(Courtesy Neighborhood Restaurant Group)

Named after a mythical dragon-like beast, rumored to have once inhabited the mid-Atlantic’s backwoods around the turn of the century, Snallygaster returns to the nation’s capital this weekend.

Now in its thirteenth year, Snallygaster is all about showcasing the unique and less common… beers not normally offered at even the most upscale beer festivals, and here. With 175+ brewers and 450 artisan beverage offerings, navigating this beast of an event could get difficult

So to help the American Craft Beer crew has come up curated list of must-try rare beers and ciders that you need to chase down this weekend at Snallygaster 2025 .

Lambic & Mixed Fermentation Delights

• 3 Fonteinen – A blend of Oude Geuze Cuvee Armand & Gaston, bottled in 2018.
• Cantillon – A traditional lambic with a cult following.
• Tilquin – Poseidon Series: Includes Cuvee Marie-Catherine, Paul, and Jean Paul—three gueuze variants featuring 1, 2, and 3-year-old lambic, respectively.
• Freigeist Bierkultur – A sherry-barrel-aged, peated lambic, blending smoky and sour profiles.
• De Ranke – XX Bitter: A hop-forward Belgian pale ale with a crisp finish.

German & Franconian Specialties

• Spezial – Smoked Lager: A traditional Franconian Rauchbier with a rich, smoky flavor.
• Schönram – Helles: A classic German lager with a malty backbone and balanced bitterness.
• Andechs – Doppelbock: A strong, malty beer with notes of caramel and dark fruit.

American Craft Innovations

• Equilibrium Brewery – Fractal Series: A rotating IPA series known for juicy, hazy profiles.
• Fidens Brewing – Double Dry-Hopped IPA: A hop-forward IPA with tropical fruit aromas.
• Trillium Brewing – Double Dry-Hopped Fort Point: A New England-style IPA with a soft mouthfeel and citrus notes.
• Sapwood Cellars – Barrel-Aged Sour: A mixed fermentation beer aged in oak barrels, offering complex flavors.
• Pen Druid Brewing – Wild Ale: A spontaneously fermented beer with earthy and funky characteristics.

✅ Strategy & Tips: How to Identify the Snallygaster Must-Tries

Because there will be so many beers, here are a few strategies to help you maximize:

• Start with the rarities
  Use your VIP / early-entry window (if you have it) to hit bottles, gravity kegs, or small-batch pours that might run out early.
• Scan for “barrel-aged / mixed fermentation / wild / sour / limited edition” labels
  These styles tend to be festival eye-catchers and won’t always be re-poured.
• Balance IPA + Funky / Sour
  There will be more than enough IPAs — but also look for wild ales, barrel-aged stouts, saisons, and sours to round out your palate.
• Leverage the Untappd / festival app
  Snallygaster provides a sortable beer list via their Untappd integration, so you can filter by style or ABV.
• Don’t neglect locals
  Some of the most memorable beers will be from regional breweries doing hyperlocal / experimental stuff — often fresher or more adventurous than what’s in wide distribution.
• Mind the ABV
  Especially with barrel-aging and stouts, some beers may be “sippers” rather than crowd-pleasers. Pace yourself, we’re begging you
• Revisit after your first lap
  After trying lighter or fruitier beers, revisit IPA / hop-forward / heavier offerings later once your palate is cleared.

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Special thanks to our friends at DC Beer for helping us curate this list. Unlike the ACB crew of enthusiastic beer reprobates, they actually know what they’re talking about.

And since we know even less about ciders you need to check out DC Beer’s Cider Picks.