WASHINGTON — When WTOP spoke with Bill Madden on Monday, he was two hours away from opening a new pub-inspired taproom in D.C.’s Glover Park.
For Madden, CEO and executive brewer of Mad Fox Brewing Company, it’s been two years of permits, construction and structural issues to work around. The business sits in a very old building that once housed restaurants Town Hall and Mayfair & Pine.
So it might be understandable if Madden was a little edgy. Instead, he sounded calm and optimistic about opening Mad Fox Brewing’s Taproom at 2218 Wisconsin Ave., NW.
“It’s just been so long to get it open,” Madden said. “We’re just really anxious to get it open.”
The Mad Fox Taproom was originally slated to open in fall 2013. It’s the second location for Madden, whose Falls Church brewpub has earned local recognition from The Washington Post, Washington City Paper and Northern Virginia Magazine. In its Best of D.C. edition, a City Paper poll named Mad Fox the “Best New Bar.” The brewery’s Slobberknocker Barleywine won Best Imperial IPA in the Nova. publication.
Mad Fox Brewing Company launched five years ago in Falls Church, Virginia, where the brewery is housed. That location has a 63-foot bar with up to 10 standard, house-brewed beers on tap.
When patrons walk into the Glover Park location, they’re greeted by exposed brick and large windows, which give the spot its atmospheric vibe.
The Glover Park location has an expanded draft system that offers up to 32 beers at one time. Madden said there will be 16 draft lines of its own beer. The menu features delectable options, such as grilled pretzels and chicken cracklings, and more straightforward fare — hamburgers, grilled rib eye steak and crab salad.
Currently, Mad Fox will not host any events to commemorate the opening, but maybe that could change.
“We’re focused on getting our beer on tap and getting the spot open,” Madden said. “We want to get open and get our legs underneath us, and we’ll go from there.”
