Denizens has been busy lately; they’re launching collaboration beers with two local restaurant groups and taking their food menu back in house at their Riverdale Park, Maryland brewery. This isn’t DC Food dot com, but we thought these important enough to write about.
Collaboration the first is Czexican (5% ABV), a hybrid lager–part Czech-style, part Mexican-style–brewed with Hill East Burger and Republic Cantina in mind. The beer has the hoppy sharpness of a Czech-style pilsner with the beguiling malt aspects–bready yet light in body and color–of a Mexican-style lager. So yes, there’s corn in the grain bill, but also healthy doses of Saaz and Hallertau hops for a spicy yet floral kick. The name is a nod to both Czech and Mexican influences in Texas brewing and foodways. The beer will be on tap at both restaurants, and a few special sixtels have been dosed with Republic Cantina’s house pico de gallo or fresh Fresno peppers. Hill East’s Joe Neumann is no stranger to collaborations, having popped up at 3 Stars before opening Sloppy Mama’s brick and mortar barbecue spot in Arlington. 3 Stars made a hazy pale ale especially for Neumann’s restaurant. Like that collaboration, Denizens is canning Czexican, available at their brewery.
The next collaboration is an all Riverdale Park affair. All American Lager (5.3% ABV) will be available at both 2Fifty Texas Barbecue locations starting Thursday, March 13. The two brands got to know each other at the Riverdale Park farmer’s market, and their owners have kept in touch. 2Fifty even hosted a staff party at Denizens, which led to a lager tasting trial when it came time to collaborate. A lineup of Born Bohemian Pilsner, Hike the Alps Marzen, MGM Helles, and PGC Premium Lager helped hone in on a flavor profile and recipe.
All American is “a clean golden lager, brewed with 100% American ingredients and hopped with Adeena,” notes Denizens Chief Brand Officer Julie Verratti, who adds that 2Fifty brisket and this beer, which cuts through some of the richness, are the perfect pairing. She’s pretty proud of the text on the can label above; we encourage you to give it a read. Can’t make it to 2Fifty to dine in? Six-packs are available to go at Denizens and both 2Fifty locations.
We’re not done with food yet. Catalyst Hot Dogs has ended its run as Denizen’s in house food provider, and Shannan Troncoso, formerly of Brookland’s Finest, is up to the challenge. Denizens and Finest collaborated on numerous beer dinners over the last decade, and last year brewed a beer together, Good Neighbors Lager. Troncoso is a beer aficionado, and it shows in her cooking, which includes a Caesar salad that incorporates Animal, Denizen’s flagship hazy IPA, into the dressing. Look for Born Bohemian Pilsner and Southside IPA to make appearances in dishes as well. “My goal is to take the essence of craft beer–the depth, the aroma, the character–and seamlessly infuse it into my cuisine,” add Troncoso via a press release.
With tariffs now in effect, we asked Verratti about both grain, which can come from Canada, and metal, from China and Canada. “We’re a small manufacturer, there’s no US supplier for cans, which are allocated to larger corporations like Coca Cola, Pepsi, and ABInBev, so we have to buy cans from wherever we can get them,” says Verratti. “We have beer in tanks, we can’t wait out a price drop,” so aluminum from China and Canada, now 25% more expensive, has to be purchased. That will have downstream effects on prices. “It’s going to impact everyone’s bottom line, the cost of beer will go up, to make, to distribute, to wholesalers, to retailers, and to consumers.”
We don’t want to end on that bit of bad news, so we’ll add that Denizens former Silver Spring location will be the site of another Dacha Beer Garden! Verratti notes that the old brewery and taproom on East West Highway needs some work before it’s ready to host people. It will be good to see a beer-centric business return to that spot.
