PHILOSOPHY
American-style Belgian café, no excuses. “They did not compromise from day one. They did not brew shitty beer just to stay with the masses,” says Thor Cheston, of Right Proper Brewing Co. “I mean, with some of their beers like the Green Peppercorn Tripel—when they first came out—people were like ‘What the hell are you thinking?’ But you know, it’s amazing. Their beers are phenomenal.”
KEY BEER
With four house ales, a cast of some twenty rotating seasonals, a strong international bottle list including a few lambics, and other new releases coming on line, there’s much to choose from. Resurrection, a sweet, malty Abbey style of 7%, is the most popular beer, but it’s the Beazly that stands out. Inspired by the classic Belgian pale ale Duvel, it’s a clear golden sipper of 7.25% ABV with a huge rocky head and a yeasty, peppery bite, thanks to a devilish dose of Styrian goldings hops. Fun fact: It was once widely known as Ozzy, but the singer sent the brewery a cease-and-desist order in 2014.
MAX’S TAPHOUSE
737 S. Broadway • Baltimore, MD 21231 (410) 675-6297 • maxs.com • Established: 1986
SCENE & STORY
Fells Point is Baltimore’s cobblestoned former colonial seaport boasting over 160 National historic register buildings, a flotilla of historic tall ships tied up along the shore, and alley upon alley of laid-back bars where brothels and old-time boarding houses used to be. It’s also home to Max’s, one of the best beer bars on the East Coast, if not the entire country. Max’s organizes a huge Belgian beer festival, for starters, so the Flemish/Wallonian contingent runs deliriously high. With a long bar lined by 140 rotating taps, 1,200 different beers in coolers, bar top casks, and a wild collection of breweriana, it’s absolutely chockablock on weekend nights with a mixed crowd of college kids (and occasionally their parents), hordes of tourists (especially in the summertime), and tourists who end up partying with those college kids and their parents.
PHILOSOPHY
The bigger the beer list, the more fun you’re having—right? Or, sometimes, maybe that’s “the bigger the cup”—Friday is “big-ass draft” night—six dollars for thirty-two ounces of anything on tap (except for big Belgians and other crafts), served in beer pong–ready plastique. In other words, avoid Max’s on Friday nights, unless your inner collegian wouldn’t have it any other way. Tuesdays, on the other hand, are dedicated to the “Beer Social” at 6 p.m. when brewers and members of the local craft crowd mingle upstairs. And you’re more likely to get on the pool tables downstairs later, since no one is drunkenly sprawled across it.
KEY BEER
Beers from Baltimore’s own Clipper City Brewing Co./Heavy Seas Beer line like Loose Cannon (a 7.25% AIPA) are big favorites, but the chance to drink the even rarer local Stillwater Brewing Company’s one-offs (such as “Our Side” saison, a recent 7.5% ABV collaboration with Danish “gypsy brewer” Mikkel Bjergsø) should not be passed up.
THE WHARF RAT
801 S. Ann St. • Baltimore, MD 21231 (410) 276-9034 • thewharfrat.com Established:1975
SCENE & STORY
Walking into the late-1700s building that houses the Wharf Rat pub instantly conjures the time when Fells Point was still so teeming with privateers just off a square rigger from some port afar that the British called it a “Nest of Pirates.” Low-ceilinged and cluttered with valuable nautical memorabilia, a solid tap row of Northeast and mid-Atlantic craft ales, and several Oliver’s English-style ales from Pratt Street Ale House, this is one of Baltimore’s most beloved spots, if not for the food then for the massive stone fireplace in the back of the bar and the incredible atmosphere. Legend has it the place is haunted, too, notably by a gentleman who was shot for playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” far too often (and too loudly) on his gramophone. Ask a bartender or bouncer for the tale.
PHILOSOPHY
Cask-conditioned beers, good friends, and a roaring fireplace is all that matters on a cold winter’s night.
KEY BEER
Oliver’s Best Bitter, an amber, smooth, gently carbonated traditional sipper of 4.8% ABV.
Washington, D.C.
