Capitol City Brewing

[ManekiNeko]

I got word from the DC-Beer listserv that the Shirlington and downtown Capitol City are both pouring their take on the burgeoning style of the Belgian IPA (a Belgian take on the American-style of British IPAs (how's that for cross-pollination?)) that reared its head this past year. If you liked Urthel Hop-It or LaChouffe's Houblon, it's worth a shot.

Expect crisp grassy hoppiness with a real dry malt. Should have a big white head with sticky lacing. Oh yeah, it's probably high in abv, too.

[jparrott]

Oh yeah, it's probably high in abv, too.

My kingdom for a pint of bitter. Or six.

[edenman]

I got word from the DC-Beer listserv that the Shirlington and downtown Capitol City are both pouring their take on the burgeoning style of the Belgian IPA (a Belgian take on the American-style of British IPAs (how's that for cross-pollination?)) that reared its head this past year. If you liked Urthel Hop-It or LaChouffe's Houblon, it's worth a shot.

Expect crisp grassy hoppiness with a real dry malt. Should have a big white head with sticky lacing. Oh yeah, it's probably high in abv, too.

I had this at the winter beer tasting at RFD last week when it was unveiled. Out of ~11 beers we tasted that night, it stole the show. It's got a hop character that is more aggressive than the belgian versions (they used american hops) while still retaining the grassy, earthy hop character of the belgians. It's definitely around 8-9%, though I'd have to check my notes from that night to be sure. It's fantastic, and I'm hoping to get to the downtown location to grab some more before it runs out.

[jpschust]

I had this at the winter beer tasting at RFD last week when it was unveiled. Out of ~11 beers we tasted that night, it stole the show. It's got a hop character that is more aggressive than the belgian versions (they used american hops) while still retaining the grassy, earthy hop character of the belgians. It's definitely around 8-9%, though I'd have to check my notes from that night to be sure. It's fantastic, and I'm hoping to get to the downtown location to grab some more before it runs out.

That's so bizarre. I've never had a single beer at any of the Cap City locations that I thought was drinkable let alone good. I'm going to be down at RFD on Friday so I'll try it. Beyond their beer being terrible, their food is even worse.

[edenman]

That's so bizarre. I've never had a single beer at any of the Cap City locations that I thought was drinkable let alone good. I'm going to be down at RFD on Friday so I'll try it. Beyond their beer being terrible, their food is even worse.

I've had mixed experiences with cap city mainstay beers (I dig the kolsch, a couple of the others are decent), but some of their seasonals truly shine. Fuel in particular is fantastic (but another high alcohol brew that jake will no doubt cringe at). I find it's a much better plan to eat before you go there, although I vaguely remember having a passable burger there a year or two ago.

[ManekiNeko]

I've had mixed experiences with cap city mainstay beers (I dig the kolsch, a couple of the others are decent), but some of their seasonals truly shine. Fuel in particular is fantastic (but another high alcohol brew that jake will no doubt cringe at). I find it's a much better plan to eat before you go there, although I vaguely remember having a passable burger there a year or two ago.

I'll give mad props to the Kolsch, too, but you have to bear in mind that the style is one that isn't a 2x4 to the head like a lot of microbrews. Like a lot of brewpubs, it's the oneoffs that are really cool. I find the food to be standard brewpub fare, with maybe a bit of a Cajun emphasis. It's miles above the Brick and RFD, but otherwise nothing to get all that excited about.

[edenman]

I had this at the winter beer tasting at RFD last week when it was unveiled. Out of ~11 beers we tasted that night, it stole the show. It's got a hop character that is more aggressive than the belgian versions (they used american hops) while still retaining the grassy, earthy hop character of the belgians. It's definitely around 8-9%, though I'd have to check my notes from that night to be sure. It's fantastic, and I'm hoping to get to the downtown location to grab some more before it runs out.

I finally got to the downtown location a few nights ago to try this again. The bartender was confused when I asked for the "Triple Double IPA" because apparently the menu just labels it "Triple Double" and he didn't bother to read the description which clearly states the Double IPA side of it. Bartender gaffes aside, it's $5 for a 10oz pour, and worth every penny. Since they don't brew at that location anymore, they apparently don't know how much longer it'll be on tap, so I'm just gonna keep trying to fit it into my schedule until my luck runs out.

[theakston]

I finally got to the downtown location a few nights ago to try this again. The bartender was confused when I asked for the "Triple Double IPA" because apparently the menu just labels it "Triple Double" and he didn't bother to read the description which clearly states the Double IPA side of it. Bartender gaffes aside, it's $5 for a 10oz pour, and worth every penny. Since they don't brew at that location anymore, they apparently don't know how much longer it'll be on tap, so I'm just gonna keep trying to fit it into my schedule until my luck runs out.

Glad to hear it's still out there - I got a growler of this from Shirlington. Less than $8 for a half gallon! Hic!