Janu-YAY!-ry: Beer & Snow

Happy 2025 ya’ll! It’s going to be an, ahem, interesting year; here’s to hoping we have fun adventures, loving connections, supportive communities, and lasting memories in 2025. January is a light month for events, and traditionally a slow month for breweries, so please go visit your local, because without you showing up they may not make it to next year. Speaking of which, we documented the sad news of Hellbender’s closing.
We know it is Dry January, but all our local breweries either have or make non-alcoholic options, such as DC Brau’s NA Pale Non-Alcoholic Pale Ale or Lost Generation’s hop water. This January, take a trip to Port City’s LightHouse Lounge featuring two specialty n/a drinks crafted with their signature hop water, Hopwell, available every Friday and Saturday! Your purchases, be they a beer or an n/a beverage, help your local keep the lights on, so venture out and treat yo’self.

We’d like to give the biggest birthday shout out and love to our hop head friend and partner, Jordan Harvey! He is a first of the year baby, so while you were ringing in the new year with fireworks, he was celebrating another year around the sun. Let’s raise a tulip glass filled with a hazy Other Half IPA to you Jordan. Hoppy Birthday! You can also wish him a happy bday and go follow him at @beersaroundtheway.

Phil Runco once again blessed us with the Beer in Review for 2024, where you'll hear from Sojourn, Soul Mega, Crooked Crab, Pen Druid, Lost Generation, Brewers Art, Wheatland Springs, Bluejacket, Elder Pine, Ocelot, Andy's Pizza/The Green Zone, Sapwood, Brew Shop, Other Half, Third Hill, Port City, Jailbreak, Right Proper, Denizens, and Mieza.

Check out some DC Beer events and other local beer to-dos.

DC Beer Events Spotlight

Saturday, January 11th –  Womxn’s Brew Culture Club @ Port City

Join us for the Womxn's Brew Culture Club at Port City! Come together with beer peers and enthusiasts at Port City Brewing Company for a fun and educational experience. Explore the world of craft beer with like-minded individuals, taste unique brews, and learn about the brewing process. This in-person event is the perfect opportunity to connect with others who share your passion for beer and who strive for an inclusive beer industry and drinking spaces. We all learn about beer styles, tastes, and processes, while meeting with the women and non-binary industry icons who work in the craft beverage industry/spaces.

We will gather, enjoy a guided tasting, take a tour without any man-splaining or feeling out of place. From beer aficionados to those curiously dabbling in beer, we are a strong, smart, inspired group of folks who want to learn more, drink socially, and gain appreciation for the history, process, and responsible consumption of beer and other fermented beverages.

An extra perk: Port City just launched their non-alcoholic bar for those who choose to not imbibe with alcohol as well as in house delicious food for us to enjoy while we're there. It's a win-win for everyone. Yaaasssssss Port City, we see you over there being inclusive and mindful.

Each attendee will be responsible for their tabs, which will include the tour/tasting, but lucky you're with us, because our group will receive a friends and family discount during this event. Yet another reason to meet our WBCC fam and friends.

Wednesday, January 22 – DC Beer Trivia Night at Other Half

Jordan (@BeersAroundTheWay) and Other Half transform their weekly trivia night into DC beer-themed trivia once a month, so show up, drink beer, and be a part of the beer community!

Sunday, January 26 - January Beer Share at Other Half

Join us for a fun evening of beer sharing at Other Half Brewing! Bring your favorite brews to share with fellow beer enthusiasts and discover new flavors.

This month's share is a MEMBERS ONLY event. Luckily, if you're not a member, you can be for as little as $5 a month. You also get other perks like local discounts, early entry to beer events, and the knowledge that you’re supporting local beer media. We host a beer share every month, and your membership covers the cost of this highly anticipated monthly event. If you want to join us each month for beer events and other cool things, sign up on Patreon.com. (Members can bring a plus-one)

Welcome our NEW Members, including Jared Prager, our awesome friend from Hop, Cask and Barrel!!!

Staff Picks - Local Events Spotlight

Jan 10: LOST NOMAD CAN RELEASE. “The latest batch of beer from Lost Nomad Brewing Company will be available for pickup at DC Brau on January 10th! We’re excited to release this batch made with wild yeast captured in West Africa. Cans will be available in the tap room at DC Brau from 6-9pm on January 10th. We’re working on distributing throughout the DMV area, but this is your chance to get your hands on the batch at pre-distribution pricing.”

Starting Jan. 10: Port City is really embracing Dry January, making a whole Friday and Saturday experience for those wanting lighter options. Starting on Jan 10th, they’ll be slinging a couple of specialty mocktails showcasing their alcohol free hop water, Hopwell.

Jan. 12: Red Bear, DC’s best brewery for drag, has their Grammys Drag Night hosted by the infamous Desiree Dik. You may remember Desiree from our podcast during the pandemic when Red Bear was offering drag beer delivery “Drag-livery” to entertain and quench Red Bear beer drinkers thirst… wow what a flashback.

Jan. 13: Denizens is throwing a feline friendly fundraiser. A Cat’s Life Fundraiser at 5:30 PM - 10% of sales donated to local kitties. 

Podcasts: Tune in this month for special interviews and fun podcast episodes, including… an in-person recording!

We’ll be seeing you around. Drink local. Come to the beer share. Support women and minorities in beer all year, not just once a month. And send us some pics of your beers in the snow.

Don’t miss out on beer shares, ticket discounts, beer deals, and all the behind-the-scenes stuff our members get!

Cheers, The DC Beer Team