Back in March we learned that the upstairs bar at Asylum (2471 18th St, NW) would be rebranded into a craft beer establishment (from the same ownership as Meridian Pint.) I’ve been getting some emails for updates and was fortunate to get a sneak peek of the renovated space.

First let me say that the downstairs will remain Asylum. I’m told it is exactly the same as it has always been and will continue to feature veggie and vegan fare. They will be celebrating their 20th anniversary tomorrow. Ed. Note: Asylum is owned by the same folks who own Meridian Pint (primarily John Andrade) and is a PoP advertiser.

But back to the new spot. Credit for the name goes to new general manager Matthew Heffernan who came up with “The Smoke & Barrel”. As you can see from the tagline on the logo below the focus is going to be on BBQ, Beer and Bourbon:

A bit about the BBQ. A new chef is expected to be announced shortly but what I thought was pretty cool was that the search extended to Texas, Kansas City, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee and elsewhere in BBQ country. The BBQ menu (smoker on site) will also feature beer pairings from the 24 beers to be offered on tap.

Stay tuned for a sneak peek at the menu.

Construction is ongoing but here is a taste of the new look upstairs: