I'm not too familiar with DC, but will be there a few times over the next three weeks for work. I'm working/staying by the convention center and looking for good places to go. I see Right Proper and DC Brau, can anyone comment on either or make suggestions for other places to hit? I'm also looking for a good craft beer bar to watch the CFB National Championship. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Churchkey is a must. RFD would be a good place to watch the game. Both those places are near you. Definitely look out for the IPA's that Ocelot Brewing makes. Those places I mentioned usually has some of their stuff on tap. Right Proper & Bluejacket will be the best breweries you can hit. Right Proper puts out top quality beers, and Bluejacket can be hit or miss. They still put out good stuff though. DC Brau is a pain in the ass to get to without a car. Hell, it's a pain in the ass with a car. You can honestly find all their stuff on tap around the city if you want to try it all, unless you want to pick up some OTWOA 6ers. Their is also a new brewery called Bardo, but I can't comment on their stuff. I'm sure others will chime in.
Right by the Convention Center is City Tap House, good beer list, and plenty of TVs to watch the game. Meridian Pint is excellent, you can take the Green line to Columbia Heights and it's 5 short blocks away, TVs downstairs. Two Metro stops away.
Seconding Meridian Pint as a great place to watch a game; lots of TVs & a great selection of local & national craft beers. They (along with Brookland Pint & Smoke & Barrel) are also your best bet for finding Ocelot on tap in DC.
District Chophouse (brewpub) in Chinatown is quite close to you and very underrated. Not the most esoteric list, but consistently well-brewed offerings. City Tap House (bar) is close as well and generally has a very strong draft list. You mentioned it, but the Right Proper Brewpub in Shaw (very close to you) is a great place at well. Otherwise, everything mentioned in the above posts is well worth a visit.
Blue Jacket is a good stop for beer, but it's a MUST STOP for tater tots. Not kidding in the slightest, I can't go through the area without getting some. (Churchkey is owned by the same people and also has those fabulous tots, but it's a beer bar, not a brewery/brewpub.) IMO Right Proper is the best brewery / brewpub in the DC area, by far.
I always make it a point to stop by Right Proper when I visit DC, so definitely keep them on your list. Evenings get really busy in my experience, but they've never been too busy during the day when I've been there.
One more vote for Right Proper. Hit the Brewpub tonight with my wife for dinner and some beer samples - it's all very well done and the beer is great. They specialize in farmhouse/saisons, and while those aren't usually my bag, are still quite good and very well crafted.
