Earlier this year, I finally did something that’s been on my wish list since moving to our new home in Colorado. I organized a gathering of some of the women working in the beer industry locally. This led to a collaborate brewing project, which got some attention around town.
Last week, I met up with some homebrewing friends, Josh Hubner and Mike Stein, to celebrate their first commercial release, a collaboration with local brewery, Lost Rhino, hosted by Smoke and Barrel, one of the premier beer bars in DC. After refining the IPA recipe over a series of four trial batches, Josh and Mike approached Lost Rhino, where they volunteer, to produce the beer. Wandering Belgian is the result — a spicy, bitter IPA with soft citric notes. With help from a crush of friends, family, and curious beer fans, the supply kicked in just four hours.
For me, this event epitomized the state of the DC beer scene today – a community of beer enthusiasts who continually demonstrate a willingness to encourage and support each other from newbie to pro.
The Lost Rhino collaboration is a fantastic opportunity for Josh & Mike. However, it’s not the only example of how local DC breweries are supporting local homebrewers and nurturing the homebrewing scene. You saw it when DC Brau brewed Brian Barrows’ award-winning Belgian paterbier (which won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival last weekend) and when 3 Stars opened a homebrew shop this summer and invited the DC Homebrewers to hold a club meeting there. Of course, these are just a couple of recent examples.
The local beer bars have also stepped up to play multiple roles within the scene, whether it’s hosting unique (and often local) beer events (Churchkey, Rustico, and Pizzaria Paradiso among many others), sponsoring homebrew competitions (Meridian Pint, Mad Fox, and RFD, all this year), or hosting homebrewer club meetings (most recently, Black Squirrel and District Chophouse). Bars like these have contributed to the vitality of the scene, helped to raise the quality of the product, and bolstered the curiosity of the clientele.
It’s an exciting time to be part of the burgeoning craft beer scene in the DC area. As a homebrewer, a writer, an advocate, and a fan, I’m proud to be playing a part in its success.
DC-area drinkers, what are you particularly enjoying about the scene and what are you looking forward to?