The Nationals Park Beer Guide has been updated – it’s up on the top level menu bar but you can just click here if all you wanted to do was see the maps.

But, if you’re not at Nats Park hunting beers at the moment, you may want to read some of my observations from this season. If so, here you go:

  • District Drafts, in addition to 3 Stars, DC Brau, Atlas, Mad Fox, and Old Ox, has a few new breweries including Fair Winds. According to the Washington Post, this is a “guest tap” and it won’t be Fair Winds all year, as Right Proper will get a shot as well. Beyond that, I haven’t seen anything indicated who will be guests later in the season.
  • Last season, Blue Point Toasted Lager appeared everywhere. This year, it’s still in most places, but Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager might be even more ubiquitous.
  • I think they had it last year but I didn’t put it on the map – Omission, the gluten free beer, can be found in a few spots throughout the park now.
  • There remain a few other beers that only seem to be in one or two spots
    • Smithwick’s Pale Ale and Guinness Blond in the Captain’s Cove behind sections 130/131
    • Hoegaarden is a good summer beer, but I only saw it in 2 or 3 places (including the Base Line Brews behind sections 135/136). It is the same style as Shock Top so maybe that’s why it’s pretty limited
    • Flying Dog Raging Bitch in cans on the Club Level in the Base Line Brews right by the main ramp, and
  • Devil’s Backbone Earned Run Ale > Leinenkugel Home Run Ale
  • I didn’t see any beers from Heritage Brewing, one of the local brewers that had been at District Drafts the last few seasons.
  • There is a new (non-beer) stand called “Distilleries of the DMV” on the main concourse. I marked those on the map with a little martini glass. I don’t think they sell martinis. But they do have Moscow Mules and a few other things.
  • The upper concourse now has the Devil’s Backbone Left Field Lounge which is a nice little spot with a few wooden picnic tables to sit and eat. It’s right near some good food options and make the cheap seats feel a little less cheap. I thought they did a good job with it.
  • The Goose Island area is greatly expanded, and now there are a whole bunch of Goose Island beers on tap there. They’re listed in the map, but here’s a photo of the taps

By Charlie