By DCist Contributor Andy Cerutti
If you like strong, hoppy beers, you’re probably familiar with DC Brau’s double IPA “On The Wings of Armageddon.” Brewed with hops from the Pacific Northwest and a 9.2 ABV (alcohol by volume), this asskicker has established a cult following and garnered praise for the brewery. Part of the allure of On The Wings of Armageddon is its artwork—a design inspired by heavy metal aesthetics. This is a hardcore craft beer with a great buzz, and its creators ain’t posers, either.
Co-founders and owners Brandon Skall and Jeff Hancock just celebrated four very successful years of DC Brau. From their beers’ names to visual marketing and sponsored events, music is as much a part of the Brau brand as its local angle. They met in the 1990’s as DJs in D.C.’s tight-knit electronic music scene (and they still DJ on the regular today under the “Brothers Brau” moniker).
What’s noteworthy isn’t that the Brau brewmasters are into music (as Skall says, “ both [beer and music] are social experiences…. I always associate both music and beer with a good time. “) it’s the freakishly varied musical spectrum DC Brau lives on.
Skall and Hancock have embraced heavy metal, bluegrass, drum’n’bass, house, ska, and funk over the years. Skall lists a 1989 Rolling Stones concert at RFK Stadium, HFStival, and an (original) 9:30 Club Pietasters concert as formative musical experiences. “Going to raves and club nights had a major influence on my musical tastes and… aspirations,” he says. “My desire to learn how to DJ and produce dance music came from [that] era.”
“El Hefe Speaks,” the DC Brau Hefeweizen, is a play on a Clutch song called “El Jefe Speaks” (apparently, Solly’s Tavern owner John “Solly” Soloman is also a Clutch fan). “Your Favorite Foreign Movie” is their Belgian Style patersbier. Skall says that when he tasted the pleasantly fruity beer, he instantly thought of the Steely Dan song, “Peg.” “It seemed like we could explain more about the beer through the music than with a traditional beer name, so we chose a lyric.”
Hancock’s favorite musical easter egg may be the story of Everyday Junglist, a citrus-packed pale ale. The beer is named after an old reggae-jungle tune from Congo Natty that both he and Skall spun as drum n’ bass DJs in the ’90s.
Booze plus music isn’t exactly a revolutionary idea, but DC Brau incorporates music in ways that are both personal and business-savvy. To Hancock, consumers respond to knowing that there are real people behind the brand.
“It’s a good platform to put our personal touch on and to let the consumer learn a little bit about our personalities.” he says. What’s even better is when the personalities like to party as much as their consumers.
To take the show on the road, DC Brau birthed Tapwagon this spring—a truck outfitted with taps for fresh beer and a DJ booth on the roof. You may have seen it at the Funk Parade this year during their Biergarten party. Hancock is confident that they’ll host more pop-up parties like it, but with a twist; hype and surprise to give events the spirit of the retro renegade parties they loved as young DJs.
The Brewery has hosted two annual Braustomp concerts (featuring the Pietasters, of course), the latest happened in April to celebrate their fourth anniversary. Deadheads for ages, Skall and Hancock also launched the Brau Ramble bluegrass concert series.
Some of their dreams still have yet to be realized. When asked about their ideal concert, both Skall and Hancock responded with The Sword. But Hancock also imagines a massive drum n’ bass party featuring DJ Trace and DJ Optical (of Virus Recordings). Like most music and beer fanatics, these brewmasters are always on the hunt for the next big party.
As local fans rally behind their favorite brew, the Brau Brothers rally behind the District. They support support D.C. Statehood, of course and Hancock says he’s always out at local shows and is constantly impressed with the pool of local talent.
“It’s always been a big part of my life,” he says. “I’ve been going out to shows since the early ’90s and will continue to support local artists as long as I’m still standing.”
