Taste of Tradition
Photo courtesy of Screaming Eagles
Last weekend, two of my favorite things about DC united for craft beer. As a long time soccer supporter and craft-beer drinker, I was very excited for the release of The Tradition, an American golden ale brewed by DC Brau in honor of local MLS team, DC United. So you can imagine my frustration to be out of town on the weekend it was released. I had to follow along through social media (#BrandtheBrew, #TheTradition).
There are a few things I love about this project and how it was rolled out:
- A long-time, dedicated supporter won the Brand the Brew contest with the name “The Tradition”.
- The beer was designed to be both accessible and lower alcohol (5% abv), making it a good choose for tailgates and viewing parties.
- On the day it was released, the brewery helped to get a few growlers to a bus-load of supporters traveling to a United match (versus New England Revolution) so that they wouldn’t miss out.
- It’s the centennial anniversary of US Soccer this year, and milestone anniversaries are always a good excuse for something special.
Photo courtesy of Screaming Eagles
Yesterday, I was able to test The Tradition in the environment for which it was brewed – a tailgate with the Screaming Eagles supporters club. When choosing tailgate beers, I look for something versatile and refreshing with an interesting enough flavor to enjoy drinking it but not so interesting it draws attention away for the pre-game social experience.
The Tradition proved to be a good choice for the sunny summer warmth of RFK Stadium’s Lot 8. Very close to a session beer (a low-alcohol beer designed for drinking multiples), it has a nice body that balances a lingering, slightly spicy bitterness. The flavor is enjoyable and present, but it doesn’t commandeer your attention while drinking it.
DC Brau also supplied a keg of their new Kolsch-style beer, Das Bier. It’s 5% with a delicate body, soft fruit and biscuit characteristics, and low hops presence (15 IBU). This is definitely a beer I’d swing by the brewery for a growler of before a match. Apparently, my fellow supporters agreed because this was the first keg to be kicked at the tailgate.
Well done, DC Brau! You’re 2 for 2. Now, if United could just demonstrate a similar success rate….