DC Brew Tours Launches in the District

In just a few short years, Washington, D.C. has become a beer-lover’s destination. Between the plethora of breweries that have opened in the Washington metropolitan area since 2011 and the ever-growing list of regional breweries distributing their product in the area, D.C. has slowly become one of the best beer cities in the country.

Enter DC Brew Tours. A newly-launched division of the City Brew Tours family, which has had enjoyed much success in Boston, Burlington, and Portsmouth, the company has made touring and visiting breweries as effortless as possible. No longer will you have to worry about finding a designated driver nor finagle with Google Maps trying to find the address of the next brewery you plan to visit.

DC Brew Tours offers guests a VIP experience with exclusive tours, intimate tastings, and even lunch or dinner at a local brewpub. It’s an all-inclusive, all-day event with roundtrip transportation amongst local and visiting beer enthusiasts celebrating the District’s ever-growing brewery culture.

Rachel and I were invited to check out the Brew Tour a few weeks ago. We were so impressed not only by the wealth of knowledge by our tour guide/driver Chad Brodsky, who also happens to be the CEO and founder of D.C. Brew Tours, but also the coordination between all the breweries and brewpubs that we would do this with a group of friends in a heartbeat.

Transportation could not have been easier. The van was parked a few blocks away from the Metro Center station, and once the entire group was assembled we made our way towards Old Town to check out Port City Brewing Company. While on the way to Virginia, Chad gave us a brief history of beer and its beginnings, the basic ingredients used for brewing, and even quizzed us to make sure we were paying attention.

Once we got to Port City, we got to take an exclusive tour of the brewing facility while one of their brewers would stop by offering samples of some of the brewery’s beers including their excellent holiday ale, Tidings.

We then hopped back into the van and headed over to nearby Shirlington for lunch at Capitol City Brewing. Once we arrived, we took a tour of their brewery and then sat down for lunch which included a beer flight of all of Cap City’s offerings. Chad encouraged us to try and pair up the beers with our lunch, which ranged from wings to chips and hummus to and southwest keg rolls.

From there we headed back into the District for perhaps the most interesting brewery of the day, Bardo. The outdoor brewery and beer garden recently added an indoor tasting room to its facility allowing guests to enjoy the breweries’ tasty offerings both inside and out. Meanwhile, Bar Dog, the brewery’s resident dog and security guard, was seem roaming around the grounds when he wasn’t busy playing with other four-legged friends (which are welcome at Bardo). Chad gave us a tour of the outdoor complex then brought over pitchers of Bardo’s brews including the outstanding Dremo Tibetan Sasquatch, an imperial IPA.

Our final stop of the day was at Atlas Brew Works. Having just opened over a year ago, Atlas has already gained popularity within a short time with the release of its very popular Rowdy Rye. We got to sample several of Atlas’ beers and even bought a bomber of Saison Des Fêtes after enjoying a tasty pour at the brewery.

The group headed back to the van where we were eventually dropped off near Metro Center in the late afternoon. We thanked Chad for a wonderful time as well as providing some great knowledge not only on beer but also exposing us to breweries we never thought we would have the time nor luxury to visit (on a side note, it also helped that the grandparents were in town to help watch our little one while we were out).

DC Brew Tours is a fantastic way to try many of great, local breweries the Washington area has to offer and makes for a great outing in our nation’s capital. Not only do you not have to stress about who’s going to drive, but it’s also a great way to make friends with fellow beer geeks as our group did as the day went on. We cannot recommend it enough.

DC Brew Tours tickets can be purchased on their website. They offer tours Thursday through Sunday both during the day and evening. Tickets are $85 and include tastings, roundtrip transportation, and lunch or dinner.