this in! Let me know if you’ve tried any of these and what you think. Cheers!

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WWBG: Richmond Rising

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Published April 29, 2016 at 3:45PM

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.

After several years of carrying two Richmond breweries — Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery — Dominion Wine and Beer was looking to expand their offerings from Virginia’s capital city. The great news is that they will be carrying beers from Strangeways Brewing and Ardent Craft Ales.

In a city that has seen a renaissance in recent years — it was named among the top 10 places to travel by Travel + Leisure magazine — one can find 13 breweries of varying size. Soon to be added to those ranks is the San Diego behemoth, Stone Brewing Co. Also among that 13 are the two newest breweries to Dominion’s line up: Ardent Craft Ales and Strangeways Brewing.

Ardent Craft Ales

Ardent Craft Ales began in the way many contemporary craft breweries do: as a result of a great deal of homebrewing. Co-owners, Tom Sullivan and Paul Karns, formed a co-op of homebrewers who bought a half-barrel pilot brewing system and set out to learn as much about brewing as possible. The co-op brought them into contact with Kevin O’Leary had recently brewed for Cambridge Brewing Company in Massachusetts. As the three men shared ideas and continued to learn, Ardent Craft Ales was born.

Ardent Craft Ales Szechuan Peppercorn Saison (6.7% ABV)

I’m going to cut right to the chase, this saison is a treat! All the smells and flavors are there from the clove in the aroma and the banana in the flavor. What puts this beer ahead of other recent saisons is the bubble gum sweetness that cuts the herbal bitterness that often comes out in the style. Instead of finishing bitter, Ardent’s saison starts out with a shock of herbs and finishes sweet. This is a tasty, drinkable beer that would accompany your weekend BBQ well.

Strangeways Brewing

Down railroad tracks from Ardent is a brewery that RateBeer named the Best Brewery Taproom in Virginia: Strangeways Brewing. Founded by Neil Burton and Mike Hiller in 2013, the original intention was to use an existing brewery in an arrangement called “alternating proprietorship,” but it was against the law. Like other entrepreneurs, Neil Burton worked with the Virginia legislature to put a law in place. His success came right as craft brewing was booming in Richmond, which meant that there wasn’t a brewery that could accommodate another brewer. Burton and Hiller, who met while working on the law, decided to open their own brewery.

Strangeways Brewing Albino Monkey Belgian-style White Ale (5.0% ABV)

This spiced white ale smells good and clove-y. It’s a wonderful aroma, which leads into a powerfully pungent sip where cloves and banana collide. The Belgian yeast, and the spices, make all this possible. Underlying the whole thing is a solid wheat-based malty beer that works in harmony with the yeast to create a flavorful brew. It’s easy to overlook these wheat ales, but this one should be savored.

Strangeways Brewing Überlin Berliner Weisse (4.75% ABV)

True to its lineage, sour wheat beers, this golden beer has an aroma that mixes lemon with vinegar and a hint of baking soda. The vinegar is a clue that this Berliner Weisse leans away from the traditional balance of malt and tartness, and toward the trend of all out sour beers. The flavor exceeds the expected tartness of the style going all the way to full-on pucker. Though not a copy of the Berliner Weisse style, this sour beer should please those in search of another brew to tie your tongue into knots.

Strangeways Brewing Woodbooger Belgian-style Brown Ale (6.0% ABV)

The chocolate and coffee aroma of this dark brown ale are very enticing, but the true delight is in the flavor. Up front is a powerful vanilla that gradually turns into brown sugar and dried figs as the slight effervescence tickles your tongue. This is a fairly simple beer, but it’s satisfying nonetheless. With more character — and sweetness — than your typical dubbel, Woodbooger stands out as a truly American reinvention of a classic. Despite the low alcohol, this flavorful beer encourages sipping. Enjoy one, or two, slowly and get all that it has to offer.

Be sure to come down to Dominion Wine and Beer to get some of these Richmond beers!

