Red Bear Brewing Co. - DC's newest, and most inclusive brewery

Washington, D.C.'s "NoMa" neighborhood (short for "North [of] Ma[ssachusetts Ave]") has seen a LOT of development in the last ten years, and with the complete overhaul of the ULine Arena on the corner of 3rd and M Sts, NE, there have been a handful of new businesses opening east of the Amtrak and MARC lines. One of those new businesses is Red Bear Brewing Co., located in a single-level ground floor space right next to REI Cooperative's flagship store. Fun fact - the ULine Arena, the shell of which forms the space, was the site of the Beatles' first-ever concert in the US.

Red Bear's story starts back in 2015, when founders Bryan Van Den Oever and Simon Bee - both Seattleites -  left the oversaturated beer market of The Emerald City to open their own brewpub. Along with an experienced brewery manager, Cameron Raspet, they chose the "other" Washington to brew their suds. Fast forward a few years of planning and strategizing, Red Bear was born!

I sat down with Simon and Bryan to chat about the brewery and learn more about their set up and mission. First of all - what’s in a name? Simon laughs when I ask this. The name has a double meaning – one, they wanted the name to evoke an outdoorsy theme since they’re all from Washington. Simon jokes that they wanted to be "the REI of breweries"…and here they are, neighbors to REI! The second meaning is apparent to anyone familiar with gay culture....as DC's only 100% gay-owned brewery, the founders chose a name as a nod to their personas as russet-bearded, flannel-wearing gay guys.

According to Simon, the brewery has three main focuses:

1. Beer with food -As a place that frequently has food trucks, they want beers that pair well with food, not the other way around.
2. Cutting edge beers - they want to try their hands at what's new and hot. For example - riffing off the brut IPA craze, they're making a brut Kolsch. 
3. Classic beers - they're a brewpub so they want to make something the general public can recognize. Not everyone wants some funky experimental thingy (I can totally get behind this idea!)

Attaining these goals requires a lot of hard work and a lot of equipment. They started off at a 60 barrel capacity (that's 1860 gallons), but soon realized they can't keep enough beer in-house to keep up with demand, so they were able to snag an extra 20 bbl fermenter and a 10 bbl fermenter to bring them up to a 90 bbl brewhouse. Where they used to brew 2 days a week, they're now up to 4 days a week. So production has really ramped up to achieve their goals.

But one of the biggest aspects of Red Bear is the inclusivity - they have striven to create one of the most inclusive and welcoming spaces in DC. Aside from an open floor plan, tons of games, big social spaces, and the most ADA-accessible seating of any DC brewery, Red Bear is very LGBTQ+ friendly. Since Gallaudet University is just down the road, Red Bear's staff is either proficient in, or learning, American Sign Language. Events include ASL with hearing interpretation (not the other way around), ASL interpretation for other events, drag queen bingo, comedy nights, singer/songwriters, and events for the deaf queer community. All with the commendable aim of making everyone welcome!

Running this brewery is not without challenges. Aside from the typical issues that breweries face (glycol issues with fermenter tanks, equipment problems, keeping beer in house, etc), Red Bear faces another issue - spent grain. This is something most people don't think about...breweries generate waste products, like any business that manufactures something, and finding ways to dispose of this is sometimes tough. For example - according to Simon, at one point they had 1200 lbs of wet grain to dispose of. That's a lot of stinky waste product! Luckily they found a composting place in Upper Marlboro, MD, to take it, but having to deal with problems like these can be a lot to juggle. 

So let's check out what's on draft!

OK, they've got a small but focused taplist. Seven beers on draft, plus some cider and beer from local places. What first caught my attention on their draft list is "Skookum", a 6.80% ABV Pacific Northwest-style red ale.

Finger width of thick ecru foam; full flavor, not super bitter but nice caramelt malts. On the heavier end of red ales I've had, probably the PNW influence here. Definitely a good choice for fans of more aggressive red ales. Strangely, this beer is listed as 38 IBUs, which is surprising.

And now for something a bit softer - "Marmalade Skies", Belgian witbier clocking in at 5.20% ABV.

Thick cap of white foam, goldenrod color in the glass. I like the savory aroma - definitely on light end of taste though, which makes sense for a beer at 17 IBUs. The Belgian spice notes are soft for sure, and the only tanginess is on the finish. Very drinkable though and not super sweet or heavy, which is refreshing because sometimes Belgians are overdone in this way. I'd say this is great for people who like Hoegaarden or, dare I say it, Blue Moon.

Time for some food! The brewery hosts guest food trucks; tonight's food truck was "Roaming Rooster", a fried chicken truck. I had a spicy chicken sandwich, some fries, and paired it with the "Polar Bear" - a pale wheat ale, 5.90% ABV, 27 IBUs.

