Grand Opening Set for Downtown Crown Wine and Beer on June 7

Downtown Crown Wine and Beer will hold a grand opening from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, at the shop located at 303 Copley Place in Gaithersburg. Visitors can enjoy craft beer and wine tastings from the shop’s extensive collections and receive beer and wine glass giveaways. There will be discounts and plenty of food, including some fare from Ruth’s Chris Steak House, which is opening at Downtown Crown later this year.

“We are so excited to be open at Downtown Crown,” said owner and operator Arash Tafakor, who with his family owns Georgetown Square Wine and Beer in Bethesda and another shop in Falls Church. “We pride ourselves on our product knowledge and customer service. We are a place where you can learn about craft beer and wine and discover more about what you like. Come in and tell us the qualities you prefer, and we will give you a good selection. It’s about helping you find what you like, not telling you what you should buy.”

Downtown Crown Wine and Beer is not a typical convenience beer and wine store, Tafakor said. The shop is a must-visit destination for craft beer enthusiasts in search of the perfect brew or take-home growler, as well as for wine aficionados looking for their next big find.  Other fun facts:

• Wine sommelier Brian McGahey is the shop’s full-time wine manager. He works alongside Tafakor in cultivating the wine selection, drawing on deep knowledge and connections with distributors locally, nationally and internationally.
• The shop is one of only two in Montgomery County (one of six in Maryland) to offer the Pegas CraftTap system for filling foam-free growlers that stay fresh for weeks unopened. The patented system was developed in Russia in 2004, swept across Europe and was introduced in the U.S. about four years ago.
• The shop features a beer tasting bar with 12 craft beers on tap, including a wide range of selections from local breweries like Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick and The Brewer’s Art and Union Craft Brewing in Baltimore.
• A companion wine tasting bar will offer 16 different wines by the glass. Selections will be diverse, including some of Maryland’s best like Elk Run Vineyards and Old Westminster Winery.
• Pick up a casual meal next door and enjoy it at Downtown Crown Wine & Beer with a pint or glass of wine. Meat and cheese plates are available, but visitors are encouraged to bring the
• own food and hang out at the tasting bars or in-store café tables while they eat and enjoy sampling the shop’s on-tap selections.

As part of the fun Saturday, Downtown Crown Wine & Beer is giving away a sweet Kona Beach Cruiser by Nirve Bikes. Visit the shop and register to win. A random drawing will be held at 4:45 p.m. Follow Downtown Crown Wine and Beer on Facebook to find out about new arrivals and other news.  You can also visit the shop’s website at www.downtowncrownwine.com.

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