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WWBG: Michigan’s Second Largest Brewery

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Published April 15, 2016 at 1:15PM

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.

Founders Brewing Company opened in 1997 as Canal Street Brewing Company by home brewers Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The name changed gradually because the original label for Canal Street showed an old photo that prominently featured the word “founders” on it. That was enough to lead to a name change. Though still considered a craft brewery by the Brewers Association, in December 2014 Founders merged with Mahou-San Miguel giving them a 30% stake in the company to allow them to continue growing

Since opening its doors, Founders has increasingly become one of the most influential breweries in Michigan, if not the United States. In fact, as of April 2016, the Brewers Association ranked Founders Brewing Company the 20th largest brewery in the United States, just eight places away from the 12th ranked Bell’s Brewery, the only other Michigan brewery in the top 50. Their recently released KBS (Kentucky Bourbon Stout) has appeared in Beer Advocate’s top ten beers list. The brewery has been honored by ratebeer.com as among the best in the world and they have been well recognized at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.

All this success has made their beers desirable around the country. Their growth has allowed them to expand into markets across the U.S., allowing fans of their vaunted beers to get them locally. In fact, though already in Virginia and DC, they plan to distribute in Maryland and Montgomery County in the near future.

Founders brews seven year round, three seasonal, five specialty and four limited beers. I want to share some these.

2016 Kentucky Barrel Stout (KBS) (12.4% ABV)

Dominion Wine and Beer recently held a release event for this vaunted “limited” beer, and craft beer lovers lined up to get their bottles. Packaged in 12 ounce bottles, this strong stout should be enjoyed a little bit at a time. With an aroma of tootsie rolls, this sweet coffee, chocolate stout tastes very strongly of alcohol. This just reminds you to sip this special beer and savor it.

Imperial Stout (10.5% ABV)

This syrupy “specialty” stout is a completely different experience from the KBS though still a total sipper. Dark molasses and salty licorice rule the aroma, creating an enticing set up for the first sip. At first, I tasted black licorice, but that quickly transitioned to a bitter, roasted dark chocolate. This strong beer is sweet and sip-able, but watch out — it’s smooth enough to drink quickly. Enjoy it slowly, it improves as it warms.

Mosaic Promise, single hop ale (5.5% ABV)

For a change of pace, try one of Founders’ single-hop beers: Mosaic Promise. Brewed with just one hop, Mosaic hops, and one malt, Golden Promise malt, this seasonal ale just bursts with freshness. Smelling and tasting like brilliant pine sap, Mosaic Promise is a dank ale that cleanses the palette and really refreshes. The Golden Promise malt takes a back seat to the dominant hops, which is just fine with me. With such a relatively low ABV, you can enjoy a couple of these in an evening without guilt.

All Day IPA (4.7% ABV)

Founders’ session ale is one of their seven year-round beers. Generally, session ales have to try harder because they are trying to replace a stronger style of ale. All Day is an effortless IPA, with a huge floral aroma that becomes a piney delight in the sip. I found this light alcohol beer to be quite satisfying, even delicious. I had a can, which comes in 15 packs, but you can also find this refreshing brew in bottles. Make sure to have some on hand as the weather warms.

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WWBG: The Goldilocks Pour

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Published April 1, 2016 at 1:00PM | Updated April 1, 2016 at 1:58PM

Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). This column was written by Garrett Cruce, a Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server, who also writes about beer on his own blog: beerbeltway.wordpress.com. Catch new posts there on Sundays.

Just the other day, I was pouring a beer just as I had been doing for a couple years — straight down the middle. I was executing a perfect pour — or so I thought. The beer in my glass was flat. Could it have been because of the pour? Was there a more perfect pour, a “goldilocks pour?”

The perfect pour. It’s something that beer lovers aspire to. It’s something that means different things to different people. I am, of course, talking about pouring beer from a bottle into a glass.

For some, pouring a beer so that it all flows into the glass in one motion without overflowing is perfect. For others, creating a large foamy head is perfect. For still others, finding the balance between a swiftly poured glass and an attractive head of foam is perfect.

