DC on Tuesday...Blue Jacket / must stops?

Churchkey for sure. I passed on Bluejacket when I was down this weekend. Personally, I want to give them time to iron out their beers based off multiple individual's recommendations who I trust. I'd also hit up DC Brau as they have On the Wings available right now.

 

I just went this past weekend and went to ChurchKey Friday night and Blue Jacket Saturday. I would highly recommend both-ChurchKey is a no-brainer but I was pretty impressed with the beers and selection at Blue Jacket. While a couple beers were lacking for me (Ingenue, Trouble,) a few stood out (Figure 8 cask, The wake, Scarecrow cask,) and most were pretty solid. Never been to DC Brau but that was suggested just didn't have time.

 

I made the trip to Blue Jacket last night, and it was pretty awesome! The bar opened at 4, the dining room at 5:30 and the line was 1 in 1 out at 5 on a Sunday. The bar food was good and the beer was pretty legit. I thought some of the best were Forbidden Planet (Dry Hopped Kolsch), Trouble (Flanders), The Duel (IPA w/ Brett) and The Wake (Imperial Stout). They have full pours as well as 4 ounce tasters (we got through the majority of the 20 draughts).

ChurchKey is a destination spot for sure. DC Brau is good and if your a hop head, On The Wings of Armageddon is a must grab!

 

Is DC Brau open during the week? Their website says the brewery is only open on Saturdays. Do they have a tasting room that functions like a bar or is it just a place for samples/growler fill? (Sorry, I am not familiar with DC beer laws.)

 

You can buy their beer during the week, but no consumption on site. They only do growler fills, tastings on Saturdays. I bought some OTWOA last week, but wasn't able to get a growler filled.

 

Red Apron butchery in Union Market has a really well-curated (though limited) tap selection. In Arlington (just outside DC), there are a two great beer spots in Rustico and FireWorks. Both have great tap lists and carry-out bottle selections.

 

I love Rustico. To the OP, hop on the orange line and get off at Ballston. It's two blocks away.

 

With just one day you may not want to spread yourself too thin, rather pick an area and enjoy it. Here is what I would do, check out Conn. Ave liquors and Whole Foods on P. St. then make your way to Church Key, they open at 4, so get there early and snag a good seat. Enjoy it for a while. Then find your way to Adams Morgan where you have three high quality places very close to each other, Smoke & Barrel, then Black Squirrel, and Jack Rose. Whole Foods has a good bottle selection and Conn. Ave. liquors is pricey but gets lot of out of market stuff, Surly, Cigar City, etc.