Touring and sampling local, craft breweries are a fabulous way to spend a weekend with friends. Washington, DC has a solid selection of inventive, creative breweries. Gather your beer-slinging pals and embark on a tour of DC’s hottest breweries with our picks for the 11 best breweries to visit in and around Washington, DC.
See Also: Palate Wanderlust: 7 Whiskies To Try From Around The World
View this post on Instagram
Multiple Locations / Website
Head to the developing area of Ivy City to check out this local-favorite brewery. The brewery is entirely solar-powered and packages its beers in 100% recyclable packaging, making it the first and only solar-powered brewery in DC. It’s a great spot to enjoy an afternoon of brews with a completely clear climate conscience or take the opportunity to learn more about the brewery’s unique ways. There’s also a Half Street taproom in addition to its Ivy City location, each of which has different beers on tap, perfect for trying the brand’s full collection. Find brewery tours, an outdoor beer garden, rotating food pop-ups at its Ivy City location and Andy’s Pizza at Half Street, and dog-friendly spaces at Atlas Brew Works.
View this post on Instagram
300 Tingey Street NE / Website
Visit the Navy Yard neighborhood for a chill brewery experience with stellar snacks. Take a guided tour through their facilities with ‘The Bluejacket Friday Beers & Bites Tour’ with curated beer and food pairings, or ‘The Bluebacket Tasting Tour’, which focuses solely on beer. Both tours require tickets and are not available on days that the Nationals have home games, given their proximity to the ballpark. Find a hefty, seasonal list of beers on draft, filled with hop-focused brews, tart and funky options, classic crisp beers, and a variety of others. To eat, find a tasty menu of elevated bar fare, salads, burgers, and brunch on the weekends.
View this post on Instagram
705 Edgewood Street NE / Website
Head to Edgewood to explore tasty beers and then play in an arcade filled with pinball, Skee-Ball, racing games, sports games and more. What better way to spend a chill Saturday with friends than by letting your inner child run free? The craft brewery just opened in 2021, but it’s quickly built a following and regularly holds live comedy and music nights. Enjoy a creative array of draft beers, many of which have DC-centric themes, like the ‘8 Wards IPA’ and ‘Big G’s Flavor From The Pocket’, crafted in collaboration with DC activist, actor and icon, Anwan “Big G” Glover. To eat, find a rotating schedule of food trucks or mosey a block away to get food from Mess Hall to enjoy with your beers.
View this post on Instagram
Multiple Locations / Website
With locations in Leesburg and Sterling, VA and a brand new location in the Union Market District, Crooked Run Fermentation is taking over DC. The brewery began in 2013 in Leesburg, VA and has grown to create a variety of beer styles, including lagers, IPAs, barrel-aged stouts, sours and non-alcoholic beers. Beer is produced at its Sterling, VA location, but all three locations have taprooms for guests to hang out and indulge in the craft creations, as well as cocktails and small plates. Each location has food from local purveyors and innovative chefs.
See Also: Union Market District Adds Its First Brewery
View this post on Instagram
3178-B Bladensburg Road NE / Website
This iconic DC brewery was founded in 2011 and is credited with being DC’s first manufacturing brewery to come to the city since the 1950s, paving the way for a lot of others on this list. Each beer is brewed and packaged within the District, bringing a beneficial industry back to the city. Beers are brewed using ingredients and techniques from North America and Europe. Find lagers, sours, IPAs, ales, stouts, and even a few hard seltzers on tap. To eat, find local restaurant pop-ups on the weekends. The brewery regularly hosts events throughout the week, ranging from live music to community events.
View this post on Instagram
Multiple Locations / Website
Venture to Maryland to explore this women-owned craft brewery. Its first location opened in Silver Spring in 2014 with a beer garden and indoor taproom, and a second location opened in Riverdale Park, near College Park, in 2019. The new location has allowed the brewery to massively increase its production. Find mainstays on draft including IPAs, pilsners, Belgian-style tripels, and a tasty fruit-forward variety of hard seltzers. Both locations serve food too! At the Silver Spring location, enjoy American cuisine from local restaurant All Set Restaurant, and at Riverdale park, indulge in comfort food from Catalyst Hotdogs. Connect with the community with weekly events like trivia and drag bingo.
View this post on Instagram
5788 2nd Street NE / Website
Explore sustainably made beer at this brewery. Hellbender uses a mash filter press brewing system that allows them to brew beers using less water, less grain and overall less energy. They were, in fact, the first brewery on the east coast to adopt such methods and now educate other breweries about the practice. On tap, find IPAs, hop-full lagers, and creative fruit-inspired ales. To eat, find a rotating schedule of food trucks. Keep up with their Instagram to find out about the latest food truck offerings.
View this post on Instagram
1401 Okie Street NE / Website
Founded in Brooklyn, NY in 2014, this brewery strives to create a welcoming, beer-appreciating community and serves craft beers in a genuine, local brewery-style environment. Head to Ivy City to explore the DC location, complete with a covered patio, rooftop, indoor taproom, and on-site brewing facilities. There’s a lengthy draft list that features IPAs, ales, stouts, and even a cider. While only snacks are available from the brewery, they host frequent food truck pop-ups.
View this post on Instagram
3950 Wheeler Avenue, Alexandria VA / Website
Venture to Alexandria for award-winning beers from Port City Brewing Company. Founded in 2011, this popular brewery is located conveniently just two and a half miles from Old Town Alexandria. The casual spot has indoor and outdoor seating, the latter of which is dog friendly. On draft, find seven of the brewery’s most consistently popular brews, in addition to a rotating list of lagers, ales, IPAs, stouts and porters. The brewery even has its own non-alcoholic beverage, ‘Hopwell’, made with hop-infused sparkling water. To eat, find a rotating schedule of food trucks that come to the brewery from Thursday through Sunday.
View this post on Instagram
209 M Street NE / Website
Enjoy craft beers, casual vibes and an awesome assortment of board games, both classic and uncommon, at this community-favorite brewery. On tap, find tasty and creative stouts, IPAs, sours, ales and more. For a beer that packs a punch, try the ‘Biscui-cuffs’ biscuit and coffee imperial pastry stout with 10% ABV. There are even a few house-brewed ciders on tap too, with flavors like black currant, cranberry with ginger, and rosé. To eat, enjoy an everchanging of tasty creations from an on-site kitchen. The brewery regularly hosts drag brunches and shows, trivia nights, comedy shows and other fun community events.
View this post on Instagram
Multiple Locations / Website
With locations in Shaw and Brookland, this is another beer that is easy to find around the city. The Shaw location is conveniently next door to the historic Howard Theatre and features an array of craft beers, American fare, weekend brunch, and an impressive cheese counter. While the Brookland tap room is only open on the weekends, it features a lineup of its new and classic beers as well as indoor and outdoor seating and an Insta-worthy mural. The brewery’s three mainstays are the ‘Raised By Wolves’ dry-hopped pale ale, ‘Li’l wit’ Belgian style witbier, and ‘Senate Beer’ American-style light lager.
Looking for more luxe stops in the city? Check out our picks for The 11 Best Pubs In Washington, DC.
Photography by: Josh McDonough / Crooked Run Fermentation
