Brickskeller

Entrance to The Brickskeller Dining House and Down Home Saloon

The Brickskeller had selections from around the world, from Argentina to Zimbabwe, as well as a large selection of domestic brews. The menu included several hundreds of Belgian beers,[2] Dozens of varieties of wheat beers including Paulaner and witbiers such as Hoegaarden, as well as other European brews including Baltica 6, the definitive Baltic porter, Herold microbrew from the Czech Republic.[3] The beer list also included ordinary varieties such as Bud Light, Miller, and regional favorites like Old Style, Point, Rainier, Henry Weinhardt, Leinenkugel, Yeungling, Rolling Rock and in their time Knickerbocker, Rhinelander, Stony and many others. In 1957 the Brickskeller opened with over 50 beers, at that time the world's largest selection of beers. In its many firsts, along with first presenting a "beer tasting", the Brickskeller was the first restaurant to offer a beer list. Unfortunately, the more exotic selections on the beer list were out of stock more often than not, and a customer would once been forced to order several beers before finding one that was currently available.

The Brickskeller also first presented real ale in cask.[4] The Brickskeller also had more than 50 aged beers,[5] and four varieties of mead ("honey wine").[6] Another first was a beer cocktail menu featuring numerous beer cocktails including "Maui Mouthwash", which contains Malibu Caribbean White Rum with Coconut, fruit juice, blue curacao, vodka and golden lager, and Smack & Tan.[7]

The Brickskeller served standard American pub food, including spicy chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, potato skins, chicken tenders, and burgers. In the 1980s, the Brickskeller introduced buffalo meat burgers (buffalo burgers) and buffalo pizza, both dishes that quickly developed a following among the bar's patrons. Other menu items included spinach and artichoke dip, pierogies, spiced shrimp, salad, and sandwiches.[8] The staff called the kitchen a "submarine kitchen", putting out an average of over 650 dinners a night. The Brickskeller was open for lunch on weekdays, and opened at 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.[8]

In the 1970's it became a popular gathering spot for beer can collectors. A customer could ask that the can be opened from the bottom, enhancing its value as a collector's item.

The Brickskeller had a rustic saloon motif. On the lower level, old barrels were made into bar stools. Upstairs was where they held beer tastings and occasionally other special occasions The Brickskeller added televisions upstairs in 2003, so it could show March Madness and other sports events. The Brickskeller seated 450 on both floors.[9]

The Brickskeller was popular among the 25-34 age crowds, being so close to the Georgetown, George Washington University, and American University. Politicians, Capitol Hill aides, diplomats, local university students, DC residents, and tourists were regular customers at The Brick. Over the years celebrities like Quentin Tarantino, Jerry Seinfeld, members of Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Brooke Shields, and Jim Morrison visited. Of course it was, and despite closing long ago still is, considered a Mecca for beer aficionados.[2] It was quite common to be able to walk through the dining room and hear half a dozen languages being spoken. Fathers would bring sons in to show them where they drank while in college and look to see if their names were still scratched into the ship room wall, which they often were. The spy,Aldrich Ames,met with his Soviet counterparts in a dark corner of the dining room.

The Brickskeller frequently hosted beer tastings and sponsored other events including a number of educational seminars at the National Geographic Society,[10][11] as well as Smithsonian seminars held at the Brickskeller that drew top experts,[12][13] and speakers including Bert Grant, Russ Scherer, Fritz Maytag, Ken Grossman, Tomme Arthur, Vinnie CilurO, Aram Avery, Larry Bell, Kim Jordan, Garrett Oliver from Brooklyn Brewery and Dick Yuengling of D. G. Yuengling & Son.[14]