On Tap Magazine // Winter 2016

Drink. Dine. Do. 01.16

a M k e e t s r a T 20 s Top New Bars & Res taurant nI novative s Bartend

1Be0st

Brews

ers

+ Caps Player

Nate

Schmidt

Two Cellos Brewer’s Ball Valentine’s Day

The Greene Burger Stanton & Greene

TICKETS ON SALE NOW 800 -74 5 -3000 WA SHING T ON W I Z A RDS . COM / T ICK E T S

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12/18/15 11:20 AM

PROUD SUPPORTER OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION

© Doug Van Sant Photography

WWW.DCBREWERSBALL.ORG

SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2016 7:00 PM – MIDNIGHT | NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM | WASHINGTON, D.C. (All guests must be 21+)

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW! This event will sell out!

Like us on Facebook – Brewer’s Ball and Follow us on Twitter @dcbrewersball #dcbrewersball

For more information, please contact Erin Leahey at 301-657-8444 or eleahey@cff.org

BREWERIES

Adroit Theory Brewing Company • Allagash Brewing Company • Atlas Brew Works Belly Love Brewing Co. • Bluejacket • Blue Point Brewing Company • Bold Rock Hard Cider • Caboose Brewing Company • Capitol City Brewing Company • DC Brau Brewing Company • Devils Backbone Brewing Company • Dogfish Head DuClaw Brewing Co. • Elysian Brewing Company • Flying Dog • Fordham and Dominion • Goose Island Brewery • Gordon Biersch • Heavy Seas • Hellbender Brewing Company, LLC • Heritage Brewing Co. • Highland Brewing Company Lost Rhino • Mad Fox • Negra Modelo • New Belgium • New District Brewing Company • Pacifico • Port City Brewing Company • Smuttynose • Union Craft Brewing

RESTAURANTS

b burgers - beer - bourbon • Belga Café • Brasserie Beck • Café Deluxe Chaplin’s Restaurant • Charlie Palmer Steak DC • DC3 • Dirty South Deli • Dogfish Head Alehouse • Hank’s Oyster Bar • Hill Country Barbecue Market • Lincoln Restaurant • Matchbox • Meridian Pint • Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza • Penn Commons • Provision No. 14 • Roofer’s Union • STK • Teddy & The Bully Bar • Ted’s Bulletin • The Prospect (Participants as of 1/15/16)

Presented by

BE PART OF THE BEST NONPROFIT BEER EVENT OF THE YEAR

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Important Note on Attendance at Foundation Events: To reduce the risk of getting and spreading germs at CF Foundation-sponsored events, we ask that everyone follow basic best practices by regularly cleaning your hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand gel, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your inner elbow and maintaining a safe 6-foot distance from anyone with a cold or infection.

Medical evidence shows that germs may spread among people with CF through direct and indirect contact, as well as through droplets that travel short distances when a person coughs or sneezes. These germs can lead to worsening symptoms and speed decline in lung function. To further help reduce the risk of cross-infection, the Foundation’s attendance policy recommends inviting only one person with CF to an indoor Foundation-sponsored event at a specific time.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016: VOL 18 NO 4

WHO IS ON TAP

DC’s oolest Taste makers

C Taste M20 akers We never cease to be amazed by the drive and creativity of those

Drink. Dine. Do. 01.16

Top New Bars & Res tauran Innovative ts Bartend

10

ers

+ Caps Player

Nate

Best

Schmidt

Brews

Two Cellos Brewer’s Ball Valentine’s Day

The Greene Burger Stanton & Greene

behind the DMV dining scene. Artisan cocktails, diverse ingredients and stunning design have elevated our collective hospitality experience.

In this issue we toast those that made a big mark in 2015 and look forward to a tasteful 2016. Cheers!

Cover Design: Alanna Sheppard Photo: Scott Suchman, www.suchmanphoto.com

FOUNDER James Currie PUBLISHER Jennifer Currie

jennifer@ontaponline.com

MANAGING EDITOR Adrianne Morris

adrianne@ontaponline.com

EVENTS & PROMOTIONS MANAGER Theresa Converse theresa@ontaponline.com

EVENTS & PROMOTIONS ASSISTANT Tanner Carlton tanner@ontaponline.com

STAFF WRITER Bryce Merlene

bryce@ontaponline.com

DESIGN/LAYOUT Alanna Sheppard Nick Caracciolo

16

22

Playing For Keeps

20 Top New Restaurants

Caps on Valentine’s & Nate Schmidt

Newcomers with staying power

28 10 Best Local Beers Hops worth the hype

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES Nick Hardt nick@ontaponline.com

Tom Roth

tom@ontaponline.com

COLUMNISTS

Alex Benedetto, Jackson Sinnenberg, Jake Emen, Jean Schindler, Jon Kaplan, Marcus Dowling, Monica Alford, Nick Hardt, Tess Ankeny

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Chris Silva

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Adrianne Morris, Cristina O’Connell, Mark Raker, Mark Van Bergh, Brittany Thomas, Alanna Sheppard

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32

34

Brewer’s Ball

Mardi Gras Cocktails

Behind the Bar

Raising hope, one pint at a time

Beyond the Hurricane

Five innovative bartenders

Othello4 Stage & Screen Events5 Glass Menagerie7 Arlington Cinema Drafthouse8

LIFESTYLE & STUFF

EAT & DRINK

20 Top New Restaurants22 The Bierdo27 10 Best Local Beers28 Brewer’s Ball 30 Mardi Gras Cocktails 32 Behind the Bar34

Drink, Dine, Do10

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©2016 by Five O’Clock Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Use or reproduction of any materials contained herein is strictly prohibited without express prior written consent. Log on to www. ontaponline.com for more information.

OFFICES

PLUS STAGE & SCREEN

On Tap Magazine is published eleven times per year.

ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

SPORTS

Capitals Report16 Players Talk Valentines 18

MUSIC

2CELLOS38 DJ Bo40 Music Calendar 42

25 Dove Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 703-465-0500 Fax: 703-465-0400 www.ontaponline.com CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS www.ontaponline.com/events Due by 15th of month for print issue.

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Go buckmild.

This is Henry’s Hard Orange. A new, easy-to-drink adult beverage that packs a delicious little punch. It’s hard, but not too hard, because you have stuff to do tomorrow.

LIVE HARD-ISH. ©2016 Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI * Flavored Malt Beverage

By Monica Alford, Theatre Columnist onno Roberts has made a career of playing the bad guy. This winter, he’s returning to Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) for the second time to play Iago in Othello, perhaps the most notorious villain in Shakespeare’s canon.

The New Zealand native views his role as Iago as a sort of right of passage for playing the bad boys of Shakespeare in the nation’s capital. He played Edmund in STC’s King Lear several years ago opposite Stacy Keach, and is looking forward to coming back as yet another of the Bard’s famous antagonists.

“I will have played two of Shakespeare’s great villains now at the Shakespeare Theatre,” he says. “I think I just have to do Richard III there and I’ll be done.”

Roberts relishes the challenge of showing that the villain isn’t purely one-dimensional; rather, he’s completely human. Plus, he loves to wrestle with the bad guys.

“I have a deep love of finding just how dark I can go on the inside.

I have no need to actually be a murderer myself, but it’s nice to go and find and exercise that little bit of myself that is.”

The actor contends that Iago isn’t pure evil, but instead someone who feels he has been deeply wronged and is therefore motivated to retaliate in the most sinister of ways. Iago spends the tragedy manipulating Othello, a successful and recently married Moorish general, turning him against his new wife and devoted lieutenant.

And to Roberts, it makes sense. He cites a quote from 18th-century poet (and opium addict) Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who referred to Iago as a “motiveless malignity.” The actor’s rebuttal?

“I think that’s complete bullshit. Iago is one of the great revenge characters.”

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On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

Photo courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre

He makes a strong case, too. Roberts says Iago has been passed over for a very important promotion, so his pride has been battered.

“And then he also thinks that this guy has slept with his wife so he decides that, ‘You know what? You f--ed my wife. You f--ed my career. I am going to destroy you.’”

Roberts thinks his focus on humanizing the bad guy is part of what sealed the deal with acclaimed Shakespeare director Ron Daniels, who brought him on board for the production.

Daniels has been credited with revolutionizing and modernizing Shakespeare, and with launching Kenneth Branagh’s career.

Roberts has worked with the director before, and the two truly seem to share a vision for how to present the Bard’s work to audiences.

“He really changed the way we look at Shakespeare,” Roberts says of the director. “Not by dismantling it, but by doing microsurgery on it – by getting to know it better rather than trying to throw away all of our assumptions. He just digs deeper.”

One very unique approach Daniels is taking to STC’s production is in his casting choices, with Pakistani-American actor Faran Tahir playing Othello. Roberts says they’re both trying to hold up a mirror to America with the play, delving into the anti-Muslim sentiment in our country in a very real way.

Social commentary and humanizing the villain are part of the draw for Roberts, but his main reason for performing Shakespeare is quite simple.

“I just think this shit is good. That’s why I do it.”

Catch a performance of Othello at STC’s Sidney Harman Hall from February 23 to March 27. Young Prose Nights for theatergoers under 35 run on March 11 and 23, with $25 tickets and pre- or post-performance libations.

Sidney Harman Hall: 610 F St. NW, DC; 202-547-3230; www.shakespearetheatre.org

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 31 Dishwasher AROUND DC. DC-based conceptual artist Brian Feldman brings back Dishwasher, the most talkedabout and best-reviewed show of the 2015 Capital Fringe Festival, taking place in the home of the ticket Photo Credit: Edward Alan Feldman buyer. At a mutually agreed upon time, Feldman will go to the ticket buyer’s home (must be within five miles of any WMATA Metro station) and hand-wash the dirty dishes in their kitchen sink. Once completed, they will hand him a monologue of their choosing, which he will cold read on the spot. Finally, Feldman will pose a question to them: “Am I a better actor or dishwasher?” After receiving their answer, he will depart their home and post the verdict on social media. One ticket sold per day. Learn more at www.brianfeldman.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 7 Middletown HERNDON, VA. Middletown

by Will Eno runs Thursdays through Sundays until February 7. This deeply moving and funny new play explores the universe of a small American town.

As a friendship develops between longtime resident John Dodge and new arrival Mary Swanson, the lives of the inhabitants of Middletown intersect in strange and poignant ways in a journey that takes them from the local library to outer space and points between.

Next Stop Theatre: 269 Sunset Park Dr. Herndon, VA; 703-4815930; www.nextstoptheatre.org

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27 - 31 Sleeping Beauty NW, DC. American Ballet Theatre (#ABTKenCen) returns to the Kennedy Center Opera House with the DC premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s new staging of Petipa’s beloved classic The Sleeping Beauty, set to the moving score by Pyotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, with choreography by Marius Petipa, and staging and additional choreography by ABT Artist-in-Residence Alexei Ratmansky. This production features scenery and costumes by Tony Award-winning designer Richard Hudson, inspired by Russian painter Léon Bakst’s 1921 designs for Serge Diaghilev’s seminal production for the Ballets Russes, as well as lighting by James F. Ingalls.

Kennedy Center: 2700 F. St NW, DC; 202-467-4600; www.kennedy-center.org

Ignore your emails, turn off your cell phone and leave your ID badge at the office—it’s time to take a night off.

$25 gets you a live performance, an invite to a

YOUNG PROSE NIGHT and a free glass of wine or beer.

The Next YPN will be held for William Shakespeare’s

OTHEllO

Friday, March 11 Wednesday, March 23

Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St. NW) 202.547.1122 option 1 ShakespeareTheatre.org/Prose

Patrons must be 21 years or older. Valid ID required. Some restrictions apply. Subject to availability and cannot be combined with other offers or previously purchased tickets.

www.ontaponline.com | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | ON TAP

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703 D St. NW 202-628-1288 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Promenade #325 202-628-2177

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 - MARCH 6 Washington Jewish Film Festival NW, DC. Held from February 24 to March 6, the largest festival yet will feature 69 films, 150+ screenings and events and an estimated 12,000+ attendees. The festival features a wide range of films that explore gender, migration, the supernatural, Arab citizens of Israel, artists’ lives, and LGBTQ themes. In addition, there will be a number of special events during the festival including the presentation of the WJFF Visionary Award to German actor, painter, writer, and musician Armin Mueller-Stahl, and a talkback featuring former Congressman Barney Frank following a screening of the documentary, “Compared to What? The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank.”

JCC: 1529 16th St. NW, DC; www.dcjcc.org

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26 - APRIL 10

In-Network with most PPO insurances

Your Picture Perfect Summer Starts Here!

TIMBER RIDGE CAMP OPEN HOUSE

The Lion SW, DC. Some stories have to be sung. Writer/ performer Benjamin Scheuer uses his guitar— actually, six guitars— in this wholly-original musical experience that tells a coming-of-age story that Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy “lifts the spirit” (Time Out New York). The award-winning songwriter inspires and disarms with his raw wit and emotional depth as he leads you on a rock and roll journey from boyhood to manhood, through pain and healing, to discover the redemptive power of music. Don’t miss the show New York Daily News calls “an irresistible winner.” Much like its hero, The Lion roars.

Arena Stage: 1101 6th St. SW, DC; 202-554-9066; www.arenastage.org

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Join us at the Kubin’s home for a Timber Ridge information session. Refreshments will be served while you find out what camp is like, get answers to all of your questions and meet Jill Goden, the owner, along with some current camp families. With over 40 different activities, Timber Ridge offer something for everyone!

Sunday, December 13th from 1:00-3:00pm 9137 Penny Bridge Ct. Midlothian, VA 23112

800-258-2267

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For more information or to RSVP contact us at: www.trcamps.com trcamps@aol.com

ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

Art On the ART Bus ARLINGTON, VA. Taking a bus to an art gallery is hardly new. But placing original artwork on a bus to engage Arlington Transit (ART) riders is a decidedly different route. The 15th season of the Art On the ART Bus Mobile Gallery launches with paintings based on the inspiring stories of four Arlington entrepreneurs. A free opening reception takes place from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Parked nearby for the occasion, attendees can tour the bus and hear a brief talk with the artist and curator Cynthia Connolly at 6:15 p.m.

Sehkraft Beer Garden & Haus: 925 N Garfield St. Arlington, VA; 703-841-5839; www.arlingtoneconomicdevelopment.com

By Monica Alford Photo courtesy of Ford’s Theatre

wo of the DC area’s most versatile actors are joining forces as siblings with a deeply loving yet complex relationship in The Glass Menagerie at Ford’s Theatre from January 22 to February 21.

Tom Story and Jenna Sokolowski star as Tom and Laura Wingfield in Ford’s production of this classic that launched the successful career of Tennessee Williams as one of the great American playwrights of the 20th century. The Glass Menagerie is the first Williams’ play to be produced at Ford’s, with director Mark Ramont focusing the lens on the unshakable bond between Tom and Laura.

The memory play opens with Tom, who reminisces with the audience about his complicated dynamic with Laura and their mother Amanda, played by Madeleine Potter. For Story (who had this reviewer in stitches during Arena Stage’s recent production of Oliver! as the hilarious, slinking Mr. Sowerberry), the concept of portraying the memory of a character is particularly intriguing because he first played Tom nearly a decade ago.

“It’s interesting because it’s a play about memory and I have a memory of the play,” Story says. “I wanted to see what it would be directeddirected by MarkbyRamont directed byMark MarkRamont Ramont like to do the play again as a man really looking back on his life.”

Sokolowski is embracing her role with a fresh perspective, navigating the nuanced intricacies of her character’s ability to express her feelings and relate to her brother. The local actress (memorable to this reviewer as the immensely entertaining and slightly ditzy Phyllis in last fall’s comedic The Shoplifters at Arena), notes that part of what makes the play so relatable is the universal 35 Night!

