DC Brau Brewing Company

[Tweaked]

Is there a thread for this? Couldn't find one...

http://dcbrau.com/

Meet & Greet with the brewery owners during DC Beer Week, Thurs Aug 26 at 6pm at the Big Hunt

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/misc-events/dc-brau-meet-and-greet,1170566.html

[TedE]

There's also these guys (who may warrant their own thread): Chocolate City Beer. They're spiffing up an old warehouse in Brookland near the Metro tracks and Metropolitan Branch trail. It's exciting to see these home brewers taking the leap. I just hope that the bureaucracy in this town doesn't crush them.

[Tweaked]

does anyone know the DC rules on growlers? would be great to be able to walk in and get some fresh brew!

[leleboo]

does anyone know the DC rules on growlers? would be great to be able to walk in and get some fresh brew!

According to this post, growlers are illegal in DC in terms of retail (I think). The Passenger just posted on Facebook that they have them in-house.

[TedE]

From what I can gather you would not be able to purchase anything directly from these brewers. Their operations are not brewpubs, strictly small scale commercial brewing.

[cjsadler]

Picked up a six-pack of cans of the "Public" Pale Ale at a local liquor store last night. Guy at the counter said it just came in and has been selling like crazy. Haven't tried it yet. Price was $11.

[thetrain]

They are serving DC Brau's pale ale now at Liberty Tavern instead of Dales Pale Ale and for good reason. Tastes very similar to Dales, but a little less hoppy. A great drinkable beer - DC Brau has set a high bar for the other DC brewery upstarts to meet.

[petercarrjones]

Picked up a six-pack of cans of the "Public" Pale Ale at a local liquor store last night. Guy at the counter said it just came in and has been selling like crazy. Haven't tried it yet. Price was $11.

Haw man, so excited. Hoping the price drops to between 8-10, but I'll pay $11 occasionally for this great beer. Liquor store in the district I presume?

[deangold]

We are supposed to get our first order today. Burger and a brew or a "Giusepp" Lezzone {Messy Joe} chopped brisket, agridolce, pickled onions & horseradish with a DC Brau, a Port City or one of our other craft brews for the price of a sixer at the package shop. The brisket is local beef and dry aged, the burger is local beef and a mix of fresh and dry aged trim cuts.The Panino & a brew are for $12 is available tonight and tomorrow in the abr area or one the patio if the weather is nice. If you get swept away in a tornado {nb you mustrt be carried out of DC to wine!}, the Panino & a brew is on the house! We will bring back Panino & a brew next week Sunday thru Thursday as well!

[csirwillis]

We are supposed to get our first order today. Burger and a brew or a "Giusepp" Lezzone {Messy Joe} chopped brisket, agridolce, pickled onions & horseradish with a DC Brau, a Port City or one of our other craft brews for the price of a sixer at the package shop. The brisket is local beef and dry aged, the burger is local beef and a mix of fresh and dry aged trim cuts.The Panino & a brew are for $12 is available tonight and tomorrow in the abr area or one the patio if the weather is nice. If you get swept away in a tornado {nb you mustrt be carried out of DC to wine!}, the Panino & a brew is on the house! We will bring back Panino & a brew next week Sunday thru Thursday as well!

We got it here $8 bucks a glass at grist Mill... Will will be running it the thru May

Bar opens at 4pm..Go Caps

[DrXmus]

We got it here $8 bucks a glass at grist Mill... Will will be running it the thru May

Bar opens at 4pm..Go Caps

$8 a glass? Seriously?

[RWBooneJr]

$8 a glass? Seriously?

Does $8 for a beer really shock anybody anymore? Seriously? I kinda thought, at this point, we were comfortable being gang-raped by every restauranteur in DC. They certainly enjoy doing it to us. I mean, the per-glass cost of a beer -- even the expensive ones -- is about a buck. If they marked up wine the same way, crap would start at about $20 a glass and we'd riot. I mean, who would stand for wine prices like that? Other than every single one of us whose ever recommended Proof, Cork, or any other wine bar. I kid, of course: the glass price of the places I mentioned is usually only the retail price of an entire retail bottle of that wine, which is vastly more reasonable. We're totally not stupid for paying that. Totally not stupid.

[goodeats]

They are serving DC Brau's pale ale now at Liberty Tavern instead of Dales Pale Ale and for good reason.

Well, it's $7 here, and during HH, it's only $3.50. I couldn't finish my pint because it was a little rough on the finish for my tastes, but would go nicely with a burger and fries.

