Today is National Beer Day, so what better time to check in with two area beer bars to highlight our favorite beverage. We sat down with John Cooper and Frank Wilson of Prost and Chris Tambaschi of King Street Oyster Bar to discuss how beer factors into their food and beverage programs.
Prost is in an interesting situation: all their beers, wines, and ciders come from Germany and Austria.
DC Beer: What’s the response been to having an all-German beer lineup? Does anyone ask for an IPA, and if so, what happens next?
Frank Wilson (Co-owner of Prost): The IPA request happens frequently enough that we’ve had a German IPA on tap (Progusta), which has been fairly popular. In general, I think most of our guests are pretty excited about the range of German beers they are able to try in one place.
John Cooper (Bar Manager at Prost): The IPA request happens often, but most people are pretty open and curious about a 100% German menu. In the past we have carried a German IPA, but it has very limited distribution in the states. Our staff is very passionate about our offerings and will usually give a few samples and explain the different styles. I find that most of those guests tend to land on Rothaus Pilsner which has a delightful hop bitterness that scratches the IPA itch.
DCB: Have you seen any changes/challenges in terms of sourcing beer from abroad over the last few years, or the last few weeks for that matter?
Cooper: Having such a specific and focused vision often comes with challenges. The ownership and myself are devoted to staying with our German and Austrian beer and wine vision, which has been quite tricky with the challenges of COVID and the recent port strike. We have been fortunate enough to have distribution partners that support and facilitate our vision so we have been able to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to stocking up Prost.
Wilson: Just like everything else, there have been some periods where sourcing beer from abroad has been challenging. But luckily, even through COVID, we’ve been able to stick to our brand of only carrying German & Austrian beer and wine. More recently, we have our eyes on the proposed European tariffs with a lot of concern. The cost of imported beer has already risen pretty dramatically in the past four years, and if the tariffs go through as planned it may really force us to compromise our vision a bit.
Note: tariffs are now in effect, stay tuned as undoubtedly we’ll have more coverage on how this impacts beer availability and prices.
DCB: There are some classic pairings between German food and beer, but have any surprised you? Any “wow, this works!” moments?
Wilson: Our staff likes to give me a hard time for my Kölsch & pretzel habit, but hey, it’s a pretty hard combo to beat.
Cooper: My go to in house pairing is Tucher Rotbier and our Cobb Salad, the blue cheese and Rotbíer go well together. My all time pairing is berliner weisse and Peruvian style ceviche.
DCB: Rauchbier, yea or nay?
Wilson: Probably not more than one! But I do find it cool that when you’re drinking a beer like this you are interacting with a tradition that dates back so far. Part history lesson, part beer drinking, ha. This winter we started dedicating one of our draft lines to the more esoteric and hard to find German styles like this and it’s been far more popular than we had even hoped.
Cooper: I love a Rauchbier, especially with pizza. I think as guests are exploring styles other than IPAs this is an often overlooked category that is surprisingly popular. I have several rare Rauchbiers in the pipeline for our rare rotating tap that I am very excited about. For our upcoming Fuhrlingsfest we are pouring Aecht Schlenkerla Fastenbier, a smoked beer originally made by monks to drink during Lent when they fasted for 40 days. This specific keg has actually been aged for an additional year which makes it fairly rare.
DCB: King Street Oyster Bar has locations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia; how does that inform the beer menus? Are there some trends and patterns regarding consumers’ beer habits at the KSOB locations? Are there any challenges that come with working in and with the different jurisdictions?
Chris Tambaschi (Director of Operations): At King Street Oyster Bar, each of our locations enjoys a high level of autonomy when it comes to selecting beers. This allows our managers to tailor their offerings to complement the ambiance and clientele at each site. Our Leesburg location has a strong demand for craft beer, with a constantly rotating selection. In contrast, our DC locations tend to focus more on cocktails, moving through beer at a slower pace. Navigating alcohol sales across our three jurisdictions—Virginia, Montgomery County, and DC—adds another layer of complexity. Each is governed by different entities, meaning not all locations can access the same beers. Some areas offer a wider variety and are more straightforward to work with.
DCB: When did you first reach out to Lost Rhino about making KSOB IPA and Lager? Have the recipes changed over time?
Tambaschi: We’ve been collaborating with Lost Rhino since 2014, thanks to Rick Allison, one of our owners. Rick has fostered relationships with small businesses throughout the DMV, including several local breweries like Lost Rhino, Mustang Sally, Solace Brewing Company, and Honor Brewing. While I’m unsure if Lost Rhino’s recipe has changed over time, I can tell you they’ve been an invaluable partner.
We also have a strong relationship with Mustang Sally. Once or twice a year, we collaborate on limited-production beers. For instance, our current offering, Cherry Picked—a fruited sour crafted for the Cherry Blossom festivities—has been allocated to each of our DC and VA locations. We’re planning another collaboration for the fall. This partnership is truly mutual; last month Mustang Sally featured us as a primary vendor at their Big Shuck’n Deal Fest.
DCB: Any current favorites you have on tap right now?
Tambaschi: It’s tough to choose just one favorite beer, but right now, I’m loving Luminous Beacon from Nepenthe Brewing Co. It’s a double IPA that pairs incredibly well with oysters and is currently on draft at our Leesburg location.
Prost, 919 5th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
King Street Oyster Bar, multiple locations in the DMV