February 10 at 7:30 theme of the human struggle to remain positive during hard times. Under Under 35 February 1010atp.m.

Under 35Night!

Night!

February at7:30 7:30p.m. p.m. * * Code Under35 | http://bit.ly/Under35Night She also credits Ramont with the production’s relevancy, and Get $20* Get Tickets with Tickets Get$20 $20 Ticketswith withCode CodeUnder35 Under35| http://bit.ly/Under35Night | http://bit.ly/Under35Night describes his directing approach as unique and in his own voice. Stay Late and Enjoy a Complimentary Drink after the Show Stay StayLate Lateand andEnjoy Enjoya aComplimentary ComplimentaryDrink Drinkafter afterthe theShow Show “It feels very modern,” Story agrees. “It doesn’t feel like a museum Event Media Partner: | Beverage Partner: Event Media Partner: | Beverage Partner: Event Media Partner: | Beverage Partner: piece in any way. You’re going to have a chance to see a classic of additional fees will apply. *If purchased through Ticketmaster, additional feesfees willwill apply. *If Ticketmaster, purchased through Ticketmaster, additional apply. the American theater done in a very immediate, contemporary *If purchased through way in a historic American theater. There’s something about those two things happening at once that feels like an event to me.”

Tickets to The Glass Menagerie start at $20, and Ford’s offers discounted tickets and complimentary libations during Under 35 Night on February 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 22-Feb.21 Jan. 22-Feb.21 Jan. 22-Feb.21

www.fords.org www.fords.org www.fords.org

Ford’s Theatre: 511 10th St. NW, DC; 202-347-4833; www.fords.org

Tickets: (800)(800) 982-2787 Tickets: 982-2787 Tickets: (800) 982-2787

Photo of Jenna Sokolowski and Tom Storyand by Scott Suchman.

Photo of Jenna Sokolowski Tom Story by by Scott Suchman.

Photo of Jenna Sokolowski and Tom Story Scott Suchman. www.ontaponline.com | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | ON TAP

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Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204 703-486-2345 ArlingtonDrafthouse.com

Live Comedy!

Emo Philips January 29-30

Greg Fitzsimmons February 5-6

Tommy Johnagin James Adomian February 12-13

Sarah Tiana

February 19-20

February 19

Dan Soder

February 26-27

Visit our website for full list of Showtimes & Events!

5 $ 2 $

8

Cool Cow

Comedy Showcase in The Green Room See website for dates!

Movie Nights Mondays & Tuesdays!

On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

Best Week Ever with Greg Fitzsimmons

There’s something oddly familiar about comedian Greg Fitzsimmons.

It could be his numerous one line zingers through his gap toothed grin while pointing finger guns (pow pow) at the camera insulting celebrities on his five years commentating on VH1’s show Best Week Ever. Or it could be his sensational maroon velvet smoking jacket attired, cue card clutching host duties of one of my fave short lived MTV series Idiot Savants somewhere back in 1997, possibly the best year ever of my high school. Nahhhh, he and Kurt Loder can’t still be alive, can they? Well, not only is he a “comedy savant,” but his career and most certainly his body (and the Lode-ster too!) are still kicking as a full-time stand-up comedian and television writer/producer. As his bio states, he’s a “regular guest on The Howard Stern Show, Chelsea Lately, The Adam Carolla Show, and The Joe Rogan Experience. His 2011 book, Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons, received critical praise from NPR and Vanity Fair. As a writer, Greg won four Daytime Emmy Awards on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He also worked on HBO’s Lucky Louie, Politically Incorrect w/ Bill Maher and served as head writer on The Chelsea Handler Show, The Man Show, and Tiny Tonight.” Not too shabby, Greg. Please wear that jacket and regale us during The Best Week Ever February 5 and 6 for three shows.

Who the heck is Tommy Johnagin?

I’ll be the first to admit that I had no idea who comedian Tommy Johnagin was, but if I wrote about everyone we already knew of life would be very boring at On Tap. So here’s the skinny on a comedic diamond in the rough. Kids meet Tommy J. He has hairy arms and glasses like Tina Fey on 30 Rock, but his jokes are like his three-day stubble on his promos shots, they can get a little dark and hairy. He’s an up-and-coming comedic virtuoso, though as Tommy says, “I have been touring 45 to 50 weeks a year for about 11 years now.” So needless to say, he’s paid his dues as an autobiographical storytelling comedian, and pretty soon, if his CBS pilot he just landed takes off, you’ll be seeing a lot more of him on the boob tube. Also, it must be noted on his website that there is an adorable kitten with a cast on, which either means he’s got a sensitive side or is an absolute morbid kitten-hating antagonist bastard …or both. #justsaying. It could be a show of stories about being a dad, kitten bashing, or his epic travels so expect the unexpected! He’s been on Conan, Letterman, and in 2010, he finished second on Last Comic Standing. I’ve only personally been in an ending clip of the Real World DC season 23 (true story). Touché Tommy J, touché. Catch him Feb, 12 to 13.

Arlington Drafthouse: 903 Columbia Pike, Arlington VA; 703-486-2345; www.arlingtondrafthouse.com

GW LISNER AND PROGRAM BOARD PRESENT

FROM COMEDY CENTRAL’S WORKAHOLICS, ABC’S MODERN FAMILY, AND PITCH PERFECT

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13

ADAM Devine

Adam Devine

Comedian Adam Devine makes his Lisner Auditorium debut!

Devine starred in the Universal comedy Pitch Perfect, which follows the competitive world of collegiate a cappella. He can also be seen in his scene-stealing reoccurring guest star role as a nanny in ABC’s Modern Family. He currently voices the character of Pizza Steve on Cartoon Network’s Uncle Grandpa, and Boone on Disney’s upcoming animated show Penn Zero. Devine is also a part of Mail Order Comedy, a sketch comedy group with years of touring and producing history. They are the creators of Workaholics and Adam Devine’s House Party, now in its 3rd season on Comedy Central.

Lisner Auditorium: 730 21st St. NW, DC; www.lisner.gwu.edu

Saturday

8 pm

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

FEB 13 Visit lisner.gwu.edu or call 202.994.6800 for more information or to purchase tickets.

FACEBOOK.COM/GWLISNER

YOUTUBE.COM/GWLISNER

@GWLISNER

@GWLISNER

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

PINTEREST.COM/GWLISNER LISN_1516_3

EVENTS AND CATERING

FOOTBALL menu Enjoy our Game Day Specials Every Monday & Thursday Night along with ALL Day on Sunday!

15 $ 10 $ 7 $

Let us bring our neighborhood restaurant to you!!

Our food truck is different as we’ll customize our menu to you!

For menus and more information, visit www.tortoiseandhare.events, email info@tortoiseandhare.events or call us on (703) 979-1872.

Coors Light Pitchers Coors Light Buckets

$

5

· Buffalo Chicken Dip · Soft Pretzel Sticks · Chili Nachos · Loaded French Fries · Pepperoni Flatbread

Texas Wings

Cadillac Ranch National Harbor • 301.839.1100 186 Fleet Street, National Harbor, MD 20745 www.ontaponline.com | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | ON TAP

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Did You Know?

Physicians in the 1800s used to prescribe patients a dose of chocolate to cure the pangs of lost love.

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If you’re single, you can skip Valentine’s Day and celebrate Singles Awareness Day (SAD) instead.

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4 The lowest recorded temperature in DC is −15 °F set on February 11, 1899.

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More than nine million pet owners are expected to buy gifts for their pets this Valentine’s Day (right after they finish planning their dog’s wedding).

5

The phrase “Happy New Year” in Chinese is “Gung Hei Fat Choi” or “May You Have Good Fortune.”

The coldest presidential Inauguration Day was Ronald Reagan’s on January 21, 1985. The noon temperature was 7°F.

7 This year, Chinese New Year will celebrate the Year of the Monkey. The monkey is a clever animal. It is usually compared to a smart person.

8 On Mardi Gras, if you see someone pick beads up off the floor this is considered a breach of etiquette and therefore all present must take a drink.

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9 You can order an Obituary Cocktail for Mardi Gras. This morbid drink comes from Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop in NOLA, which some argue is America’s oldest bar. The Obituary starts as a gin martini, but features a half jigger of absinthe or Pernod.

ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

10 Masks are required by law for Mardi Gras float riders. It’s illegal to ride on a float without a mask because the purpose of the mask is to get rid of social constraints for the day.

Valentine’s & President’s Day!

$35

/couple

Join us February 12-15 for our 3-course, prix fixe dinner! Come get cozy by our fireplace and enjoy!

WEEKLY SPECIALS Monday $14.95 Rib Special 5-10pm

Tuesday 1/2 Price Burgers - Trivia 4-9pm

Wednesday 40¢ Wings 4-close

Thursday Steak Night 5-9pm

Sunday Brunch Special!

10am - 3pm

713 KING ST. ALEXANDRIA, VA 7035481717

MONDAY, JANUARY 25 - 31 Winter Restaurant Week WASHINGTON, DC. This biannual event invites diners to experience Washington’s top restaurants at an affordable price point. As an added bonus, some restaurants including Ambar, Ardeo+Bardeo, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar and Sushiko Chevy Chase will be extending their offerings through February 7 allowing more time to enjoy the winter savings.

Various Locations: www.ramw.org/ restaurantweek

MONDAY, JANUARY 25 - 31 Sour Week NW, DC. Enjoy a menu of 10 sours hand-picked by Greg Engert. Standouts like Crooked Stave St. Bretta Clementine, Stilllwater Gose Gone Wild and The Bruery Rueuze will be featured.

The sour selections will be available a la carte or--better yet -- in flights of 3, 5 or 10 with charcuterie pairings like Tete a Pho Pig Head Terrine, Thai Basil Bresaola, and 20 month-aged Saddleback Spalla. The flights will range from $20 to $60.

The Partisan: 709 D St. NW, DC; www.thepartisandc.com www.ontaponline.com | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | ON TAP

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 26 Tap into The Force NW, DC. “Tap into the Force” with 3 Stars Brewery for a Star Wars Happy Hour and Film Viewing Event! $25 entry fees includes a 3 Stars Brewery Flight & a ticket to see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

City Taphouse: 901 9th St. NW, DC; www.citytaphousedc.com

you through the styles and raise a pint.

Meridian Pint: 3400 11th St. NW, DC; www.meridianpint.com

bills and establishing an education fund for her infant son.

Fair Winds Brewing: Suite K and L, 7000 Newington Rd., Lorton, VA; www.fairwindsbrewing.com

drink popular throughout Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

EatsPlace: 3607 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; www.eatsplace.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 FEBRUARY 7 Strong Ale Tasting NW, DC. A sampling of “at least” 12 breweries and their remarkable strong brews. For over a quarter of a century this has been the easiest, cheapest, and most fun way to meet the region’s best brewmasters and taste their rare, special, seasonal offerings! Tickets are $40($30 if ordered before the New Year) available @ lovethebeer.com.

RFD: 810 7th St. NW, DC; www.lovethebeer.com Devils Backbone Collaboration Debut NW, DC. For the 2016 pack, DBB reached out to five brewing friends to help them craft a collaboration adventure including: the hop-centric NoDa Brewing Company from Charlotte, NC; Sun King Brewery from Indianapolis, IN; Surly Brewing Company from Minneapolis, MN; Thunder Road Brewing Company, Australia; and Wicked Weed from Asheville, NC. Devils Backbone Brewmaster Jason Oliver will be on hand to share stories on the brew days, talk

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Alexandria Restaurant Week ALEXANDRIA, VA. More than 60 restaurants will be offering either a $35 prix-fixe threecourse dinner or a $35 dinner for two. New this year, more than two dozen restaurants are also offering lunch specials at $10, $15 or $20 per person.

Various Locations: www.visitalexandriava.com

An Evening of Barrel-Aged Beers and Wines SE, DC. An evening of barrelaged beers and wines. Forget shiny tanks, these potables were produced in wooden vessels such as bourbon, brandy or rum barrels. The barrels provide the ales with a complex depth of flavor unattainable in any other fermentor. One of the wines we are pouring has been aged in stainless steel tanks and one has been barrel-aged. Let’s see if you can tell the difference.

Hill Center: 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, DC; www.hillcenterdc.org

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 Kerri’s Cure Release Party LORTON, VA. Join 20 Virginia breweries as they release Kerri’s Cure, a Belgian pale ale brewed in memory of Kerri Rose, brewer at Forge Brew Works who recently passed away due to stage four stomach cancer. All proceeds from this beer will go to assist her family in paying medical

ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 Hello, Toli Moli. A Burmese Dessert Pop-Up NW, DC. During this one-time special event and company launch, Washingtonians will be the first to taste Toli Moli’s three distinct flavors of falooda, a layered dessert

DC Record Fair NW, DC. Penn Social happily welcomes back the DC Record Fair for a new Winter Edition.

DJs, Drinks, Dealers. All are welcome! Search for old classics and new chart toppers alike. They’ll have it all. Big thanks to Vinyl District, Som Records, & DC Soul Recordings for putting this awesome event together. And a big thanks to you, the DC music fan, for coming out.

Penn Social: 801 E St. NW, DC; www.pennsocialdc.com

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3 Talking Backwards Triple IPA Release NW, DC. Adrien and Mike at Ocelot spent considerable time and energy writing a tricky recipe. We wanted the beer to be big (around 10.8%) and with enormous hop flavor and aroma, but also maintain a sense of crispness and dryness so often lost in hoppy beers at this ABV. Meridian Pint: 3400 11th St. NW, DC; www.meridianpint.com

THURSDAY, FEB. 4 - 6 Crystal Couture CRYSTAL CITY, VA. The DC area’s hottest fashion show and high-end bargain retail

pop-up sale returns to Crystal City! The Show & Sale brings 50 of the area’s most stylish boutiques, designers, and fashion retailers under one roof. This one-stop shopping experience lets guests browse discounted offerings on the rack AND on the runway while enjoying sips from the bar, free five-minute make-up and hair makeovers, chats with fashion consultants, and music from DJ Neekola.

Crystal City Shops: 2001 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Suite 505, Arlington, VA; www.crystalcity.org

Tuesday, Feb. 9 The Ultimate Crooked Stave Tap Takeover NW, DC. Enjoy no less than a dozen different draft offerings from one of the most exciting US Craft Brewers - Crooked Stave Artisan Ale Project out of Denver, Colorado! Recently, Crooked Stave has begun exclusively shipping their brews to the Neighborhood

Restaurant Group for DC, and for this event Beer Director Greg Engert has amassed the largest single tapping of Crooked Stave drafts in the Mid-Atlantic!

Churchkey: 1337 14th St. NW, DC; www.churchkeydc.com

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras Party NW, DC. Celebrate Mardi Gras and enjoy authentic rhythm and blues menu, Cajun food all day! Plus clowns, fire-eaters, stilt-walkers and more.

Black Rooster Pub: 1919 L St. NW, DC; www.blackroosterpub.com Mardi Gras Blowout Bash NW, DC. Acadiana will celebrate Mardi Gras with a blow out bash in its bar, lounge and patio areas (with heaters). Guests will literally feast like it’s Fat Tuesday on signature carnival appetizers ranging from Mini Muffalettas to Deviled Eggs, set to the tunes of a live New Orleans-

style jazz band. The main dining room will offer the full menu a la carte and drink and food specials at the bar.

Acadiana: 901 New York Ave. NW, DC; www.acadianarestaurant.com Abita Mardi Gras Blowout NW, DC. Enjoy an all-you-caneat buffet from 5 - 10 p.m. for $30. Abita Mardi Boc and Purple Haze will be on draft.

Look for Abita reps giving away door prizes all night, live music on the patio from 11a.m. - 4 p.m. and on the stage from 5 - 11 p.m.