Doesn't emit much aroma, and is a medium amber color in the glass. Interesting - it's a bit more full-bodied than than many pale ales I've had. There's a touch of syrupy hop sweetness on the front end, with full wheat flavors and a strong finish of crisp hops. It's refreshing and stands up to the spice in the sandwich - so it's done it's job!

OK, that's enough talk for today. If you find yourself in NoMA, definitely visit Red Bear. The vibe is very laid back and you'd be supporting a local business - one committed to inclusivity and supporting the community. They're working on a barrel-aging program, too, in partnership with local DC distilleries, so there is definitely lots to look forward to. Big thanks to Simon and Bryan for speaking to me, as well! Red Bear is located at 209 M St, NE in our nation's capital.

Southern Tier Brewing Co. - "Battle in Four Dimensions" DIPA

Lakewood, NY-based Southern Tier Brewing Co. is really branching out these days. Although they are probably best known for their fall seasonal "Pumking" and their Blackwater series of dessert beers (including the "Warlock" and the "Creme Brulee") it seems in recent years their line has expanded significantly to include a variety of IPAs, lighter lagers, and some experimental stuff. Today's beer is one such experiment: a 8.50% ABV unfiltered double IPA made with Amarillo hops and - in an interesting twist - beet juice. It's part of their "Science is the Art" collection - a six-part series of experimental beers featuring label art by artist Christopher Balaskas. I really like the mid-80s retrofuturism!

I guess I don't know what to expect - obviously I've had beets, and have had Amarillo hops before (typically they impart a flowery, citrus flavor with moderate bitterness) but in tandem? Who knows. Let's find out.

Wow, look at that color! The can lists it as "supernova red" and they weren't kidding.

There's a lively aroma, for sure - bright and slightly sweet but hard to place. Strawberries?

This beer is bright and a bit sweet, with the beet juice adding a vegetal, resinous quality. It definitely tastes different than other IPAs. The Amarillo hops are a nice touch, and add a slight tang which is most noticeable on the aftertaste. Overall not a lot of hop bitterness. The alcohol is well-hidden, too - the beer is refreshing, and frankly, lighter than I was expecting. Or at least tastes lighter. There's a slight tingle at the end, with a finish of sweet wine, like a sangria.

Most striking is the beet juice flavor. It's definitely noticeable and adds an interesting dimension to what would be just another IPA. It's sort of like a sour, without the sourness...a medium-light bodied beer with a somewhat fruity, vegetal quality. They're out of stock now, but D'vines sold them as both single pint cans and four-packs; this one was $3.99 for a single. So not bad and definitely worth a try. I'm curious to see what's next in this series - you'll notice on the can, in small print, it says "Episode Five of Six." I wonder what the final edition will be!

Firestone Walker Brewing Co. - "Under Currants" wild ale

Sour beers and wild ales have carved a niche for themselves in the beer market over the last few years. It seems like every brewery has some version of a wild ale, packed with random fruit or made with some funky yeast or made in some obscure style. Sometimes they're super sour, and sometimes they're quite dark and fruity. Today's beer is an example of the latter, coming to us from Firestone Walker Brewing Co., products of which I have reviewed numerous times on the blog. This Paso Robles, CA-based brewery uses a special, proprietary blend of both Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus yeast to riff on their "Agrestic" ale, to which they added 1.5 pounds of blackcurrants per gallon and then matured in French oak "fruiders" for four months to produce this 6.30% ABV wild ale. Also of note - this ale is just over a year old, with a date of birth listed as 2/28/18. It's batch #001, with only 2900 cases produced.

Sounds really interesting. I'm a fan of most stuff FW does, and their small-batch, single-bottle series are always intriguing.  I'm pouring the "Under Currants" into my antique coupe glass, because I feel like it.

Hmm, in terms of aroma it's definitely quite sour. There's a thin layer of white foam and LOTS of little bubbles in there. Color is a pleasing reddish-purple.

Taste-wise, it's quite dry and  refreshing with a strong showing of blackcurrants, dark fruit, caramel malts, and lemon rind. There's an element of tartness, sort of like a softer version of the old black cherry Atomic Warhead candies, and this remains throughout the beer. The fruits make the beer less "bright" and a little thicker and vinous. Finish is fruity and has a long, lingering aftertaste with a touch of tingling tartness.

I'm digging the texture of this beer - it's full-bodied and smooth -and is thicker than some wild ales I've had, which is kind of nice. I'd suggest this to anyone who enjoys sour / wild ales but may want something less fizzy or light or bright than the other variants on the market today. This beer is available in a muselet-topped 12oz bottle and sells for $15.99, and unlike the other Firestone Walker single-bottle releases, this one does not have its own attractive display box. So not the cheapest, but definitely a nice take on the style and worth a try, especially if you're into sours.