No need to bury the lede here, two breweries lots of people like are on the way, making draft towers and shelves just a little more crowded.
Asheville's extremely fast-growing and prolific Wicked Weed has had its sights on DC for a while now, bringing beer up for SAVOR 2015 and 2016 even though they didn't attend either event. They brew in three locations around Asheville, including a brewery dedicated to barrel aging and another for open-fermented Belgian-style ales. A fourth brewery is coming soon, which will separate the barrel-aging facility from the souring/wild fermanation one. They've taken home Great American Beer Festival medals for both an IPA, Pernicious, and a saison, Serenity. That's no small feat, but for my money Garcon de Ferme, a Bretted farmhouse ale brewed with peaches, is the standout, as their sour and wild offerings often involve fruit and have a distinct, recognizable fermentation style. Not too shabby for a brewery that didn't open until late 2012. Look for a DC launch on Tuesday, September 13th at ChurchKey. Northern Virginia gets into the fun two days later, with an introduction to Wicked Weed at Rustico's Alexandria location on Thursday the 15th. Premium will handle the distribution in DC. Look for 375mL bottles at better retailers, showcasing, per Bill DeBaun, "creative, well-executed" beers.
Logsdon Farmhouse Ales is a less-known quantity in DC, mostly because Hood River, OR is harder to get to than Asheville, NC, but the brewery makes some excellent saisons, led by Seizoen Bretta. Think Boulevard's Saison-Brett, but earthier, spicier, more rustic, and more funky and you're close. Mike Stein is partial to their tripel. Homebrewers may recognize the Logsdon name as brewery founder and director David Logsdon started Wyeast Laboratories prior to striking out on his own in 2011. Unlike Wicked Weed, which employs over 200 people, Logsdon, now owned by a limited liability corporation, Uptown Market, LLC, has less than 15. Whereas Wicked Weed has made in excess of 375 (!) distinct beers in under 4 years of brewing, Logsdon has made less than 25 in 5 years. We have less information on when and where you'll see Logsdon around town, but they're coming. 750mL bottles should retail for $20 if prices in New York and Chicago are bellweathers.
My concern with both these breweries coming to market is the price point, which is similar to Cascade; DC saw some excitement when Cascade announced local distribution earlier this year, but a lot of their beer sits on shelves as consumers are unwilling to pay upwards of $20 for a 750mL bottle of beer. Some Wicked Weed 375s might push $15. But hey, variety is the spice of life, and here are two more highly-regarded options for us. Cheers.
