Skip to main content
RETURN TO Return to WETA website Donate
Boundary Stones logo

Main navigation

  • Washington, D.C.
  • Maryland
  • Virginia
  • Video
  • About
DC

Recreating Christian Heurich's Pre-Prohibition Lager

08/16/2013 in DC by Mark Jones
  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

[video:https://www.pbs.org/video/weta-digital-extras-recreating-christian-heur…]

It's DC Beer Week and there are a lot of interesting activities going on around town where you can enjoy some great craft beer. It's a cool annual event, but not normally something that we would cover on Boundary Stones. But, thanks to the Heurich House Museum, DC Brau and local homebrewer Mike Stein, this year's beer week is also a celebration of local history!

For those who may be unfamiliar -- which hopefully is no one -- the Heurich House Museum in Dupont Circle is the historic home of Christian Heurich, a German immigrant who became Washington, D.C.'s biggest brewer during the late 19th and 20th centuries.

For over 80 years, the Christian Heurich Brewing Company played an important part of the local culture, providing tasty brews to thirsty Washingtonians. Unfortunately, much of that culture was lost when the brewery in Foggy Bottom closed in 1956 to make room for the Kennedy Center. None of Christian Heurich's beer recipes are known to have survived and the District of Columbia went without another production brewery for over 50 years.

Well, this year, a local homebrewer attempted turn back the clock. Scouring records at the Smithsonian and the Historical Society of Washington, Mike Stein pieced together the recipe for one of Christian Heurich's pre-Prohibition Lagers based on invoices, marketing materials and his own knowledge of the brewing process. His work was a fabulous surprise to the folks at the Museum, who then worked with Mike and DC Brau (the first production brewery in Washington since the Heurich brewery closed) to scale up the recipe and serve it to the public.

The recreated "Heurich's Lager" is available in select bars and restaurants until it runs out -- which might be soon, considering it's DC Beer week -- so hurry to get yourself a taste. We can say from personal experience that it's delicious!

Watch the video above to learn more about the fascinating process. Also, make sure to check out the blog posts by Heurich House Executive Director Kimberly Bender on The Location and Mike Stein on DC Beer.

Last Updated:
11/04/2020

About the Author

Mark Jones has called the D.C. area home since he was three years old. As a child he enjoyed taking family trips to Colonial Williamsburg and impersonating historical figures for elementary school book reports. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from Davidson College and a Master's in History and New Media from George Mason University. Prior to coming to WETA, Mark worked as an interpreter for the National Park Service at Arlington House: The Robert E. Lee Memorial, where (much to the amusement of his friends) he wore the "Smokey the Bear" hat as part of his uniform and occasionally donned period clothes. (Photos are classified.)

More posts by Mark Jones »
Tags
Breweries

Share

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

You Might Also Like

  • D.C.'s Illustrious Brewing Past and Present

    Take look back at the history of brewing in the Washington, D.C. area.

  • Impressions of Washington: A German Visitor to the Smithsonian in 1874

    Impressions of Washington: A German Visitor to the Smithsonian in 1874

    In 1874, the German government sent a scientist to tour American cities. See what he had to say about Washington!

  • The Feather Duster Affair of 1874

    The Feather Duster Affair of 1874

    On June 20, 1874 DC delegates began to steal anything that wasn't bolted down in protest to news that President Grant had replaced them.

Surprise Me!

Not sure where to start reading? Let us pick a story for you!

Categories

  • DC (565)
  • Maryland (106)
  • Virginia (146)

Latest Posts

"DC" Really Stands for Demon Cat... Which Haunts the U.S. Capitol

03/17/2023

"DC" Really Stands for Demon Cat... Which Haunts the U.S. Capitol

From the Mixed-Up Files of the Smithsonian Museum of American History: The Heist of 1981

03/10/2023

From the Mixed-Up Files of the Smithsonian Museum of American History: The Heist of 1981

The "Capitalsaurus": How a Dinosaur That Never Existed Became an Official Mascot of D.C.

03/03/2023

The "Capitalsaurus": How a Dinosaur That Never Existed Became an Official Mascot of D.C.

Most Popular

DC’s Most Underrated History Philanthropist

06/23/2022

DC’s Most Underrated History Philanthropist

Game, Set, Match: How Arthur Ashe Made Tennis Accessible in Washington

10/14/2022

Game, Set, Match: How Arthur Ashe Made Tennis Accessible in Washington

La Dame qui Boite  (The Limping Woman)

06/14/2022

La Dame qui Boite (The Limping Woman)

Tags

1860s1870s1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990sAlexandriaArlingtonBlack HistoryBygone DCCivil WarGeorgetownMusic HistorySports HistoryWhite HouseWomen's HistoryWorld War IWorld War II
More
Historical D.C. Metro Map
Tweets by BoundaryStones
WETA

Footer menu

  • Support WETA
  • About WETA
  • Press Room
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • RSS
  • Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 3939 Campbell Avenue
    Arlington, VA 22206 | Map
  • 703-998-2600
  • boundarystones@weta.org

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Boundary Stones

Boundary Stones explores local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. This project is a service of WETA and is supported by contributions from readers like you.

DONATE

Copyright © 2023 WETA. All Rights Reserved.

Bottom Footer

  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Guidelines