Celebration of New Brew at Historic House
Recently, DC Brau held its third anniversary celebration at the Heurich House Museum. An appropriate location for a hoppy good time, the Heurich House was once home to Christian Heurich, D.C.’s most successful brewer. Operating his brewery on the site of the present day Kennedy Center, Heurich produced quality beer for local markets until his death in 1945 at 102, proving the health benefits of beer.
The Heurich House Museum hosts monthly events combining beer sampling with tours of the brew master mansion. (Photo: National Trust for Historic Preservation)
The DC Brau event combined D.C.’s old and new drinking traditions by placing cutting edge craft beer within the late-Victorian setting of Heurich’s home. Guests carried around samples of DC Brau’s Corruption IPA while enjoying tours of the home and grounds. The mansion featured intricate wood paneling, high ceilings, regal sitting rooms with plush furniture and a kingly dining room.
Inside the Heurich House you’ll find hand carved woodwork, gas and electric light fixtures, gilt furniture, a marble and onyx staircase, and other ornate features. (Photo: Heurich House Museum)
DC Brau co-founder Jeff Hancock attended the event and gave some good contextualization on where DC Brau fits into the D.C. brewing tradition. He said that since Heurich Brewing shuttered its doors in 1956, not one brewery has operated in the District until DC Brau. “I very much view DC Brau as continuing the legacy of the Heurich Brewing Co.” said Hancock. “When we were considering starting DC Brau, any hesitation went away when we realized that no one else was brewing in D.C. and hadn’t for a long time.”
In just three short years, DC Brau has become the iconic brand of the D.C. craft brew scene inspiring other start-up metro breweries. Though mainly a regional player, DC Brau stresses quality and local ties. Hancock says that DC Brau is looking down the road to eventually widening their distribution at the same time they are focusing on the more immediate future with plans of creating a brewpub-like atmosphere at their Northeast facility.
Michael Stein and Peter Jones (left to right), homebrewers who recreated Heurich’s Pre-Prohibition Pilsner, with DC Brau co-founder Jeff Hancock (Photo: Richard Barry/ DC on Heels)
Further linking DC Brau with Heurich Brewing is the recreation of Heurich’s pre-Prohibition beer. Local homebrewers Michael Stein, Joshua Hubner and Pete Jones teamed up with DC Brau to bring the long lost pilsner back to life, piecing together the recipe from Heurich’s orders found at the Library of Congress.
For three years, DC Brau has made sure there hops are hip as well as historical with finely crafted, local beer. Here’s to many more!
Richard is a freelance writer who enjoys building a healthy appetite with long runs around the city. When not logging the miles, he can be spotted training the palate at brunches, happy hours and food trucks.
