The DC Brewers’ Guild and DC Makers’ Guild are running their second annual (D)rafts and (C)rafts festival. The indoor festival takes place Saturday, July 13, 2024 from 12-4pm at Dock5 at Union Market, 1309 5th St NE, Washington, DC 20002. The fest highlights small-scale manufacturers, craftspeople, and artisan makers. Tickets are available, and use code HEURICH for 10% off.
As we are DC Beer we decided we’d focus some of our attention on the drafts portion of the Drafts and Crafts festival. And while we’re very excited with the prospect of meeting friends and neighbors who are manufacturing the goods we enjoy, we are most interested in the beer.
In addition to full strength alcoholic beer, we’re excited to see DC’s first canned nonalcoholic beer at the festival. CEO & Co-Founder of DC Brau Brewing LLC, Brandon Skall told us he’s “bringing a few cans of some super fresh NA Brau for anyone interested in an NA option.” This will round out Brau’s other beers, Old Time Lager and Joint Resolution Hazy IPA.
If you attended last year’s inaugural festival, you’ll recall Bluejacket & Brewery Saint X Director of Brewing Operations, Ro Guenzel, brought a cask of his beer. This year, he’ll be bringing a gravity keg of his pilsner, Self Portrait, a Bavarian-style Pilsner brewed with Hallertau Mittelfruh hops.
Beyond the gravity keg of Self Portrait, Guenzel is pulling out all the stops, stocking cans of Dream Merchant Hazy IPA, Circles and Shapes fruited sour, and bottles of 2024 bourbon barrel aged Double Mexicain Radio.
Keeping within the theme of cool ways to dispense beer not usually seen at a festival, Dynasty Brewing Company will bring a firkin of their Fastbender West Coast IPA served through a beer engine. Owner and head brewer Favio Garcia tells us he will also have cans of his Sunrider Imperial Pilsner on offer.
But wait, there’s more, in loose alphabetical order:
Aslin:
Orange Starfish, Hazy IPA, Galaxy and Citra Hops 5.7% ABV, Fruit-packed aroma with flavors of citrus, orange, pineapple, and grapefruit.
Volcano Sauce, 6% ABV, Sour ale conditioned on Blackberries, Blueberries and Vanilla (*contains milk sugar).
El Frutero Mango, Sour Ale, 5% ABV, Sweet and spicy, like a shaken mango margarita in a habanero rimmed glass – brewed with mango, lime, sea salt and chile peppers. – via Tim Parrot, Aslin Director of Marketing
Daniel Vilarrubi, Director of Brewing Operations at Atlas Brew Works LLC writes:
We’re bringing 2 beers. The first is Dance of Days – don’t leave home without it. And for the second, we’re going to have a pre-release pouring of Festbier. Festbier officially drops on August 1, but we pulled a little off early to bring a keg to Drafts and Crafts.
James Warner, founder and CEO of City-State Brewing: “We will be bringing Grapefruit Brulee Sour, Equal Marriage Hefeweizen, and Air & Space Modern West Coast IPA.”
Jared Pulliam, Head Brewer/Owner, Lost Generation Brewing, is bringing Beauty Into Gold, a 5.3% ABV West Coast-Style Pilsner Brewed With 100% Mosaic Hops. In addition to the hoppy Pilsner is Enemy of Vision a 6.8% ABV Hazy IPA Brewed WIth Citra, Simcoe & HBC 586 Hops.
Simon Bee, Founder and Director of Operations at Red Bear Brewing Company writes:
We will have the following this year;
Berryocracy – Blackberry/vanilla wheat ale (Collab with Soul Mega)
Ferrari – Italian Pils
Bottoms up – Margarita Style Gose (our Pride beer this year)
51st State IPA – NE Style IPA
We’ll also have a few merch items for purchase this year too!
Thor Cheston, owner of Right Proper Brookland, writes “Looking forward to it for sure! I’ll be bringing Big Tomorrow and possibly, depending on availability, Unseen Universe, a dark, barrel-aged farmhouse ale.”
Per The Brewers and Makers Guilds:
Your friends and neighbors are manufacturing the beverages you will drink and the goods you will purchase. The Brewers and Makers Guilds support small-scale manufacturers on the individual and collective level: they provide members the tools and structure for both individual growth and positive systemic change.
Grab unlimited tastes from 15+ craft beverage producers while exploring products from 35+ locally made artisan goods businesses such as ceramicists, woodworkers, printmakers, jewelers, and more. Stop by the craft station to express your creativity or visit the Guild info booth to learn about their work and how to get involved.
Both Guilds work to unify independent producers, raise awareness and appreciation of the quality and diversity of their industries, and influence public policy decisions to create a business environment that allows them to continue to grow and flourish. Funds raised from this festival will allow the work to continue.
Chefs from Union Market will serve throughout the event for festival- goers to purchase food and nonalcoholic beverages.
Use code HEURICH for 10% off tickets, and see you Saturday!
