Let me start by saying something that is known to those who are close with me (or have ever gone out drinking with me lol)… I do NOT drink beer.  It’s partial cause I drank too much cheap bad beer in college and partial because I do not like the finish on most beers.  In recent years I have discovered a few rare beers that I have found drinkable and even fewer beers that I have liked.  However I have heard some great things about Denizens, a mainly female founded brewery in Silver Spring (3 of the 4 founders – Emily Bruno, Director of Business Operations, Julie Verratti, Director of Business Development, Taylor Barnes, Director of Marketing & Jeff Ramirez, Director of Brewing Operations are women), and was excited when I was invited to give them a try.

This week is their 1 Year Anniversary and they have much to celebrate.  In those initial 12 months, they have produced an impressive 26 beers!!  The latest brew to be released during this celebration is called First Time, a Belgian dark rye ale. This beer will use bits of all of the flagship beers using the rye from Southside Rye IPA, yeast from the Third Party Belgian-style Tripel, and malts from the Lowest Lord ESB, Big Red Norm Red Ale and Born Bohemian Czech-style Pilsner.  During our visit we got to try 10 different beers and I assured that there would be something for me to enjoy!!

https://instagram.com/p/5LR1lTtWKU/?taken-by=shmorgan85

There are five flagship beers on draft, “Southside Rye IPA”, “Third Party Tripel”, “Lowest Lord ESB”, “Big Red Norm Red Ale” and “Born Bohemian pilsner” that we were able to taste. We also tried five of the seasonal beers, “Trainspotting Pale Ale”, “Blanc Yeah! Saison”. “Backyard Boogie Farmhouse Inspired Ale”. “Mildly Soba Brown Mild”. To see the beers in greater detail, check out the Denizens Brewing website!!  As you can see we tried them all!! CHEERS!!

They also have a beautiful tasting room and outdoor space that operates 7 days a week!!  In this next year, Denizens will be doing a lot of great things to continue their growth among those who already love beer and challenging those like me who don’t to give craft beers a try.  Something to look forward to in fall is Denizens first beer festival, the Make it Funky Fest, in October, where they will host 20 breweries from Colorado and the D.C. area. (Jeff Ramirez brewed at the Mountain Sun brewery in Boulder before being one of the founders.) Participants so far include Avery, Crooked Stave, Hellbender and Right Proper.

While you wait for October to come, you can celebrate with Denizens this weekend too!!  Here’s the weekend party rundown:

Thursday: DC101 broadcasts from the brewery as part of the station’s “Thirst Day Live” series, beginning at 3 p.m. Pop-rock band Darcy Dawn will perform in the 200-seat beer garden from 4 to 7 p.m..  There will also be $5 beers from 4 to 6 p.m. during the “Freedom Hour” happy hour.

Friday: Free Stein Day at Denizens. A password will be posted on the brewery’s social media accounts & the first 100 people who give the code word to the bartender after 6 p.m. receive a special Denizens stein, while supplies last.

Saturday: “Freedom Hour” happy hour stretches from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. If the $5 house beers don’t draw you in, come for DJ Sway spinning at 3 p.m., and Sound Makers Union performs at 8 p.m.

Sunday: Brewer Jeff Ramirez and his team host an open house from 1 to 4 p.m., where they’ll offer brewery tours and talk beer and barrel aging with anyone who drops in.

other sweet events:
Tuesday, 7/21 6:30 PM Five course beer dinner with Granville Moore’s (more info here)
Thursday, 7/23 Brew at the Zoo
Saturday, 7/25 8:30 PM Funk DJ
Wednesday, 7/29 8:30 PM Free screening of Blood, Sweat, and Beer

Also spoiler alert for winter!!