Metro DC Brewery Discussion Thread

Anybody have any of early December canning of 3 stars above the clouds? Taste horrible. Like pour it down the drain. Can't bear another sip horrible. I've had the bottle iterations several times and liked it. Nothing crazy but it wasn't horrid. I've tried to like them. I really have but I think it's the last 3 stars purchase I ever make.

 

Curious to try this new jailbreak. They need to get rid of everyone else of this guy is the truth because all of their other beer sucks.

 

Disappointing to hear. I've had ATC on draft and in bottles, and always thought it was significantly better than the canned beers in 3 Stars' regular lineup. Eyeing the 6-pk in my beer fridge with some skepticism now...

 

Just came from the brewery and can honestly say that I've been fooled again by a MD brewery claiming to make a hazy or NE style IPA. I brought a growler, but luckily tried it out first. It is basically a dark orange/brown, syrupy bad iipa. Nothing about it was hazy, soft, cloudy, citrusy, orange, yellow, etc. I even called the bartender over to ask him if he'd poured the right beer and he confirmed.
I get them trying to cash in on the new trend, but they must have tasted it and known it had nothing in common with a NE style ipa. There were tons of people there too, couldn't believe how bad it was. I'm definitely done with Jailbreak.
I'm hoping someone else here tries it just so I know if I'm crazy or not.

 

@wd09601 thanks for reporting back. Saves me the trip up to Laurel.

 

i love most of what manor hill does, but taylors row is not my thing at all. imo ben (head brewer and really cool fellow) is killing it with ipa's, and i plan to scoop up some hidden hopyard volume 6!

 

Sehkraft is no more.

https://www.arlnow.com/2017/01/06/just-in-sehkraft-brewing-to-close/

 

Damn, I went once this summer and really liked the outdoor space that they had, but the inside was a little bit awkward. Our waiter was obviously drunk too, he even brought the wrong beer to our table and chugged the whole thing right in front of us when we told him it wasn't the one we ordered.

 

That. Is awesome.

 

Who is shocked? Westover is good for what it is, but the expectations are pretty low there. Not much competition within the immediate neighborhood and no one expects much from the food.

Sehkraft was a gigantic step up for them. Big fancy place, a sizable lease, a Brewery, and running a real restaurant. Can't just wing it like you can at Westover.

Maybe Aslin can take it over. Let someone else run the restaurant and they run the brewing!

 

There's a Lost Dog literally right across the street them, that has an on and off premise license. I don't shop at WM but I don't know how they are in business, the pricing is so absurd even if they did have a beer I want, I'm won't pay $10 over the MSRP everyone else is using. Apparently some people are willing to.

Sehkraft is/was cool, I enjoyed seeing a couple shows there and drinking sours and stouts at reasonable prices. They never really had much by way of advertising their events or Happy Hours. Too bad they JUST got their first in house brew done. The comments in that article are correct, rent in Arlington for restaurants is completely out of control... I can't imagine they even had $50,00 in receipts per month to cover that kind of rent, and obviously rent is just the beginning of the expenses at a place like that. So many of those locations are just a revolving door that never stays open for 24 months.

That would be truly amazing if Aslin moved in!

 

Apples and oranges comparing them with Lost Dog for on premise. Lost Dog, much better food and a good draft list, but they don't have the outdoor space that Westover has. Which is really the only reason to go there when you want to drink $10 beers out of a Solo cup. Off premise Westover is a complete joke.

 

And about the rent in Arlington, I'd agree. You better know what you are doing in running a real restaurant if you hope to succeed. Leases make or break a restaurant.

 

I mentioned this subject in passing to my gf, and her response was: "buuuuut people in that neighborhood want to drink beers outside while their kids safely pal around after soccer practice."

I got double roasted by ya'll.

 

I found Green Machine by Diamondback is nice. I mean not TH or Trillium or anything, but it's a good beer.

 

I disagree on Jailbreak's Ephemeral IPA. Turbidity is not the only thing that defines a NE style. This IPA is not turbid, but it does have a nice juiciness to it that I think easily puts it in the category. Both pours I had from my growler over the weekend drank very nicely.

 

Couldn't agree more. I'm friends with the brewer, so take this with all the necessary bias. It poured only slightly hazy. But the aroma and the hop interaction with the Conan yeast were exceptional. It was also served too cold at the brewery to really appreciate. As it warmed, lots of great stone fruit esters.

 

Agreed, it did drink much better at home from the growler at a more reasonable temp.

 

No doubt!

And they would be raking in big bucks, as it is much central to the Washington Metropolitan area.

 

And maybe the landlord would give them a steep discount on rent since their beer is so good!