BIRCH & BARLEY / CHURCHKEY
1337 14th St. NW • Washington, D.C. 20005 • (202) 567-2576 • birchandbarley.com • Established: 2009
SCENE & STORY
Located in D.C.’s up and coming Logan Circle area, this is two establishments served by one truly incredible beer selection with the result being one of the United States’ top craft beer destinations, hands down. Downstairs, in the chic, low-lit street level space, young chef Kyle Bailey—at thirty, already a veteran of New York power-player restaurants Blue Hill and Allen & Delancey—prepares Birch & Barley’s entire New American menu expressly for enjoyment with the place’s selection of 550 different beers. There’s a nightly seven-course tasting menu, including beers for seventy-seven dollars, which has included such entrées as a strip loin of beef with balsamic-braised cabbage, parsnip gnocchi, and glazed pearl onion, served with Great Divide Grand Cru from Denver. You could do much, much worse.
Upstairs is the more casual, high-ceilinged Churchkey bar, with high brick walls, a long banquette and line of stools, cozy raised booths, and a small section of couch and low padded stools in a sort of chill-out area. But there’s not much of that.
Helping usher in something of a D.C. nightlife renaissance, both businesses have been incredibly busy since day one, and . . . well, you know the drill. Arrive early; on weekend nights, the upstairs is a first-come, first-serve, three-deep scrum. If you make it in early, stake out your territory, pounce when you can, and play fair by ordering all night long (not camping out) as the hordes surround. Expect a mixed crowd of beer geeks (lining the bar, having arrived early), K Street lobbyists, and young lawyer types crowding in. The food is fatty and sometimes a bit too clever by half, but there are winners (the tots).
PHILOSOPHY
Both rooms are served by the same beer supply, and here’s where things get interesting: beer Director Greg Engert has assembled an upstairs selection of over fifty drafts (organized on menus under categories along flavor lines, i.e., crisp, hop, malt, roast, tart & funky, and fruit & spice) that are stored in a series of temperature-controlled coolers and served according to their ideal temperature: 42, 48, 50–52, and 54 degrees Fahrenheit (in quality house glassware, naturally). All the other bottles, kegs, and casks (about 10 to 15 per week) are organized meticulously as well, likewise stored in their own designated coolers. Even the beer lines themselves run through glycol-cooled lines to keep the beer at the desired temperature before it hits a freshly rinsed (and yes, then re-cooled) glass. Engert leads twice-daily staff meetings to explain what’s coming on tap, and longer seminars once a month to drill servers on the nuances of the beers they’re serving. It’s incredibly (almost insanely) anal, but the fact is that beer does best express itself in the temperature range with which it was created, and Engbert’s costly accomplishment is nothing if not admirable. These coolers supply the rocking bar area; downstairs, a gleaming row of copper pipes (“the Beer Organ”) descend from the ceiling and into the taps serving the dining room.
KEY BEER
With all the taps turning over regularly and lines meticulously monitored, freshness shouldn’t be a problem, and you can order $1.50 taster sizes to sample a variety. On Mondays they bring in a roster of brewers for beer dinners, meaning there’s always something very new and interesting on draft from the likes of Victory, Mikkeller, Brooklyn Brewery, Founders, and DC Brau. But the bottle list at your disposal is a thing of beauty. Dive in.
THE MERIDIAN PINT
3400 11th St. NW • Washington, D.C. 20010 (202) 588-1075 • meridianpint.com • Established: 2010
SCENE & STORY
With a clean-lined, garage-doored space, wooden floors, and tin ceilings, this is a two-level beer bar with exclusively American craft beers, some of which are available by the ounce in a pay-as-you-go arrangement from six basement table taps (reservations recommended). It draws a
mostly young crowd, especially on weekends and for big games, but there have been a number of events with craft brewing industry rock stars Sam Calagione, Jim Koch of Boston Beer Co., and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada. There are now three locations, house beers, and other fun projects coming out.
PHILOSOPHY
The earnest reasoning for the U.S.-only list is that it’s better for the environment, as is the wind power, local-dwelling staff (Columbia Heights), and aggressive composting and recycling programs in place. Can’t argue with any of that.
KEY BEER
Dogfish Head’s neo-Berliner weisse–style Festina Pêche (4.5%) and bottles of the 9% ABV Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA ($8) for dessert.
BRASSERIE BECK
1101 K St. NW • Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 408-1717 • beckdc.com • Established: 2007
SCENE & STORY
Acclaimed Belgian-born chef Robert Wiedmaier opened this airy, marble- and white tile-filled bistro in D.C.’s McPherson Square neighborhood in 2007 to strong reviews. Washington professionals took to the sumptuous dining scene and dramatic open kitchen setting (and its private dining area, for bigwigs and events) while the craft beer and raw seafood-stocked gray marble front bar area quickly became a hot after-work spot. Today it’s got a strong Belgian beer list, a superb house-brewed ale from Belgium, and a growing reputation for treating beer like Belgians do—with a deep and joyful respect. To make Belgophiles feel even more at home, there are some plastic woven chairs like you see in Brussels’s Grand Place bistros and a large clock displaying the time there, too.
