District Craft Brew Scene?? :(

Been 2 years since I've been to DC but I saw promise in Right Proper and really enjoyed the beers at Bluejacket... Why so little love for Bluejacket? I liked the variety of styles, creativity, the space and the food. Curious what gives there?

One thing I will say though about Bluejacket and Churchkey is that one could easily go broke drinking at either of those regularly, so that does validate some of the OP's issues.

 

Actually, in 2009 when DC Brau opened it was only .09 per gallon. They couldn't sell pints, but at least taxes were low. Now it's the opposite

There's a reason why it's called Custykey.

 

You nailed it with your wording. Bluejacket has everything going for it except execution of the beers. Its a great space with good food and an excellent concept for the beers, its just that they are rarely well done. They have a few that are definite hits, but the vast majority are misses, in my opinion (obviously). If they brought in someone who actually knew how to brew the beers they are trying to brew, they could be great.

I know I'm in the minority, but I think the same thing about Right Proper, I am almost always disappointed in the beers when I go there to drink.

 

I think Blue Jacket (and Right Proper) are purposefully going for more nuanced styles, generally lighter and more drinkable. Funny thing is I have been "disappointed" in BJ, but have always enjoyed RP. I think it has something to do with my expectations when I head to each.

The group that runs (owns?) Blue Jacket is the same group that runs Church Key and Rustico (among many others). Greg Engert I have this impression (no "solid" evidence of this) has a soft spot for Belgian styles, especially the crisp, funky, and lighty fruity. I believe they lay claim to the whole breakup of the beer styles on the menus at Church Key and Rustico that I have seen at many other places.

So with that background, I can see why some people might not be big on Blue Jacket. I have been disappointed in Atlas as well, but I am willing to give them another chance as they grow. Their beers overall are also more pedestrian (to the OP's point), but I believe they are now fully solar?? I have been both impressed and not by 3 Stars, and agree DC Brau is too "production-based" (although they are a production brewery).

The running thread in this is that DC beers tend to not venture towards the extreme too often. I can't explain why that is, but I do think there is enough decent offerings in the city. And as many have pointed out, the surrounding area has a few solid breweries to help fill the void, as it were, in the metro area as a whole. That said, I don't think this area is close to a bastion for great beer that is brewed here. It does receive a decently good distribution from all over though .

 

By far and away the best Chicago brewery is in Munster, Indiana.

 

On one hand, OP is right. There is not a single great brewery in DC. On the other hand, I'm not certain there is a single great brewery in a lot of major US cities. There is one brewery in Chicago who makes a beer I love, but I haven't had enough of their beers to be able to make the claim they are great. There used to be a legitimately great Chicago brewery, but they aren't Chicago any more.

 

What does this have to do with congressional representation? DC beer taxes are set by the city council…

 

Interesting. I will confess to not knowing very well how DC (the city) works. I do recall the kerfuffle when they decriminalized marijuana and members of Congress started flexing their muscle against it. Not sure how that turned out but it was an interesting dynamic.

 

I would like a brewery that puts their barrel program first and foremost. Yet, it's ambiance, food, session brews for casual fans, etc. that drive sales much more than marque beers aimed at enthusiasts. And, with DC rent being what it is (or the $$$ required to renovate some of our abandoned/rundown buildings), it's understandable why we have what we have.

That said, local legislation has been changing in the general area outside DC, I'm looking forward to the emergence of some farm breweries. Not sure if these guys intend to roll out a barrel program, but their fight against less than enthusiastic neighbors has made for an interesting read: https://www.facebook.com/bchordbrewing/?fref=nf

 

He put together the menu at The Sovereign. Your impression is completely justified; the menu there is out of this world.

 

This was my first thought. I think OP was spoiled by the greatness that is Chicago's beer scene. I've lived in a bunch of large cities and travel a ton, and my experience has been that most cities have lackluster local breweries, just like DC.

 

I always like the transients showing up in D.C. complaining about... oh they don't have this like where I grew up, or this isn't as good as [insert other city name here].

yet you are all here...

hmm..

life is rough I guess.

Had lots of good beer all over the U.S. and the world, plenty of it in D.C. too. Not hard to find either

 

What are these "great" breweries that are in Chicago?

Revolution and Half Acre are good but not great. Pipeworks makes some tasty brews, but they don't even have a tasting room. Goose Island doesn't count anymore. I'd put Right Proper, Bluejacket, and DC Brau in the same league as those first three, and DC is only 25% the size of Chicago.

 

Hopefully you guys are on the way in D.C.

Many cities were in the same boat not too long ago, and now have great craft breweries. And now some of those folks who used to complain there were no great urban breweries are faced with the reality that the best place to put a brewery isn't in an expensive real estate, high tax urban environment, and the beers produced in those urban breweries are generally more expensive than others.

OTOH succeed well in an urban environment and your potential nearby customer base is immense, and the number of outlets for the beer is huge. Give it time.

 

This confuses me. You want a brewery focused on a barrel program... but also one with ambiance, food and session beers. Do you have a comparison in mind?

Funny, because when Churchkey first opened up, Greg was doing all these interviews talking about bringing in more esoteric styles and professing his love for sticke alts, etc. Greg and NRG have an empire, and good for them. I used to live at Churchkey, but don't go much anymore for a number of reasons. I was 5th in line the day Bluejacket opened, but don't go much anymore for a number of reasons.

I think the focus on Belgian beers at The Sovereign, specifically lambic, is more about our taste buds here than Greg's. Lambic is so freaking hot right now (maybe a thread for another time). My hunch tells me that to get that volume of lambic out of Belgium, he also needed to get contracts in place for 3Fontenein Beersel Lager and Bink products, etc. NRG can do that, given their locations and spread some of the less popular stuff around while they hoard lambic at the Georgetown location. I am not complaining about this at all. Shelton has similar relationships/contracts in place.

 

I can respect your opinion on DC breweries not being good, not saying I agree, but you say you want to 'enjoy imbibing in the city I reside'. You can't do that at a bar/restaurant? DC gets very good distribution so you shouldn't have to go too far to find 'a solid brew', local or not.

When you say stuff like 'Are brewers actually tasting their product?' it makes me wonder if you started this thread just to bash DC breweries.

 

hey man! i moved!

 

I see that, sad to see you go, hope it was a move for the better and all is well. Spent the first years of my life in DC and still have relatives there. Great city once you get used to how things are (and how much they cost haha). Hope to see you North at some point, J. Cheers! and best of luck.