Bottled beers tend to have a bit of extra carbonation, which is introduced in the bottling process. That extra gas, if it is not allowed to properly dissipate on pouring, can give the beer an extra bite in the sip that can seem harsh. If we think about what we like so much about draft beer, it just might be that it better balances the carbonation with the underlying beer. Pouring beer from a bottle can be done in a way that approximates the experience of having a freshly pulled draft beer.

For years, I was one of the many who tilted my glass at about 45 degrees (give or take) for a quick and foamless pour. I thought that I was doing it right — and well. I was wrong. I’ll tell you why. Pouring into a tilted glass, to keep the carbon dioxide from escaping quickly, allows it to remain in the beer leaving it more bubbly than it was meant to be. I still have servers in restaurants and family members assuring me that this is the proper pour. I have proof to the contrary.

Randy Mosher, author of the modern classic Tasting Beer, uses wonderful illustrations to show how his idea of a perfect pour is to pour the beer straight down the middle of the glass allowing a large head to form. The idea is to allow this foamy head to form, then dissipate so you can pour more of the beer in the glass. This both generates an attractive head of foam and allows much of the excess carbon dioxide to escape.

Garrett Oliver writes about a similar method in The Oxford Companion to Beer. He writes that a perfect pour involves pouring a thin stream down the middle of a glass as it sits on the table. Oliver’s description applies to restaurant service and assumes that it is proper not to touch the glassware. While he does allow for the server to ask permission to pick up the glass should it become necessary, the perfect pour would be a hands-off affair.

For a couple of years, this has been my preferred method. My experience has been that pouring most craft beers this way results in too much carbon dioxide escaping. Often I am left with more of a syrupy, though tasty, beverage and less of the beer I intended to experience. Let’s go back to that beer I poured that got me thinking. It was meant to be complex with banana-like esters and bitterness from black malt and alcohol sweetness. All I got was a cloying and overly smooth brew that seemed an incomplete picture.

It got me thinking about what I call the “goldilocks pour.” My Cicerone Certified Beer Server training recommended a hybrid pour, similar to the technique used when pulling a draft beer, for restaurant service. The idea was that a straight pour would take too much time, leaving a customer waiting. The solution was to pour into a 45 degree-tilted glass for two-thirds of the bottle then rotate to pour the remaining third and create a modest head of foam. Perhaps the amount of carbonation that Randy Mosher wanted to release was not so great as to stand up to the straight pour method. Maybe we need to retain some of that fizz.

I got a recent seasonal release from New York’s Brewery Ommegang to use for my pour test. It’s a saison made with sweet orange peel and pink peppercorn. The result is a mildly fruity beer that brims with the banana-like esters of Belgian yeast, but is balanced by the mild spice of pepper and bright citrus of the peel. It’s quite refreshing and deserving of a perfect pour. It’s important to note that beers that use Belgian yeast, like saisons, are highly carbonated to begin with.

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WWBG: Beers that Trend and Beers that Blend

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Published March 18, 2016 at 2:45PM

I’m back. I took a small break, but I couldn’t stay away for long.

First, we’re going to look at a new trend in craft beer that shows how breweries are trying to keep their beers relevant. Then, we’ll look at two different IPAs that are keeping the once-trendy style up-to-date — one with mysterious and experimental hops and the other by being a solid and delicious local offering.

It’s always an exciting time to be exploring craft beer, but as Spring approaches the releases get more refreshing and bright in flavor. The cold winter after the new year has meant that we’ve had plenty of time to enjoy the heavy stouts, barleywines, old ales and so on that Winter has to offer. Now, get ready for juicy beers, both literally and figuratively. Whether the fruitiness is the result of actual fruit or the wonderful flavor component of a hop or hop blend, these warmer weather beers will brighten your palate.

