10 New U.S. Breweries to Watch, from D.C. to California
When it comes to selling craft beer, Washington, D.C., might as well be the Wild West.
Most states operate under the three-tier distribution system, which requires bars and stores to purchase product from wholesalers, which receive beer directly from breweries or importers. In the District, however, retailers can import beer into D.C. by any means necessary, from road-tripping to a distant brewery and loading up a rental truck to getting beer shipped directly to a bar.
This leniency lets enterprising bars such as ChurchKey, Meridian Pint, and Pizzeria Paradiso pour some of America’s most interesting beers. (Though brewers mostly don’t mind, sometimes the permissive laws can ruffle feathers, as evidenced by the recent kerfuffle over Bourbon pouring lusted-after Hill Farmstead ales that rarely leave Vermont.) For brew fiends, the gray area makes Washington, D.C., a must-trip to discover exciting new beers, no more so during SAVOR.
Produced by the Brewers Association, the annual food-and-drink festival (subtitle: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience) partners some of the States’ finest breweries with dishes custom-paired by chef Adam Dulye of Abbot's Cellar, San Francisco. This year’s rendition, held in D.C.’s soaring and column-studded National Building Museum, was a smorgasbord of beers ranging from sour to bitter, boozy and barrel-aged to crisply refreshing.
After deciphering my scrawled notes, here are 10 of the most promising new breweries—most open less than two years, some as little as five monnths—I discovered at SAVOR and around the District.
Societe Brewing1/10The Hoppy Hot Shots: Societe Brewing Company
Given their experience at highly regarded breweries including Russian River and the Bruery, it’s a no-brainer that Societe's Travis Smith and Doug Constantiner are cranking out some of San Diego’s finest hoppy and Belgian-inspired brews—no small feat, in this IPA-mad neck of the woods. An in-the-works sour-beer program will only up their profile.
What to Drink: Sick of highly bitter, palate-wrecking IPAs? Try the tropical Pupil, which will treat your taste buds, not torture them.
Joshua Bernstein2/10The Bespoke Brewery: Bluejacket
Last fall saw the arrival of D.C.’s most anticipated brewery, Bluejacket. Under the stewardship of beer director Greg Engert, the Navy Yard brewery focuses on brews that are culinary-inspired (the Scotch bonnet pepper–fueled Fields of Fire), boundary-busting (the smoky and vinous Arsonist), and downright refreshing, such as the Disaster Proof rye lager.
What to Drink: Packed with Australia’s fruity Galaxy hops and weighing in 4.2 percent ABV, the unfiltered, kölsch-inspired Forbidden Planet is an excellent lunch beer.
Great Raft Brewing3/10The New Southern Star: Great Raft Brewing
If you’re going to open a brewery in sweltering, food-loving Louisiana, you best accomplish two goals: Make the beers refreshing and complementary to Cajun and Creole cuisine. Since its fall debut, Shreveport’s Great Raft has floated locals’ boats with smooth lagers like the roasty Reasonably Corrupt and the pleasingly citrusy Commotion, a pale ale.
What to Drink: Whether you're mowing the lawn or lighting coals for the BBQ, few brews slay thirst like the agreeably hopped Southern Drawl lager.
Reuben's Brews4/10The Crowd Pleaser: Reuben’s Brews
Based in Seattle, Reuben’s Brews is a family-run business right down to its roots: Not long after Adam and Grace Robbings gave birth to baby Reuben, Grace gave her husband a homebrew kit for his birthday. The hobby blossomed into an obsession and, in August 2012, the brewery’s inception. Since then, Reuben’s Brews has garnered gobs of medals for its clean, spot-on renditions of classic styles such as the roasty Robust Porter, hopped-up American Brown, and Balsch, a riff on the summery kölsch.
What to Drink: The smooth Cream Ale is the kind of beer you'd gladly tote to picnics and the beach.
Facebook/Lucid Brewing5/10The Little Brewery That Could: Lucid
“Clarity in thinking, excellence in drinking” is the motto behind Minnetonka, Minnesota’s Lucid, the brainchild of sick-of-corporate-life homebrewers Jon Messier and Eric Biermann. Over the last several years, Lucid has built a local following for its floral Dyno pale ale, light and elegant Air blonde ale, and Duce (“doo-chay”), a strapping red ale aged in oak.
What to Drink: Released every November for Lucid’s anniversary, the beer-wine hybrid Hallucidation (made with Minnesota native Frontenac gris grapes) is ideal for a celebratory drink.
Joshua M. Bernstein6/10The Rustic Rock Star: Right Proper Brewing Company
Award-winning homebrewer Nathan Zeender entered the professional ranks with the December debut of Right Proper, an instant anchor in D.C.’s burgeoning Shaw neighborhood. (Check out Derek Brown’s trio of new bars, too.) The focus: rustic, farmhouse-inspired beers such as the bone-dry Ornette and BrotherFish, a Belgian-style tripel fermented with unruly Brettanomyces yeast.
What to Drink: The tart, juicy, and citrusy Kodachrome Dream(ing), concocted with plenty of zested lemon, lime, and grapefruit. It’s a beautiful brunch beer.
Facebook/Pinthouse7/10The Pedigreed Brewpub: Pinthouse Pizza
After cutting his teeth at Colorado’s well-regarded Odell, Joe Mohrfeld made the move to Austin, Texas, to man the brew kettle at this sustainability-focused brewpub packed with communal seating. Pinthouse’s house-hewn brews veer toward the hoppy, like the lush and citrusy Man o’ War IPA and the brightly fruity Calma Muerta session IPA. Also of note are the stouts, namely the White Russian–inspired The Dude.
What to Drink: Whether you’re sparking a cigar or digging into a chocolaty dessert, the beer choice is simple: Jaguar Shark, a brawny dry Irish stout that’s aged in bourbon barrels.
Facebook/Strangeways Brewing8/10The Wonderfully Weird One: Strangeways Brewing
“Exquisitely peculiar craft beer” is the guiding principle at Richmond, Virginia’s Strangeways, where the taproom regularly features 25 mind-bending beers. For starters, there’s the Otis Cucumber Melon Sour, the Gourd of Thunder Imperial Pumpkin Porter, and the rich and creamy Freeze Ray Eisbock. It’s frozen, then hunks of ice are removed to make the beer extra-boozy.
What to Drink: As an aperitif, you won't do better than the tart and tingly WHAP! Sorachi Sour.
FATE Brewing9/10The Not-a-Gimmick Gimmick: FATE Brewing Company
Food often serves as the main muse at Boulder, Colorado’s FATE, where the edible-inspired beers include a Chocolate Pretzel Stout, Mint Julep Kölsch, and the Chai Pumpkin Saison. The concept might sound gimmicky, but the results are glass-emptyingly good, especially the salty-sour Uror Gose that’s aged in tequila barrels for 10 weeks.
What to Drink: If you're stuck in a bitter-beer rut, the Ethiopian java–infused Coffee IPA will jolt you out of your doldrums.
Facebook/White Street Brewing10/10The Classicist: White Street Brewing Company
To find Wake Forest, North Carolina’s White Street, head downtown and look for the old Chevy dealership where, since it 2012 unveiling, the brewery has earned fans for its precisely calibrated takes on time-tested styles. Among the must-try standouts are the caramel-kissed Scottish Ale and the citrusy, resinous Hoptimist IPA.
What to Drink: At this year’s prestigious World Beer Cup, White Street won gold for its gently fruity Kolsch-Style Ale. Place it under consideration for your desert-island beer.
