There is something very exciting happening in our beloved City of Alexandria tonight...The opening of Port City Brewing Company! Port City Brewery is a new artisanal brewhouse, as well as the first brewery to operate in Alexandria, VA since the Prohibition. Now, hang in there with me folks...I love me some local history, so when it collides with another favorite of mine--beer--I feel the need to give ya'll a little history lesson before we get on with the pictures.
As many of you fellow Alexandrians know, from 1862-1916 Alexandria was home to Portner's Brewery Co., the largest brewery in the South (Think Anheuser-Busch of their day.) Founder, Robert Portner, produced many beers but was especially known for his Tivoli beer. The remains of the old brewery have now been converted into condos (Portners Landing) on the North side of town (St. Asaph & Wythe). In tribute to the Alexandria company are the local street names Tivoli Passage Alley Way and Portner's Road.
What many people probably don't know is that Alexandria has a rich history as a brewing town. Starting as early as the 1730's, many area plantations brewed their own beer. In 1771, the first commercial establishment, Wales Brewery, started at the foot of Duke St. (Later it moved to Wales Alley between Lee and Union). Around that time, several other small-scale breweries began in the city, but none being very successful due to competition from British imports and other preferred alcoholic beverages at the time. In 1831, brothers James and William Henry Irwin opened a successful and well-known larger brewery at the foot of Wolfe Street; unfortunately, in 1859 the Irwin brewery burned down in a fire.
During the Civil War, troops' demands led to a rapid expansion of the local brewing industry. It was at this time that three breweries in particular became local powerhouses: Portner & Company (Portner started with partners before becoming a sole owner); an ale brewery owned by Henry S. Martin at the corner of Commerce and Fayette Streets; and Shuter's Hill Brewery, the first lager brewery in Virginia (Shuter's Hill was established on the corner of what is now Delaney and Duke St., across from the Masonic Temple.) After the war, loss in demand eventually closed down Martin's and left Shuter's Hill struggling for over two decades. Shuter's Hill's lack of innovation and resistance to large-scale production led to the brewery shutting down in 1892, and then the building lost to a fire in 1893. Portner's continued to grow and prosper until 1916, when Virginia adopted prohibition with 22 other states, causing the Robert Portner to close its doors.
So today, history is being made on the West End of town...Owner, Bill Butcher, opened Port City Brewing Company's doors and taps to the public. With a name giving a nod to Alexandria's port town past, the brewery made the first two of four craft beers available for tasting. Jeff and I were really impressed with both the Optimal Wit, an unfiltered Belgian-style wheat beer brewed with orange peel and coriander, and the Essential Pale Ale. Coming in the next couple weeks will be their Monumental IPA and their Porter. Butcher has hired Jonathan Reeves as head brewer; Reeves is well-respected and known in the Mid-Atlantic beer scene after winning several medals and awards for his beers. Kegs and bottles are already available in local area restaurants and bars. We look forward to proudly supporting our newest local business by visiting the tasting room and refilling our growlers often.
Port City growler with owner Bill Butcher in background.
Owner Bill Butcher
For those interested, Port City Brewery is open for tastings and tours on the weekends. You can also find them on Facbook here. Also, their drafts are available so far at Church Key in DC and Food Matters in Alexandria.
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