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Beers to Serve at Thanksgiving

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craft beer thanksgivingWe should all give thanks for a holiday that’s centered around eating and drinking. No presents to buy, no stressful obligations – just enjoying an all-day meal with the people we love.

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to crack open a beer or three. Here are a few of our favorites to try this year.

Festive Thanksgiving Beers

Getting Started

Thanksgiving is a long and leisurely affair, and you’ll have plenty of downtime while you chop veggies, wait for the turkey to roast, and watch football. Start with a smooth, easy-to-drink beer that will tickle your taste buds without leaving you napping on the couch before dinner is served.

Lagers
Lagers tend to be bright, crisp and approachable. Pace yourself and choose one with a low to medium ABV – it’ll keep you happy through a laid-back afternoon of cooking. Pilsners, German-style bocks or golden lagers are all excellent choices.

Belgian-Style Ales
Ranging from light, fruity witbiers to malty, spicy dubbels, Belgian-style ales offer a wide variety of flavors to help you work up an appetite. Start with something light-bodied and work your way up.

Try: Namaste

Main course

You know you’ll want to try a little bit of everything … and then a little more of everything. These beers are versatile and pair well with many different flavors, so they’ll take you through all the helpings you can manage.

Saisons
Saisons often pair well with poultry because of their citrusy, floral notes. Try one to bring out the best in your turkey and cranberry sauce.

IPAs
That little burst of hops in a good IPA can balance a rich, hearty meal and make everything on your plate taste that much better. Go for one that has a bit of a bite – but not so much that it will overpower your food.

Try: 60-Minute IPA

Dessert

After a tough day of filling your belly with delicious food and drink, you deserve a little more indulgence. Treat yourself to an unapologetically decadent brew to accompany your pumpkin or pecan pie.

Stouts
Comfort food in a glass, stouts are rich and creamy – the ideal companion to dessert. Opt for a chocolate or oatmeal stout, or one with spicy or malty notes.

Brown Ale
This warm ale offers just the right amount of smooth and spice. It is the perfect beer to warm up to.

Try: Punkin Ale

Don’t forget to stop in for our Pre-Thanksgiving Bash at your local alehouse the day before Thanksgiving!

Craft Beer 101: Stouts & Pils

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pilsner beerFall is the time of year for hunkering down and indulging in a few of our favorite brews and bites. Let’s take a look at two very different but equally well-loved beers that are just right for the season: the stout and the pils.

What is a Stout?

A stout is a satisfying (some might say downright decadent) beer – creamy, rich and full-bodied. It’s made with roasted barley or malt, which gives it its signature deep brown or black color. A good stout should have a thick, foamy head, ranging in color from light tan to brown. A common misconception about stouts is that their dark color makes them bitter, but on the contrary; they tend to be silky, smooth and easy to drink.

Traditionally, stouts were brewed strong at high gravities. But in recent years, craft brewers have diversified the types of stouts they make, and many are now available with lower alcohol content.

Stouts are malty and offer a complex array of flavors, from chocolate to coffee. They pair very well with both sweet and savory foods. A pint of stout is a particular favorite with cold-weather comfort foods: burgers and steaks, pot roast, chocolate truffles or apple pie.

What is a Pils?

The pils (or pilsner) is one of the most popular beer styles in the world. The first pilsner was brewed in the Czech town of Pilsen in the 19th century, and it’s seen many different variations and adaptations since.

The key to the pils’ success is that it’s so darn likeable. It delivers a crisp, clean flavor, as well as a light to medium body and a pale color with a white head. It has subtle malty and spicy hopped notes, but it’s overall a simple and very drinkable beer.

Pilsners are also versatile for food pairing, and they complement a long list of dishes. A pils makes a great companion to everything from grilled sausages and spicy pad Thai to creamy cheeses and sweet pound cake.

Dogfish Head Beers to Try

Chicory Stout

This is one of the earliest Dogfish Head beers, and it’s still available in small batches on draft only in our brewpub. It’s made with roasted chicory, organic Mexican coffee, St. John’s Wort and licorice root, plus hops and oatmeal. It’s amazing with food, especially chocolate.

Piercing Pils

This winter seasonal favorite is a Czech-style pilsner brewed with white pear tea and pear juice during the boil. The sweet fruity flavors blend perfectly with the spicy hops for a refreshing and complex beer.

New Craft Beer Alert: Higher Math

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higher math craft beerDogfish Head fans are the best around! And we mean it. Thanks to your support, Dogfish Head Brewery is celebrating 20 years of crafting beers. What better way to say “cheers to 20 years and 20 more” than with a new brew?!

Enter Higher Math! This brew is a golden strong ale fermented with sour cherry juice and cocoa nibs. As the story goes… “Way back in the early ’90s, a 20-something waiter in New York City named Sam got a taste for small American ‘microbrews.’ A do-er, Sam stopped by a homebrew store and embarked on the first batch of his very own beer. On the way home, he spotted a bag of cherries at his local bodega and thought they’d make his beer a little more interesting. He was right, and the day after he and his friends enjoyed that first batch, he started researching what it would take to open a brewery.”

