Metropolitan Beer Trail Returns, Bigger + Better

The Metropolitan Beer Trail has expanded to a new passport program, so residents and visitors alike can experience more of D.C.

The Metropolitan Beer Trail — a huge success in its inaugural year in 2022 — will return this year with new stops, new prizes and what’s sure to be an even greater time for participants, who register as “passport holders.”

“Last year, we were overwhelmed with the success that we saw; we had more than 3,300 people signed up for the passport and had about 670 people complete the entire trail,” says Maura Brophy, president and CEO of the NoMa Business Improvement District, the organization behind the Metropolitan Beer Trail. “Those who completed the trail also surprised us in the broad geography they represented — we had people from 39 states and three countries complete the trail.”

While plenty of District residents took part, the trail was an exciting attraction for people who were visiting D.C. from other places as well, putting NoMa on the map in a big way.

This year’s trail, which kicks off on April 14, will take passport holders to 11 bars and breweries all within walking or biking distance of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, an eight-mile trail from the transit center in Silver Spring to D.C.’s Union Station, passing through the neighborhoods of NoMa, Eckington and Brookland.

Graphic courtesy of NoMa BID.

“The Metropolitan Branch Trail has become such a beloved program trail in D.C.,” Brophy says. “It stands a good portion of Northeast Washington now, and it will only continue to grow as the trail continues to get built out. People have really embraced it; we see people riding bikes, walking their dogs and taking walks. The Beer Trail gives people one more reason to discover the Branch Trail and it’s a benefit to all the businesses in and around the trail.”

Last year, the trail featured seven locations, but the 2023 program has grown to 11. New bars Andy’s Pizza & Beer Garden, Crooked Run Fermentation DC, Highbinder Bar at Alamo Drafthouse and Lost Generation Brewing Company join returning locations, City-State Brewing Co., Dew Drop Inn, metrobar, Red Bear Brewing Co., Right Proper Brewing Company, Wunder Garten and The Eleanor.

“We’re excited that we have grown the trail in a couple of different ways, starting with adding four new participants,” Brophy says. “The other way we’ve grown the program is by transitioning from a passport where you would check in to every location once to complete the trail, where this year, it’s set up so people can visit the establishments as many times as they would like throughout the course of the season, so it encourages repeat business.”

Registered participants will earn 100 points each time they check in to a participating Metropolitan Beer Trail location, with a chance to unlock prizes, such as a koozie, a beanie or a 2023 commemorative T-shirt. The person with the most points at the end of the year will be recognized as the “MBT MVP” and receive $25 gift cards to each participating location — a $275 total value.

“We’re hoping that with these new tweaks, we will have even more participants and see even more success in year two,” Brophy says.

To learn more or register for the program, visit nomabid.org/metropolitan-beer-trail.

NoMa BID: 1200 1st St. NE, DC; nomabid.org // @noma.bid

Want to discover more about D.C.’s innovative and ever-expanding drink culture? Join the District Fray community for exclusive access to beverage experiences citywide. Become a member and support local journalism today.

Keith Loria

A theatre buff and huge music fan, Keith Loria is a D.C.-based award-winning journalist who has been writing about the arts for more than 20 years. He started his career with the Associated Press and has written for Soap Opera Digest, Playbill and Music Review. He looks forward to 2021 and the theaters reopening! He’s the proud father of two daughters, who often accompany him on his theater outings. Visit his website at keithloria.contently.com.