Brightest Young Things

Wine News you damn well better use:

• Hello, delicious: On April 27th Birreria Paradiso in Georgetown (with Stone Brewing Company) is having a 4 course/6 beer dinner @ 6:30 and 9:00 PM. Reservations required! Call 202.337.4936.
• Tonight! April 23, wine at the movies at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse with Bottle Shock, a movie that's actually kinda sorta accurate (once you strip away all the cheesy romantic subplots)
• A little old but still good: The Washingtonian chats up some local bartenders about their favorite drinks.
• On April 28 taste seven to eight strong Belgian beers and enjoy one entree made with a beer plus dessert for just $49.99 per person at Belga’s monthly Beer Tasting. Call them to make reservations.(202-544-0100).
• On April 30 head out to Nellie’s to sample some delicious food and learn how beer can complete any dish. This class will include a five-course dinner designed to complement the tasting. Sign up now by calling Douglas Schantz at 202-332-6355 or by emailing d.schantz@nelliessportsbar.com. Cost is $30 and reservations are required.

In lieu of a write up (my bad, I promise it'll be back next week) I'll instead dedicate the rest of this space to the next cocktail event you need to go to: World Cocktail Week at Proof. From their website:

"Proof is pleased to announce its participation in World Cocktail Week for the second straight year. On Monday, May 11th, the restaurant will host a cocktail party and dinner benefiting The Museum of the American Cocktail and featuring many of the Washington area’s top mixologists working together to provide sensational sips for this special evening. Participating mixologists include Adam Bernbach of Bar Pilar, Derek Brown of The Gibson, Tom Brown of Cork, Gina Chersevani of PS 7’s, Justin Guthrie of Blue Ridge, Owen Thompson of Bourbon, Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve, Chantal Tseng of Tabard Inn, Rico Wisnor of Poste, Jill Zimorski of Café Atlantico and Sebastian Zutant of Proof." (note: so, pretty much everyone you read about in Washington Post's Going Out Guide or The Washingtonian's fluff pieces or frankly, anything ever about cocktails in DC including this space)

"Tickets are priced at $145 per person. The evening's festivities will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a cocktail hour that will feature passed hors d'oeuvres and five specialty cocktails created especially for the occasion. Proof’s Executive Chef Haidar Karoum will prepare a five-course tasting menu that will be paired with five additional specialty cocktails. Tickets for this exclusive event, which sold out quickly last year, are very limited, and may be purchased by emailing Karen Chan at karen@proofdc.com."

"World Cocktail Week is an annual event to celebrate the anniversary of the first known instance where "cocktail" was defined in print, which took place on May 13, 1806, in the New York newspaper "The Balance." This year, World Cocktail Week is taking place from May 6th through the 13th (note: right on the heels of Cinco de Mayo, so you might want to start taking milk thistle right now to prepare your liver for the onslaught). The Museum of the American Cocktail is a nonprofit organization providing education in mixology and preserving the rich history of the American cocktail."