With the Labor Day holiday weekend approaching, you are undoubtedly destined to have a few lowest common denominator beers with your barbecue. Even those of us who tend toward craft will be living the High Life. You can start the weekend on a much classier note by attending the Dogfish Head tap takeover Friday, Aug. 31 at Steingarten LA — which promises to be the antithesis of the fizzy yellow stuff.

Twelve Dogfish Head beers will be on tap and a representative will be on hand to discuss the beers and field all your beer geek questions about barrel aging and saccharomyces. Hopheads can look forward to 60, 90 and 120 minute IPAs or Hellhound On My Ale; World Wide and Chickory Stouts will be on draught for those inclined toward darker beers; also Theobrama, Te Henket and 2011 Midas Touch from the Ancient Ales series; see a complete list here. A special food menu will also be available.

Although Dogfish Head isn't local, it's another reason to visit Delaware besides the absence of sales tax. Known for experimental, relatively small batch beers, the brewery is an original leader in the current beer renaissance. They pursue outlandish possibilities in beer, like sourcing ingredients from all seven continents (Pangea) and socially collaborating on a global scale (Urkontinent). Their Ancient Ales Series is led by Midas Touch Golden Elixar, which employs some of the ingredients remnant on a drinking vessel of King Midas: saffron, honey, and Muscat grapes.

In addition to piloting a wildly successful brewery, founder Sam Calgione has contributed to the rise of the craft beer scene in America by authoring a number of books, hosting the show Brew Masters on Discovery Channel, and sponsoring the popular Extreme Beer Fest in Boston.

Steingarten LA has a growing reputation for hosting solid events. Visit the tap takeover Friday or come back Sept. 5 when Beer University covers Saisons, or Sept. 12 for the Cocktail Sense 4 Course Dinner. Dogfish Head Total Tap Tower Takeover is Friday, Aug. 31, 6 p.m., no ticket required, reservations recommended.

Want more Squid Ink? Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook Erika Bolden writes of her compulsive beer and food habit at The Weblog and @Erikabolden.

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