[TedE]

Finally had a chance to try DC Brau (on tap) last night; $8 at Vinoteca, which I agree is steep. Holy hops! I would love to see the stats on this, because it drinks nothing like a pale ale. If the IBUs aren't well into IPA territory they are overpowering the malt character to a degree that your palate perceives it that way. Don't get me wrong, it was a good beer, just not at all what I was expecting. Where oh where are my sessionable American pale ales? Of the "local" brews Oliver's does it best (but they are explicitly trying to emulate British ales)

[csirwillis]

$8 a glass? Seriously?

Ruh-roh! We're rolling out a lot of new beers and wines here, and sometimes we make a mistake. I would change the price lower today, but we sold out of our only keg in three days, and apparently demand has outstripped supply, and we cannot get any more for "a while".

Does $8 for a beer really shock anybody anymore? ....We're totally not stupid for paying that. Totally not stupid.

Wasn't trying to be greedy, or heaven forbid, "gang-rape", anyone! Just made a simple pricing error. If you were put-off by the price of the DC Brau last night, we have 11 bottles of wine priced at $20 and 13 at $30, so I hope you could have found some value there.

[MODWOP]

I swear I had a pint of DC Brau American Pale at The Chesapeake Room yesterday for lunch. I don't have my bill anymore but I'm almost certain it was $6.00. They have a small tap selection (maybe five?) but a great atmosphere at the long clubby bar, so if that price point is more to your liking, head on down to Barracks Row before the keg kicks!

[saf]

Huh, I think it's running $6 at Meridian Pint.

[B.A.R.]

Just made a simple pricing error.

Just to add clarification, due to considerable space constraints we almost always have to purchase keg beer by the 1/6 barrel, rather than the 1/4 or 1/2 barrel. As with many products, the pricing is lower in greater volume, and 1/6 barrels are often 30% more by volume. Because of this, we'll never have the cheapest drafts in town (but Happy Hour is still a deal.)

The DC Brau only comes in 1/2 barrels. We wanted to support this endeavor (as, apparently, did everyone), so we made space for the 1/2 barrel. Unfortunately, we inadvertantly priced it as if it came in a 1/6 barrel. We regret the error and if we ever get it back, it'll be cheaper.

[Seanchai]

Finally had a chance to try DC Brau (on tap) last night; $8 at Vinoteca, which I agree is steep. Holy hops! I would love to see the stats on this, because it drinks nothing like a pale ale. If the IBUs aren't well into IPA territory they are overpowering the malt character to a degree that your palate perceives it that way. Don't get me wrong, it was a good beer, just not at all what I was expecting. Where oh where are my sessionable American pale ales? Of the "local" brews Oliver's does it best (but they are explicitly trying to emulate British ales)

A nice new sessionable pale is Victory Brewing's Headwaters Pale Ale. Not too bitter and very refreshing. A great summer beer.

[DrXmus]

Just to add clarification, due to considerable space constraints we almost always have to purchase keg beer by the 1/6 barrel, rather than the 1/4 or 1/2 barrel. As with many products, the pricing is lower in greater volume, and 1/6 barrels are often 30% more by volume. Because of this, we'll never have the cheapest drafts in town (but Happy Hour is still a deal.)

The DC Brau only comes in 1/2 barrels. We wanted to support this endeavor (as, apparently, did everyone), so we made space for the 1/2 barrel. Unfortunately, we inadvertantly priced it as if it came in a 1/6 barrel. We regret the error and if we ever get it back, it'll be cheaper.

Thanks for the details; I understand where the mispricing came from, now. It's a happy error for you because you made a great profit on a keg of beer. Congrats!

[Joe Riley]

We're carrying it. Yep, $10.99 per six-pack. I finally got to try it yesterday, and I really like it. I'd happily buy it at a D.C.-area bar or restaurant. Nice to have a truly local beer that we can be proud of, and I hope that we see more of these from other recent start-ups.

[Tweaked]

Not much of a fan of DC Brau's first offering...just another over-hopped beer in my book. If you are into that kinda thing then you will probably enjoy it, but if your tongue is tired of the hop madness then not a beer for you.

[saf]

Not much of a fan of DC Brau's first offering...just another over-hopped beer in my book. If you are into that kinda thing then you will probably enjoy it, but if your tongue is tired of the hop madness then not a beer for you.

It is a bit hoppy.

I love, love, love, the porter though. Apparently it's limited time and only on draft. This makes me sad. I want a lot more of this, and I want it to be available to drink at home.

[TedE]

It is a bit hoppy.

I love, love, love, the porter though. Apparently it's limited time and only on draft. This makes me sad. I want a lot more of this, and I want it to be available to drink at home.