Bayou on Penn: 2519 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; www.bayouonpenn.com Bayou Gras Block Party NW, DC. Now at 9th and Pennsylvania, this will continue to be an event of epic proportions. This year will include a live band and huge party tents sprawling across the Hill Center campus. From 6-9 p.m., guests will enjoy authentic N’awlins grub and

“Krewe de Booze” N’awlinsstyle Sips (3 cocktails from a choice selection- $25) will be created by “Mixtress” Gina Chersevani at her very own pop up bar, and “Krewe de Brewe” Abita Amber (three Abita draft beers - $15) flow all night in complimentary Mardi Gras souvenir cups.

Bayou Bakery: 1515 N Courthouse Rd., Arlington, VA; www.bayoubakerydc.com Crawfish Eating Contest Celebrate Fat Tuesday with a Crawfish eating contest at Hot ‘n’ Juicy Crawfish in DC or northern Virginia. Festivities will be kicking off at 6:30pm at both locations. Everyone is welcome to come enjoy the contest and Mardi Gras celebration. Special offers on crawfish include “buy 1 lb get 2nd 1/2 off”. There will be beer specials all day at both locations. DC will be having $1 beers and VA $2 beer specials.

Prizes for the contest are: 1st prize $200 gift card, 2nd prize $100 gift card, 3rd prize $50

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gift card.

Hot ‘n’ Juicy Crawfish: 2651 Connecticut Ave., NW, DC 116 W Broad St. Falls Church, VA; www.Hotnjuicycrawfish.com

CAJUN FOOD SPECIALS ALL DAY & NIGHT

Muffalattas • Jamalaya • Gumbo • Shrimp Ettoufee

22oz Hurricanes!

PERFORMING King Soul & Lyric DJ, Ken Dawg Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

1919 L Street NW DC • 202-659-4431 • twitter.com/blackroosterpub

ARLINGTON’S NEWEST IRISH BAR!

Happy Hour Mon-Fri 3-7PM food & drink specials, daily lunch & nightly specials, check website for details, $5 burger/fries all day Monday’s

EPL SOCCER, NFL PLAYOFF SPECIALS Live Music Fridays & Saturdays Feb 7th

The BIG GAME Party Free Admission on our 7 Large Flat Screens. Food & Drink specials in our cozy Columbia Pike location!

Saturday & Sunday brunch 10AM (Buffet brunch served Sundays)

THE CELTIC HOUSE

Irish Pub & Restaurant

Open 3PM Mon-Fri; 10:30AM Sat & Sun

2500 Columbia Pike | Arlington | (703) 746-9644 | TheCelticHouse.net

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Mardi Gras Parade & Ball CLARENDON, VA. This ticketed event will feature the 8ohm Band and Yomomanem, plus a King and Queen “Kiss in Clarendon” photo contest.

Expect two kinds of gumbo, hot beignets, and a variety of beverages. Parade participants can get discounted tickets.

Contest winners (to paraphrase A Christmas Story) will win valuable prizes.

Clarendon Ballroom: 3185 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA; www.clarendonballroom.com

Friday, Feb. 12 Lover’s Delight NE, DC. The soda fountain often plays a role in fanning the flame of love and so does Mixtress Gina Chersevani.

She’ll be offering a limitedtime stroll down lovers lane with cocktail tastings Friday to Sunday for Valentine’s Day. Buffalo & Bergen: 1309 5th St. NE, DC; www.buffalobergendc.com

Saturday, Feb. 13 Cupid’s Undie Run NW, DC. This February, help put the hilarity in charity with hundreds of crazed runners taking to the streets to raise funds for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. You’ll be a part of something great. Last year Cupid’s raised over $3.5 million to #EndNF. Cupid’s is a party + one mile fun run at your own pace + more party.

They encourage undies, but get that it’s not for everyone – so just come out and have fun and raise some money for NF research! www.cupidsundierun.com

Saturday, February 13 Casino Night TYSONS CORNER, VA. The 20th Anniversary of Joker’s Wild Casino Night will offer 250 guests from the Metro DC area the opportunity to try their luck at roulette, blackjack, poker and craps, and to enjoy an evening filled with drinks, buffet dining, dancing and an exciting silent and live auction.

Hilton McLean: 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA; www.dccasinonight.eventscff.org

Saturday, February 13 -14 We Heart Cheese: Chocolate, Cheese & Baller Bubbly NE, DC. February is not just for lovers, it’s for Cheese Lovers!

And what pairs better with cheese than elegant, bubbly wine? Enjoy some extraspecial, extra-fancy bottles of Champagne that you just can’t find by the glass anywhere else. Paired with unique, artisanal cheeses & chocolates - including handmade chocolate truffles from CoCo Sala, hand-dipped chocolate figs and more - this line-up is an extraordinary way to spend Valentine’s Day and makes a great gift.

Righteous Cheese: 1309 5th St. NE, DC; www.righteouscheese.com

Sunday, February 14 Black As Your Heart Valentine’s Dinner NW, DC. This Anti-Valentine’s Day celebration will feature porters and stouts as black as your heart on over 40 draft lines. Excite your taste buds with a $45 per person three course dinner with an optional beer flight pairing of porters and stouts for $15.

City Taphouse: 901 9th St. NW, DC; www.citytaphousedc.com

Saturday, February 20 Japanese Whiskey Class NW, DC. Grow your culinary and beverage skills with Chef Matsuzaki and Lead Barkeep Matt Allred. Every third Saturday of each month they will bestow their tools and techniques to you for an afternoon of hands on learning. Tie on a customized Zentan apron, grab a chef’s knife or a bar spoon, and let your creative self go to work. Class includes a Zentan apron, class takeaways, bites from Chef Matsuzaki, or Sake tastings from Allred.

Zentan: 1155 14th St. NW, DC; www.zentanrestaurant.com

Saturday, February 20 - 21 Travel and Adventure Show NW, DC. This show is where travel lovers come for travel inspiration, expert information and fun, cultural interaction.

It’s where you’ll discover thousands of authentic travel experiences and speak directly to the travel experts who can get you there, give you the inside scoop, and save you money on exclusive travel deals.

Washington Convention Center: 801 Mount Vernon Pl. NW, DC; www.travelshows.com

Saturday, February 20 - 22 PortCityBrew COLOSSAL V Bottle Release ALEXANDRIA, VA. For the first time, a Port City anniversary beer will be released in bottles! COLOSSAL V is a rich full-bodied ale that hews close to the English tradition of old ales, with a dark mahogany color accentuated by ruby highlights. Flavors of toffee and dried fruit are complemented by a subtle hop presence. This beer is specifically crafted for cellaring for months or even years. Four packs will cost $20

and include a limited edition commemorative glass. This is the only way to purchase COLOSSAL V four packs at the bottle release; a very limited number of COLOSSAL V four packs will be sold at the brewery and select retailers after February 21st.

Port City Brewing: 3950 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria, VA; www.portcitybrewing.com

Wednesday, February 24 Kabong Triple IPA Launch BALLSTON, VA. Be there for the launch of Kabong Triple IPA, a brand new limited seasonal from our friends at Devils Backbone. Clocking in at 11.1% and 111 IBUs, this monstrous brew is bursting with Simcoe & Centennial, as well as a third secret hop!

Those of you who attended Novemberfest will remember this limited batch brew, as we poured the first prototype batch of Kabong and try the final product.

Rustico: 4075 Wilson Blvd.

Arlington, VA; www.rusticorestaurant.com

Saturday, February 27 Suits & Boots VA. You’re probably thinking, “Why would I ever wear a swimsuit in February?” Don’t worry folks, Topgolf has heated and covered bays so you can play all year long.

You’ve heard the stories, now experience the legendary party for yourself. Suits & Boots is the official blowout of winter, unleashing swimwear across the hallowed grounds of Topgolf with a grand prize trip to Topgolf Las Vegas up for grabs! Bring it on, Mother Nature! It all goes down from 8-11 p.m. Check-in desk opens at 7:30 p.m.

Two Locations: 6625 S Van Dorn St, Alexandria, VA and 20356, Commonwealth Center Dr., Ashburn, VA; www.topgolf.com

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www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap

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Nate � d i m h c S

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omething very special is happening with the Washington Capitals this season. The team has been on fire since its first game, and is on pace for an astounding 120 points or more by season’s end.

While excited about the team’s prospects heading to the playoffs, the fan base has also reason to be leery after experiencing heartbreaking finishes year after year.

However, there is a wholly different feeling for this Capitals team. They play shutdown defensive hockey seemingly at will, they intimidating opponents with size and snarl. Opponents fall behind a couple goals and seem resigned to defeat because goaltender Braden Holtby has been that good.

Capitals teams in recent years have always been an offensive threat, but fans seem unanimous in the consensus that this is the most cohesive, complete unit they have seen. Ever.

“We’re a team that’s not taking anything for granted right now,” says defenseman Nate Schmidt. “We have an unbelievable group in the lockerroom. It’s a real team-first mentality.”

In his third year with Washington, Schmidt has really come into his own and established himself as a regular in the lineup. He personifies the depth, character, and resiliency of this team, filling in more than capably while veterans John Carlson and Brooks Orpik have missed significant time with injuries.

Schmidt was signed as a free agent by the Capitals in April 2013 after shining at the collegiate level at the University of Minnesota.

After spending his first couple of seasons in and out of the lineup, Schmidt has stepped up his game and impressed fans so much that many consider him a top-four defenseman, even after Carlson and Orpik return for regular duty.

“I talked with Coach [Barry] Trotz about what it takes to be an everyday player, and having the confidence to go and make the plays I know I could make,” Schmidt says. He also praised assistant coach Todd Reirden for being helpful with polishing his overall game. This is Reirden’s first year with the Caps, but he spent the four previous seasons as an assistant with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins

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ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

Photos courtesy Washington Capitals

where he worked closely with their defensemen and power-play unit, including current Capitals Orpik and Matt Niskanen.

Reirden, a former player himself, has helped Schmidt stay positive while stressing the finer points of being a solid defenseman.

“He’s worked with some really good defensemen over the years,” Schmidt tells On Tap. “And he’s really pushed me along and helped me find my niche.”

Bench boss Trotz has brought a disciplined structure to the team in just his second year as coach that has not been seen in Washington in recent memory. He has been able to develop young prospects like Schmidt and his defense partner Dmitry Orlov while getting the mainstays and veteran newcomers like T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams to buy into the system.

Perhaps foremost, Trotz has gotten superstar and team captain Alex Ovechkin to lead the other players in becoming one of the better teams in hockey at two-way play, meaning they skate and forecheck relentlessly to be just as effective on defense as they are on offense.

Ovechkin is still putting up his usual spectacular numbers, and attained an esteemed and extremely rare feat when he recorded his 500th career goal on January 10 against the Ottawa Senators.

Personal achievements aside, Ovechkin and his teammates are well-aware that records and the regular season is meaningless once the playoffs arrive.

As of mid-January, the Capitals were a league-best 34-8-3 with 71 points. The next closest team was the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference with 64 points, and they had just surged up standings with a hot streak. The Capitals were picked by many experts before the season to make it to the Stanley Cup finals, and that pick seems legitimate so far.

Most importantly, throughout their trouncing of opponents this year, this Capitals team has evoked an air of confidence that is unmistakable. They wholeheartedly recognize and believe that they are an elite force; that they are a team that is immune to the gaffes and pratfalls that have plagued Capitals teams of the past.

“We enjoy being around each other each and every day,” Schmidt said. “We have something special brewing here. I think

the goal is to bring some hardware back to DC.” Hardware in individual categories seems inevitable this year, as Trotz, Holtby and Ovechkin are all early favorites for awards.

However, the ultimate hardware, of course, is the Stanley Cup. After all the years of anguish and despair, the soul-crushing defeats and hollow endings, the thoroughness with which this team dispatches foes simply cannot be ignored.

These Capitals are simply radiant. Moreover, they are on a mission to reach the Stanley Cup finals.

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To learn more about the Capitals visit www.capitals.nhl.com and follow them on Twitter (@washcaps) and Facebook (@WashingtonCapitals.)

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It is only fitting that in the middle of what could be the most successful regular season in the history of the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin reached a momentous milestone. On January 10, the captain ripped a shot past Ottawa goaltender Andrew Hammond to score the 500th goal of his extraordinary career.

Ovechkin became the first Russian-born player to reach the 500-goal mark, and the 43rd player overall. The Great Eight was also the fifth-fastest ever to hit 500, having gotten there in his 801st game. Only Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, and Mario Lemieux – all Hall of Famers – reached the plateau faster.

The Capitals are enjoying a tremendous regular season, having led the NHL in points as of mid-January. The team is hungry for playoff success after years of early exits, and fans and experts feel this team could legitimately challenge for the Stanley Cup. That Ovechkin was able to record his 500th goal only adds to the mystique the Capitals team is building this year.

Ovechkin also notched his 501st goal later that night against Ottawa, and later that week was awarded a golden stick in a brief ceremony at the Verizon Center. Having achieved so many individual goals already, expect Ovechkin’s intensity to only increase as the team ramps up its chase for the Cup. Ovechkin leads the NHL in power-play and game-winning goals and points since entering the NHL at the beginning of the 20052006 season.

䬀䤀䌀䬀ⴀ伀䘀䘀 kick-off 䘀䄀䰀䰀 䄀吀 䌀䠀䄀䴀倀倀匀 Winter at champps

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WASHINGTON

CAPITALS

Players told On Tap their best gifts ever received, the best give to give and their favorite Valentine’s Day memories.

alentine’s Day

By Nick Hardt and Theresa Converse

Photos courtesy Washington Capitals

#77 T.J. Oshie

#90 Marcus Johansson

#19 Nicklas Backstrom

#88 Nate Schmidt

Valentine’s Day & Best Gift I proposed in early February and married my wife on February 5th. So that’s our special day/ Valentine’s. Valentine’s Day these days is more for our little girl, spoiling her and such. But dinner and movie, maybe a spa day is good gift to give.

Valentine’s Day & Best Gift Never really celebrated Valentine’s Day in Sweden - sounds like an interesting holiday. I got a box of chocolates once here - who doesn’t like chocolate, so I’d say chocolates is the best gift!

On Best Gift I’ve got to come up with something good this year (since I don’t have plans) - Oshie’s dinner and a movie idea sound good to me though!

Best Gift An old high school girlfriend gave me this awesome tempurpedic bed pillow—still have it from my junior year of high school. Super comfy!

#25 Jason Chimera

#27 Karl Alzner

#46 Michael Lat ta

On Valentine’s Day Every day is Valentine’s Day with my wife—I don’t need one day to show her love—I show her she’s special every day.

Best Gift My wife (then girlfriend) gave me a huge 2 foot tall Valentine’s Day card—I still have it to this day.

On Valentine’s Day I’m single. I’m open to suggestions. I spent last Valentine’s Day at a bar lol.

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On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

#10 Mike Richards On Best Gift to Give Flowers and chocolates. You can’t go wrong with those!

HAPPY HOUR

Monday - Friday, 4-7pm $5 local drafts, specialty cocktails, select wines

FADÓ BY NIGHT

Wednesdays Crafty Hour Thursdays Danny Burns rocking the pub has become a new DC favorite.

Saturdays Live Bands for craicing mix of drinking and dancing.

#9 Dmitry Orlov

#31 Phillip Grubauer

On Best Gift to Give Flowers! I always have flowers for my girlfriend.

On Best Gift A surprise visit from my girlfriend from Germany.

#49 Stanislav Galiev

#65 Andre Burakovsky

On Best Gift to Give A great dinner - food is the way to a woman’s heart.

On Best Gift to Give Currently single, but I used to always do flowers, always.

#92 Evgeny Kuznetsov

#2 Mat t Niskanen

On Valentine’s Day I play hockey—love my wife— she knows!

On Best Gift Can’t go wrong with a dinner and a movie!

