ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

Beginning in January 2016, Arlington, Virginia’s NEW DISTRICT BREWING CO. opened its doors. Inside a pale blue brick Industrial warehouse with dual overhead doors, New District became the first package brewery in 100 years to operate a business at this Potomac River-bound DC area city.

A simple cement-floored watering hole with high ceilings and strung Edison lights, its epoxy top bar services several metal/plastic tables and a left wall standing rail. There are a dozen white-tiled draught handles and two TV’s at the bar.

My wife and I perused NDBC March ’23 on a Friday afternoon to down eight stylish varietals.

Sweet cereal-grained pilsner malting received floral lemon herbage for dry-hopped Czech pils, Green Valley, a slightly rustic light body.

Honeyed lemon and mandarin orange guided spritzy Potomac Paddleboarder Blonde Ale, a year round offering.

Another mellow year rounder, National Landing IPA, placed lemony yellow grapefruit salting, lemon custard tartness, orange marmalade zesting and peachy pineapple tanginess above lightly vanilla creamed pale malts.

Lemony orange, tangerine and grapefruit tanginess moderated piney hop bittering over mildly creamed oated wheat for Dog Park Days Hazy IPA.

Buttery vanilla draped lemon meringue tartness and green grape tannins for 7th Year Grand Cru, a seventh anniversary Belgian ale with gin-like boozing.

Limey pineapple tartness, sour-candied licks and berry licks regaled slightly vinegary Pineapple Sour, gaining leathery barnyard acridity.

Black malted dark chocolate saddled That’s My Horse Porter, leaving nutty remnants.

Fudgy brown chocolate picked up bourbon vanilla spicing and black cherry-pureed raisin and date dried fruiting for Barrel Aged I Am The Senate Imperial Stout, a creamy chocolate vanilla nightcap aged in A. Smith Bowman bourbon barrels.

Year round flagships Ginger Saison, Northside Kolsch and 1821 Saison were out during my one-hour stay.