FYIDC | THE DISH
MEN OF THE BREWS In honor of Oktoberfest, we spoke to the men behind three of the District’s burgeoning breweries and got to know their personal tastes. B Y l a u r a w a i n m a n | p h o t o s by t o n y b r o w n
DC Brau
Brandon Skall Co-Founder/Owner
Chocolate City Beer
3 Stars Brewing
Mike McGarvey CEO/Head Brewer Dave Coleman President
Jay Irizarry Co-Founder/Owner
Background: I always had an interest in
Background: We saw an interest in craft beer
homebrewing, and I had a good knowledge of distribution, sales and marketing since my entire adult career had been spent in beverage marketing and sales. What made me want to open a brewery was the sheer lack of one in the District at the time we were planning. Now, of course, there are four and more coming.
growing in the D.C. market, but wondered why there weren’t any craft breweries already here. Mike started homebrewing as a hobby and it just seemed like a natural transition for me to start brewing with him. Mike’s background in the business world and his degree in engineering complemented my skill set in a way that we felt gave us a very well-balanced management team.
Signature brews: The Public, The Corruption,
The Citizen and Penn Quarter Porter.
Signature brews: Peppercorn Saison, The
What makes your beers unique? They are
Movement, Two to the Dome, Southern Belle and Pandemic Porter.
branded in a style that is thoroughly who we are, not just visually, but in taste, as we are making beers we want to drink. How should your beers be drunk? From a tulip
or snifter glass if it is a particularly aromatic beer like the double IPA, but we really encourage people to drink straight from the can. Favorite beer: That is ever changing, but the most influential beer I’ve ever had was Sierra Nevada. It’s the beer that made me fall in love with beer and from the moment I got that big wafting hop presence, it changed how I thought about beer.
If I were a drink I would be … Whiskey. Time makes whiskey better and you don’t always know what you are getting into with whiskey.
16
What breweries influence you the most?
Founder’s Brewing Company, Russian River, Bell’s, The Bruery and the amazing barrel-aged sours from Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes.
Background: I had been involved in the bar industry before and sales.Talking to people and knowing beer were my fortés. At the time that I was planning this, five or six years ago, there weren’t any breweries in town and I saw it as a vacuum that needed to be filled. I got to work brewing some beer in my backyard, pitched the idea with some partners and went from there. Signature Brews: Cornerstone Copper Ale, First Coast Pilsner, 1814 ESB, Cerveza Nacional and Big Chair IPA. What beers are you trying to emulate? Our concept is inspired more by the city itself than anything else.We usually create the concept first, and make the beer fit the concept.We made an ESB, for example, because the British burned down Washington.
Favorite beer: Hands down, it’s the Pandemic
Porter for both of us. We designed it to be a reflection of our taste and style, and that’s exactly what it is. But Southern Belle is a close second for Mike. Most surprising thing you’ve learned running a brewery? Patience and how to remain calm
under most circumstances. Getting upset doesn’t help in finding a quick solution, and when you are dependent on someone else to help, they are more likely to help you when you’re calm than when you seem panicked.
First beer ever: Does Zima count? No,
probably a good old Budweiser. If I were a drink I would be … Two fingers of vodka in a glass, neat. It is straight, hard and to the point. If you told people in high school you’d own a brewery, what would have been their reaction?
This came out of nowhere so no one would have bought it.They thought I’d be a wanderer rather than a stay-put business owner.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| o c to b e r
2013
| washingtonlife.com