Burgeoning Brewing Scene in Our Nation's Capitol

Version 10.2, as of Mar 25, 2013

This is a great time to be a craft beer fan in the Nation's Capitol! And you are looking at my most recently updated compilation of breweries and brewpubs in the National Capitol Region. Have you heard of all the breweries, brew-pubs, and tied houses below? Have you been to a few to sample the wares? Our mantra: think global, drink LOCAL!

>> Comment below about any new discoveries or to share your impressions! <<

One quick introductory note before you dive into the compilation. I am mainly interested in currently "open, local, craft" brewers. I define "local" as those within 100 miles (2 hours) of the US Capitol Building. I use the Brewers' Association's definition of "craft:" small, independent, and traditional.  See http://bit.ly/VgVzeH.

In the interest of promoting the regional brewing scene, the list you see includes some categorized exceptions to the "open, local, craft" rule:

·         Beer brewed locally by non-locally owned chains, e.g., Gordon Biersch, is included for completeness, but listed separately.

·         I have a short list of "tied houses."  These retail outlets, such as the Dogfish Head Ale Houses, have no on-site brewing but they are essentially extensions of a regional brewery's tasting room.

·         To further wet your whistle, I also show a list of breweries and brewpubs that are not yet open but coming soon to a location within 100 miles of the Capitol Building.

·         I added a select group of current and future "road-trippable" breweries and brewpubs. They may be outside my arbitrary definition of LOCAL, yet if you have the time, they are well worth the drive.

·         I mention the region's two large brewers (i.e., those producing over 6 million bbls per year), Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors. Why not? The big boys can make some good beer, too.  More importantly, they employ local brewers, and they brew gateway beers on which most of us craft beer lovers cut our teeth.

·         For reasons of nostalgia and historical completeness, I even include closed breweries and brewpubs (local, non-locally owned, and some further afield).

·         Finally, let's not forget the region's dynamic homebrew clubs! These talent incubators have given rise to many of our area's top brewers. We celebrate home-brewers who have turned pro and encourage all who may follow.

>> Questions or updates are welcome in the Comments section. <<

Note: some brands you can buy are brewed by contract. One cannot visit the Stillwater Artisanal Brewery, for example, because Stillwater beers are currently brewed using facilities at DOG Brewing. "Currently Open" means a physical place you can go and visit, like DOG Brewing. Look for Stillwater under "Coming Soon."

 

A. LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED BREWERIES & BREW-PUBS (Sorted Alphabetically)

1.     3 Stars Brewery, Washington, DC

2.     Adroit Theory Brewing Company, Loudon Co

3.     Antietam Brewing at Benny's Pub, Hagerstown, MD

4.     Appalachian Brewing Company, Gettysburg, PA

5.     Barley and Hops Grill and Microbrewery, Frederick

6.     Barnhouse Brewery, Leesburg

7.     Battlefield Brewing at The Pub, Fredericksburg, VA

8.     Bawlmer Brewing, Baltimore, MD

9.     Baying Hound Aleworks, Rockville, MD

10.  Blue & Gray Brewing Co, Fredericksburg

11.  Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery, Frederick

12.  Brewer's Art, Baltimore

13.  Capitol City Brewing Company, Arlington  (now brews for all Cap City locations)

14.  Center of the Universe (COTU) Brewing Company, Ashland, VA

15.  Chocolate City Brewing Co.,  Washington, DC

16.  Coastal Brewing Dover, DE (Old Dominion and Fordham brands)

17.  Corcoran Brewing Co., Waterford, VA

18.  DC Brau, Washington, DC

19.  Dempsey's Brewpub and Restaurant, Baltimore

20.  DOG Brewing Co, Westminster, MD (DOG and Stillwater Artisanal brands)

21.  DuClaw Brewing Company, Bel Air

22.  DuClaw Brewing Company, Bowie

23.  DuClaw Brewing Company, Hanover

24.  Eastern Shore Brewing, St Michaels, MD

25.  Ellicott Mills Brewing Company, Ellicott City

26.  Firestation 1 Restaurant and Brewing Co.

27.  The Flying Barrel BOP and Homebrew Shop, Frederick, MD

28.  Flying Dog Brewing Regional Brewery, Frederick (Corporate HQ in Denver)

29.  Franklin's Restaurant, Brewery & General Store, Hyattsville

30.  Growler's of Gaithersburg

31.  Gunpowder Falls Brewing, New Freedom, PA

32.  Heavy Seas Beer, Halethorpe, MD (Clipper, Pyrate, and Mutiny lines)

33.  Holy Brew, Leesburg, VA

34.  Lost Rhino Brewing Co., Ashburn, VA

35.  MacDowell Brew Kitchen, Leesburg

36.  Mad Fox Brewery, Falls Church

37.  Mad Hop Brews, Ellicott City, MD

38.  Mad Horse Brewpub, Lovettsville, VA

39.  Monocacy Brewing, Frederick, MD

40.  Mud Hound Brewing Company, Purcellville, VA

41.  Picadilly's, Winchester, VA

42.  Port City Brewing, Alexandria

43.  Pratt Street Alehouse, Baltimore

44.  Red Brick Station, White Marsh, MD

45.  Ruddy Duck, Solomons Island, MD

46.  Sweetwater Tavern, Centreville

47.  Sweetwater Tavern, Falls Church

48.  Sweetwater Tavern, Sterling

49.  Union Craft Brewing Co, Baltimore

50.  Vintage 50 Restaurant and Brew Lounge, Leesburg

B. CHAIN BREW-PUBS AND TIED HOUSES IN OUR REGION (Sorted Alphabetically)

1.     Capitol City Brewing Company, New York Ave

2.     District Chophouse & Brewery, Washington, DC

3.     Dogfish Head Ale House, Fairfax

4.     Dogfish Head Ale House, Falls Church

5.     Dogfish Head Ale House, Gaithersburg

6.     DuClaw  Brewing Company, BWI Airport, Southwest Terminal

7.     Frisco Tap House and Push Brewing, Columbia, MD

8.     Gordon Biersch , Annapolis

9.     Gordon Biersch, Dulles International Airport (IAD-Terminal D, Gate D14)

10.  Gordon Biersch, McLean

11.  Gordon Biersch, Rockville

12.  Gordon Biersch, Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA-North Pier)

13.  Gordon Biersch, Washington, DC

14.  Heavy Seas Alehouse, Baltimore

15.  Hops Grillhouse and Brewery,  Alexandria

16.  Lee's Retreat, Fredericksburg (outlet for Blue & Gray)

