Sixtels of 3 Stars’ Pandemic porter await distribution. (Via Facebook)
At some point many people have uttered the phrase “We should own a bar!” without truly comprehending all the headache of financing, logistics, scheduling, maintenance and regulatory shenanigans that go far beyond serving drinks and wings on a packed Trivia Night. So, in the same vein, it usually garners a Pavlovian response when someone says, “I am going to open a brewery” ,when little more than a vision and a little homebrew is the basis of idée fixe.
But parties today at Churchkey and tomorrow at The Big Hunt mark the liquid payoff of three years of hard work for Mike McGarvey and Dave Coleman as their brewery, 3 Stars Brewing Company, transitions from pint dream to a sudsy celebration.
While 3 Stars has collaborated with nearby brewers like Evolution Brewing and Oliver Ales, this marks their first set of beers made in D.C. in their own brewery.
“Brewing in our own brewhouse is important to us because it allows us to be as controlling as we want on our beers,” McGarvey says about the differences in collaboration and finally working in their own facility. “No one will hold our products to a higher standard than we do. I will not let anything leave the brewery that I wouldn’t drink and be proud to put my name on.”
Coleman chimes in while preparing to add yeast to the fermentation tanks. “We live here,” he says. “I don’t want to ever have my name on a product in my city that I wouldn’t drink. I love my city too much to do that.”
In region that has has seen a number of local breweries sprout up recently, 3 Stars is trying to fill a niche for those who want their beers on the bigger end of the flavor spectrum. Full-flavored ales with equally unabashed alcohol contents will be the focus of 3 Stars as they come into market. The Urban Farmhouse saison (6.5 percent ABV), the pecan-infused Southern Belle imperial brown (8.7 percent ABV), and the Pandemic porter (9.6 percent abv) are not for the feint of palate but are intended for those who want complex beers that go well with sipping and conversation rather than typical clink-chug-burp happy-hour specials. The evolving spice from green peppercorn in the Urban Farmhouse entices another quenching sip while still enjoying the lingering fruit notes. The Southern Belle’s earthy pecan subtleties harmonize with the deceptively balanced malt profile and bring out toffee and caramel flavors without being too sweet or overpowering. And the Pandemic brings the assertive roasted notes of a more aggressive stout yet stays refined in long delicate chocolate and coffee flavors.
If you can’t make it out for these fantastic release parties on Thursday and Friday, 3 Stars will be part of D.C. Beer Week’s Craft Beer and Dinner Cruise on Sunday. This is the kickoff to D.C. Beer Week and is a great event with 40 amazing beers, a full buffet, DJs and a three-hour cruise on the Potomac. There are still a few tickets left. Early next week we’ll highlight some of the best events going on for Beer Week to make sure you don’t miss anything.
