Capital Cooking with Lauren DeSantis

Thursday, May 14 -New Belgium Brewing & DC Metro Girls Pint Out Beer Cocktail Mixer.  New Belgium Brewing and Girls Pint Out are hosting a night of mixing and mingling to help celebrate New Belgium’s new Pear Ginger beer at Roofer's Union in DC. Twelve cities across the country, including DC, will host beer cocktail mixers featuring crafty mixology, beer samples and great food. “Girls Pint Out is an organization that promotes collaboration between women who love craft beer. By pairing with New Belgium, we have the opportunity to collaborate with a great women-operated brewery and for chapters to collaborate on a national level,” said Girls Pint Out President Amanda Wishin. Pear Ginger, the inspiration for the evening, is a zesty, invigorating summer sipper crafted for beer glasses and mixologists’ cocktail shakers. Warming, spicy ginger punctuates the lemon, pear and bready white wheat. It starts sweet, but finishes with just the right amount of heat. You can drink it straight, no chaser, or put a new spin on a classic gimlet – either way, it’s how New Belgium is trying to shake it up this summer. ‘With Pear Ginger Beer, we decided to create a beer that is wonderful on its own, then doubles as a world-class mixer. We partnered with some of the best bartenders in the business that just happen to be dear friends of ours,” said New Belgium Brewing Specialty Brand Manager, Lauren Salazar. “This beer cocktail event with Girls Pint Out featuring local mixologists is the perfect event to celebrate women who love craft beer and cocktails as well. The event includes one cocktail made with New Belgium’s Pear Ginger beer, two samples of beer cocktails, samples of other New Belgium beers and appetizers. 

This Friday, expand your palate with Capital Wine School.  The Friendship Heights wine educators are hosting a Wines of Barolo tasting class.  All of the wines featured are made from the Nebbiolo grapes of Italy.  The tasting is $85 per person and tickets can be purchased at CapitalWineSchool.com.

Saturday, May 16, 2015: Bite Club Chef Demo

WHAT:      Guests will watch cooking demonstrations and sample the deliciously diverse tastes prepared by Westfield Montgomery’s finest restaurant chefs. This interactive and educational experience is the first of many sampling demos to come. 

WHEN:     Saturday, May 16, 2015

11am - 2pm

WHERE:    Center Court at Westfield Montgomery. For more information, visit the Westfield Montgomery Mall website.

COST:        FREE

Sunday, May 17 -Taste of Arlington  The Ballston Business Improvement District’s 28th Annual Taste of Arlington  is the largest food+beer+music+kids+dog festival showcasing the diversity of Arlington’s food scene and attracting nearly 40,000 food lovers from all over the region.  More than 50 of Arlington’s favorite restaurants and most exciting chefs will serve up their specialties at this year’s festival.  The exciting and highly anticipated festival transforms downtown Ballston into a family-friendly street festival with dining, music and entertainment for all ages.  Participating restaurants include Water and Wall, Sweet Fix DC, Pizza Vinoteca, and Northside Social.    This year the Ballston VIP Pavilion will be a culinary adventure with beer and wine tastings paired with savory food. No need to drive to wine country when we are bringing it to you in the VIP Pavilion!  Enjoy an upscale yet relaxing environment under the Pavilion tent with your friends and colleagues, knowing a portion of your $100 Pavilion ticket or sponsorship is going to help a worthy Arlington non-profit, AFAC.  Taste of Arlington is located along Wilson Boulevard from N. Glebe Road to N. Quincy Street and from Wilson Boulevard along N. Stuart Street near the metro station.  The hours are from noon to 6pm on Sunday, May 17th.  Taste of Arlington is a rain or shine event; tickets are non-refundable.  Check out http://www.ballstonbid.com/taste/ for more information!

2015 RAMMYS Cocktail Program of the Year Finalists 2 Birds, 1 Stone and Iron Gate have exciting special promotions planned for the week of May 18. From May 18 through May 22, any guest who posts photos at a RAMMYS cocktail program finalist location using the Instagram handle @RAMWdc and hashtag #RAMMYSCocktails will be entered to win a pair of tickets to the 2015 RAMMY Awards Gala on June 7.