DRINKING/SONGS: A NIGHT OF BEER AND THE MUSIC THAT GOES WITH IT

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and public Radio's VoiceBox present an unforgettable, interactive exploration of the ancient global connection between singing and beer.

Drinking/Songs affords beer lovers and vocal music fans an unrivaled opportunity to taste a range of Dogfish Head artisanal beers inspired by brewing traditions from around the world, hear music associated with the selected ales performed by The Fill A Steins, a professional a cappella vocal ensemble, and participate in a live discussion about the deep connection between beer and song which will be recorded and broadcast on public radio's VoiceBox the following week.

The event includes samplings of seven Dogfish Head beers, from beloved brews like the 90 Minute IPA and Burton Baton to limited releases and beers that are not currently distributed on the west coast such as Sah'tea (a modern take on a ninth century Finnish proto beer) Chateau Jiahu (based on an ancient Chinese recipe dating from 7000 B.C. consisting of rice, honey, grapes and Hawthorne fruit) and the Indian Brown Ale (a cross between a Scotch ale, an IPA and an American Brown.) Upon entry, each audience member will receive a special Dogfish Head/VoiceBox tasting glass for their personal use, which they can take home afterwards as a memento of the event.

The Fill A Steins, a group of professional vocalists whose performance credits include such local, national and internationally-recognized vocal ensembles as Chanticleer, Clerestory, American Bach Soloists and the Philharmonia Baroque Chorale, will perform a repertoire of rollicking drinking songs from around the world to go with each beer on the program. The evening's musical offerings include stein-swinging shanties, lusty odes to ale, and the catchiest drinking songs from parts as far-flung as Scandinavia, China, Central America, and the UK. As the fun progresses and the beer flows, there will also be ample opportunities for audience members to join in with the singing.

Throughout the evening, the musical numbers and beer tastings will be contextualized through a lively, on-stage discussion between renowned Bay Area cicerone Sayre Piotrkowski (The Monk's Kettle), singers Jesse Antin and Justin Montigne and Chloe Veltman, the host of VoiceBox, a weekly syndicated public radio and podcast series all about the art of the human voice and the best of the vocal music scene. Audience members will learn about the intimate link between drinking beer and singing songs that has thrived for thousands of years across a wide variety of cultures from Great Britain and the United States to Central America and China.

"The fruitful relationship between beer and song has existed since the dawn of civilization. It was at a nine-thousand-year-old dig site in China that molecular evidence of the earliest beer was discovered along with the earliest playable musical instruments. So even way back then they were having a hootenanny," said Sam A. Calagione, founder and owner of Dogfish Head Brewery. "An evening of diverse, flavorful beers paired with geographically and thematically diverse drinking songs sounds like an updated epic hootenanny to me. Dogfish Head has a long history of celebrating the overlap between the beer and music worlds and we are proud to be hosting this event with VoiceBox."

Light, complimentary snacks will be provided by 50 Mason Social House, one of San Francisco's newest live music venues and a downtown destination for beers and wines. Additional drinks beyond the Dogfish Head samples included in the program will be available for purchase at the 50 Mason Social House bar (cash only.)

Join us for an unforgettable global journey through the shared cultural history of ale and song!