“Launch of the Uptown Craft District Sunday – A celebration of DC’s newest destination for craft beer, cider & spirits”

“Dear PoPville,

I’m loving the fact that I now live right in the center of a craft district, so I wanted to do my small part in promoting these amazing businesses in the Manor Park/Brightwood neighborhoods. See the event details below. I hope they get a huge turn out, and I hope beer, cider, and spirit hopping in our neighborhood becomes a thing!”

From a press release:

“WHAT: Launch of the Uptown Craft District! DC’s up-and-coming neighborhood for craft adult beverages brings together two breweries, a cidery, and a distillery for a celebration of the innovative small businesses that make up The Uptown Craft District.
WHEN: Sun., Nov. 21st, NOW ALL DAY, with live music at all four venues.

WHERE: Ft. Totten Metro (Green, Yellow, & Red lines); 3 Stars Brewing, 6400 Chillum Pl NW; ANXO Cidery, 711 Kennedy St NW; Chacho Spirits, 6031 Kansas Ave., NW; Hellbender Brewing, 5788 2nd St NE.

WHY: The number of craft beverage businesses in the Ft. Totten area of DC has reached a critical mass to be officially named a Craft District.

The Uptown Craft District represents the newest destination (and second biggest after Ivy City) in DC for craft beverages – beer, cider, and spirits. Encompassing 3 Stars Brewing, ANXO Cidery, Chacho Spirits, and Hellbender Brewing, each business is less than 10 years old with the newest having opened its doors in DC less than 6 months ago, in a homegrown DC small business success story.

These venues will be showcasing their Fall beverages, offering specials, giving away prizes and hosting live music into the evening.

It’s rare to see a neighborhood emerge so distinctly, and that’s why the History of the Uptown Craft District starts now — launch event goers will be able to look back years from now and say “I Was There!” when the Uptown Craft District officially started.

Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George said “The four founding businesses are drawing crowds, hosting community events, creating jobs, and bringing new energy to our Ward. I’m excited that our community is home to the Uptown Craft District and all that it has to offer.”

Easily accessible by the green, yellow, and red lines at Ft. Totten metro station, each of the businesses in the Uptown Craft District are accessible to each other, making it possible to enjoy all in one day.

These four founding businesses are building community – these watering holes where people come together each bring their own personality and distinct offerings to the District, and the official launch of the Uptown Craft District is an exciting, real life example of the dynamic nature of DC right now.

BUSINESSES

3 Stars Brewing (6400 Chillum Place, NW) has been bringing locally hand-crafted ales to the DC beer community since 2012. Co-founder Mike McGarvey’s brewery works to make this world-class city a world-class craft beer destination. To date, the brewing team at 3 Stars has released over 200 different distinctive beers, and been recognized with multiple awards.

ANXO (711 Kennedy St., NW) stands as DC’s first cidery since prohibition. Sibling co-founders Rachel Topelius — chair of the American Cider Association’s Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and Sam Fitz were named in the 40 Under 40 Tastemakers list by Wine Enthusiast magazine in August 2021. (Pronounced Ahn-Cho). ANXO embraces an #ApplesOnly approach, using only apples and yeast that results in a product that is sugar free, gluten free, low-carb, and as complex as wine and sessionable as beer.

Chacho Spirits (6031 Kansas Ave., NW) is distilled from pure South American cane sugar & infused with natural jalapeño flavors, and takes inspiration from the traditional South American spirit “aguardiente” founder Dan Ziegler experienced in Bogota, Columbia. Chacho fires the Spicy Margarita at several DC bars, which the Washington City Paper called the 2021 “DC Drink of the Summer.”

Hellbender Brewing (5788 2nd St., NE) takes its name from the Hellbender salamander, a 2-foot long amphibian endangered wherever it can still be found in the wild, which ties in perfectly with founder Ben Evans’ approach to a more sustainable brewery, and search for a better way to brew beer. The brewery utilizes an innovative mash filter press brewing system that uses less water, grain and energy.”