WASHINGTON — Washington is one of just eight metropolitan areas in the United States to host an MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and MLS team. Of course, it wasn’t always that way. The complete set of five wasn’t complete until fairly recently, with the Nationals playing just their 11th season in the District.
D.C.’s craft beer scene has exploded even more recently than that. As recently as 2008, there were no local breweries in the District. Now the beer scene is thriving with more than 20 breweries in the D.C. metro area, a number of which have found a home at various sporting arenas.
Some breweries have teamed up with clubs for official beers, like the Potomac Nationals with Port City’s Monumental IPA, and DC Brau with the limited edition The Tradition, released in conjunction with D.C. United. Even the D.C. Breeze Ultimate Frisbee team partnered with Atlas Brew Works as their official beer provider this season. But we’re still waiting on one of the local shops to whip up an Otto Porter, a Double “Harper-ed” IPA or a Pale Ale-x Ovechkin.
In the interest of cheering and drinking local during D.C. Beer Week, we’ve compiled a list of all the local brews available at each local sporting event.
Nationals Park
In addition to a good number of macros, Nats Park also has 3 Stars, Atlas, DC Brau, Mad Fox and Port City on tap at their District Drafts stand. The Red Porch has a couple other nice east coast microbrews represented as well, like Frederick’s Flying Dog and Cooperstown, New York’s Ommegang, but the local brews are mostly only available at the select carts. The Nationals Review gives a good overview of all selections at the park.
RFK Stadium
D.C. United games offer a fairly wide range of macro selections, from official sponsor Heineken, to Boddington’s, to Tecate. There are also a couple brews from Chicago craft beer powerhouse Goose Island, but the only local brewery represented is Devil’s Backbone.
Verizon Center
The home of the Caps and Wizards has expanded its local offerings over the past few years to rival any local venue. As The Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg noted, not only is there the DC Brau/Port City cart on the lower level, but Devil’s Backbone is available in the 200 level with Starr Hill, Flying Dog and Heavy Seas all in the suites.
FedEx Field
FedEx Field has taken a beating in the press over the past couple of years when it comes to beer, both due to its price and its … selection. The team’s official site has no beer listings of any kind. We already know there will be new food options this year. A glass-half full approach means there’s still time before Week 1 for some local beer additions to be made as well.
