DC Brewers Kick the Keg!

Brewers from the greater Washington, D.C. area gathered last evening at Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church, Virginia, to celebrate American Craft Beer Week.

Each brewer brought one kegged beer from their brewery. The challenge was whose beer would be drained first by the pub's patrons. The winning brewery would receive the Dominion Cup, a large trophy fashioned from a keg, originally used for a similar competition when Dominion Brewery was still based in northern Virginia.

Left to right:


• Brian Murphy: assistant brewer, Mad Fox.
  Orange Whip IPA.
  This brew is dry hopped with Citra hops from our friends in Yakima at Hop Union. The kettle additions of Citra hops, brings this brew in at a whopping 75 IBU’s and the hops flavors are much more pronounced with citrusy hints of pineapple, orange etc. This version is also loaded with malt flavors with plenty of crystal malt, medium to full bodied and deep copper colored. 7.5% ABV.
  
  
• Brian Quann (partially obscured): brewer, Sweetwater Tavern (Merrifield, Virginia)
  
  
• Rick Garvin: owner, Mad Fox.
  
  
• Jonathan Reeves: brewer, Port City Brewing Company (Alexandria, Virginia).
  Monumental IPA.
  "A rich copper color, and is intensely hoppy. We add a special blend of American hops throughout the brewing and fermentation process to create a complex combination of aroma and flavor. This ale exhibits floral notes, flavors of citrus and resin, combined with delicious caramel background notes. The balanced style will keep the palate fresh and invite the drinker back into the glass."
  
  
• Bill Madden (with mallet): brewmaster/owner, Mad Fox.
  
  
• Charlie Buettner: brewer, Mad Fox.
  
  
• Danielle: assistant brewer, Chocolate City Brewing (Washington, D.C.)
  The Ugly Sticke
  This is a bumped up and dryhopped version of our flagship Cornerstone Copper Ale. Caramelly and biscuity with lasting citrusy bitterness from generous american hop additions. 8.3% ABV, 80 IBU.
  
  
• Ben Matz: head brewer, Chocolate City.
  
  
• Nick Funnel: brewmaster, Sweetwater Tavern (Centreville, Virginia).
  
  
• Jacob Jay from DC Brau (Washington, D.C.) visited earlier earlier in the evening. He brought:
  Ground Wolf™.
  A Tribute to Humulus Lupulus (Hops!). Meridian Pint is has been a partner of ours for a long time. We celebrated our launch together. We celebrated our first anniversary together. So, it's only fitting that we finally put our heads together and come up with a brew! 'Ground Wolf' was brewed to celebrate the bittering and aromatic wonders of the hop plant, also known as Ground Wolf (so named for its tenacious ability to overrun most any neighboring plant), while keeping the booze restrained to a quaffable 4.5%. Columbus hops added at the beginning of the boil give Ground Wolf a strong bitter backbone. Multiple additions of Centennial hops throughout the brew, as well as a heaping dry addition afterwards, give it a bright citrus nose and flavor that is sure to please IPA fans.
  
  
• Devils Backbone (Roseland, Virginia) couldn't attend but sent a keg of:
  8 Points IPA.
  A cornucopia of hop varities imparts a citrusy floral aroma and a crisp bitterness. Concocted from Pilsen and a dash of Caramel Malts. This burnished-gold ale has a touch of malty sweetness for balance, which makes it easy to enjoy all night long. 60 IBU 5.9% ABV.
  
  
• Likewise, Lost Rhino Brewing Company (Ashburn, Virgina) was unable to send a representative, but sent a keg of:
  Zlatý Rhino
  Zlatý Rhino is an American interpretation of a classic Bohemian-style Pilsner, which takes its name from the Czech word for "Golden". Brewed with imported floor-malted Bohemian spring barley (the Tolar and Bojos varieties) and 100% Czech Saaz hops, this beer brings a balance of malty sweetness and delicate bitterness, thanks to the use of a painstaking decoction mash schedule and long kettle boil. Modeled after the beer that won first prize by Aaron Hermes in the inaugural Pilsner Urquell Master Homebrewer competition in Washington, DC in 2011, this is an easy-drinking beer for the warmer days ahead. As the Czechs say, 'Na zdraví!'"

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And the winner was ...

Orange Whip from Mad Fox!