20 Days in November

We've been relatively silent this month, because we've been running a special feature on our companion site, MyJoog.com. For this feature, we are adventuring out to see 20 consecutive days of live music in the Washington D.C. area - predominately in Northern Virginia. As a result we've gained a general knowledge of the types of alcohol served at these music venues. And for whatever reason, beer has been the libation of choice. We attended events at all styles of venues - concert halls, restaurants, coffee houses, Irish pubs, and brewpubs - and not surprisingly Dogfish Head Alehouse had our favorite overall beer list. Dogfish is famous for crafting unique and historic beer styles that we have written about previously. And paired with live music - what more do you need?

The best beer list of the remaining venues was clearly Evening Star Cafe, located in Alexandria Virginia. In addition to the traditional mass produced brews, they offer PBR, and a nice assortment of craft brews: Founders Brewing Company - Red Rye P.A; Stone Brewing - Arrogant Bastard; Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - 60 Minute IPA; Kona Brewing Company - Kona Long Board Lager; Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn Brown; Magic Hat Brewing Company - #9; and Bear Republic Brewery - Racer 5 IPA - among others. Plus with its friendly environment - this is a nice neighborhood spot. The Dogfish Head Craft Brewery 60 Minute IPA was also my beer of choice at Vienna's Jammin' Java and was also available at The Old Brogue. However, at this Great Falls Irish pub, I couldn't pass up the Old Speckled Hen; although a group surrounding me tore through a bottle of Sokol Blosser Vineyards Evolution. That was tempting. The The State Theatre and IOTA Club had similar beer offerings where I usually stuck to a pale ale - either the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Pale Ale or The Harpoon Brewery Harpoon IPA. And at The Birchmere, the Starr Hill Brewing Amber Ale was my choice. Finally, I spent a few nights absorbing local music at historic JV's Restaurant - and to fit into the bluegrass\rockabilly environment nothing worked better than Pabst Blue Ribbon - served in both bottles and on draft. So, next time you find a nice show through MyJoog.com, you are more than likely going to find a nice craft brew as well.