Fermentation Friday: Port City Brewery

"Fermentation Friday": A semi-regular look at a member of the holy fermented trinity:  beer, wine and cheese.


I remember visiting my brother and sister in law in San Francisco a few years ago. Cam (my bro in law) and I got to yammering (as we usually do when we're together) and drinking (ditto) when the subject turned to beer. San Francisco, and California in general, has a famously thriving craft beer scene. Lots of hops, lots of options, and little reason to look very far for good beer. He asked me what our craft beer scene was like out in the DC area. "We don't really have one," I said. Sure, there were some Pennsylvania beers, Dogfish Head (of course) and a few other odds and ends. But nothing compared with what they have out there.

That was a few years ago. I'm happy to report things have definitely changed. Right in my own backyard.

The pineapple is out...means
the tasting room is open!

Port City Brewery started in January 2011 in Alexandria's West End and has become part of a wave of excellent craft breweries in the DC area, along with DC Brau, Lost Rhino, 3 Stars as well as down-state brewers like Legend, Starr Hill, Blue Mountain and Devil's Backbone among many others that have turned my conversation with my brother in law on its head.

They have four flagship beers, soon to be five, including Optimal Wit, a Hoegarten-like witbier; Essential Pale Ale, a hoppy but not overwhelmingly so American Pale Ale; Monumental IPA, which is just what it sounds like; and a very roasty Porter that I just absolutely love (and I'm not usually a Porter guy). They're in the process of adding Downright Pilsner to the flagship lineup, as well.

The tasting room, before the crowds hit

The brewery is a fun place to visit too, and is worth a stop in its own right. Unlike wineries, that frequently can be found in bucolic settings surrounded by beautiful views and rural landscapes, most breweries can be found in industrial parks with an atmosphere to match. While Port City is still in an industrial park, they've taken great pains to make it worth a stop by providing an inviting tasting room with a big screen TV, cocktail tables, two bars and a beer garden in the brewing room. A Saturday or Sunday afternoon visit often finds the place packed with beer lovers and revelers of all kinds, drinking beer and watching sports.

In addition to the flagship beers and inviting atmosphere, Port City provides other reasons to keep you coming back in the form of a rotating selection of seasonal beers and occasional one-off "pilot beers" that the friendly and outgoing staff are always willing to offer up for tasting. This is great for frequent visitors like us, since there's always something new to taste.

Derecho Common has been their summer seasonal the past two years. It started life accidentally during the infamous derecho wind and rain storm of midsummer 2012. The brewery was without power, and the lager they were brewing couldn't be kept cold to ferment. The result was a warm fermented lager, otherwise known as a California Common (Anchor Steam is the quintessential example), and the brew was so well-received that it was brought back in 2013 for another run (I have a case in my basement now!). They also do a holiday beer called Tydings; Revival, an Oyster Stout brewed with Oysters from the War Shore Oyster Company; Maniacal, a double IPA; and Tartan, a Scottish ale. I've also sampled a couple of their pilot beers, a Belgian IPA and a smoked wheat beer. 

Port City distributes in Virginia, Maryland, DC, New Jersey and North Carolina and can be found on tap at many local establishments and at fine beer stores across the area. The brewery sponsors events, including beer dinners, and is open for tours, tastings, growler fills and retail purchases Wednesday-Sunday.

We've become regulars, and it's pretty rare that there's not a growler of Port City in the fridge Chez Gaston. If you live in the DC area, it's definitely worth a visit. Maybe multiple visits.

Clearly, I'm not the only one writing about Port City!