17.  Old Dominion Brewhouse, Hyattsville (Outlet for Coastal's Old Dominion line)

18.  Old Dominion Brewhouse, Washington, DC (Outlet for Coastal's Old Dominion line)

19.  Pub Dog Pizza & Drafthouse, Columbia, Maryland (outlet for DOG)

20.  Pub Dog Pizza & Drafthouse, Federal Hill, Baltimore (outlet for DOG)

21.  Ram's Head Tavern, Annapolis (Outlet for Coastal's Fordham line)

22.  Ram's Head Roadhouse, Annapolis (Outlet for Coastal's Fordham line)

23.  Ram's Head Shore House, Stevensville (Outlet for Coastal's Fordham line)

24.  Ram's Head Tavern, Savage (Outlet for Coastal's Fordham line)

25.  Rock Bottom, Arlington

26.  Rock Bottom, Bethesda

C. LOCAL VENUES COMING SOON (Sorted Alphabetically)

1.     BadWolf Brewing Company, Manassas

2.     Bardo BrewPub, Washington, DC

3.     Beltway Brewing, a brewery for hire, coming to Loudon County in late 2012

4.     Bluejacket, aka NRG's Brewery and Restaurant at the Yards

5.     Bluemont Brewery, Purcellville

6.     CasaNoVa Brewing & Sound, Arlington

7.     Charm City Brewing, Baltimore

8.     Crooked Run  Brewery, Waterford

9.     Frey’s Brewing, Mt. Airy, MD

10.  Full Tilt Brewing Co., Baltimore

11.  Gordon Biersch, Washington, DC (Navy Yard)

12.  Hellbender Brewing Company, DC

13.  Leesburg Brewing Company, Leesburg

14.  Logan Shaw Brewing Company,  Washington, DC (will brew Logan Shaw and Wild Goose brands)

15.  Low Brau DC

16.  Mad Science Brewing Company, Thanksgiving Farms, Adamstown, MD

17.  Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm, Mt Airy, MD

18.  Mully's Brewery, Prince Frederick, MD

19.  Peabody Heights Brewing Co, Baltimore

20.  The Raven, Baltimore

21.  Right Proper Brewing Co., Washington, DC

22.  Robert Portner Brewhouse and Beergarden, Alexandria, VA (Portner's great-great-grandchildren plan a revival as a brewery incubator. Coming in 2013).

23.  Ruhlman Brewing Co., Hampstead, MD

24.  Stillwater Artisanal Ales, Baltimore (currently contract brewing at DOG)

25.  VRG's The V Virginia Eatery and Brewhouse, Ashburn, VA

26.  Washingtonian's Brewing Co., Washington, DC

D. REGIONAL ROAD-TRIP WORTHY BREWERIES & BREW-PUBS (Sorted on distance in miles from the US Capitol)

1.     16 Mile Brewing Company, Georgetown, DE (101)

2.     Stewart’s Brewing Co., Bear, DE (103)

3.     Beer Hound Brewing, Barboursville, VA (104)

4.     Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Richmond (106)

5.     Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE (107)

6.     Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, DE (108)

7.     Legend Brewing Company, Richmond (111)

8.     Midnight Brewery, Rockville, VA (114)

9.     3rd Wave Brewery and Tasting Room, Delmar, DE (115)

10.  Evolution Craft Brewing Co., Salisbury, MD (117)

11.  Champion Brewing Co., Charlottesville (117)

12.  South Street Brewing, Charlottesville (118)

13.  Appalachian Brewing Company, Camp Hill, PA (120)

14.  Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats, Rehoboth, DE (123)

15.  MillerCoors LLC, Shenandoah Brewery, Elkton, VA (123)

16.  Tall Tales Brewing, Parsonsburg, MD (124)

17.  Starr Hill Brewing Company, Crozet, VA (129)

18.  Troeg's Brewing Company, Hershey, PA (131)

19.  James River Brewing Company, Scottsville, VA (135)

20.  Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA (136)

