During a recent trip to Washington, D.C., we made a point of checking out some of the local establishments that are doing cool things with booze. (We know, tough job.) For our first stop of the trip, we hit up Right Proper Brewing, where “local” is an understatement. Right Proper opened in the Shaw neighborhood of D.C. as a brewpub. After just a year they reached their production limit, which forced them to expand, purchasing an old car repair shop in Brookland and converting it into a brewery. And what a brewery it is.
We were lucky to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the brewery with the guys of The Whiskey Library. Right Proper has three 45,000 liter foeders, which are large wooden vats made from French oak. They allow the brewery to age experimental beers, and after trying few of them, we understand why so many people love this place.
These funky expressions require the use of special yeasts for the fermentation, and our inner beer nerds were ecstatic to get a lesson in brewing. Because of the special yeasts, there’s an increased risk of cross contamination from these fermenters to the rest of the brewery, and the normal beers. Therefore, they essentially have two breweries: double the hoses (color coded), double the fermenters, and a different set of equipment for everything. This attention to detail carries over into each and every beer.
This attention to detail carries over into each and every beer.
We started off tasting a few of their standard releases, like a Kellerier named “Being There”. It has the perfect balance of hops and malt, making it an enjoyable beer to sip on anytime of the year. The guys from The Whiskey Library convinced us to try Raised by Wolves, which is a delicious pale ale with a terrific aroma and fruity flavor. It’s unlike any other pale ale we’ve tried before. We also got the chance to try some of the Farmhouse Radler, and more unique expressions. Unsurprisingly, they did not disappoint.
The highlight of the visit was tasting a barrel aged beer. The Whiskey Library team had selected a single cask of Elijah Craig Bourbon at the beginning of the year. Once they went through all the bourbon, they were left with the empty barrel. In hopes of finding a good use for it, they teamed up with Right Proper, known for their expertise and desire to try new things. After dropping off the empty barrel, Right Proper filled it up with some beer from their unique foeders. It’s not done aging, but we got to drill into the barrel and sneak an early taste. If a few months is any indication, this is going to be a terrific beer, which is no surprise given what we tasted throughout the day.
Visit Right Proper Brewing:
Shaw Brewpub & Kitchen | 624 T Street, NW, Washington DC 20001 | 202.607.2337
Brookland Production House & Tasting Room | 920 Girard Street, NE, Washington DC 20017 | 202.526.5904