From all indications it will be available widely in the future. It sounds like this was a single barrel run on the full production equipment to test everything out and they sent kegs to the places who helped them launch. I would expect that they will start pushing more volume out as production expands and they bring it online in the regular brew rotation. I wasn't able to get a taste during it's short run on tap, anybody have comparisons to be made to other porters? If it's as good as Port City we've got a couple local winners on our hands!

[Pizzaandbrew]

Finally had a chance to try DC Brau (on tap) last night; $8 at Vinoteca, which I agree is steep. Holy hops! I would love to see the stats on this, because it drinks nothing like a pale ale. If the IBUs aren't well into IPA territory they are overpowering the malt character to a degree that your palate perceives it that way. Don't get me wrong, it was a good beer, just not at all what I was expecting. Where oh where are my sessionable American pale ales? Of the "local" brews Oliver's does it best (but they are explicitly trying to emulate British ales)

Don't know that you'll be able to find any as it was a spring seasonal, but look for 21st Amendment's Bitter American. Also Victory's relative newcomer Headwaters Pale. Both closer to 5% abv and very sessionable!

Chris

[DrXmus]

Don't know that you'll be able to find any as it was a spring seasonal, but look for 21st Amendment's Bitter American. Also Victory's relative newcomer Headwaters Pale. Both closer to 5% abv and very sessionable!

Chris

I don't know if it's a seasonal, but if you can find Stone Brewing's Levitation Ale, buy a case! It's about 4.5% abv and has the full body and ripe hoppiness of a much larger pale ale.

[TedE]

They had the brewery open for tours and growler fills from 1-2 today for the first time. I was about 12th in line at 12:55; by the time I left with two growlers at 1:40 there were at least 30 people in line. With only a couple kegs available I would be surprised if everybody got beer. While they were switching out kegs head brewer Brandon gave the line a tour of the facility; not a big operation! I can see why they are having a hard time meeting demand.

Of interest were some casks from Catoctin Creek that they are soaking to re-introduce to later batches of a Belgian beer (the current one, Citizen, is the best they offer IMHO). Also several casks from the remnants of Kluge winery that they are encouraging brett to grow in. Very interested to see what comes out of here in the near future.

Tasting room will be open for growler fills on Saturdays from now on, but I didn't hear a clear schedule. Note: if you plan to bring your own they are not filling swingtops. The recently passed DC tasting room regs require that they seal the growlers with shrink wrapped plastic rings thatwill only work on standard screwtops. All fills are $10,DC Brau branded growlers are $6. Go early!

[SeanMike]

I had the Citizen Belgian pale ale yesterday at RFD - definitely enjoyed it quite a bit.

[Joe Riley]

The good news is, you CAN go to D.C. Brau, on Bladensburg Rd. NE, and buy growlers on Saturdays (check their website for visiting hours or, better yet, follow them on Facebook).

In case anyone missed this useful City Paper article that came out almost a month ago: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2011/07/01/dc-brau-growlers-are-here-just-in-time-for-july-4th/

They are trying to get to the point of accepting credit cards, but for the moment, they are cash-only. But a growler for $16, or re-fill one for $10. The Citizen, The Corruption, and The Public are all available there now. The Penn Quarter Pilsner is only available on draught at selected bars and restaurants.

At this time, retailers are still being denied D.C. Brau as the brewery is trying to keep up with bar and restaurant demand, but htey have been installing new equipment and hope to be back on retailer shelves sometime before the end of August..

So far, I love everything I've had from D.C. Brau, which is everything except the Porter. I'm looking forward to even more good things from them and wish them every success.

[Mark Dedrick]

Just FYI, DC Brau are still doing their "Growler Hours" every Saturday, typically from 1-4. Don't quote me on that, and check their pretty active Twitter feed for updates. They're also open tomorrow, Wednesday, for growler fills (not sure on hours). Typically they will also have sales of the Public in six pack form. I've been up there a few times, and the beers available vary widely from time to time. This past Saturday they had four beers, the Public, the Corruption (IPA), the Citizen (Belgian style) and the NATAS, which is a Belgian-style imperial porter. The time before that when I went they only had the Public and the Corruption. To update the last comment, they are fully functional on the credit card side of things, are still giving tours, and they have had food options available each of the past few times I've been (typically grilled meats of some sort, this past week done by the fire department to raise money).

[Tweaked]

The DC Brau Natas Imperial Porter is currently on draft at Proof...and it is excellent.

[Joe Riley]

The Corruption, The Public, and The Citizen are all available in cans now, but as of this moment, mostly at the brewery.

We have The Public back, but The Citizen and The Corruption will be available at retail soon, from what I'm told. Hopefully, that means by the end of January

Happy New Year to us!