Fruit Infused Beers

For years now, some craft breweries like Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, 21st Amendment Brewery and Founders Brewing Company have made fruit-infused beers as part of their regular line-up. But in recent years, more and more breweries are either adding new fruity brews or taking their flagship beers and infusing them with fruit or fruit flavor. We have a full-blown trend on our hands. Local breweries are in on it as well with Virginia’s Adroit Theory Brewing Company and Laurel, Maryland’s Jailbreak Brewing Company coming to mind.

Three of this week’s beers are fruity brews that fall into each of the two categories I mentioned above. Dogfish Head and Green Flash Brewing Company have brewed beers that are unique in their line-up, while Ballast Point has taken their Dorado double IPA and spiked it with watermelon.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Romantic Chemistry IPA (7.2% ABV)

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery shook up it’s annual releases this year, cutting some perennial favorites and trimming some underperforming brews. One of the favorites that was shelved for 2016 is Aprihop. This replaces it! For this year’s Spring fruity beer, Dogfish Head mashed up peaches and mangoes and ginger to create this complex ale. Stick your nose deep in the glass, the hops and the fruit intertwine — spicy stone fruit. Right off the bat, the flavor is winey with the peach flavor lasting all the way through to the finish. Hops bring some spice to the party, but this is no hop bomb. It’s a complex brew that is subtley fruity and hoppy with enough fizz to mask the alcohol. I’ll miss this beer when it’s gone.

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits Watermelon Dorado Double IPA (10% ABV)

Whoa. There’s cucumber and green watermelon rind in my nose right now. The pink flesh of the watermelon is not the first thing you smell. Honestly, it’s not present in the flavor either. What I get instead is the astringent tang of the rind or of cucumber skin. It’s that bitter surprise that makes you screw up your nose — you took too big a bite of that watermelon slice. It’s a challenging brew. If bitterness is your glass of beer, then this might be right up your alley. I can go for hop bitterness, but I am less used to the kind of bitter that this brings. It does grow on me as I sip it. Be sure to sip this one for a while! The high alcohol (10%!) will allow it warm up with out getting undrinkable. Warmed up enough and the bitterness turns to sweetness and the hops begin to shine through.

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WWBG: Aslin Beer Company in Herndon

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

Published March 4, 2016 at 3:45PM

Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). This column is written by Dominion owner Arash Tafakor.

This week, Dave and I sat down with the founders of Aslin Beer Company right in Herndon, Va. near Reston Town Center.

Aslin is one of Virginia’s newest breweries and they’re already on the national map by brewing world class New England style IPAs and a bunch of other tasty brews.

This week we tasted their brand new IPA called Orange Starfish that will be released today at 3 p.m. Dominion will also be getting Aslin’s next round of releases in the next few weeks. So watch the video and stay tuned.

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WWBG: This Weekend at Dominion Wine and Beer

Published February 19, 2016 at 3:50PM

Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). This column is written by Dominion owner Arash Tafakor.

We’re taking a short break from brewery interviews, wine explainers and other commentary this week to tell you what’s happening at our store this weekend.

Friday 5pm – 8pm: Free Beer Alpine/Green Flash Tasting.

Come check out 3 of their newest releases. Passion Fruit Kicker (American Pale Wheat), Cosmic Ristretto (Baltic Porter with Espresso), Dia De Los Serrano (Double Stout with Serrano Chiles) and two of Alpines most popular IPAs Hoppy Birthday and Duet.

Saturday 12pm – 4pm: Free Wine tasting featuring Rubus Wine Selections.

Rubus Wine Selections is owned by local Master Sommelier Fran Kyslea. Fran seeks out excess quality grapes from major wine regions and uses those grapes to put in his Rubus label. Rubus wines are always very well made and cost half the price of wines that use the same grapes. We will taste Rubus Sauvignon Blanc, Rubus Cab, Quadratus Cabernet and Trianguli Pinot Noir.

On draft for Growler fills:

Founders Mosaic Promise

Founder’s has done it again with another phenomenal IPA. This single hop Mosaic IPA is making its appearances solely on draught lines until they release it in packaging this Spring.

Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Stout

Innis and Gunn is in Edinburgh, Scotland and does a great job exhibiting the flavors of an Irish Whiskey Cask in this great limited release stout!

Uinta FarmSide Saison

Delicious new release from Uinta Brewing Company out of Salt Lake City, UT. This saison is brewed with white grape must and gooseberries. This seasonal beer is now available on draught and in bottles.

Maine Beer Co Lunch

Maine Beer Company is one of our favorites. This is a great example of some of the special, limited releases you see on our line-up all the time! This one isn’t going to hang around long, but we always have something special tucked up our sleeves.

Epic Brewing Big Bad Baptist

Big Bad Baptist receives great reviews from every major critic and for good reason. This Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is one of the best in its class, and offered at a much more affordable price than many of its competitors.

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WWBG: Talking Beer With Ocelot Brewing in Dulles

Published February 5, 2016 at 12:15PM

Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). This column is written by Dominion owner Arash Tafakor.

This week, Dave and I sat down with Ocelot’s founder and brewer Adrien Widman and Director of Sales Curtis Griffith in their beautiful tap room right in Dulles, Virginia.

Ocelot is one of Virginia’s newest and best breweries. We talked about Ocelot’s concept of making an amazing variety of craft beers and a recent collaboration with Jace Gonnerman, beverage director of Meridian Pint, Smoke & Barrel, and Brookland Pint.

The collaboration beer is a triple IPA called Talking Backwards and is on tap at all three of those locations now and will be on tap at Dominion Wine and Beer for growler fills sometime next week! Talking Backwards is extremely limited and will not last long so don’t miss out. Check out the video for more details.

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WWBG: The Best Blizzard Growlers

Published January 22, 2016 at 2:30PM

Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). This column is written by Dominion owner Arash Tafakor.

I’d like to apologize to the two readers of my column; due to the panic of the blizzard, there was no time to write a serious article. So I decided to share our blizzard growler fill list. Don’t be stuck at home during the blizzard without fresh beer.

1. Three Notched Killer Angel Double IPA

Draft only, not available in bottles. Highly rated IPA from Charlottesville.

2. Ocelot Profits of Pride IPA

Ocelot is straight up hot and becoming a favorite of VA/DC craft beer drinkers. Get this while you can because this IPA is a one-off. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

3. Hardywood Park Sidamo Coffee Stout

Starbucks will be closed this weekend. Wake up with this brew and keep your eyes peeled for the barrel aged version coming soon.

4. Fair Winds Siren Lure Hoppy Saison

Winner of the GABF Gold medal for French and Belgian style Saison.

5. Evolution 2014 Barrel Aged Winter Migration Strong Ale

We’ve been aging this keg for almost a year waiting for it to hit its prime. That time has come.

6. DC Brau The Corruption IPA

We will always offer a great local IPA 64-ounce growler for around $10. The Corruption is an easy choice.

7. Lost Rhino Dark Hours Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Aged in American Oak barrels for 279 days, this local favorite brew deserves national recognition. Nose is similar to BCS.

8. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA

Another sick IPA. Abyss — their famous limited bourbon barrel imperial stout — is coming to Dominion Wine and Beer soon. You will want a bottle.

9. Ballast Point Victory at Sea: Peppermint Porter

The last keg left of Victory at Sea day hosted at Dominion last week. Get it while it lasts.

10. DC Brau Alpha Domina Mellis III Imperial IPA

More limited than OTWOA. Imperial IPA brewed with local honey makes this delicious IPA dangerously drinkable.

11. Escutcheon Growler Kolsch

Another new local brewery out of Winchester. There’s a reason why it’s called “Growler” Kolsch. One person can easily pound a growler in one sitting of this crisp refreshing brew.

12. Dark Horse Plead the Fifth Imperial Stout

A big boy stout that should be enjoyed during a blizzard.

