Ten restaurants and the Embassy of Belgium will team up beginning tomorrow to kick off Belgian Restaurant Week in DC, which will run from July 15-21. The week will be chock full of events designed to celebrate the food, beverages, culture, and hospitality of Belgium. The following restaurants will all be participating: Belga Cafe, Brabo, Brasserie Beck, Et Voila!, Granville Moore’s, L O’ocolat, Le Pain Quotidien, Marcel’s, Marvin, and Mussel Bar. A couple of the places are doing beer dinners.

Links of the Day

I'm not trying to get in to politics, but the Minnesota state government isn't giving me much choice. The Minnesota state government has been shutdown for a couple weeks due to budget disputes. The consequences to that in the beer world are now starting to be understood. Without the government available to approve permits or labels, the beer market will soon face a shutdown of its own.
Local News
NPR

Washington DC doesn't make the top 20 beer cities.

Also, beer sales to young to middle age males are still slow.

Don't forget about the events this weekend that Kim posted.

Mad Fox's One Year Anniversary Celebration - 2011

Mad Fox invites you to an all-day party Saturday, July 16 to celebrate our first anniversary. As a thank you to our loyal patrons, we are offering a free Anniversary Logo Glass to the first 250 people starting at 3PM. We’ll have live music starting at 9PM with the Levi Stephens Band.

• Noon – Tapping draught Oaked Slobberknocker American-style Barleywine
• 3PM – Tapping draught Oaked Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
• 3PM – Keep the Anniversary Glass for the first 250 people to order a Mad Fox beer, restrictions: one per person, over 21 no tasters, no Oaked beers, no refills
• 8PM – First taste of our work in progress Bourbon barrel-aged Batch 100 Strong Black Ale with the broaching of the first small pin cask
• 9PM-1AM – Levi Stephens Band

In addition to our oaked beers, we will have American Pale Ale, Porter and Fennec Ale on cask. All Oaked beers are served in British half-pints, no growlers of these rare beers please.

We’ve lined up some fun bar snacks and menu specials for the occasion:

• Bar Snacks
  • House made potato chips with sea salt and black pepper
  • Rosemary and cayenne candied mixed nuts
  • Sausage rolls with curry ketchup
  • Pork schnitzel fingers with mushroom gravy for dipping
• Menu Specials
  • Caramelized Onion And Blue Cheese Tart With Crème Fraiche Appetizer
  • Corn, Cucumber, Blueberry And Cilantro Salad
  • Prime Rib Dinner
  • Crab Stuffed Trout Fillets

Mussel Throw Down

When: Sat, July 16, 12pm – 3pm

Where: 225 7th Street Southeast, Washington D.C - Eastern Market

What: Eastern Market Hall for the second annual 'Mussel Throw Down.' Sous Chefs from participating restaurants will go up against 2010 Embassy Chef of the Year Jan Van Haute of the Belgian Embassy for a chance to earn the crown of Mussel King. Competition takes place from noon till 3pm.
Cost: $5 entrance fee includes one bowl of mussels and a beer.

"From Bibles to Brewskis"

An interesting tale on how 2 friends started a brewery.

Scionism in the American Beer Industry

NPR's Freakonomics Radio had an interesting story on corporations passing firm ownership from generation to generation. Budweiser and Yuengling were a large part of the story. It's an hour long but a good listen.