Washington DC - 3 Brewery Tours in One Afternoon!
/Washington DC had no breweries that packaged beer between 1956 and 2011. This changed, and changed quickly, with the opening of DC Brau, which was quickly followed by many others. Washington DC now has 5 package breweries, 4 with Brewery Tours, and many other Brewpubs, Cideries, Distilleries, and alcohol production facilities.
Recently, the Urban Atlas team decided to hit as many Brewery Tours as possible in one day. Like many cities, the breweries in Washington DC are located in areas of light industry, not usual tourist neighborhoods. However, it will definitely give you a wider view of Washington DC, as well as it's very active brewery scene.
A few notes:
- This itinerary works well for those who have are driving, taking rideshare, walking, or biking
- Wear closed toe shoes
- While the information below is accurate as of publishing, be sure to check the brewery websites to make sure the tour schedule has not changed
- All of the Brewery tours are free, but you will need to buy any beer that you want to drink
- The Urban Atlas team has not tried to do all four tours in one day, thus we are not suggesting that approach - we will update and revise this itinerary if we think it is a reasonable task for Washington DC visitors. The approach would be to start your day at Atlas, and then proceed from there.
Front bar at DC Brau brewery - CC: Justin Grimes
12:30 PM: Arrive DC Brau
- 3178-B Bladensburg Rd. NE, Washington D.C. 20018
- Tours: Saturdays at 1, 2, 3, and 4 PM
- Website: https://dcbrau.com/
On Bladensburg Road NE, just southwest of the DC-Maryland border, you will find the DC Brau brewery, tucked into a non-descript row of suburban-style strip malls. DC Brau is by far the largest brewery in Washington DC, shipping about 2/3rds of the beer that's produced. They also have an impressive space that has expanded greatly over the past couple of years.
It's worth arriving early at DC Brau; as you will be moving pretty quickly for the day, it is definitely worth getting an early start. Getting there early gives you the opportunity to relax a bit and grab a couple of $2 tasters of DC Brau beer.
DC Brau cans waiting packaging at the brewery - CC: mr.tindc
1 PM: DC Brau Brewery Tour
DC Brau is the biggest and most established brewery in Washington DC, and you can definitely tell by the tour and brewery. The tour is a well oiled machine through a surprisingly large space - the brewery actually goes underneath the driveway, and is clearly ready to keep expanding. No free beer is included on the tour, but you are welcome to walk with beers procured at the bar.
2 PM: Drive (or grab an Uber/Lyft) to 3 Stars
Your tour should last about 30 minutes, so you'll have some time to have a a drink or two more, and maybe grab some food from the resident food truck or mobile food vendor, before heading northwest towards the Takoma neighborhood of Washington DC. Expect and Uber or Lyft to cost about 9-10 dollars. The drive should take about 10-15 minutes as you drive through the neighborhoods on the far northeastern border of DC and Maryland.
2:15 PM: Arrive 3 Stars Brewing Company
3 Stars growler awaiting refill at the brewery - CC: Mr.TindC
- 6400 Chillum Place NW, Washington, DC 20012
- Tours: Saturday at 2 PM, 3 PM, and 4 PM
- Website: http://3starsbrewing.com/
3 Stars Brewing Company was launched in 2012, and was the second package brewery inside the District of Columbia. It now reigns as the second largest brewery inside the District of Columbia. The 3 stars name refers to the District of Columbia flag. It is located in a strip of light industry in the Takoma neighborhood, though the area beyond the single strip is very residential.
3 Stars often focuses on "big, bold beers" to set the brewery apart from the local competitors.
3 Stars founders in front of mural in brewery - CC: PowersKP
3 PM: 3 Stars Tour
While DC Brau has the feeling of a well-organized factory, 3 Stars has always felt a little closer to a mad scientist's laboratory. As they've expanded to fill their space, it now feels crowded, as if they are trying to do too much. However, 3 Stars converted their taproom to an "urban farmhouse" - a space that looks like a farmhouse built into the brewery, with plenty of options from which to taste whatever is on tap.
4 PM: Drive/Walk to Hellbender
The tour should last no more than 30 minutes. Once done, feel free to wander (walk or drive) of to Hellbender - it's only a mile walk from 3 Stars. Walking Directions
4:15 PM: Arrive at Hellbender Brewing Company
- 5788 2nd Street, NE Washington, DC 20011
- Tours: Saturday at 3 PM and 5 PM
- Website: https://www.hellbenderbeer.com/
Beer Flight at Hellbender Brewing company - CC: Jeremy Bailey
50 Likes, 4 Comments - Hellbender Brewing Company (@hellbenderbeer) on Instagram: "@thereal_benevans DDHing our new Galaxy and El Dorado oat pale ale. Coming soon! #acreativedc..."
Hellbender was founded in 2014 by a Neurobiologist and a Capitol Hill staffer - and it has definitely taken a scientific approach to Brewing. Hellbender is a much smaller operation than the two others on the tour; the brewery just began canning in May of this year. While the name Hellbender may not sound like it is proud of it's Washington DC roots, a deeper look will correct you - the Hellbender is a species of aquatic giant salamander endemic to the Mid-Atlantic and the Eastern United States.
However, it is easy to tell that Hellbender was designed with a bar/taproom when it orignally built as opposed to tacking it on. You will be sitting at rather proper tables, with board games available, or at the bar. The brewing equipment is all behind closed doors, until you go on your tour.
5 PM: Tour at Hellbender
Hellbender is a much smaller facility than the two previous breweries, which makes sense for a brewery that just began selling beers in bottles or cans in May. Here, the tour lead is likely to be one of the two founders; on my tour, co-founder X, the neurobiologist, was leading, and he gave us a deep dive into the innovations Hellbender is based on - increasing efficiency through its Meura mash filter, which uses 15% less grain, 20% less energy and 30% less water to make the same amount of beer. For a more in-depth discussion of the filter, check out this page at the Hellbender website.
Other Washington DC Brewery Tours
Atlas Brew Works
- Tours: Noon, 2 PM, 4 PM, and 6 PM
- Website: http://www.atlasbrewworks.com/