[DonRocks]

Wow, I loved the DC Brau "Thyme after Thyme" I had last week at Smoke and Barrel, but this week I had a Pale Ale at Black Jack and it had such bitter hops that I couldn't even drink it. Maybe it was just the state of my palate, or maybe I just hate overhopped American beers so much that I should just go ahead and move to England or Germany. Any other DC Brau Pale Ale haters out there?

[Tweaked]

Loved the Imperial Porter...did not like The Public, which is their American Pale Ale.

[goodeats]

Much of their stuff was bitter or hoppy and unfinishable to me, except for their Stillwater Nata, to which I had the pleasure of trying at the Bierria Paradiso last night. That one I can consume a few of, esp. with its dark chocolate and coffee notes.

[Mark Dedrick]

I like the Public all right, but I really like the Corruption (their IPA) and the Citizen (their Belgian-style). I tend to prefer hoppy American beers, however (like the Corruption). Have not yet seen the Thyme After Thyme, but looking forward to trying it.

[JimRice]

Had the Corruption at Pizzaria Paradiso the other night. It's exceptionally well balanced, compared to the other beers I had that night. A Green Flash Imperial IPA in the bottle (High alc, high hops) and Sierra Nevada Torpedo on tap (Normal Cali IPA, mainly hoppy, not much else.)

[thetrain]

FYI - The Corruption IPA was recently tapped at Whole Foods in Arlington for growler filling.

[Tweaked]

Picked up a bottle of the Penn Quarter Porter. It's a solid beer, but the mouth feel was kinda thin...not a beer to chew over. Glad I tried it, probably wouldn't run out and buy another bottle, but would happily drink if it was kicking around.

Definitely not as good as DC Brau's Imperial Porter nor Port City's porter.

[ol_ironstomach]

We had a variety of DC Brau beers at a holiday party last night, all in growler format, and I found them to be well made but simply much too hop-forward for my tastes, with both the bittering and aromatic hops tending to steamroller the malt notes time and time again.

If you're a hop fiend, this is for you, as each brew deliberately elaborated its own distinct hop profile. Unlike so many other microbrewers, this was definitely NOT a case of every brew tasting alike. For me though, these were examples of craftsmanship in a movement I dislike - less "beer" and more "hop vehicle" - continuing the 1990s IBU escalation that started on the West Coast.

Ironically, the other growlers we poured were from Chocolate City and perhaps could have used a bit more hop fragrances, but I'd take elaborated malt action over elaborated hops most days.

[DonRocks]

We had a variety of DC Brau beers at a holiday party last night, all in growler format, and I found them to be well made but simply much too hop-forward for my tastes, with both the bittering and aromatic hops tending to steamroller the malt notes time and time again.

If you're a hop fiend, this is for you, as each brew deliberately elaborated its own distinct hop profile. Unlike so many other microbrewers, this was definitely NOT a case of every brew tasting alike. For me though, these were examples of craftsmanship in a movement I dislike - less "beer" and more "hop vehicle" - continuing the 1990s IBU escalation that started on the West Coast.

Ironically, the other growlers we poured were from Chocolate City and perhaps could have used a bit more hop fragrances, but I'd take elaborated malt action over elaborated hops most days.

Yep, my feelings exactly. The only DC Brau I've ever loved was the Thyme After Thyme, and that's because the thyme covered up the hops.

Sadly, my "beer palate" is every bit as divergent from the typical American beer palate, as my "wine palate" is from the typical American wine palate, and I think of "hops" the same way I think of "oak."

Just the other night, before my glass of Pinot Grigio at Old Ebbitt Grill, I started with a draft of DC Brau "The Public," and regretted it. This was on the "wines that go with oysters" sheet that I warned people about, and had I seen the "real" wine list beforehand, I would have ordered a bottle of the Muscadet (which is why I recommended looking at this list first); after a draft of beer, it would simply have been too much.

Get me to London or Munich, anytime.

[ad.mich]

Yep, my feelings exactly. The only DC Brau I've ever loved was the Thyme After Thyme, and that's because the thyme covered up the hops.

This. 1000 times (thymes?) this. While it is still a quality product I don't find myself going back to DC Brau the way I initially did because I can only take so many 6% (or more) ABV hop bombs. Thyme After Thyme at least didn't give me immediate cottonmouth. I can't blame them for riding the wave of success but I really wish they made a session beer.

I did try their latest draft release, "The Rider", and it's a red ale with belgium yeast. Not quite TAT levels of greatness but quite good. But again, 7% ABV.

[Pat]

On 3/27/2020 at 4:22 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

Thought it might give each other ideas based on where and what you're ordering for take-out or delivery.  

I ordered beer from DC Brau. It arrived about 3 hours later. Very easy, contactless delivery. They use BierMi to do their orders. So,  👍 on the process.