Having A Blast At The Brewer’s Ball

 

If you think it’s easy throwing a major craft beer event – you’ve not done it. Even harder is putting on something “that matters” for an important cause. That’s why DC’s Brewer’s Ball, which took place over the weekend, is so special.

It was a craft beer event done right on every level…

Presented by the MatchboxFoodGroup and benefitting the Metropolitan Washington DC Chapter of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, this year’s Brewer’s Ball once again brought together the Mid-Atlantic’s craft beer and restaurant community for a night of great food and drink, music, and “too much” fun. 

Throwing something this special doesn’t happen by accident…

Any well-executed craft beer event depends on a combination of people, place, and vibe. And when great beer and smart cuisine mixes it up with attractive young urbanites getting buzzed in their uptown best – you’re almost guaranteed a good time.

Place and Vibe

The 10th Anniversary Brewer’s Ball returned to the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, again this year. And if you’ve ever attended SAVOR, then you know what a magnificent setting this is. 

Built in the late nineteenth century, the National Building Museum is one of the city’s most spectacular works of public architecture and the Great Hall is its centerpiece. It’s an incredible space (so enormous that you could fit a football field into it!) with elegantly lit, gigantic Corinthian columns towering over the night’s celebrations.

Food and craft beer stations filled the room as far as the eye could see, and in spite of the sell-out crowds, there were never any lines. And unlike so many craft beer events nowadays, most of the people serving the food and pouring the beer were actually from the breweries and restaurants they were fronting. They knew everything about the foods they were serving and were passionate about the beers that they poured. And everyone seemed excited to be part of the evening’s festivities and that enthusiasm ignited the room and made for one big party.

The People

Part of what makes the craft beer industry so much fun are its fans and the people who work in the biz -and it seemed like everyone from the mid-Atlantic’s brewing community turned out for this worthy celebration. Hugh Sisson, the founder of Heavy Seas Beer in Baltimore, got things rolling in grand fashion – welcoming everyone in and inviting all to be part of the Cystic Fibrosis silent auction. 

And that was just the evening’s opening salvo…

Bill Madden from Mad Fox was pouring a killer sour over in the VIP section and Devils Backbone brewer Jason Oliver was moving through the crowds. Katherine Marisic, the new DC-based Federal Affairs Manager for the Brewers Association, was all over the place – hanging out with Atlas Brew Works’ Will Durgin – and drinking “genius” craft beer with Dave Coleman from 3 Stars.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Erin Leahey never stopped moving and, along with her team, she made sure that everything came off seamlessly. This was a huge operation and she pulled it all off with arena rock show efficiency.

The Beer

The beers were unfortunately incredible…

We drank too many Cherry Blossom Lagers with Fordham & Dominion’s Casey Hollingsworth (it’s not our fault; he just kept filling our glasses!). And we had one too many Irish Red Ale’s with Flying Dog’s Nate Eckert. 

Things only accelerated from there…

Atlas Brew Works had a Pumpernickel Stout that was amazing and Port City, a sessionable Rye IPA that we couldn’t get enough of…

The overall variety and quality of the beers showcased at this year’s Brewer’s Ball was truly amazing and we did our best to get to all of them.

The Cause

When the evening came to its eventual close, we joined the buzzed masses exiting into the chilled night air. And while filing out, we happened to overhear a couple talking about a family member’s personal struggle with Cystic Fibrosis. It was a sobering shot of reality at the end of a wonderful night. And we were once again reminded of the evening’s true purpose…

Just another thing that the Brewer’s Ball got exactly right.