This limited brew clocks in at 17%ABV, so sip lightly and get it while you can! Gaithersburg, Fairfax, and Falls Church Alehouses plan to start tapping this beer Wednesday, November 4th at 7pm. Give it a go with some of our alehouse ribs.

Bonus Brew! Pennsylvania Tuxedo makes its way to Fairfax and Falls Church on November 6! Stop in for the tapping of this spruce-infused pale ale. Made in collaboration with family-run outdoor clothing company, Woolrich, Pennsylvania Tuxedo is a concoction of grassy citrus kick complemented by the resinous conifer notes of fresh green spruce tips. The brewery goes out and picks the fresh tips to assure quality and flavor.

You can guarantee these beers will not come around often and you may wait awhile until their return, so get your hands on a pint before we are tapped out.

Punkin Ale Returns!

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It’s getting to be thatpunkin ale release time of year when everything turns…to pumpkin! Our seasonal friend, Punkin Ale is making its way back to our taps and we are celebrating! For us, this favorite brew announces the end of summer and the approach of fall.

So what’s the deal with Punkin? Straight from the brewery: “We describe it as a full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, brown sugar and spices.”

Sounds great, right? Loyal fans agree. As we get into a cooler season, this beer keeps things warm without being too heavy.
“In fact, Punkin Ale made its debut as it claimed first prize in the 1994 Punkin Chunkin Recipe Contest. Yes, that was a full 6 months before we even opened our doors for business!”
Get in on the festivities at Falls Church, Gaithersburg, or Fairfax…

Fairfax

Join us in Fairfax for live music, games, an outdoor grill and bar, and face painting on Saturday. On Sunday, we keep the party going! And finally, we are showing Monday who’s boss with a Fairfax Pint Night (so make sure you come out for your free Punkin pint glass!) Be sure to pick up a Punkin Ale growler when you stop in!

Gaithersburg

Saturday is the big day! Gaithersburg fans won’t want to miss a day of live music including local favorite, Bad Influence who will be on stage at 10pm. And don’t forget to come early for a pig roast, free face painting, cornhole, and bear pong.

Falls Church

Did you happen to miss Pint Night and Ladies Night?! Be here on Saturday for the release of Punkin Ale featuring food and drinks specials all day like Punkin Flan!

Get ready… It’s going to be an off-center, beer-tastic weekend!

Park It On The Patio

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dining on the patioFriends sitting around a tabletop covered with fresh appetizers and cold beers…talking and laughing…live music playing in the background… Sounds great, right? Everything you imagined summer to be. Get it before it’s gone! Unlike our specials, the warm days are fading fast.
If the pretty picture we just painted isn’t quite enough to make you drop by, here are some other enticements:

1. Live Music Nights

If you don’t want to pay for a concert ticket, feel like unplugging the earbuds, or want to chill with friends, our live music nights are just what you’re looking for. Every Thursday and Saturday, Fairfax brings in your favorite local artists like Burn the Ballroom and Darcy Dawn & Company. Meanwhile, Gaithersburg keeps Maryland jamming with One Eyed Pug and ily AIMY on Saturdays.

2. Sipping in the Sun

Bring your friends or make it a family affair! Instead of dinner planning and kitchen cleaning, enjoy craft beers and great food. After all, what could be better than kicking back and digging into your all-American favorites?

3. Hosting a Party

Take two friends and make it 10. Choose an outdoor venue for your birthday celebration or ladies night out. Let us know what the occasion is, and we’ll make the necessary accommodations for your group. Don’t forget, you’ll have all winter to host indoor dinner parties.

4. End of Season Events

The last day of summer is fast approaching, but there’s still plenty of time to make the most of it. We will keep you posted on events you won’t want to miss, including everything from food specials to tappings and beer dinners.

We also could have mentioned how good slow cooked Alehouse Ribs or wood-grilled burgers taste under the sun…but we will leave it at that. You can join us at Fairfax and Gaithersburg for an outside seat. See you at the Alehouse!

Burger of the Week – 12/1/14

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Check out these delicious specials this week at Dogfish Head Alehouse!

GAITHERSBURG

GB-BOW-12-1-14
Mac Daddy Burger

(Our mac topping on a burger!)

Half pound burger patty topped with pesto, mozzarella cheese, zucchini, roasted red pepper, bacon bits, and sundried tomatoes. Served with beach fries.
$12.50

FALLS CHURCH

Nacho Burger

All Beef Patty Topped with Tortilla Strips, Chili Con Queso, and Pico De Gallo. Served with beach fries.
$10.50

FAIRFAX

FF-BOW-12-1-14
Surf & Turf Burger

A half pound burger topped with melted cheddar cheese, fried popcorn shrimp, and remoulade sauce. Served with beach fries.
$13.50