Port City is my kind of brewery– located in an industrial area off the beaten path, filled with friendly staff, and a haven for locals.  I greatly enjoyed my trip to this brewery and it wasn’t just because the satellite radio was set on the 80s station.  The beers were great, as was the atmosphere. I would highly recommend a trip to this brewery if you are in the DC area.

Port City offered several beers of different styles, all of which were very good.  The Optimal Wit was a great Belgium style beer, even for someone like me who isn’t a fan of Belgium beers.  The Downright Pilsner had a great flavor for a pilsner and was a bit heavier in body than a traditional pilsner.  The Essential Pale Ale was my favorite– a traditional pale ale with good hoppy nose and flavor but not overpowering.  The Monumental IPA was a bit weak for me, as I like the good piney, hoppy IPAs.  The Porter had a great coffee flavor, but lacked a little on the nose.  The specialty beer was  Revival Stout, an oyster stout, which was very popular with the regulars, but to me, although not bad, was nothing to write home about.  The oyster stout was brewed using local oysters and part of the proceeds goes to the Oyster Recovery Partnership– who can say no to drinking beer while helping the environment?

If you are in the area, stop by for  a beer.  Lots of regulars were stopping in for growlers and both customers and staff were willing to give you feedback on their favs.  We visited on a Friday night and they had a local food truck outside, so you could make an evening of your trip to the brewery.  Port City also had some cute souvenirs for the friends back home, including a dog collar complete with beer opener–a great gift for the beer drinking, dog lover!