It’s finally come.

The time for our city to join the ranks of those other metropolitans who are able to drink their own city’s beer. The time for us to put D.C. on the map as a beer town with great bars and its own product.

This Friday, DC Brau makes its first official release to ease the stresses of Tax Day. Meridian Pint will be the first place to pour Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock’s “easy drinking” Public Pale Ale. The Pint will be pouring $4 Publics from 5-8 p.m. and $5 for the rest of the night. DC Brau owners Skall and Hancock will be there to talk about PPA, their other beers coming out soon and giving away some of their merchandise. The PPA will be on tap at Meridian Pint exclusively until Monday, when the rest of the city will be getting some of its own.

For many of us that have watched DC Brau’s lofty idea become reality, it gives us a sense of pride that another D.C.-based community is blossoming: D.C. craft beer. Think about how difficult it was to find craft beer in this city even a handful of years ago: a few strong ships like Brickskeller and Big Hunt braved stormy seas of Bud and Miller that battered and almost drowned some of the fledgling craft beer sellers in this town. Fast forward five years, and D.C.’s fleet of craft beer bars is one of the strongest in the nation. No other city in the country has a beer scene showing new growth like ours — and it’s only getting stronger.

So come out and have Public with some of the movers and shakers in the regional beer scene — local beer celebrities, up and coming brewery reps, and beer bloggers from all around the area — as they mark this momentous event. After all, what better way to celebrate our city and our scene, than raising a pintglass for our first beer.

Cheers, D.C.!