PHILOSOPHY
Proper is the operative word. “It’s all about service,” the effusive Thor Cheston, Beck’s former manager and beer sommelier (who in 2009 was inducted into the Knighthood of the Brewers’ Mashtaff, an honorary cadre of Belgian beer supporters coordinated by the Belgian Brewers’ Guild). “It’s proper service, taking care of the beer, everything from proper temperature for the bottles to proper storage. Everything needs to be held cold and then run through a proper draft system, always running the proper mixture of gas, and the proper amount of pressure on the kegs. I’m an absolute stickler for the proper glassware, a proper pour—the whole presentation. All the servers know how to do a perfect hefeweizen pour, where you dump the bottle in the glass, pour it out and make it really sexy. What I want to do is put the beer into context, really train servers so they know everything about the beer.”
KEY BEER
With eleven drafts and a good bottle list (not only Belgian; there are excellent American, German, and French brews as well), beer is an absolute fixture here, with events, tastings, and beer in the kitchen, too. Antigoon, the hazy-golden 6.8% ABV house pale ale, hails from Belgium’s Brouwerij De Musketiers and is named for the mythical giant once lording over the town of Wiedmaier’s native Antwerp. It’s pleasantly bready and yeasty, with a delicate fruity aromas of tulip, pear, and fresh sliced apple, and finishes with a brisk white pepper crack. It’s superb with food, and the bottle it’s served in has some of the most interesting label art ever created, illustrating the tale of Antigoon’s demise.
PIZZERIA PARADISO
3282 M St. NW • Washington, D.C. 20057 (202) 337-1245 • eatyourpizza.com • Established: 2002 (Georgetown location)
SCENE & STORY
This cozy sixteen-tap, ten-stool, twenty-seat beer bar with fireplace is located in the basement of a sunny, bustling wood-oven Georgetown pizza eatery with superb pie (and crowds to show for it). The night to go is Tuesday or Wednesday when the fracas mellows and there are both pizza and draft beer specials from 5 to 7 p.m. Former manager/beer chief Greg Jasgur helped build a massive bottle list as well, and, like his predecessor Thor Cheston, landed the cream of the crop when highly allocated beers became available from brewers with cult followings, a tradition which continues. The Atomica (tomato, salami, black olives, hot pepper flakes, mozzarella) is an excellent choice with beer, and with such a varied and rotating selection of brews (and pizza specials) it’s practically inconceivable to go wrong. Also, there are two more locations, in Old Town and in Dupont Circle. Take your pick.
PHILOSOPHY
The MO here is simple: pizza and beer were made for each other, so why not go for the absolute best of both worlds? The ingredients, food preparation, beers, prices, and service are all exceptional. As usual, go on a quieter night for the best possible experience.
KEY BEER
Del Borgo Re Ale, a nutty, caramelly, citrus-tinged American-style pale ale from central Italy’s Birra Del Borgo brewery, if it’s available. It’s a 6.4% ABV brew absolutely made for pizza.
BLUE JACKET BREWERY
300 Tingey St. SE • Washington, D.C. 20003 • (202) 524-4862 • bluejacketdc.com • Established: 2013
SCENE & STORY
Beer luminary Greg Engert, creator of ChurchKey and Birch & Barley, opened Bluejacket with much fanfare in 2013 in a massive, stunning, glass-filled, 7,300 -square-foot warehouse, churning out ten new bottled beers a week, from strawberry rhubarb Berliner weisse to Imperial and spiced stouts. In keeping with Engert’s MO (friendly, but relentless over-achiever), he had overseen twenty-five collaborations before the doors even opened.
PHILOSOPHY
The best never rest. Ceaseless experimentation, great design—it’s all there for this new standard. They also put on a massive beer festival called Snallygaster which is growing in popularity every year.
KEY BEER
Forbidden Planet dry-hopped kölsch is a crisp, 4.2% ABV classic, heavily dry-hopped with Australian-grown galaxy hops, and with aromas of passion fruit, peach, and mango.