#21 Brooks Laich

#78 Braden Holtby

On Best Gift My fiancé (now wife) had just bought a new home that day and it was empty with just boxes, she surprised me on our first Valentine’s Day in the new place with candles and a romantic dinner. There was no furniture, just us in an empty house sharing a special dinner together. That’s my best memory.

On Valentine’s Day We’re on the road a lot, so we spend most holidays away from our families traveling. We usually only get Christmas off as far as holidays go. So, flowers are the way to go for me and we celebrate in our own way when I get back. My wife is very understanding.

Visit our website for Late Night Drink Specials and music lineup.

VALENTINES DAY Red light green light party 2/13

RUGBY 6 NATIONS

We will be showing every Rugby 6 nations game live

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Join us on Feb 14th and celebrate being single!

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Host your corporate event, party or happy hour with us & enjoy our catering menu. No booking fees! Call 703.812.0939.

O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub - your local Irish Pub of Clarendon 3207 Washington Blvd., Arlington - 703-812-0939 Visit us at www.osullivansirishpub.com

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On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

By Jean Schinder, New & Notable Columnist

n the DC restaurant scene, 2015 was the Year of Hype.

Celebrity chefs! Crowdfunding!

Glamorous dining rooms! In some cases, the hype was undercut with food poisoning. In others, the wild excess of expectations made perfectly good restaurants seem like let-downs.

Only a few weathered the storms of confetti and hysteria to emerge with their dignity entirely intact.

When the confetti cleared, the biggest trend of the year wasn’t even edible – it was crowdfunding. Whether to launch a concept or bolster a rapidly shrinking construction budget, restauranteurs turned en masse to small investors to get the show on the road.

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In fact, none of the most interesting restaurant trends in 2015 is about food. Everyone knows veg are trendy.

Everyone knows kimchi is hot. But what about the remarkably transformative effects of a good restaurant? Whether it was Nido putting still-underserved Woodbridge on the map, or Earls Kitchen + Bar redefining our expectations about chains, restaurants transcended their fork-to-mouth influence and solidified their status as economic engines, aesthetic tastemakers, and culture shifters.

And finally, 2015 was a year of angles – everyone had their take on a niche detail. Whether it was making vermouth in-house, or identifying a

ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

menu of regionally-sourced recipes, DC’s restaurateurs took their creativity down into the details.

Of course ultimately, the question this column wants to answer is this: If you strip away the hype, the crowdfunding excitement, the economic potential, the funny homemade liquor on tap – would you still eat at a white-hot restaurant?

If no one had ever tweeted about it, if no one ever instagrammed it, and you didn’t know the mixologist’s name – would you still drink at a trendy bar?

Stripping out those tantalizing nothings, this is my very subjective list – in alphabetical order – of DC’s best openings of 2105.

BAD SAINT

See all these lines in DC? Blame Georgetown Cupcake for starting the trend. Now, no restaurant is truly hype-worthy without one. But what’s even more important than a line? A Kickstarter campaign: the intimate, drool-worthy Filipino restaurant got to opening day with the help of 280 backers. Bad Saint survived intense hype and anticipation (ameliorated, perhaps, by the owners’ multiple attempts to lower expectations), and now we’re eagerly learning to pronounce a new menu of amazing foods we barely knew existed before.

Bad Saint: 3226 11th St. NW, DC; www.badsaintdc.com

CHAIA

Here’s the latest in restaurant business plans: get into a food incubator (in this case, Union Kitchen’s first class), develop a farmer’s market following that is impossible to satisfy, and when the lines get too ridiculous, commit to a bricks-andmortar location. Done. Chaia got in the habit of serving over 200 vegetarian tacos an hour at the White House and Dupont farmers markets, and then rode the shoulders of popular opinion (and a few angel funders) to a Georgetown storefront. The hype is real.

Chaia: 3207 Grace St. NW, DC; 202-333-5222; www.chaiadc.com

BAR CIVITA

The Woodley Park Metro station hosts one of DC’s few neighborhoods not yet on the foodie scene, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got a lovely table on the terrace and was brought a lovely cocktail. My companion that afternoon, an unpleasant ex, momentarily became a better person under the bar’s spell. Here’s hoping Bar Civita represents transformative times ahead for the entire neighborhood.

Bar Civita: 2609 24th St. NW, DC; 202-588-1211; www.barcivita.com

BEEFSTEAK

Jose Andres revealed why he is paid the big bucks when he showed that he can still get out in front of the trends and make them tasty. veg-centric, fast, and casual alluring enough to tempt carnivores? You would have been laughed out of DC a decade ago for suggesting it.

Beefsteak: 22nd and I St. NW, DC; 202-296-1421; www.beefsteakveggies.com

Pasta is made from scratch at Centrolina. (image courtesy of Centrolina’s website)

CENTROLINA

For some understated, salmonella-free glamor, I slip into Centrolina via the market door, peruse pricey shelves, and sometimes actually buy something (a can of San Marzano tomatoes was surprisingly priced on my last visit). Then I settle into a seat at the sleek marble bar for an early happy hour and some antipasti, before the crowds show up, and quietly thank the Qataris for transforming a former DC-NYC bus staging zone into the Beverly Hills of DC. Centrolina: 974 Palmer Alley, DC; 202-898-2426; www.centrolinadc.com

The Old Fashioned Bar at Earls (Image courtesy of Earls Kitchen + Bar)

EARLS KITCHEN + BAR

Yes, a chain. But this is what successful chains are increasingly going to look like: local control, carefully curated lists of local drinkables, local artists on the walls, nods to local cuisine and demographics (DC’s demographic apparently equals an old fashioned bar), and a core corporate menu, all united under an iron fist of quality control and large portions.

Earls Kitchen + Bar: 7902 Tysons One Pl., Tysons, VA; 703-847-1870; www.earls.ca

Garrison uses seasonal ingredients in its cocktails (image courtesy Garrison’s website)

GARRISON

You might remember that nice herb garden at Poste Moderne.

Chef Rob Weland planted it, but he has finally opened a place of his own: the veg-loving Garrison. The new herb garden in front is much smaller (and, for now, mostly decorative), but it’s a signature touch that stakes Garrison out as Weland’s own, and says so much about how conscious he is of being part of the entire food cycle.

Garrison: 524 Eighth St. SE, DC; 202-506-2445; www.garrisondc.com www.ontaponline.com | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | ON TAP

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Nido

You might not know it yet, but snuggled in the shadow of Brookland is Woodbridge, the next hot neighborhood. This is where you will find Chef Aaron Wright (Tabard Inn) dishing up “eclectic Mediterranean” food in a neighborhood joint defined by white brick, natural light, and vermouth.

Nido: 2214 Rhode Island Ave. NE, DC; 202-627-2815; www.nido-dc.com

On the weekend, Maketto serves dim sum. (Image via Maketto’s Tumblr)

Maketto

The mixed-use concept that is Maketto is one of the few to completely avoid the devastating after-effects of a much-hyped, over-anticipated opening. A local crowdfunding platform allowed investors in DC and Virginia to become Maketto’s mini-landlords and help pay construction costs, and the bakery (Frenchies) got on its feet with a Kickstarter (200 backers!) Once Maketto opened, the haters were primed to spring, but in the end couldn’t resist the Taiwanese fried chicken, flakey Frenchies croissants, charming courtyard, and sleek aesthetic. The nearly 200 landlord investors rejoiced. The retail sections are absurdly priced – but they’re so absurdly priced that I think most visitors regard them as pop-up art exhibits and laugh indulgently while sipping their delicious cappuccinos.

Maketto: 1351 H St. NE, DC; 202-838-9972; www.maketto1351.com

Tuna ceviche (Photo courtesy Greg Powers)

Pepita

Mike Isabella expanded his empire in 2015, and seemed bent on taking over Ballston. With Pepita, he stakes his claim via a stunning cocktail menu featuring 50+ beverages (including some excellent non-alcoholic options). Drink here before eating next door at his Kapnos Taverna.

Pepita: 4000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; 703-312-0200; www.pepitabymic.com

Prequel

Prequel rewrote the DC government’s investment rules, took over the old Living Social space (complete with reinforced flooring for sumo wrestling) on F Street and established a foodie crowd funding institution. Now Washingtonians are treated to a carousel of pop-ups, residencies, and concept tests. The only sad bit is when tenants sprout wings and move on (we still miss Bluebird Bakery, which successfully crowdfunded the next step to its own storefront). But we’re comforted that the upstairs wine bar is a permanent fixture.

Prequel: 918 F St. NW, DC; 202-510-9917 www.prequelrestaurant.com Linguine at Masseria. (Image by Scott Suchman)

Masseria

When I inconveniently want to visit home in California, I instead visit Masseria. While it’s officially inspired by southern Italy, the relaxed vibe, expansive terrace (which has its own cigar menu), and the raw materials construction have transformed this still-gritty corner of DC into an escapist dream world straight from a Mediterranean climate. Chef Nick Stefanelli shops for his daily menu at next-door Union Market. If you’re not in the mood for prix fixe, the bar menu will ensure you get your Mediterranean fix.

Masseria: 1340 4th St. NE, DC; 202-608-1330; www.masseria-dc.com

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On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

Provision no. 14

This is a beautiful space, with carefully thought-out details to delight the visually oriented. This has long been one of my snotty grudges against restaurants: the dining room phalanx of boring tables and chairs is straight-up depressing. But 2015 saw a transformative blossoming of interior design eye candy across DC’s restaurant scene Provision 14 gets top spot because the food is also creative, the cocktails (while pricey) are both adorable and delicious, and you won’t get salmonella.

Provision No. 14: 2100 14th St. NW, DC; 202-827-4530; www.provisiondc.com

Monday - Sunday 5PM - 7PM

Sunday Sports Menu NFL, NBA & NHL Games

Specials 1PM - 12AM

SER owners (l-r); Christiana Campos-Candon, Javier Candon, and Josu Zubikarai.

(Photo credit: Rey Lopez)

SER

The path to opening SER was anything but “Simple, Easy, Real,” the restaurant’s acronym. After winning Ballston BID’s strangely run Restaurant Challenge – which came with free rent in a difficultto-fill location and a quarter-million-dollar, interest-free loan – owners Javier and Christiana Candon still found themselves over budget…and turned to Kickstarter. Queue happy endings all around. SER now introduces diners to the wealth of delicious Spanish cuisine beyond tapas and sangria. And that difficultto-fill, slightly out-of-the-way location? Crowdfunding all but ensures a base cliental of their 76 Kickstarter supporters.

SER: 1110 N. Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA; 703-746-9822; www.ser-restaurant.com

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Stanton & Greene

Stanton & Greene was a stark transformation from its predecessor, Pour House. And as that dimly-lit, Steelers-centric, beerpong’ing watering hole once symbolized everything about the neighborhood (and our tastes, a decade ago), so does Stanton & Greene now. The new owners restored as much of the building as possible, including the original patterned tin ceiling (I could stare for hours), stripped black paint off the windows, and brought in Erik Holzherr (Wisdom) to create a solid list of signature cocktails.

Stanton & Greene: 319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, DC; 202-555-1212; www.stantonandgreene.com

The Dabney

Virginia boy Jeremiah Langhorne made his name in Charleston at the acclaimed McCrady’s, but now he’s come home to open his own restaurant. The Dabney doesn’t just do local sourcing – they do local ingredients. What this means in practice is sunchoke soup, sweet potato rolls stuffed with crispy pork belly, and celery ice cream on peanut butter cake. Langhorne has done his research to find true “mid-Atlantic cuisine.”

The Dabney: 122 Blagden Alley NW, DC; 202-450-1015; www.thedabney.com

The Riggsby

Boston super-chef Michael Schlow (Tico) opened his second DC restaurant, where he whimsically invokes old Hollywood. The

February Thursday Feb 11

Tuesday Feb 2

Marcus King banD -w- DeaD 27’s

Dave Jocobson banD Wednesday Feb 3

Saturday Feb 20

beat hoteL

Sunday Feb 21

open Mic night hosted by phil Kominski

pebbLe to pearL

Friday Feb 12

bach 2 rocK stuDent showcase

Thursday Feb 4

Saturday Feb 13

session aMericana

4th tuesDays Jazz / fusion open JaM hosted by pulp fusion

Tuesday Feb 16

Wednesday Feb 24

Wednesday Feb 17

Thursday Feb 25

Last sentry

Friday Feb 5

cravin’ Dogs

3rD tuesDays Live JaM hosted by stealing Liberty

Saturday feb 6

bLue heaLer

Live acoustic KaraoKe hosted by phil & chris of LDe

Monday Feb 8

aLex Davis

Tuesday Feb 9

Thursday Feb 18

seconD tuesDay bLues Day bLues JaM hosted by Moonshine society Wednesday Feb 10

open Mic night hosted by phil Kominski

the shift

Friday Feb 19

40 thieves with opener hoLLis Long

Tuesday Feb 23

open Mic night hosted by phil Kominski sanforD

Friday Feb 26

the pietasters

Saturday Feb 27

aLan scott banD

Sunday Feb 28

Dr. nittLer’s eLastic souLtastic pLanet

7141 wisconsin ave, bethesDa MD 20814 • 240-800-4700 concerts@viLLainanDsaint.coM •ticKetfLy.coM www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap

25

on the scene

For more pix From these & other events, visit the online gallery at www.ontaponline.com

restaurant’s “Cocktail Party” happy hour features a “Nick and Nora Martini” and deviled eggs, while Restaurant Week will feature a “Three-Martini Lunch” where each course has a martini as an option. These are the kinds of details we love.

The Riggsby (in the Carlyle Hotel): 1731 New Hampshire Ave. NW, DC; 202-234-3200; www.theriggsby.com

The Royal

Paul Carlson (Vinoteca) opened his Colombian-inflected project with little fanfare, but it has quickly become an industry favorite.

What first caught my attention was the homemade vermouth on tap. If you’ve only ever had rail vermouth, then your life is incomplete. Then I noticed more details: pews from a North Carolina church, an antique fire extinguisher converted to a cocktail tap, the vintage sign that gives the joint its name. Oh, and the hours – The Royal is open 7-1a.m. daily and 2a.m. Friday and Saturday.

The Royal: 501 Florida Ave. NW, DC; 202-332-7777; www.theroyaldc.com

Villain & Saint

Hype is part of the business model at Villain & Saint, since it also doubles as a 150-person music venue. Robert Wiedmaier (Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck) branched out to blend his talent for food with his passion for music. Villain & Saint features a psychedelic rock and roll vibe, complete with lava lamps and band paraphernalia. Wiedmaier helps vet acts, and the kitchen reflects the high standards he’s known for, resulting in a rare venue that multitasks well.

Villain & Saint: 7141 Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda, MD; 240-800-4700; www.villainandsaint.com

Image via Yona’s website

Yona

One Eight Distilling celebrated their one-year anniversary party. Onsite were guest bartenders, local food vendors, music entertainment and more. PhOtOs By Michelle GOldchain

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On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

Mike Isabella’s other new Ballston restaurant opened in 2015 was Yona, a place from which partner and chef Jonah Kim (PABU Baltimore) could enter the local Raman wars. But where Yona really shines is with the Korean-inflected small plates menu.

Isabella has now brought Ballston three very different restaurants, and has almost single-handedly shifted the neighborhood’s culinary balance away from burgers and slices – does this make him mayor yet?

Yona: 4000 Wilson Blvd Suite C, Arlington, VA (entrance on N. Quincy Street); 202-234-5000; www.yonava.com www.ontaponline.com | January/February 2016 | On Tap

1

The Bierdo “Lets Get Beer’d!”

It’s already been a tough 2016 Bierdos!

