Jordan Harvey and Jacob Berg co-wrote this article.

Last month, a group of brewers met at Third Hill Brewing in Silver Spring, Maryland to make a beer that’s been a long time coming. Chocolate City Porter, 7% ABV, involves all eleven of the area’s Black-owned breweries, past present, and future. You can try the beer at metrobar this Saturday, as well as at Third Hill. The beer is also available in cans, with a list of stores at the end of this article. In the meantime, please enjoy this Beers Around the Way write up of the porter. 

draft chocolate city porter
Pic via Brandy Holder

Why a porter? Well, DC is Chocolate City, hence the name. A porter also fills a void in the portfolios of the participating breweries. Jamil Raoof, co-founder of Black Viking Brewing, proposed the style and accompanying recipe, while our own Jordan Harvey and Black Brew Movement coordinated between eleven brands. Notably, the collaboration includes two breweries no longer brewing: Patuxent Brewing Company, from southern Maryland, and DC’s own Sankofa Beer Company. These two represent a critical chapter in the DMV’s history of Black breweries and brewers, laying the groundwork for younger brands. 

jordan harvey kofi meroe
Harvey and Kofi Meroe of Sankofa, pic via Brandy Holder

It felt appropriate to include all of the breweries that were around when the idea of a collaboration was first proposed, including Patuxent and Sankofa. Joyhound and Urban Garden also participated though neither has brewed much commercially in 2025 as they ready brick and mortar locations. Including the past, present, and future breweries–take a bow, Hennessey Creek!–highlights the sheer amount of Black ownership and brewing prowess in the area. Taken as a unit, the DMV has the largest concentration of Black beer brands and breweries in the United States. The political, social, and economic climate also underscores both a need and an opportunity to work together. A portion of sales goes to the Michael James Jackson Foundation, raising funds for the next class of breweries and distillers.

You may notice an unfamiliar logo on the side of Chocolate City Porter cans. The UP belongs to United Pours, a collective including Jamil Raoof, Jordan Harvey, and homebrewer Adrian Cabrera. UP will focus on connecting beverage industries (such as breweries, wineries, distilleries, and coffee shops) with non-profit organizations to facilitate collaborations, fundraisers, and brand exposure opportunities. The Chocolate City Porter is their first major project.

Harvey, Shaun Taylor of Black Viking, Jason Sliter of Third Hill
Harvey, Shaun Taylor of Black Viking, Jason Sliter of Third Hill, pic via Brandy Holder

But how does the beer taste? It’s a hoppy porter, brewed with chocolate malts, roasted malts and Ghanan Cacao Nibs. Per Third Hill, “the aroma hits with strong notes of dark chocolate and roasted coffee with a hint of sweetness. Chocolate City Porter is a delicious blend of dark chocolate and roasted malt. Enjoy a smooth, slightly sweet flavor with notes of coffee and bakers chocolate. A decadent, rich beer perfect for chocolate lovers, offering a satisfying balance of sweet and bitter flavors with a deep, roasted backbone.”

jasmine dill liquid intrusion
Jasmine Dill of Liquid Intrusion, pic via Brandy Holder

If you’re feeling patient, check back on this beer in the fall. Third Hill, chosen for the brew based on production capacity, timing, location and affordability, plans to fill a Laws Whiskey barrel with the porter, while Liquid Intrusion will use an Arthur Wheeler barrel. The earliest the public could expect a barrel-aged porter is Thanksgiving, while LIBCO is targeting a February 2026 release for Black History Month.

Impatient, and can’t make it to Third Hill or metrobar? Cans are available at the following stores in DC and Maryland, and stay tuned for Virginia news.