RIGHT PROPER
624 T St. NW • Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 607-2337 • rightproperbrewery.com • Established: 2013
SCENE & STORY
D.C. beer guru Thor Cheston (formerly of Pizzeria Paradiso and Brasserie Beck), along with head brewer Nathan Zeender and John Snedden, founder and owner of Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company, built Right Proper to be “a brewery with heart and soul, a neighborhood gathering place that makes and serves fresh beer alongside delicious food that won’t break the bank.” Built where Frank Holiday’s Pool Hall once stood (and as legend has it, where Duke Ellington learned how to play jazz as a teenager), Right Proper is next to the Howard Theater and stands proud as part of the “real Washington.”
PHILOSOPHY
Imaginative. The team takes old styles like wheat beer and porter and, using Belgium-born methods of mixed fermentation, creates new and interesting riffs.
KEY BEER
Ornette, a 3.7% ABV grisette fermented with a mix of yeasts from the crew’s favorite traditional farmhouse breweries. It’s dry and peppery, with fruity accents, and is named after jazz legend Ornette Coleman.
BEST of the REST: BALTIMORE & D.C.
OF LOVE & REGRET PUB & PROVISIONS
1028 S. Conkling St. • Baltimore, MD 21224 • (410) 327-0760 • ofloveandregret.com
Ryan Travers and Leigh Philipkosky, working with Brian Strumke from Stillwater (a popular gypsy brewer) opened this Baltimore bar in 2012, focused on craft beer, natural wines, and hand-distilled spirits. The atmosphere is rustic, relaxed, and casual. “We used a lot of found items to decorate the space,” says Leigh. “We hand-built several of the large group tables and the draft tower out of a 120-year-old barn in a neighboring town. From the outside, Of Love & Regret looks like classic Baltimore row home, but once inside the restaurant space is candle light, and warm.” Choose from a swath of Stillwater brews on draft, like Folklore, an earthy, rich, 8.4% ABV dark Belgian-style ale.
DC BRAU BREWING
3178-B Bladensburg Rd. NE • Washington, D.C. 20018 • (202) 621-8890 • dcbrau.com
In 2010, locals Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock opened D.C.’s first brewery since the 1950s and have been going from strength to strength ever since, racking up fans and medals by the bucketloads. Go on Friday for half-price pints, or head to the brewery on a Saturday for free tours
and a taste of their flagship, the Public, an American-style pale ale.
THE SOVEREIGN
1206 Wisconsin Ave. NW • Washington, DC 20007 • (202) 774-5875 • thesovereigndc.com
From beer maven Greg Engert and Co. (Bluejacket, Birch & Barley/ChurchKey—see pages 339, 342) comes this ambitious, stylishly appointed, all-Belgian style gastropub in Georgetown, opened in 2016 and boasting 50 drafts and nearly 350 bottles. As with ChurchKey, the bar features temperature-controlled taps, high-end Belgian glassware, and of course a deep menu of well-curated beers paired with Franco-Belgian specialties like coq au vin, burgers, and frites. On draft: rarities from Belgian breweries like De La Senne and Brasserie Blaugies alongside American acolytes like Oxbow, Perennial, and Allagash.
VIRGINIA
MODERN CRAFT BREWING IS RELATIVELY NEW TO THE APPALACHIAN REGION, BUT IT’S MORE than at home already. Five Virginia breweries so far have signed on to the state-sponsored “Brew Ridge Trail” initiative (brewridgetrail.com), to spur interest in and travel through the homegrown scene, which is growing by leaps and bounds. From Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton to Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company, there’s a ground-swell of new brewing afoot that’s long overdue.
THE BIRCH
1231 W. Olney Rd. • Norfolk, VA 23507 (757) 962-5400 • thebirchbar.com • Established: 2011
SCENE & STORY
It’s fitting that West Ghent, the neighborhood in Norfolk this bar calls home, is named for the Flemish city of Ghent. Belgium looms large here. Since they opened in January of 2011, Malia Paasch and Ben Bublick have graffitied the floor-to-ceiling chalkboard with incredible selections for the twenty-one taps. There’s another 100 in the bottle, with Belgian rarities like De Glazen Toren, St. Feuillien, Brasserie de Blaugies, and Picobrouwerij Alvinne (and American-born craft specialties from Allagash, Stillwater, Russian River, and Weyerbacher). Norfolk’s first full-fledged craft beer bar has established a lofty tradition in a very short time.
The Great American Ale Trail (Revised Edition) Page 38