Cheers! It's DC Beer Week!

Ale, lager or stout? No matter type of beer you prefer to drink, through Sunday, August 16, you have the perfect excuse to expand your craft beer horizons or to try new brews of your current favorite. How, you ask? August 9 through August 16 is Washington DC Beer Week, which aims to educate area citizens on all things "good beer, from conception to consumption!"

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From special happy hours, to beer and food pairings, to special brew releases, these events will have beer lovers "hopped up!" However, with such a wide variety of daily events for the week, it can be difficult to select which events to attend. Is it best to narrow down by events close to The Louis or by the type of event? See what we mean? The options can be overwhelming. To view a recommended list of Beer Week events broken down by day, click here.

Today's marquee event is the Coast to Coast Tap Takeover at RFD. This event features more than 40 beers on tap, each at $5 a pour. There is a $5 cover charge, which will benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The event runs from 3 - 11 p.m.

One event garnering buzz from both Washington City Paper and Washingtonian magazine is Thursday's D.C. Total Tap Takeover at Church Key. All of ChurchKey's 55 taps will pour brews made in the Washington DC area. This special event takes place from 4 - 11 p.m. Washingtonian recommends tasting the Alpine Beer Company Nelson, which is made with a fruity type of hop called "Nelson Sauvin." This is the first time that ChurchKey will devote all of its taps to DC-produced beer, so if you only have room in your schedule to attend one Beer Week event, this one will certainly be well worth it!

What is "on tap" for the weekend? On Friday, the marquee event is DC Beer Week Takeover at High Velocity. Located inside the Washington Marriott Marquis, top tier breweries including Atlas Brew Works, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, 21st Amendment, Schlafly, Heavy Seas, Sam Adams, Flying Dog and North Coast, will be pouring both flagships and rarities! On Saturday, the DC Homebrewers Club will be performing demonstrations at Meridian Pint from 3 - 6 p.m. On Sunday, the final day of Beer Week, team up with some of your friends for a Beer Scavenger Hunt in Dupont Circle!

What brews are you hoping to taste or events do you plan to attend? Let The Louis know on Facebook and Twitter!