21.  Burley Oak Brewing Co., Berlin, MD (140)

22.  Brass Cannon Brewing, Toano, VA (142)

23.  Wild Wolf Brewing Company, Nellysford, VA (147)

24.  Williamsburg Alewerks, Williamsburg (150)

25.  Devil’s Backbone Basecamp Brewery, Roseland, VA (150)

26.  Blue Mountain Barrel House, Arrington, VA (153)

27.  Anheuser-Busch Inc, Pocahontas Trail, Williamsburg, VA (157)

28.  Free Will Brewing Co, Perkasie, PA (164)

29.  Selin's Grove Brewing Company, Selinsgrove, PA (166)

30.  St George Brewing Company, Hampton (176)

31.  Jefferson Street Brewery and Pub, Lynchburg, VA (179)

32.  Devil's Backbone Outpost Brewery, Lexington, VA (190)

33.  O'Connor Brewing Co, Norfolk, VA (193)

34.  Blue Lab Brewing Co., Lexington, VA (193)

35.  Smart Mouth Brewing, Norfolk, VA (200)

36.  Roanoke Railhouse Brewery, Roanoke, VA (244)

37.  Bull and Bones Brewhaus & Grill, Blacksburg, VA (269)

38.  River Company Brewery, Radford, VA (275)

39.  Wolf Hills Brewing Company, Abingdon, VA (363)

E. REGIONAL VENUES COMING SOON (Sorted on distance in miles from the US Capitol)

1.     Archangel Brewing Company, Richmond (107)

2.     Haxall Brewing Co, Richmond, VA (109)

3.     Ajax Aleworks, Richmond, VA (109)

4.     Strangeways Brewing Co., Richmond, VA (109)

5.     Ardent Craft Ales, Church Hill, Richmond, VA (112)

6.     Treehaus Brewery, Charlottesville, VA (117)

7.     Licking Hole Creek Craft Brewery, Goochland, VA (126)

8.     Three Brothers Brewing, Harrisonburg, VA (132)

9.     Fin City Brewing, Ocean City, MD (146)

10.  Shorebilly Brewing Co, Ocean City, MD (146)

11.  Red Beard Brewing Co, Staunton, VA (159)

12.  Shenandoah Valley Brewing, Staunton, VA (159)

13.  Apocalypse Ale Works, Forest, VA (193)

14.  Bedford Alehouse, Bedford (near Roanoke) (206)

15.  Young Veterans Brewing Co., Virginia Beach, VA (210)

16.  Parkway Brewing, Salem, VA (240)

17.  Creek Bottom Brewing, Galax, VA (325)

F. FONDLY REMEMBERED VENUES (Sorted Chronologically)

1.     Consumer Brewery (1896-1904, became Arlington Brewery)

2.     Robert Portner's Tivoli Brewing Co., Alexandria, VA (Closed in 1916--possibly being revived?)

3.     American Brewery, Baltimore (1887-1920)

4.     Arlington Brewery (1904-1920)

5.     Olde Heurich Brewing Company (1872-1956)

6.     Globe Brewing Company (Arrow Beer) (1748-1963)

7.     Queen City Brewing Company, Cumberland, MD (1901–1976)

8.     National Brewing Company (National Bohemian) (1885-1978)

9.     Chesapeake Bay Brewing Co., Virginia Beach (1982?-1989?).

10.  British Brewing Co., Glen Burnie (1988-1992), sold to form Oxford Brewing

11.  Globe Brewing (Key Hwy) (1994-1996)

12.  Dock Street Brewing (later John Harvard DC), (1994-1997)

13.  Oxford Brewing Co., Linthicum  (1992-1998, then part of Clipper City 1998-2009)

14.  Potomac River Brewing Co., Chantilly, VA (1993-1998)

15.  Brimstone Brewing Company, Baltimore, then Frederick (1994-1998)

16.  Blue-N-Gold Brewery, Arlington (1996-1998)

17.  Virginia Brewing Co (Bought by Founders in 2000)

18.  Sisson's Restaurant and Brewery (1979-2002) sold brewing equip to Mountaineer

19.  Founders Restaurant & Brewing Co, Alexandria (Closed 2002)

20.  Virginia Native Brewing Co., Alexandria  (1998-2003).

21.  Baltimore Brewing Co., aka DeGroen's (1989-2004)

22.  Bardo Rodeo Brewpub (Closed 2004). Possibly coming back?

23.  Rock Creek Brewing, Richmond (1996?-2005?)

24.  John Harvard's Brew House, Washington, DC (1997 - 2006)

25.  Capitol City Brewing Company, Baltimore (Closed 2007)

26.  DuClaw  Brewing Company, Fells Point, Baltimore (Closed in 2009)

27.  Fordham Brewing Co (Bought 2009 by Coastal Brewing)

28.  Frederick Brewing (Bought by an Ohio brewery that itself was bought by Flying Dog in 2009)

29.  Old Dominion Brewing Co (Bought 2009 by Coastal Brewing)

30.  Clay Pipe, Westminster, MD (closed 2010)

31.  Clipper City (reorganized in 2010 as Heavy Seas Beers)

32.  Wild Goose Brewery (Cambridge > Frederick > Flying Dog > Closed 2010 and sold recipes to Logan Shaw).

33.  Mountaineer Brewing Co., Martinsburg, WV (Closed Apr 2011)

34.  Calhoun's, Harrisonburg, VA (Closed 2011)

35.  Capitol City Brewing Company, Massachusetts Ave  (Closed Jul 2011--possibly reopening in Union Station?)

36.  Shenandoah Brewing Company, Alexandria  (Closed June 2011)

37.  Shooting Creek Farm Brewery, Floyd, VA‎ (Closed May 2011)