Rock star and celebrity deaths have become an alarmingly increasing weekly ritual on my Facebook newsfeed—enough to drive you to drink! Music has been a passion of mine for longer than my love of beer, so it was time to raise a cold one in DC for some fallen Bowie-esque “heroes” to celebrate all the great music that changed my life. It just so happened we were raising a glass of DC Brau’s Alpha Domina Mellis (an amazing new DIPA made with local honey and 100 IBU’s of experimental hops) last week for Lemmy of Motorhead with my DC Brau tasting room and concert buddy Jon Pacella, when I realized that a seven-minute drive northeast was the new Right Proper Brookland Production House (920 Girard St. DC; 202-526-5904 www.rightproperbrewing.com), and I had to absolutely check it out. As I entered the extravagant new tasting room, randomly enough, I was greeted by the sound of the rambunctious joyful singing of bar goers and the chiming keys of an old piano.

“How ironic,” I thought (still reminiscing about all the music I had thought we had lost that week) as I followed the tunes to what ended up to be the bathroom, where to my surprise sat a full piano in the corner of the men’s room. “Now this was a place with character,” I thought out loud as I was invited to sing—and we hadn’t even gotten to the beers yet!

“I’ll say it again, truly, ‘The road goes on forever and the party never ends’.”

–Robert Earl Keen The Brookland Tasting Room & Production House is a beautiful, reclaimed cherrywood bar, adorned with growlers to fill and the wonderful old brickwork and artwork you’re accustomed to at their first location, Right Proper Shaw Brewpub & Kitchen (624 T Street, NW DC 202-6072337), only the new facility is located on Girard Street NE near 10th Street NE in the residential neighborhood of Brookland—a

lovely neighborhood retreat for young professionals and hipsters who don’t want the corporate setting of downtown DC, but who still want an element of class and design. It’s a cozy tasting nook with an amazing facility where you can view the rustic wooden foudres and spotless new brewing equipment from the tasting room window or take tours of on Saturdays, every hour from 1:30-6:30p.m. Tasting room hours are Thursday through Friday 5-9p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 1–9p.m.

There’s no food yet, but you can bring your own or hit up a food truck outside regularly.

I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever met a more welcoming staff, and we shared stories and laughed throughout the night.

I don’t want to ruin the surprise element of how great this production tasting room really is visually, so just know it’s impressive enough for a date and the perfect spot for warming up this winter with friends in a classy beer environment. You will be in awe to say the very least! Here are some beers to toast the good times and to roast the bad times—truly a new beer oasis that I had to rub my eyes and see to believe. Great beer, music and merriment all wrapped up into one new refined location!

• Ornithology 3.9%: The standard here for a first-timer and a yeasty upgrade of their original Ornette offering I’ve enjoyed in Shaw for years, this light,

bright, session-like wheat beer is more complex than you’d think, fermented with wild yeast in French oak foudres in the new tasting room. Rating: Foudrestastic!

• Raised By Wolves 5%: An aromatic pale ale dry hopped for a dry but juicy and fruity citrus taste. My personal go to at Right Proper as a hop head in 2016. Rating: Raise the woof!

• Haxan 7%: If you’re looking for something more malty and sweet with a kick, try this Baltic leaning porter.

Roasted Chocolate notes dominate this semi-booze bomb, as it’s definitely a more delicious and improved offering than the original recipe I had at Brew at the Zoo many years ago before they opened. Rating: They improved the unimprovable. Fantastic.

• Baron Corvo 7%: A slightly strong farmhouse ale fermented in those fantastic French oak foudres again, this yeast driven beauty is for the more refined beer drinker with a wine-like oaky profile that has hints of fruit and spice. The yeast dominates in very good way. Rating: Beast of the yeast!

Have a beer for the Bierdo to try? Drop him a line at nick@ontaponline.com.

www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap

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10

best local

BEERS of 2015

By Bryce Merlene

Ghost White IPA 3 Stars Brewing Company 6400 Chillum Pl. NW, DC www.3starsbrewing.com

1

Style: White IPA | ABV: 5.90% | IBU: N/A In 2015, 3 Stars started offering some of their classic brews in cans, like the Ghost White IPA, now available in a 16-ounce tallboy. The well-carbonated white IPA pours a bright orange color with light citrus and earthy hop aromas. Mild grapefruit flavors mix with bright lemongrass notes to create a beautifully balanced and sessionable IPA.

Ponzi Atlas Brew Works 2052 West Virginia Ave. #102 NE, DC www.atlasbrewworks.com

2

Style: American IPA | ABV: 7.30% | IBU: 62 Last year Atlas Brew Works debuted their new American IPA hopped with cascade, Chinook and mandarina hops. Munich malt creates a medium body and highlights the light tropical fruit and grassy flavors. Ponzi is named after infamous con artist Charles Ponzi for its deceptively high alcohol content.

Sorry Chicky Burley Oak Brewing Company 10016 Old Ocean City Blvd. Berlin, MD www.burleyoak.com

3

Style: Berliner Weisse | ABV: 4.4% | IBU: 4 2015 saw an increase in demand for quality sour beers and Burley Oak’s canned offering is no exception. Sorry Chicky is a tart Berliner Weisse with a funky peach and citrus aroma. Lightly carbonated and slightly sweet with a crisp finish, Chicky is the perfect session beer for sour enthusiasts.

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On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

2015 was a big year for beer in DC. Right Proper built a new production facility in Brookland, DC Brau started burst distributing in Massachusetts, and several new breweries opened their doors in the DMV including 7 Locks, Fair Winds, and Ocelot. It was also a great year for delicious new brews and reimagined classics. Here are On Tap’s 10 best local beers of 2015:

Brau Pils DC Brau B 3178 Bladensburg Rd. NE, DC www.dcbrau.com

4

Style: German Pilsner | ABV: 4.6% | IBU: 28 DC Brau added a classic German Pilsner to complement the brewery’s impressive arsenal of canned beers. The crisp lager style is light-bodied with spicy hop character from the German Hallertau hops. Brau Pils has a rich, bready start with a clean, malty finish and is perfect for camping, grilling, or tailgating.

Siren’s Lure Fair Winds Brewing Company Suite K and L, 7000 Newington Rd. Lorton, VA www.fairwindsbrewing.com

5

Style: Farmhouse Saison | ABV: 7.2% | IBU: 32 One of Virginia’s newest breweries has already taken home a gold medal from the 2015 GABF for Siren’s Lure. This hop-forward saison is dry hopped with citra and German Blanc hops to compliment its wheat and Vienna malt body. Brewed with French farmhouse yeast, Siren’s Lure has a subtle funk and lemongrass flavor. It is not to be missed.

Bourbon Barrel Gingerbread Stout 2015 Hardywood Park Craft Brewery 2408-2410 Ownby Ln. Richmond, VA www.hardywood.com

6

Style: Barrel-Aged Stout | ABV: 10.6% | IBU: 55 Hardywood’s 2015 version of their barrel-aged gingerbread stout is truly “Christmas in a bottle.” Brewed with vanilla beans, cinnamon, Casselmonte Farm baby ginger, and Bearer Farms wildflower honey and then matured for 12 months in Virginia bourbon barrels, it is both smooth and complex.

California Stars Ocelot Brewing Company 23600 Overland Dr. #180, Dulles, VA www.ocelotbrewing.com

7

Style: American IPA | ABV: 6.8% | IBU: 60 The brand new Ocelot Brewing Company draws inspiration from music; the brewery takes its name from a popular Phish song.

Their American IPA, California Stars, is yellow in color with a subtle bitterness from grapefruit, tropical fruit, and grassy hop flavoring.

It is reasonably boozy with a dry finish, making it a success among fans of higher-gravity hoppy beers.

Derecho Common Port City Brewing Company 3950 Wheeler Ave. Alexandria, VA www.portcitybrewing.com

8

Style: California Common | ABV: 4.8% | IBU: 43 In summer 2012, the Derecho storm left millions of DC area residents without power, including Port City Brewing Company.

The power outage made it difficult for the brewers to control the temperature of fermentation, which resulted in Derecho Common, a California steam beer. Slight hops and bready malt make this beer a delicious tribute to the notorious storm.

Check Point RaR (Realalerevival) Brewing 504 Poplar St. Cambridge, MD www.rarbrewing.com

Siren’s Lure 2015 Gold Medal Winner Great American Beer Festival

Taproom T a p room Hour Hours Ho ur s urs Wednesday 4-8pm Thursday 4-8pm

7000 Newington Rd. Suites K&L Lorton, VA 22079

Friday 2-10pm Saturday 12-9pm Sunday 12-5pm

(703) 372-2001 fairwindsbrewing.com

9

Style: American Pale Ale | ABV: 4.4% | IBU: n/a Located on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, RaR Brewing is doing their part to make delicious American cask ales.

Check Point is a session pale ale that pours a bright straw color. It has tropical fruit and light citrus hop flavors that taste wonderful in cask form. It is worth the short trip to the brewery since RaR beers are difficult to find in DC.

Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne Right Proper Brewing Company 624 T St. NW, DC www.rightproperbrewing.com

10

Style: Berliner Weisse | ABV: 3.6% | IBU: n/a Right Proper’s hugely popular Berliner Weisse is named after track one of the 1980 album “Suicide: Alan Vega and Martin Rev” by American electronic duo Suicide. The moderately sour beer aims to mimic champagne with a similar appearance and effervescence. Hints of lemon citrus in the nose combine with elderflower, grapefruit zest, and Hallertau Blanc hops to create a truly memorable brew. www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap

29

Bill DeBaun, DC Be

F

metropolitan Washington, DC chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation has been serving up hope, one pint at a time. The gala event returns for its 12th year on March 5 at the National Building Museum, and this year promises to be the best and biggest edition yet. Tickets are on sale now and cost $140, of which $70 is tax-deductible.

The 12th Annual Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Ball presented by matchboxfoodgroup and AnheuserBusch will continue to feature more than 30 of the very best local and regional craft breweries, as well as some national players. Beyond the beers, over 25 great restaurants will keeps attendees well-fed while local band the VIPs keep the crowd moving with live music and dancing.

“Brewer’s Ball is a highlight annually for those that love great beers and better causes,” says Dennis O’Leary, one of three co-chairs of the committee that coordinates Brewer’s Ball each year. O’Leary’s desire to help find a cure for CF is deeply personal; his son, Casey, was born with the disease. “This event raises funds that have contributed greatly toward research for new treatments, programs, and care for those with CF.” Cystic fibrosis is a genetic, life-threatening disease that affects about 30,000 people in the United States. Approximately 10 million additional people are carriers of the gene that causes CF. In people with CF, a defective gene causes a thick buildup of mucus in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs, which clogs the airways and traps bacteria leading to infections, extensive lung damage and eventually, respiratory failure.

A few decades ago, most people with CF didn’t live long enough to attend elementary school. Through the efforts of the CF Foundation, the life expectancy of a person with CF has doubled in the last 30 years. Today, many people with CF are living into their thirties, fourties, and beyond. Recent drug

discovery and development programs have yielded drugs that have changed the course of CF. For the first time, two FDA-approved therapies (Kalydeco and Orkambi) treat not just the symptoms of the disease ,but the underlying genetic defect for a small percentage of the population. Recent research shows great potential for additional treatments that will similarly affect a larger percentage of people with CF. Although great progress has been made, there’s still a lot of work to do to put a cure in the hands of every person with CF. Brewer’s Ball has grown immensely along with the DC area’s craft beer scene.

When the event started, there were no production breweries in DC or Northern Virginia. Now, over a decade later, local favorites like DC Brau, Port City, Flying Dog, and Hellbender will rub elbows with nationally renowned brands like Dogfish Head, Allagash, and New Belgium. In fact, the folks from two local breweries, Adroit Theory and Belly Love Brewing Company, came together earlier this month to make a special collaboration brew, which will be served exclusively at Brewer’s Ball. Named Brooke’s Currant Obsession, this brew honors 15-month old Brooke who lives with CF, and is the daughter of one of the Brewer’s Ball committee members.

The event, which has become well-liked among breweries as well, allows for attendees to chat with brewery representatives, giving lovers of fine ales and lagers plenty of chances to ask questions and find out more about their favorite suds. (Don’t worry, wine and cider fans, there’s something here for you, too.) Area restaurants like Ted’s Bulletin, Hill Country Barbecue Market, Matchbox, and Charlie Palmer Steak DC pull out the culinary stops, often pairing their dishes with the breweries at the event.

Once the well-dressed attendees are fed and watered (or beered, as the case may be), they can bid on a number of intriguing silent auction items ranging from brewery tours to weekend getaways to themed baskets. Using their mobile phones, guests can conveniently check

SERVING UP

HOPE

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ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

1 PINT AT A

TIME

er

on the scene

For more pix From these & other events, visit the online gallery at www.ontaponline.com

back periodically to make sure they haven’t been outbid on that bourbon basket they’re itching to bring home. During the live auction, guests go head-to-head for one-of-a-kind experiences such as a “custom cask build experience” at Heavy Seas Beer, where the lucky winner will craft their own special firkin of beer; a trip to Hollywood to see The Ellen DeGeneres Show, or a week-long trip to Palm Springs.

Brewer’s Ball, which raised $380,000 last year, has grown from more modest roots —it raised $40,000 in its first year. With the help of the local craft beer community, area restaurants, attendees, and sponsors who have a great time while contributing to a great cause, the event will hopefully grow even more this year as it taps into the continued push for a cure.

Guests at Hoppy Holidays enjoyed unlimited tastings of over 30 beers and ciders, savory and sweet wintery treats, DC’s favorite food trucks and live entertainment. Photos By sanDra sanChez

DC Brewer’s Ball: March 5, 2016 at the National Building Museum.

401 F St NW, Washington, DC 20001; www.dcbrewersball.org for tickets and information.

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www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap On Tap | January/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

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w to

Where & Ho

this r e t t e B k n Dri

talkfood.com

B

en of man

By Jake Em

eyond all the beads, Mardi Gras in the modern era gets associated with yard-long frozen drinks and week-long hangovers. Yet, that does little to honor the spirit of New Orleans, which is historically one of the most important drinking cities in the world.

A who’s who of classic cocktails were created or perfected in The Big Easy, as drinking cultures and available supplies converged on the thirsty port town. The best way to celebrate Mardi Gras then is to not just drink heavily, but drink well. That sounds like a New Year’s resolution we can all keep in 2016, at least with a bit of a push in the right direction to get us there.

First and foremost on the list of Nawlins cocktails is the Sazerac, one of the world’s first great cocktails, with a track record stretching back nearly 180 years. The drink was originally made with cognac, although this was then replaced with rye whiskey.

Today, either are entirely acceptable, along with absinthe, sugar and Peychaud’s Bitters.

Of course, the Sazerac is not the only New Orleans classic.”

While the Sazerac seems to get all the attention, the Vieux Carré is one of my all-time favorite cocktails,” says Jeff Faile, Bar & Sprits Director for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group. “A friend made me one many years ago, and it’s been in heavy rotation ever since... lots of booze, but it’s dangerously smooth!”

Here, the cognac and rye make an appearance together, along with sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, and both Peychaud’s as well as Angostura Bitters. The 80-year history of the Vieux Carre may be paltry next to the legacy of the Sazerac, but that still qualifies it as a full-fledged classic.

Even with those two all-timers, New Orleans still isn’t finished giving yet. “I always think Sazeracs and Vieux Carrés when I think of New Orleans in generalsays Faile. “But if I am going with Mardi Gras drinks, I think Hurricanes, I’d prefer to not have mine in one of those long plastic ‘cups’ that look like a broken clarinet, however.”

Indeed, before the Hurricane morphed into the frozen neon concoctions filling those broken plastic clarinets, it was a far simpler warm weather refresher. When it first appeared, the Hurricane was made with dark and light rum, passion fruit syrup or juice, and lemon or lime juice, served over crushed or regular ice.

