DC/MD/NoVA Beer Updates (2025)

My thoughts as well. I only had a handful of Juicy's offerings, but they showed a lot of promise amid our largely underwhelming local scene.

 

Juicy seems confident about re-opening as the Cheers VA FB Page shared that photo with all those notices and Juicy commented that they aren't permanently closed, asking them to delete the post for inaccuracy and planned to open back up this week. That being said, no post by Juicy addressing the possible closure and those notices with no social media activity since early May doesn't give the greatest confidence.

 

The unfortunate problem of having great distribution in this area is that anything local has to be on par with the likes of [insert above average brewery here] while being cost competitive.

 

I mean, DC/Baltimore breweries are hardly on the level of the top beer cities so i don't think that's the case.

 

I think the point he was trying to make is that the excellent non-local beer we get via distribution makes the mediocrity of most locals all the more glaring and that the local breweries in most other places don't have to compete with this caliber of distro.

 

Brew Republic Bierworks in in Woodbridge, Va closing at the end of July. Long version here, https://brewrepublic.beer/closing/. Abbreviated version below...
______________________________________________________
After nearly 9 years of operations, the dream of a new nation of beer – for the people, by the people – is coming to an end. Our landlord is forcing us out, and given the high costs of relocating and the distressed nature of the brewery and restaurant industries, we’ve decided that it’s best to shut down and close.

Mark your calendars: We plan to have a big weekend-long-almost-nine-years-closing party July 25-27 to honor you and the journey we’ve all been on together. Our last day open to the public will be Sunday, July 27*. Between now and then, we plan to operate normally and will have all kinds of specials and fun in store before our last weekend – although there may be some hiccups here and there; we ask for your forgiveness and understanding in advance. We’ll have food, fun, alcohol, and A LOT of beer we need to get rid of – so stop by, eat, drink and be merry while celebrating 9 years of the Republic.

 

Oof that is not good. Especially because they make better beers than their predecessor. Hopefully they will figure out a new space. This will be somewhat inconvenient for me when I visit the area.

 

They broke eight weeks of silence on Instagram this past weekend, so maybe they still have some life left in 'em. I, for one, am hoping they pull through whatever challenges they're experiencing. The local beer landscape is bleak enough as it is.

 

FYI, Snallygaster tickets went on sale this morning.

 

Barrel-Aged Abraxas is on tap at the cheese counter of Whole Foods in Fair Lakes (of all places).

 

But is it? I know Untappd says it is. But I went and had a glass and I wasn't getting any barrel. Could it really just be the regular Abraxas and they're mistaken in their listing?

That exact same thing happened at the Arlington Whole Foods a few years ago.

Note, I've never had the real BA Abraxas (unless this is it.)

 

This is most likely correct. When untapped was starting to gain traction with venues, it seemed that those venues or staff unfamiliar with the program would mistakenly enter inaccurate beers. Then there was also the folks who do that purposely and some still do (Quincy Hall among others). I would chalk it up to a mistake.

 

I doubt it's the real deal. I got burnt by the mislabeled, non-BA Abraxas at WF Clarendon a few years ago, and I immediately assumed this Fair Lakes appearance was a repeat. Note that I have had BA Abraxas, and it was oozing with barrel character. The DC area usually only gets one or two sixtels of BA Abraxas every year, and they're normally 100% allocated to Greg Engert (hence the annual appearance at Snallygaster), so the thought of a suburban Whole Foods getting the goods this year frankly stretches credulity.

 

I’ve been looking for BA Abraxas in the wild (retail stores)for years and have yet to find it.

 

The Answer in Richmond has Brasserie Cantillon St. Lamvinus on tap.

 

Prior to that they had Cantillon Vigneron on draft and available in flights. Sorry if I spelled it wrong.

 

Wow! And now they have Cantillon Cuvée Saint-Gilloise! I have to go back there every once in a while! Cheers!

 

Per their IG, Juicy is on the move.

 

The explanation and path forward in that post seems...problematic.

 

Yeah, there's a lot wrong there. Their lease is up? But you can buy the brewery and taproom? But they're looking for a larger facility? But they're continuing to sell from the taproom?

I know what my recommendation would be.