They also features some fantastic recommendations for beers to seek out, places to visit, and styles to reconsider. What emerges from these answers is a great snapshot of where the DC-area beer scene finds itself at the end of 2016. Lastly, I posed three big picture level questions: What were some encouraging beer trends they noticed taking shape this year? What were some less desirable trends? And what do they hope to do or see in 2017? Or, as I found it, it could be their very own living rooms. It could be a local bar, an out-of-town establishment, a brewery taproom, or even a festival. Of course, we all need to drink beer somewhere, so I asked them where their favorite places to drink were this year. We’re not going to split hairs.Īnother question: Outside of the DMV (or perhaps just further outside the Beltway), what beers did they fall in love with? These could be beers they tried while visiting other cities, or beers that are distributed locally (but produced elsewhere).Īnd since a lot of these people brewed their own beers (or collaborated with breweries), it was only fair to ask them what new or improved beers they were most proud of. These beers could be brand new or just new to them. It could be anywhere from Loudon County to Baltimore – and if they wanted to include Richmond, sure, go for it.

So, I reached out to over 25 brewers, beer directors, and industry folks around D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, and I asked them some questions.įor starters, what were the local beers they tried for the first time in 2016 that impressed them most? “Local” can be defined a lot of ways, so I didn’t really limit them. That’s what I wanted to ask the people who make, sell, or write about my own favorite beers. What beers did you love drinking in 2016?

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