The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

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WWBG: Raise a Different Kind of Grape-Based Bubbly

Published January 8, 2016 at 3:30PM | Updated January 21, 2016 at 11:13PM

As the clock ticked its way toward 2016, I wasn’t toasting with champagne but with grape infused beers and ciders! Though it’s not a new trend, adding grapes, the essence of grapes, or wine to beer is getting some new recognition. In fact, a Google search of wine and beer blends or hybrids yields a bunch of articles from 2013.

2013 saw the release of one of the more widely distributed beer-wine hybrids — Sixty One from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery — which will actually cease production in 2016. Even without Sixty One, Dogfish Head still brews four beers that include grapes or wine, including two of its oldest: Raison D’Etre and Midas Touch.

Originally, the only link to wine that one could find in beers was in the essence derived from aging beer in used wine barrels. In recent years, brewers have decide to branch out more by adding grapes or their juice to beers. Sometimes they add something called must — the grape juice, skins, and seeds. The results are a complex brew with fruit tones to accompany the malt.

Hard ciders have also been seeking ways to add diversity in flavor. Trying to separate your cider from the seemingly countless flavor combinations that big players like Boston Beer Company-owned Angry Orchard offers requires creativity. One cider maker got creative and blended Pinot Grigio, making for a distinctive hard cider.

Whether a new brew or an aged one, brewing with grapes or aging in wine barrels introduces new dimensions. Below are three beers and one cider that looked to the vine in one way or another.

Cider Brothers, William Tell Pinot Grigio Hard Apple Cider (6.5% ABV)

Starting with the non-beer, the Cider Brothers’ William Tell Pinot Grigio Hard Apple Cider is the most wine-like of all the beverages here. The brothers start with cider from five apple varieties and add in 15 percent California Pinot Grigio. The result is a crystal clear yet pale green, lightly carbonated beverage that looks as much like a Pinot as a cider.

Freshly cut grass, green apple and white grapes rule the aroma, not surprisingly. The flavor is melony and slightly tart with the apple emerging in the middle of the sip and taking over for the finish. Sweetness is minimized, making the fruit and wine the centerpieces. This was a crisp and original take on the style.

Perennial Artisan Ales, Savant Beersel (8.0%)

Perennial Artisan Ales may have just released their Instagram favorite Abraxas imperial stout, but their stable of sours deserves quite a bit of recognition. Savant Beersel is a Belgian-style pale ale fermented with the wild yeast — Brettanomyces — and infused with Missouri-grown wine grapes then aged in wine barrels. The result is a complex and fruity sour ale.

Savant pours violet with a fine lavender head that quickly dissipates. The aroma is a challenging mix of sour grapes and musty rag — Brettanomyces brings an earthiness to ales that can be an acquired but rewarding taste. Sipping, however, reveals a different side to this beer. It starts out tart and malty with a red fruit tanginess then finishes lightly sweet. My immediate and lasting impression was of drinking a sour Welch’s grape soda.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Midas Touch (9.0% ABV)

Originally released in 1999, this is among the oldest grape-infused beers on the market. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s first “Ancient Ale” Midas Touch is based on the reverse-engineered recipe of beer that was recovered from residue in jars found in King Midas’ tomb in Turkey. Having been there, it’s always fun to sip this drinkable, but strong beer.

In the nose, Midas smells of dessert wine — the sweet grape scent that is caused by noble rot on the vine — and soda crackers. One of the main ingredients, honey, comes through up front in the flavor, but is supplanted by the fruitiness of the muscat grapes toward the middle. The finish is surprisingly light as the maltiness comes in. Despite it’s high ABV, Midas Touch is a drinkable beer that goes with just about anything. This is probably why Dogfish Head keeps in their stable of annual “year-round brews.”

