NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

What’s beer without fun? So seems to be the philosophy behind Capitol City Brewing Company, a local microbrewery best known for its cheeky brand names and novel drink recipes.

The first thing you notice upon entering the Shirlington outpost are the gleaming copper tanks propped up behind the main bar. Director of brewing operations Mike McCarthy says they typically feature between five and eight beers on tap, including four standards—Capitol Kolsch (pleasantly bitter, light-style beer), Amber Waves Ale (caramel-colored workhorse; silver medal—2006 Great American Beer Festival), Pale Rider Ale (brassy introduction, spicy finish) and Prohibition Porter are available at every Cap City—plus various seasonal drafts. Notable specialty pours include Fuel (a surprisingly sweet, caffeine-powered porter; gold medal—2006 GABF) and “10” (stellar but potent anniversary trippel-double).

McCarthy says seasonal beers are changed almost weekly, adding that most selections are exhausted within two weeks at the latest. He estimates they produced roughly 2,400 barrels in 2006, or about 400 kegs per month—half of which are shared with one of their D.C. siblings. According to McCarthy, the top sellers include: Capitol Kolsch, Amber Waves and the various hefewiezens. Meanwhile, McCarthy recently rolled out an experimental weiss bier pils—a marriage of pilsner (53 percent) and hefeweizen (47 percent) that is supposed to yield a hoppy brew with fruity undertones—just because he was looking for a challenge.

The menu, however, sticks with more traditional flavors. A complimentary bowl of soft pretzels with snappy horseradish mustard gets your attention immediately. The roadhouse barbecue plate brings meaty bones of spicy-sweet pork ribs (thick, with plenty of flavor and fatty underbelly) flanked by a grilled chicken breast, fries and a corn bread muffin. Soft flour tortillas filled with shredded, Cuban-style pork, grilled onions and peppers, fresh cilantro and a great mojo-mayonnaise shake things up a bit.