Still, despite his affinity for a well-made Hurricane, the Vieux Carré is closest to Faile’s heart, and he has a few suggestions for where to find a great one around town. “Adam [Bernbach] over at 2 Birds [1 Stone] really does a phenomenal version,” extols Faile.

“Daikaya when [Jamie] MacBain is behind the bar,” he continues.

“I would imagine the guys and gals at Jack Rose could do it justice.”

Beyond searching out the perfect Vieux Carre around the

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ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

District, perhaps it’s also time to consider hosting a party and experimenting around the home front, too. Graciously, Faile shared his personal Vieux Carré recipe and the instructions to execute it.

“I’m biased, but I think I make a great one,” he says. “Sadly, it’s a rare thing I’m behind the bar these days.” Help Faile turn that frown upside down by putting his recipe to good use.

• 1 oz Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey • 1 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac • 1 oz Cocchi Torino • .5 oz Bénédictine • Three healthy dashes each of Angostura and Peychaud’s Bitters Stir, pour over fresh ice, and add an orange twist if you feel the need. Smile, repeat as necessary.

Beyond this, Faile has one more piece of advice for the would-be craft cocktail bartender. “Keep it simple,” he says. “Use high-quality booze, and you won’t need to use 10 different ingredients to make it taste good.”

Of course, there are other options for where to celebrate Mardi Gras around town, too. Take Faile’s advice and head to 2 Birds 1 Stone, where during Mardi Gras week, Bernbach will be serving up his riffs on several New Orleans classics, including the Cocktail a la Louisiane, Hurricane, Milk Punch and French 75.

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and Black Jack are teaming up for a four day bash of food and drink specials, starting Saturday, February 6. They’re even staying open on Monday, when both spots are typically closed. Expect New Orleans funk music, southern food specialties such as shrimp Po Boys, gumbo, crawfish, and etouffee, along with drink specials galore —including guess what, Sazeracs and Hurricanes—along with a New Orleans style punch, and Hand Grenades. The party starts on 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday evening.

Elsewhere, while it’s not strictly Mardis Gras-oriented, the February edition of Royal Knights at The Royal happens to fall on Monday, February 8, with a theme of amari and bitters. Expect specials on plenty of good, strong cocktail concoctions, crossing the lines between classics and inventive new twists.

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For Official Rules and to enter online visit ontaponline.com/text2win. Sponsor: Abita Brewing Company, 21084 LA-36, Covington, LA 70433.

Behind the Bar

By Alex Benedetto

INNOVATIVE BARTENDERS

On Tap: What was the top cocktail from Quill in 2015?

Sophie Szych: There were a couple. I like to use ginger, but make it seasonal. So for summer I had a hibiscus ginger soda and a rum cocktail with hibiscus and ginger. Then for fall, I did a play off a Moscow mule that was Concord grape and ginger soda that actually worked out super well and was absolutely delicious. We have one on the menu right now, a gin mule, with a ginger soda we make with a toasted cardamom pod and pineapple as well.

OT: Aside from the clear ginger, what were some of your favorite ingredients you used in 2015?

SS: I liked using a sweetener for cocktails that wasn’t just sugar. I loved using maple syrup and made maple water for a tonic base earlier this year that worked out really well. Honey is great, but I wanted to try something a little different. So, I burnt the honey and made a burnt honey syrup, which added more complexity and bitterness than just honey.

OT: Any resolution for 2016?

SS: Honest to god I’ve had the same one for two years now and that’s to finally do Beasty Boys for karaoke.

OT: What song?

SS: Intergalactic. I really want to do that. I practice in the mirror and it’s so terrible. I have yet to unleash it on the world, which is a good thing. But, I’m keeping that resolution.

OT: Something you’re looking forward to this year?

SS: Portland cocktail week. They are doing it in different cities now and I know they are doing one in Baltimore. I’ve never gone to Portland cocktail week and I’m interested in this format. The DC Rickey competition. I will probably try to do it again this year.

The DC Bartenders Guild is really coming up with some awesome events.

of 2015

On Tap: What cocktail or ingredient combination best describes your 2015?

Lukas B. Smith: It’s difficult because at this bar we have done a new menu every week. That’s six new cocktails every week. If you do the math it’s almost 250 cocktails last year. So it’s tough. But, it was a really good year; lots of accolades, so I’d probably say my cocktail would be a nice tall glass of Pappy 23.

OT: What are some favorite ingredients that you’ve used in the past year?

LS: The one that got us thinking more ambitiously about ingredients shows up in the Double Dragon cocktail, it’s a bone washed Cynar and Becherovka bitters. Cynar is a famous Italian liqueur, Becherovka is sort of grown up Fireball. We vacuum seal a smoked turkey leg, cook it at 60 degrees Celsius for 24 hour to break down all the connective tissue and wash out all the marrow, then we freeze it, wash all the fat off and get this finish that we are extending in a really incredible way. It’s not a common practice.

OT: What is something that you are looking forward to this year?

LS: My friend Chas Jefferson and I are launching Cotton and Reed in Union Market. He’s the head distiller, and I’m the assistant distiller. We are hopefully opening in March, with a tasting room.

So the two most important things for me are going to be that and the expansion of the Order of the Monkey, which includes Secret Monkey Social Club and Tiki Monkey.

OT: Nice, any other events you can tell us about?

SS: They have one called the DC Cocktail Queen Competition for female bartenders coming up in a few months and we have some pretty badass cocktail females in the city, so it will be fun to go up against those ladies.

OT: Do explain Secret Monkey Social Club for those that may not know…

LS: Secret Monkey Social Club is a punch club and cabaret. We have live music and I try to get the best people in town, to make punch with me. It’s the fastest, best punch service and I think probably the most exciting way to enjoy cocktails in a live music setting. We had that at the Dolcezza Factory, but are moving out of that this year.

Tiki Monkey was the last one we had. We are having a Chinese New Year Party on February 8, location TBD. We will do a Cinco de Mono party, since mono means monkey in Spanish. I’m really looking forward to the expansion of the Order of the Monkey because we’ve kept it tucked away and I’m ready to take it center stage.

Quill at The Jefferson Hotel: 1200 16th St. NW, DC; 202-448-2300; www.jeffersondc.com

Dram & Grain: 2007 18th St. NW, DC; text 202-607-1572 for reservations

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ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

On Tap: If you could describe 2015 as a cocktail, what would it be?

Gina Chersevani: Super effervescent and bubbly, because I gave birth to my Francesca, who is wonderful, it would have a little bit of bitterness, just because a couple of months were a little bit hard, and then it would have a really solid, almost sweet finish, with a little bit of flower to it, like a lavender.

OT: What ingredient did you fall in love with in 2015?

GC: I re-fell in love with persimmons. I really got into hanging persimmons to get their natural essence. It coagulates the fruit, so it makes its own syrup with no sugar or anything added. And that essence is what I forgot that I love the most. It wasn’t the boiling and making and adding the vinegars, it was the pure beauty of what the fruit can do on its own.

OT: Any mixology resolutions for 2016?

GC: My resolution for my bars in general is to pay attention more to the ingredients and not so much to the rule.

OT: I feel like you do that though…

GC: I do, but now my focus is stronger. I’m doing an “Under Pressure,” Queen and David Bowie menu that’s going to be my cocktail list for this year. Every single line of the lyrics will be in there and while the chorus repeats, the cocktails won’t repeat. The ingredient might stay the same but we highlight it in a different way. So, when I say staying true to the ingredient, that’s what I mean.

OT: Wow that sounds intense.

GC: This menu in particular is definitely very stressful, because if you’ve ever read the lyrics, they are very similar over and over, so it will be amazing to see, for example, what does adding cognac and deleting whiskey really change? How much can that change when making everything else the same?

On Tap: Favorite cocktail of 2015?

Jo-Jo Valenzuela: Well clearly the Rizal. Whiskeys are definitely the most challenging thing. People are finally falling in love with them, but it’s still pretty tough and not a whole lot of people are well versed on how they can use whiskey. Mezcal at one point was big, but it’s so seasonal. Whiskey just took over the spirits.

OT: What was a favorite ingredient you used last year, something outside the box?

JV: I started using oysters as a garnish. “Oyster Can You See,” is the drink and it’s gin-based with a white pepper syrup, fresh lemon juice and a little bit of absinth, garnished with an oyster.

OT: Jo-Jo’s ultimate cocktail moment of 2015 was…

JV: Definitely winning Rickey of the year and the Margarita Wars.

That was definitely a defining moment for me.

OT: Anything you want to focus on more in 2016?

JV: Definitely want to focus on the garnish game. In competitions it’s starting to show when someone comes up with a new garnish that has never been seen before. As far as bar techniques, probably throwing and working flair.

OT: Something you are really looking forward to this year?

JV: I want to open my own bar. I’ve wanted to for a while and now it just totally makes sense.

OT: Predict the cocktail trends for 2016…

JV: I think people are going to be more innovative in different presentations. I’ve been going in that direction myself. In food, before it even hits tables or bars, people say “can I have one of those.” I am going for the same thing when it comes to cocktails

OT: I need to go listen to this song after this interview…

GC: I love this song, and the a cappella version is really inspiring.

Unfortunately both men are deceased but it’s really a true testament to time that two people can be gone and still be so relevant in the world of music. It mimics what bars are. Cocktails have been around for centuries, we are still making what was once somebody’s creation. Somebody came up with an old fashioned, somebody came up with a gimlet, and they are still being made and tweaked. There’s a real testament to artistry there.

Buffalo & Bergen: Union Market; 1309 5th St. NE, DC; 202-543-2549; www.buffalobergendc.com www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap

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on the scene

For more pix From these & other events, visit the online gallery at www.ontaponline.com

On Tap: What were the DC area cocktail trends you saw in 2015?

Justin Hampton: I saw low alcohol by volume (ABV) beers popping up everywhere, particularly Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit, which is a grapefruit juice and beer combination with a super low ABV. Another trend was the use of shrubs. It’s been around since the colonial period, but I noticed this year, especially in DC, a lot of people using them. For example, at this year’s DC Rickey competition, you saw at least three entries that had a shrub as their acid source, instead of lemon or lime and I thought that was cool.

OT: What was your 2015 cocktail moment?

JH: My general manager surprised me and rented a slushy machine to play around with. At first, I was apprehensive and it came with high fructose corn syrup margarita mix and I thought this is horrible. But the first thing I tried putting through it was our Poste signature basil lemontini and it came out so good! It was an ah-ha moment that slushies could actually be really well done. I did a frozen Negroni for Negroni week and that came out amazingly well. Now I want a slushy machine behind the bar.

OT: That sounds delicious. Any other big moments?

JH: At this year’s DC Rickey competition, when Jo-Jo Valenzuela won. What stood out to me was when they announced him the winner, he cried, and I thought that was a special moment for the bartenders in the room and showed the passion and drive. It really showed how much it means to all of us to be in the industry and win these local events.

OT: Ingredients you really enjoyed using in 2015?

JH: Vinegar. I started making my own shrubs, made one or two in the past without success and when I got to Poste, I was determined to make something good and I knocked it out of the park on the first one I made here and I’ve been making them seasonably ever since. I think I’ll use vinegar for rest of my life.

OT: Two ingredients you want to work with in 2016?

JH: I want to make my own vinegar. I’m interested in preservation techniques. At work we have a dehydrator so I sliced up a lot of pears and used dehydrated slices as a garnish. I also made dehydrated peppers and was able to use them in ingredients, including my own pepper flakes. Pickling and jamming I’ve done before but I am really eager to keep that going. I don’t necessarily want to use one ingredient, I want to preserve everything.

New year new ink! This 3-Day nonstop event featured live tattooing, body piercing from over 400 artists, clothing, craziness and The Miss DC Pin-Up contest.

PhoTos By Mark VaN Bergh

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On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

OT: So if the apocalypse happens, we should really come find you with the preserved foods?

JH: I’ve been really interested in preserving foods. Honey is a good ingredient I’ve been thinking of using too. Honeycomb has antimicrobial benefits, it’s healthy, a good substitute for sugar and it preserves. They found it in a clay pot thousands of years old! Keep your eye out for my beehive. I’m not joking, I want to try it on the Poste roof.

Poste Moderne Brasserie: 555 8th St. NW, DC; 202-783-6060; www.postebrasserie.com www.ontaponline.com | January/February 2016 | On Tap

9

8 6 5 6 C O L E SV I L L E R D. , S I LV E R S P R I N G , M D 2 0 9 1 0

B-2 SEVERAL SPECIES: THE PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE REEL BIG FISH, SUBURBAN LEGENDS, THE MAXIES FEB 2 MIKE STUD BACK 2 YOU TOUR, OCD: MOOSH & TWIST, FUTURISTIC

JAN 29 JAN 30 JAN 31

RYAN BINGHAM, BIRD DOG FEB 4 MARIANAS TRENCH: THE HEY YOU GUYS!! TOUR MAINLAND

FEB 3

FEB 5 FEB 12

MONSTER ENERGY OUTBREAK TOUR PRESENTS:

FETTY WAP - WELCOME TO THE ZOO,

SOLD OUT

POST MALONE

WMZQ’S STARS ‘N GUITARS

CRAIG MORGAN, KELSEA BALLERINI, EASTON CORBIN,

GRANGER SMITH, BROTHERS OSBORNE, JOSH KELLEY

FEB 13 DUSTIN LYNCH: HELL OF A NIGHT TOUR CHRIS LANE, TYLER RICH

ELI YOUNG BAND FEB 19 NEVER SHOUT NEVER METRO STATION, JULE VERA, WATERPARKS FEB 20 CHRISETTE MICHELE FEB 21 BRYSON TILLER FEB 26 LED ZEPPELIN 2 FEB 29 FUTURE: THE PURPLE REIGN TOUR FEB 18

TY DOLLA $IGN, LIL DONALD

MAR 1 MAR 3 MAR 5 MAR 6

SOLD OUT SOLD OUT SOLD OUT OUT

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE

ASKING ALEXANDIA, WHILE SHE SLEEPS JACK & JACK, DAYA SLAYER, TESTAMENT, CARCASS QUALITY CONTROL PRESENTS

MIGOS DAB TOUR JESSIE JAMES DECKER, TEMECULA ROAD SAOSIN FEATURING ANTHONY GREEN METRIC, JOYWAVE SOLD OUT TINASHE SOLD OUT YUNG LEAN HOODIE ALLEN, SUPERDUPERKYLE, BLACK BEAR YELLOW DUBMARINE, START MAKING SENSE, SLOAN TRIO CHARLES KELLEY, JOSH KELLEY THE CULT APR 14 TECH N9NE’S INDEPENDENT POWERHOUSE TOUR 2016 KRIZZ KALIKO, RITTZ, MAYDAY!, STEVIE STONE, CES CRU WAKA FLOCKA FLAME UNDEROATH, CASPIAN BABYMETAL: WORLD TOUR 2016 BOYCE AVENUE FLATBUSH ZOMBIES THRICE, LA DISPUTE & GATES

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EBI JANE JAVANI WORLD TOUR

FEB 4

WILLIAM SHATNER

FEB 13

STAR TREK: THE ULTIMATE VOYAGE

FEB 19

DAVID CROSS: MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! 2 SHOWS!

FEB 25

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND

JORMA KAUKONEN

FEB 26

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND

FEB 27

AN EVENING WITH TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND

SOLD OUT

MAR 10 MAR 11 MAR 13 MAR 16 MAR 17 MAR 18 MAR 25 APR 9 APR 10 APR 19 APR 20 MAY 10 MAY 11 MAY 17 JUN 15

JAN 30

MAR 8-9 MAR 11-13

THE HONEYCUTTERS

RAIN A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES JE’CARYOUS JOHNSON’S “MARRIED BUT SINGLE”

MAR 19

KIRK FRANKLIN

APR 3

THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET 2 SHOWS!