Uinta Brewing Company Crooked Line, Port O’ Call Belgian Style Dark Ale aged in Port Wine Barrels (9.4% ABV)

Brand new this year, Port O’ Call is Utah’s Uinta Brewing Company’s first foray into wine barrel aging. Though this beer doesn’t include grapes or wine, the port wine barrels from Portugal bring a fruity complexity to the already bold strong dark ale. Pouring dark brown with a light head, Port O’ Call entices with a heady aroma of dark raisins, tamarind and woody spice. The flavor is as complex as the aroma with banana, ripe plum, vanilla, and the oaky quality that old school Cabernet Sauvignon’s exhibit.

The Belgian style strong dark ale is also known as a quad, and they tend toward the sweet and malty. Port O’ Call, however, is strong and dark but with a light finish that keeps it from feeling heavy. At more than 9 percent, the alcohol is strong enough for this to be a sipper, but it doesn’t overwhelm. Whenever I try Uinta’s Crooked Line beers, I’m reminded that they consistently create a unique and quality beer. Though they don’t qualify as “stand-in-line” beers, I’d gladly enjoy a Crooked Line beer for any special occasion.

What wine or grape/beer hybrids have you tried and enjoyed? Tell me below.

Happy New Year from all of us at Dominion Wine and Beer!

The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

#WWBG

WWBG: Give the Gift of Port Wine

Published December 11, 2015 at 2:00PM | Updated December 11, 2015 at 2:38PM

Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). This column is written by Dominion owner Arash Tafakor.

Well into the holiday season, more and more customers are asking for a great gift recommendation for their loved ones.

Any wine lover would be perfectly content with a nice high-end cabernet or even a bottle of champagne. However, if you want to get a wine that a person can enjoy throughout the cold winter, port is definitely the way to go as some ports can keep up to a month after opening.

Here’s a basic guide to choose the port that’s right for you.

What is Port?

Port is a fortified wine from the mountainous Douro Valley in Northern Portugal. Under strict guidelines of the European Union protected designation of origin, only wines from Portugal may be labeled Port or Porto. The grapes used to make ports come from variety of grapes grown in the Douro region that are blended together. After this process, winemakers let the fermentation process begin as the yeast starts to convert sugar into alcohol (some wineries still do traditional foot pressing).

A few days later, winemakers add in a neutral grape spirit or brandy to stop the fermentation process, leaving the wine with a load of residual sugar and higher alcohol content (18% – 22% a.b.v.). This sweetness and heavy alcohol content is why port is considered a dessert wine, after dinner wine, or for me — a nightcap.

Styles of Port

Port wine comes in many different styles. Each style is dependent on how the port has been vinified, stored, and aged. The two main categories of port are wood aged and bottle aged, and each has many subcategories. For the purpose of simplicity and this article, I am going to write about the most popular and best selling style ports.

Tawny Port

Tawny port is the most bought and served port in Portugal and the rest of the world. Tawny ports are made from red grapes that are aged in wooden barrels that allow a slight amount of oxygen inside allowing the wine to slowly oxidize. As the wine oxidizes in the barrel, the color of the wine turns from a dark red color to a beautiful golden brown color.

Tawny ports come in four official categories, 10 year, 20 year, 30 year, and 40 year — all based on the average age of the blends used. The longer these wines spend in wood, the more complexities are derived from the wine. Tawny’s typical have a distinct nuttiness with butterscotch and vanilla flavors that make this style of port absolutely delicious.

Ruby Port

Ruby ports are the youngest most basic wood aged ports. Ruby ports do not spend much time in oak barrels, therefore are much more fruit driven than their Tawny counterpart. Ruby ports tend to be less expensive compared to other ports as well. The lower price does not mean lower quality and less taste, just less aging. Ruby ports can also be served slightly chilled, and pair perfect for a fruit dessert or a cold night.

Vintage Port (VP)

Vintage ports are the best of the best that any port producer can offer. On average, a VP is produced 3 times per decade. A port producer must make a declaration only when they believe they have enough quantity of very top quality grapes to bottle from a single harvest. Producers cannot just declare any particular vintage a VP. Producers have to keep a top reputation, and could lose their credibility if they declare a bad vintage a VP.

The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

#WWBG

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