From a press release:
“Big things are brewing at I.M.P., and it’s not just the company’s newest venue, The Atlantis. Two new custom beers made in collaboration with DC Brau will be available on tap at the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, and Merriweather Post Pavilion, as well as The Atlantis when it opens May 30.
“When we decided we wanted to offer ‘our own’ beers at our venues, the logical brewer that came to mind was DC Brau. We had hosted an event at their brewery as part of the Foo Fighters’ 2015 RFK festival, and a bond was formed,” said Donna Westmoreland, COO of I.M.P. “They share our ethos and independence, and they mean a lot to the DC community. At the first meeting they embraced our ideas with great enthusiasm and when we tasted the beers that resulted, they had nailed it. It’s the perfect partnership.”
The first of the two is the Czech-style I.M.Pilsner, a deep gold lager with a clean, crisp character and a rich cracker-y malt flavor, with undertones of toasted breadcrust and honey balanced by a light but present bitterness backed by floral and peppery hop notes.
“I wanted a beer that tastes like that first draft beer you have in Europe. It’s the best,” said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P. and owner of the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, and The Atlantis and operator of Lincoln Theatre and Merriweather Post Pavilion. “We just don’t have that here. Well… now we do.”
Next is the I.M.P.A., a soft and balanced IPA with fruit-forward hop flavors leading the charge. The hops contain notes of peach, melon, tangerine, and orange with a delicate stone fruit impression, rounded out by soft and grainy malt. The I.M.P.A. is low in bitterness, with a bright fruit juice character and a smooth and lightly creamy body.
“Many of us at DC Brau grew up going to shows at the 9:30 Club, and the memories made there are engrained in my brain and my bones,” said Brandon Skall, CEO and Co-Founder of DC Brau. “We’re incredibly proud to be able to contribute something of ours, something made in DC, for DC, to the iconic mosaic that is the musical experience at I.M.P.’s legendary venues.”