38.  Cabinet Artisianal Brewhouse, Alexandria (2011-2012)

G. NON-COMMERCIAL HOME-BREWING AND BEER APPRECIATION CLUBS (Sorted Alphabetically)

1.     Alexandria Brew Crew (ABC)

2.     Arts District Homebrewers, Hyattsville, MD

3.     Baltibrew

4.     Brewers United for Real Potables (BURP)

5.     Chesapeake Real Ale Brewers Society (CRABS)

6.     Cross Street Irregulars (CSI)

7.     DC Homebrewers, Pres. Josh Huber. Home of Brian Barrows of "Your Favorite Foreign Movie" fame.

8.     Frederick's Original Ale Makers (FOAM)

9.     Fredericksburg Area Brewing and Tasting Society (FABTS)

10.  Fredericksburg Brewing Insiders  (FBI)

11.  Goddard Zymurnauts

12.  The Killer Ales

13.  Libation Association

14.  Maryland Ale & Lager Technicians (MALT)

15.  Midnight Homebrewers' League

16.  Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood (SPBW)

17.  Wootown Brewers, Northern Maryland

18.  The Wort Hogs, Herndon

CONCLUSION

By this count, there are (50) currently open local breweries and brew-pubs within 100 miles of the Capitol, plus an additional (26) brew-pub chains and "tied house" brewery outlets.  Added to these establishments, we have (43) more breweries and brew-pubs coming soon to the local area. Lots of choice, and more on the way!

Going slightly further afield, I highlight (39) current and (17) future breweries that are not far outside the arbitrary 100-mile radius and well worth a road trip.  And because brewing, like any other business, follows a lifecycle, I list (38) breweries or brewpubs no longer in operation: gone but not forgotten.

And while we're at it, let's not forget to highlight the amateur brewers who meet, greet, and compete in (18) local home-brew clubs.

In all, this list highlights (214) past, present and future fresh beer outlets, each an important part of the lively and growing beer scene in the National Capitol Region. Today's brewers are enhancing and extending the American brewing tradition from our Nation's frothy founding to its foam-filled future.

Support Your Local Breweries!

Join me in hoisting a pint supporting the burgeoning brewing scene in our Nation's Capitol!  Cheers!

Rock on, DC-Area Brewers!  We're thirsty!

Here is a summary of changes from Version 10.1, published Feb 10, 2013:

·         Total venues up to (214) from (208), an increase of (6).

·         Of the (6) additions, (2) are current, (3) are coming soon, and (1) are closed.

·         I updated (2) breweries (changed status or category).

·         I processed (2) comments (corrections, suggestions).

·         These contributors or resources were especially helpful: Tom Cizauskas (2); Scott Nestler (2); Steve Mitchell (1); Paul Milligan (1); and Chuck Triplett (1).

In addition to helpful comments from readers like you, I also use the following references:

·         Ale Street News, www.alestreetnews.com, publishing editor, Tony Forder

·         All We Can Eat http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-we-can-eat

·         American Breweries II, by Dale Van Wieren, and published by the Eastern Coast Breweriana Association, 1995.

·         American Homebrewers Assn (AHA)

·         Arlington Now http://www.arlnow.com/

·         Beer Me! www.BeerMe.com

·         BeerPal.com, where I am an Admin and a Regional Manager

·         Beers In DC Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/beersindc

·         Brewers Assn. (BA)

·         Brewery Collectibles Club of America http://www.bcca.com/services/brewery_listing_virginia.asp

·         DC Beer (listserv moderated by Dan Brown) http://www.dc-beer.org/

·         DC Beer (website) http://www.dcbeer.com/

·         Google Maps, to check distance and travel time to venues

·         Gut Check, Northern Virginia Magazine http://www.northernvirginiamag.com/gut-check, Melissa Lyden

·         Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, published by Bill Metzger and Jamie Magee, and edited by Greg Kitsock

·         The Beer Mapping Project http://beermapping.com/

·         Washington City Paper's Young and Hungry column featuring Tammy Tuck http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/

·         Washington Post's Food column featuring Greg Kitsock

·         Washington Post's Going Out Guide featuring Fritz Hahn

·         What's On Tap? The Entertainment Guide http://www.ontaponline.com/

>>> Questions, Comments, and Corrections are Welcome <<<