APR 5-6

AN EVENING WITH SANTANA I’M STILL YOUR MAMA STARRING KEITH ROBINSON & TERRON BROOKS

APR 9

2 SHOWS!

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LEWIS BLACK 2ND SHOW ADDED! THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES: THE NAKED TRUTH TOUR

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Classical Rockers:

2CELLOS Come to

DAR Constitution Hall

By Jon Kaplan, National Music Columnist Photo credit: Stephan Lupino

Two Croatian cellists post a YouTube video of themselves playing Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” It goes viral and racks up over 16 million views. They sign a record deal, tour with Elton John, and become a worldwide phenomenon.

It’s not your everyday rock and roll success story, but it’s the true tale of the whirlwind rise of 2CELLOS. Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, who make up the duo, had both studied and played classical cello since childhood.

When they posted their video in 2011, they wanted to increase the range of what cello music could do, Hauser tells On Tap. “We felt our imagination and creativity was limited by playing only one kind of music,” he says. “We always liked all different kinds of music including rock, pop, and film music. Cello is such a universal instrument; it has so many possibilities and is capable of doing so many different things—different sounds and effects. We wanted to expand the possibilities of playing the cello and develop ways and techniques of playing it, and show the world how cool, diverse, and powerful this instrument can be.

We had this big desire to attract a wider audience, and make young people interested in the instrument and great music in general.”

38

We wanted to experience this euphoria—crazy screaming fans, light show, adrenaline, wild rock atmosphere.

But why rock and roll? After all, Hauser and Sulic could’ve chosen many different genres to showcase the cello’s unique sound and dynamics. Hauser said that, in fact, they always had secret dreams of becoming rock stars.

“There was always this rock animal inside of us that wanted to explode,” he says, “and one side of us wanted to fill up big places, arenas, and stadiums. We wanted to experience this euphoria— crazy screaming fans, light show,

ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

adrenaline, wild rock atmosphere. We were so excited about this idea. We always played with a lot of passion, energy, and adrenaline, even the classical pieces, and were sometimes criticized for that, and now finally we can rock our souls out.”

2CELLOS had fans throughout the music industry, and one in particular gave them a huge career boost when they first started. After the “Smooth Criminal” video went viral in 2011, the duo received

LIVE UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

SAT, JAN 30

DIRTY

BOURBON RIVER SHOW W/ BUMPER JACKSONS

WEDNESDAY

JAN 20

HOWIE DAY W/ ANNA ROSE SOLD OUT

WED, FEB 3

a surprise call from none other than rock legend Elton John, who wanted them to join him on tour. They were blown away by his support.

“The whole thing was incredible!” Hauser says. “I will never forget the day the principal from the Royal Academy [of Music in London] showed Elton the video and he said how much he loved it, and our playing too. And the same afternoon he invited us to join him on the tour. It was truly amazing.”

The duo signed with John’s management company, Rocket Music, inked a record deal with the Sony Masterworks label, and recorded and released their eponymous first album, “2CELLOS,” in 2011. It included “Smooth Criminal,” along with covers of U2, Nirvana, and Guns N’ Roses. “In2ition,” which followed in 2013, featured guest stars like rock guitarist Steve Vai (covering AC/DC), and classical pianist Lang Lang (on Coldplay’s “Clocks”).

The duo’s newest recording “Celloverse,” features their biggest YouTube sensation to date: a cover of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” which has garnered over 52 million views. “Celloverse” features another milestone for the duo: the release of their first original composition.

“We wanted a challenge,” Hauser says, “which is why we did an original composition. We were nervous how fans would respond but everyone has been so enthusiastic. We would love to do more originals in the future.”

That future looks bright for 2CELLOS, with plans and opportunities galore. Hauser said there are numerous artists they’d like to work with, including U2, Sting, and Eminem, among others. They are on a North American tour at the moment with many dates selling out.

And they’ve done what they set out to do, Hauser says, to change the way the world thinks about the cello.

“Now we feel so blessed and so fulfilled,” he says, “because we are in a position to experience everything, both sides—rock and classical—and it is equally beautiful and magical! We can experience a spiritual intimate atmosphere playing Bach in church for example, but we can also play in front of thousands of screaming fans and experience a total madness. There are so many possibilities and we are so rich by the opportunities this instrument has offered to us. We really wanted to revolutionize cello, and I think we have achieved that.”

The 2CELLOS show is Sunday, February 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. For more info about the band, check out www.2cellos.com. Follow them on Twitter (@2CELLOS), Facebook (@2cellos), and Instagram (@2cellosofficial.)

DAR Constitution Hall: 1776 D St. NW, DC; 202-628-4780; www.dar.org/constitution-hall

AN EVENING WITH

LIANNE LA HAVAS THE HAMILTON LIVE & ALL GOOD PRESENT

THURS, FEB 4

DR. JOHN & THE NITE TRIPPERS SAT, FEB 6

DOCTOR DREAD PRESENTS:

DONNA THE BUFFALO

W/ CITY OF THE SUN FRIDAY

JAN 22

A CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTHDAY OF

BOB MARLEY

FEATURING ISRAEL VIBRATION WITH ZEDICUS AND DAI WATSON

TUES, FEB 9

CELEBRATE FAT TUESDAY WITH

NATHAN AND THE ZYDECO CHA-CHAS FRI, FEB 12

CHATHAM COUNTY LINE

NEW ORLEANS

SUSPECTS W/ GLEN DAVID ANDREWS SATURDAY

JAN 23

SAT, FEB 13

FLOW TRIBE

W/ THE TRONGONE BAND SUN, FEB 14

NEWMYER FLYER PRESENTS

LOVE SONGS: THE BEATLES VOL. 3 THURS, FEB 18

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO W/ CHARGAUX

RAYLAND

BAXTER

W/ MARGARET GLASPY FRIDAY

JAN 29

FRI, FEB 19

SONNY LANDRETH & CINDY CASHDOLLAR SUN, FEB 21

THE STEEL WHEELS AND MIPSO

BUY TICKETS THEHAMILTONDC.COM

LATE-NIGHT MUSIC IN THE LOFT, EVERY FRI & SAT

www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap

39

By Marcus Dowling, DJ Columnist

Photos courtesy of DJ Bo

ameroon is probably the last location you’d think to go searching for one of the Nation’s Capital’s fastest-rising, open-format DJ/ producers. However, when it comes to the story of DJ Bo, it’s all about taking a journey to the central African nation in the mid-90s to find a young man who loved to dance and was soon to come to America to discover an exciting new passion and future career. Some 15 years later, the man born Aloysius Tamasang in Bamenda, Cameroon is now a Gaithersburg, Maryland-based party rocker with five years under his belt and growing in renown.

The oldest of three brothers, DJ Bo relocated to America in 1999 because his parents wanted “a better life and better schools” for the then 11-year-old future DJ. Describing himself as “the life of the party” as a youngster, it was in high school and college where he was introduced to music production and DJing, respectively.

“When I grew up, I didn’t know about hiphop, scratching, or sampling,” Bo tells On Tap. Thus, when Bo discovered Houstonborn, New York based classic rap legend DJ Premier, he became fond of all three aforementioned arts, and decided to learn the art of DJing. “Most African DJs don’t scratch records or anything, they mainly blend songs,” Bo continues. “So, I just taught

40

myself scratching, and also how to DJ too.”

Getting active in the Metropolitan area was difficult. A slew of less-than-excellent early gigs led Bo to redouble his efforts, which led him to travel to Atlanta to develop his skills. And finally, he met with success. “I started DJing at clubs in Atlanta with a friend of mine who was a [more seasoned] DJ, and I definitely started to get comfortable.” Back in DC, from spinning for online radio shows to playing gigs at underground spots like the Velvet Lounge and large venues like the main room at downtown DC’s Penn Social (two spots he still claims as his favorites in the city), Bo not only grew confident as a DJ, but his tastes evolved far past rap, too.

“I’m not a fan of just spinning hip-hop.

People don’t dance as much to hip-hop these days. I can’t read those crowds, because I always read a crowd [by judging] how much people are dancing. You know, dancing, [and] people making that ‘ooh’ face and yelling when you drop their favorite record. Hip-hop clubs don’t offer that a lot these days. I want to play music and have as much fun playing music as the people are dancing to it.” Underground-favored American house, percussion-heavy EDM, UK-popular dance, and a growing love of tracks from a plethora of African nations are routinely mixed alongside rap in Bo’s sets, creating a feeling where the DJ states, “I’m

ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

in there with the people, feeling what they feel, and really getting a crowd to move.”

Spinning three and four nights a week is fairly commonplace now for DJ Bo, and as a producer. Bearing such a busy schedule now allows for making remixes of tracks that can fit into his unique sets to be where his skills and talents lie at present. “I’m obsessed with fresh and progressive drumbeats, things that make you want to ‘turn up,’ but also really dance, too.”

When asked about what 2016 holds for DJ Bo, he answers with what could almost seem to be an expected answer. “I want to play outside the country and break out of my comfort zone,” he tells On Tap. From moving to America, embracing rap, and then embracing a world of unique and dancefloor-ready sounds, Bo’s always excelled at finding himself while also staying ahead of the curve. As a DJ, he’s a talented creative who’s able to push not just himself, but partiers too, along the quest for something great. However, what signifies him as someone important is that he’s also able to consistently deliver something more.

To learn more about DJ Bo, follow him on (Twitter @BoKnowzBest.)

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On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26

The Way Down Wanderers Equal parts fast-paced and soulful, 5-piece modern-folk Americana act, The Way Down Wanderers, draw in listeners with energy, originality and soulful generosity. Playing, performing and writing together for just over 2 years, the Wanderers have built an enthusiastic and fast-growing following across the country, earning Deli Magazine’s Readers Choice title of “Chicago’s Best Emerging Artist, 2014.” Chamomile and Whiskey is intoxicating. The hot young group has taken whiskey-soaked Americana and blended it perfectly with Irish, old-time, and gypsy stylings.

Gypsy Sally’s: www.gypsysallys.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27

Adrian+Meredith NW, DC. Adrian and Meredith started with a short Midwestern tour in mid-2012. That winter, they worked to put a traditional tune “Jack of Diamonds” on Adrian’s

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upcoming “Roam” LP, and were asked to perform at MKE Follies, a Milwaukee festival with Adrian’s sister, Lindsey. The show sold out, and their new act built on from there. Adrian+Meredith are currently working on writing process for Adrian’s next record, blending the Michigan, touring, and Nashville-regional sounds of Americana, Folk, Soul, Jazz and Post-Punk.

Renaissance Hotel: www.adriankrygowski.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29

Rayland Baxter Songwriter Rayland Baxter is a dreamer, a very fine one, as a matter of fact. He is one of a misty-eyed gentlefolk seeking prosperity in a soul, in the soul. He’s a wanderer of the highest regard, with hazy matter, loosely based on his waking hours, conditions, remarks and interactions, all that he finds suitable to chronicle in his ledger and diary. He made a record entitled Feathers & Fishhooks, three years ago and the men, or man, that he introduced us to were of the fluttery variety. They found that they were utterly consumed by their wanderings, by the ifs, the white noise and the unseen phantoms whispering it all breathy and hot into their ears.

Hamilton: www.live.thehamiltondc.com

ON TAP | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30

Bilal Bilal’s voice has been all over some of the biggest soul-hip-hop records of the 2000s.

You may have heard him croon alongside Erykah Badu, lay down grooving hooks with Common, match Robert Glasper’s jazz wizardry, and, most recently, singing about “These Walls” with Kendrick Lamar. You’ve heard his voice on record, now see the full package on stage.

Bethesda Blues and Jazz: www.bethesdabluesjazz.com

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30

Rock Creek Singers/Potomac Fever VIENNA, VA. Two vocal ensembles from “one of the world’s best male choruses” showcase their “usual impeccable musicianship [and] witty choreography” (The Washington Post) in this “fabulously fun” (Broadway World) performance—hear the WAMMIE-winning groups during their 35th anniversary season.

The Barns at Wolf Trap: www.wolftrap.org

OPEN MIC

EVERY TUESDAY IN OUR VINYL LOUNGE

Monday, February 1

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26

THE WAY DOWN WANDERERS THURSDAY, JANUARY 28

BENTON BLOUNT BAND FRIDAY, JANUARY 29

EAT YER MEAT: PINK FLOYD TRIBUTE & BJ AND THE UPTOWN GIRLS: BILLY JOEL TRIBUTE SATURDAY, JANUARY 30

Muse While 5 Seconds of Summer may be the “Hottest Band in the World” right now, Muse is gunning for U2’s spot of the biggest band in the world. They’re prog-y let lean, spacey experimental rock has been selling records and selling out arenas for almost two decades. The musicianship is undeniable and the spectacle is killer; everything that a great rock show should be.

Verizon Center: www.verizoncenter.com

Wednesday, February 3 Young Galaxy NW, DC. Young Galaxy’s upcoming live shows will be quite unique and include a music-triggered light show designed by Adam Hummell, who recently contributed to productions such as Madonna’s Super Bowl Halftime performance and MDNA tour, Cirque Du Soleil, Miley Cyrus’ Bangrz Tour. The band note, “We believe we have developed a live show that will raise the bar and challenge people’s expectations of small club shows.” You can get more of a feel for what audiences have in store for them by watching their tour trailer here.

Black Cat: www.blackcatdc.com

Wednesday, February 3 Destructo NW, DC. DESTRUCTO aka Gary Richards is also the founder of HARD Events, the world-renowned event and festival company recognized for landmark festivals such as HARD SUMMER, HARD Day of the Dead and the electronic music cruise HOLY SHIP! Gary Richards has been included on Billboard’s Power Player list, the “50 Most Important People in EDM” list by Rolling Stone twice, InTheMix’s “50 Most Powerful People in EDM” list and Do Androids Dance’s “20 Most Influential People in EDM” list. $20 9:30 Club: www.930.com

THE GYPSY JAM FT ON THE BUS, THE BEAT HOTEL FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 05

THE PAUL REED SMITH BAND SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 06

GIANT PANDA GUERILLA DUB SQUAD CELEBRATES BOB MARLEY’S BIRTHDAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09

THE WESTIES FEATURING MICHAEL MCDERMOTT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11

RIPE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14

CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY WITH HALF STEP - GRATEFUL DEAD TRIBUTE BAND MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15

DRESSY BESSY

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17

BIG SAM’S FUNKY NATION

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

ELISE TESTONE BAND SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20

BATTLE OF THE BRASS BANDS FT FUNKY DAWGZ BRASS BAND, PITCHBLAK BRASS BAND TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23

ANDY FRASCO & THE U.N.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

MELVIN SEALS AND JGB WITH SPECIAL GUEST RON HOLLOWAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26

SUPERFLYDISCO, ROAR! (FORMALLY YOJIMBO) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

LARRY KEEL EXPERIENCE

www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap

43

Thursday, February 4 Dr. John & The Nite Trippers Dr. John is a keystone of the musical identity of New Orleans, Louisiana and of the United States. Blending the musical elements of New Orleans jazz, psychedelic rock, and Marid Gras indian culture and music, Dr. John created a sound and a musical identity that is entirely his own, yet also entirely classically American. Come boogie and woogie, do the jive, and rock along to the rolling piano lines of the legendary Dr. John.

The Hamilton: www.live.thehamiltondc.com FRI, JAN 29

TED ALEXANDRO ANDY PITZ

THU, MAR 17

ALAN KELLY GANG

FRI, MAR 4

THE ALTERNATE ROUTES

Friday, February 5

WED, MAR 30 + THU, MAR 31

BLACK VIOLIN

PLUS

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT

Blue Oyster Cult Pioneering the heavy metal style while providing inspiration to psychedelic jam bands and arena rockers alike, genre-benders Blue Öyster Cult offer the world a taste of the wild side. The group has been known to incorporate elements of science-fiction and dark occultism into their jaw-dropping live show, and this allegiance to dynamic and masterful performances has led to the group being covered by everyone from Metallica and HIM to moe. Blue Öyster Cult are best known for their smash singles “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” “Burnin’ for You” and “Godzilla.”

Tally Ho Theatre: www.tallyholeesburg.com

SEAN WATKINS

Saturday, February 6

GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON, DC:

ROCK CREEK SINGERS / POTOMAC FEVER SAT, JAN 30

THE JONES FAMILY SINGERS THU, FEB 18

HAPA

SAT, FEB 20 + SUN, FEB 21 WED, MAR 2 + THU, MAR 3 SAT, APR 2

AOIFE O’DONOVAN THU, APR 7

HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE FRI, APR 22

THE QUEBE SISTERS FRI, APR 29

AND MANY MORE! 1 6 3 5 T R A P R D, V I E N N A , VA 2 2 1 8 2

44

On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

The Pines The Pines’ upcoming show is the day after they’re set to release their first album in four years, ‘Above The Praire.’ This is a headlining show, but in the past they’ve shared stages with Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Mavis Staples, Israel Nash and more. The new record is a followup to their 2012 full-length ‘Dark So Gold,’ which was named the #3 album of the decade by the Minneapolis Star Tribune and “a stunner of an album” by Vintage Guitar. Rolling Stone’s David Fricke has called the group “quietly gripping.”

Jammin Java: www.jamminjava.com

FOOD

BEER

LIVE MUSIC

BRUNCH

Saturday, February 6 Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad These guys are known for folding the aesthetics of the jam band scene into the structures of reggae.

In the live setting, the band performs extended jams, while their previous studio albums have blended roots reggae with psychedelia or diverged from the genre completely, journeying into straight Americana. Born and bred in the cultural “melting-pot” that is DC metro area where styles as different as punk-rock, Central American reggaeton, and DC go-go music clash on the daily, FeelFree’s own evolution has been ten years in the making.

Gypsy Sally’s: www.gypsysallys.com

JANUARY ENTERTAINMENT 1/21 .......DJ Hiryze 1/22 .......Lloyd Dobler Effect 1/23 .......Odeon 1/28 .......DJ Jack Lingo 1/29 .......Thunder Buddies 1/30 .......The Excellent Drivers

FEBRUARY ENTERTAINMENT 2/4 ..........DJ Paul Surreal 2/5 ..........FTW (For The Win) 2/6 ..........Back To Zero 2/9 ..........MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION w/ MattyD & Kara 2/11 .......DJ 2Nutz 2/12 .......Jerx 2/13 .......Thunder Buddies 2/18 .......DJ Cabezon 2/19 .......Dr. FU 2/20 .......Party Like Its… 2/25 .......DJ Jack Lingo 2/26 .......9 Mile Roots 2/27 .......Right Hand Lefties

Saturday, February 6

2854 Wilson Blvd. 703-276-WOWE (9693) Clarendon Metro Stop (Orange Line) whitlows.com

Solas 20th Anniversary Tour Hailed as “one of the world’s finest Celtic-folk ensembles,” this quintet’s diverse repertoire includes innovative original songs as well as Irish classics. Tickets: $25-$28. Performances: Friday, February 5 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, February 6 at 8 p.m.

The Barns at Wolf Trap: www.wolftrap.org

Sunday, February 7 Wilco Wilco have been leaders in the alternative music scene, and the Americana music scene, for over 20 years since their debut in 1994. They’ve done everything from record albums of woody Guthrie’s unrecorded/unfinished works to drop a complete surprise album Star Wars, last year. They are a force to be reckoned with on the country paths, and don’t show any signs of slowing down.

DAR Constitution Hall: www.dar.org

IOTA Club & Cafe

Open mOn-fri 5pm / Sat-Sun 10 am =januarY=explore=live music forever= sa 23 JUSTIN TRAWICK&THE COMMON GOOD 8:30 $12 TH 28 BEST OF CLASSIC ALBUMS 8:30 $10 FR sa sa su

29 30 30 31

ELVIs COsTELLO - sTEVIE WONDER - THE BEaTLEs THE EaGLEs - GREEN DaY - WEEZER - THE CRaNBERRIEs SIRSY aND JULIA FANNING 8:30 $12 SCHOOL OF ROCK SHOWCASE 11aM-4PM FREE FLASHBAND 8:00 $10 THE PEACH KINGS W/HEaRTRaCER 8:00 $10

=februarY=explore=live music forever= SONYA KITCHELLW/jusTIN jONEs 8:30$12 SUPER BOWL ON STAGE 6:30 kICkOFF

FR 05 su 07 Tu 09 FR 12

PaRTY GRPs OF 20 TO 150::IOTaINFO@MaC.COM

MARDIS GRAS PARADE & SHOW7:00FREE THE DAWN DRAPES 8:30$10

W/PEYOTE PILGRIM W/THE sEa THE sEa 8:30$12 8:30$12 W/ LauREN CaLVE BaND W/ MILkBEaRD TH 18 BUMPIN’ UGLIES - TREEHOUSE 8:30$10

sa 13 su 14

W/ ILLITERaTE LIGHT

DEvON SPROULE ANNIE STOKES

DALE & THE zDUBS

sa 20 THE FIRE TONIGHT sa 27 THE BEATLES TRIBUTE

8:30$10 8:30$12

TuEsDaYs LGBTuEsDaYs HaPPY HOuR TIL 9 PM WED’DaYs OPEN MIC 8 PM = TWO sIGN-uPs 7:30/10:00

2832 wIlsOn blvd Arl-vA

www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap

45

Sunday, February 7

Wednesday, February 10

when he was 2. Marcus was born into music, gifted with steel-string DNA and two generations of men before him who nurtured the boy’s musical nature.

Villain & Saint: villainandsaint.com

Friday, February 12

Lupe Fiasco Before Kendrick Lamar was sainted as the new, greatest MC in the game—and it’s greatest storyteller—Lupe Fiasco paved most of the road for America accepting story-driven, lyrically complex hip-hop.

Now five albums into his career, and intending to release another three LPs in 2016, this powerhouse rapper cannot be stopped. Definitely see his show-stopping performances.

9:30 Club: www.930.com

Eric Burdon and The Animals The previous frontman of War and the driving force of the psychedelic rock band, The Animals, is one of the most searingly powerful voices in rock ’n’ roll—catch the English award-winning band, who gave you “House of the Rising Sun,” in their Wolf Trap debut.

Barns at Wolf Trap: www.wolftrap.org

Thursday, February 11

Tuesday, February 9

The Westies The Westies are a band that unabashedly confronts the trials of the inner city heart with a slow burn delicacy that juxtaposes many uncomfortable subjects with a tender and elegant beauty that is rare in the current music landscape. The Westies album “ West Side Stories” is a song cycle inspired by the real life Westies “a ruthless gang of Irish mob punks that ruled Hell’s Kitchen in the 60’s and 70’s”. The gangsters serve as a metaphor for the dark side that lurks inside us all. The unexplained forces that cause internal struggles, destroy relationships and leave us clinging to love as just a memory.

Gypsy Sally’s: www.gypsysallys.com

46

Kid Cudi Scott Mescudi has had a career of interesting twist and turns as one of the leaders of the burgeoning psychedelic hiphop movement. Since launching with Man on the Moon in 2009, Cudi has not become the biggest MC in the game, but he lauded by the underground and is one of the most artistically and sonically ambitious and driven artists in hip-hop. D’yer wanna be a spaceman? Fly to the moon with Kid Cudi.

Echo Stage: www.echostage.com

Chatham County Line Entering their second decade as an ensemble, Chatham County Line bring a deep reverence for traditional American roots music and timeless bluegrass instrumentation to insightful, poetic original songs that are powerfully contemporary yet rich with the complex resonance of their southern heritage.

Over the course of six studio albums and performances around the world, they have pursued a singular style that is entirely their own, yet connects with audiences from all walks.

Hamilton: www.live.thehamiltondc.com

Sunday, February 14

Thursday, February 11

Marcus King Call him the next Duane Allman or Jimi Hendrix, but whatever you do, don’t call Marcus King a child prodigy. Sure, the 18-year-old guitar shredders talent shimmers with the same resonance as his heroes, but he’s been wielding an axe since he learned to talk, he started playing

On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers Laura Jane Grace—formerly known as Tom Gabel—has led the insanely catchy and hard-hitting punk group Against Me! Since the late 90s. Their brash, fast, and often pop-laced sound has won them fans across the world, and makes for some pretty fun rock shows. On the heels of the massively personal and powerful Transgender Dysphoria Blues, Grace’s new tour with the Devouring Mothers promises all the potency of her art, just in a much more intimate setting.

Sixth & I Synagogue: www.sixthandi.com

Sunday, February 14 Protomartyr & Priests To continue the Valentine’s Day punk rock revelry with two of the loudest, strongest, in your face-est punk groups in the country. Detroit’s Protomartyr give a little drone but a lot of art rock anticipation to their intellectual exercise of punk. DC’s own Priests, who we know and love, combine hardcore level musical and performance brutality with equally engaging expression in their lyrics. It’s a night of thinking man’s punk and of all powerhouse performers.

Black Cat: www.blackcatdc.com

Thursday, February 18 The Soul Rebels Sound System feat.

Talib Kweli The Soul Rebels emerged from the New Orleans brass band scene as interpreters of the tradition who also mixed in their love of the history of hiphop. Having performed with everyone from Marilyn Manson to Kanye, now the Soul Rebels—redubbing themselves “the sound system”—pair up with visionary MC Talib Kweli, for a night of jazzhip-hop fusion that will blow your minds.

9:30 Club: www.930.com

Music Schedule: Jan 26 We are the Nine Jan 27 "Three for Free" w/ Jason Ager, Samantha Pearl and Alexander Peters Jan 28 Golden Bloom (Record release show) w/The NRI's Jan 29 Jumpin Jupiter Jan 30 The Pocket Band Feb 2 TRIVIA NIGHT Feb 5 Lighting Fires w/ DJ Charles Ray All Day Feb 6 Hollertown w/Herb and Hanson Feb 9 MARDI GRAS Party with Little Red and the Renegades Feb 10 The Mercenary House Band Feb 11 Eli Cook (band) Feb 12 Backbeat Underground w/ Edy Blu Feb 13 Black Masala Feb 16 TRIVIA NIGHT Feb 17 Glenn Yoder and The Western States w/Naseem Khuri (from Kingsley Flood) Feb 18 SANFORD Feb 20 Giants and Thieves w/OneStep Feb 23 We are the Nine Feb 25 The Duskwhales Feb 26 Erin and the Wildfire w/Bencoolen Feb 27 Flight of Salt (ex-Hackensaw Boys) w/ Hand Painted Swinger 925 N Garfield St, Arlington VA (703) 841-5889 www.sehkraftbrewing.com

Sunday, February 21 2CELLOS Who would have thought that cellos would have found this much love outside a concert hall? 2Cellos burst out of their native Croatia in 2012, when the duo performed their insane cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” on Glee.

Taking songs by everyone from the King of Pop to Kings of Leon and Metallica, the pair create raucous arrangements that bring the rock sometimes as hard as who they cover.

Last seen in DC supporting Elton John in 2013, it’s time for 2Cellos to shine on their own.

DAR Constitution Hall: www.dar.org

January / February 1/23 1/29 1/30 2/5 2/6 2/6 2/12 2/13 2/19 2/20 2/26 2/27

Vinyl Rhino Gonzo’s Nose Back By Sunrise As If Klepto Radio UFC-Pay-PerView For The Win The V.I.P’s Alter Ego Jeff From Accounting The Reagan Years Swell Daze

1000+ BEERS

Deli Groceries Wines from around the world Live music Weekend Brunch!

5863 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA www.westovermarketbeergarden.com

9811 WASHINGTON BLVD GAITHERSBURG, MD 20877 240.780.7139 UNIONJACKSRIO.COM

www.ontaponline.com | JAnuary/February 2016 | On Tap

47

Tuesday, February 23

Wednesday, March 2

R5 NW, DC. Currently on the international leg of their highly successful Sometime Last Night headline tour, pop-rock quintet R5 has announced nine additional tour dates for the tour’s winter 2016 leg due to fan demand. Fans of the band – whose sophomore album of the same name debuted at #1 on the Nielson Pop Album Chart – will now have the chance to see them in cities such as San Antonio, Austin, Washington DC, Des Moines and Portland.

The tour will feature Ryland as opener.

Lincoln Theatre: www.thelincolndc.com

Coheed & Cambria Sci-fi rockers, and On Tap alums, Coheed & Cambria are one of the most visionary bands in music. Up until their most recent release The Color Before the Sun, all of the group’s albums were concept albums that fit into their huge sic-fi/space opera epic The Armory Wars. Over all of those albums, the group took progressive rock and merged it with alt rock, pop, metal, and much more rocking music. While a bit heady for some, they are just a great band in all terms.

Echo Stage: www.echostage.com

Friday, February 26

Thursday, March 3

Steep Canyon Rangers The Steep Canyon Rangers have, perhaps, become the most famous bluegrass band in the world thanks to their frequent collaborations with banjo enthusiast Steve Martin. But celebrity associations aside, they also rank as one of the great bluegrass bands because of their undeniable, virtuosic musicianship and commitment to their North Carolina musical heritage.

9:30 Club: www.930.com

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CeeLo Green While most know him from his gigs as a judge on The Voice, CeeLo Green has one of the most powerful soul-pop voices in the music world. As part of Gnarls Barkley, he made the world crazy for him with “Crazy” and his own “F*** You” gave everyone the ultimate anthem to telling someone off.

To see such a superstar in such an intimate venue as the Howard is a treat.

The Howard Theater: www.thehowardtheatre.com

On Tap | JAnuary/February 2016 | www.ontaponline.com

Thursday, March 3

Pat Green & Randy Rogers Band Everything’s a little bit different in Texas, especially its country music. Pat Green and Randy Rogers are leaders of what’s known as “Red Dirt” Country, a Texan homebrew that seeks to remove the high falutin influence of Nashville studios on back roads anthems and giving them a bit more of an outlaw/real back country field. Each of these artists is a killer performer in their own right; on the same stage the same night, it’s an unstoppable force of classic American musical power.

Lincoln Theater: www.thelincolndc.com

Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5

Drive-By Truckers Since emerging from Georgia in the late 1990s, bringing along a little Muscle Shoals soul and swing for good measure, the Drive-By Truckers have been trucking along to becoming one of alternative country and southern rock’s go-to live acts. Ten studio albums in, the band shows no sign of stopping, as its pedal steel and country bright, southern fried rock sound still sells out clubs across America.

9:30 Club: www.930.com

20 Northern Virginia

Breweries banding

together to brew up

Kerri's Cure.

Proceeds from the sale of this beer will be donated to Kerri Rose to support her ďŹ ght against stage 4 stomach cancer.

#kerriscure

29 01 16

Available in taprooms at participating breweries on January 29th.

~M. Rose

Old Bust Head Brewing Old Ox Brewery Ornery Beer Port City Brewing Pro Re Nata Brewery Spencer Devon Brewing Tin Cannon Brewing

ga

in st C a nc

GIVE

BREWERS

A

Cancer sucks.

Beer rocks.

Crooked Run Brewing Fair Winds Brewing Forge Brew Works Heritage Brewing Lost Rhino Brewing Mad Fox Brewing Ocelot Brewing

er

THANKS TO...

Adroit Theory Brewing Adventure Brewing Bad Wolf Brewing Caboose Brewing Capitol City Brewing Corcoran Brewing

This initiative is made possible through the generous support of/donations made by: Fired Up To Help Jill Collins Public Relations Group BSG Craftbrewing Lehrman Beverage Law, PPLC DivingDog Creative The Lighthorse Restaurant