Capitol City Brewing Company Bids Farewell After Over 33 Years in DC
'Cap City has always been more than a brewpub. It's been a home for so many,' said David von Storch, CEO & Founder of Urban Adventures Companies (UAC).
Share
As DC's first brewpub to open after Prohibition, Cap City has proudly served as a cornerstone of the local hospitality scene, known for its award-winning beers, classic pub fare, live sports game watches, and an unbeatable Downtown atmosphere. Since its opening date of August 23, 1992, Cap City has become a gathering place for generations of Washingtonians, beer lovers, and sports fans alike.
Throughout the month of August, Cap City invites guests to join in a month-long farewell celebration. Whether it's one more burger and a pint, catching a Nationals game on the big screen, or just sharing memories with friends, every visit is a chance to toast the legacy of a DC institution.
'Cap City has always been more than a brewpub. It's been a home for so many,' said David von Storch, CEO & Founder of Urban Adventures Companies (UAC). 'We're incredibly proud of what we've built and endlessly grateful to our staff, regular guests, and the broader DC community for making these 30+ years unforgettable.'
Join us all month long, and raise a glass to the final chapter of Capitol City Brewing Company.
Urban Adventures Companies (UAC) is a Washington, DC-based lifestyle company of the integrated and affiliated sectors of health and wellness, beauty and style, and dining and entertainment. Brands included in the Urban Adventures portfolio are Aura spa, Bang Salon, Capitol City Brewing Company, Penthouse Pool & Lounge, SweatBox, VIDA Fitness, and VIDA Pilates.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
2 days ago
- Business Wire
Capitol City Brewing Company Bids Farewell After Over 33 Years in DC
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After more than three decades of brewing great local beers and bringing the community together, Capitol City Brewing Company will officially close its doors on Thursday, August 28, 2025. 'Cap City has always been more than a brewpub. It's been a home for so many,' said David von Storch, CEO & Founder of Urban Adventures Companies (UAC). Share As DC's first brewpub to open after Prohibition, Cap City has proudly served as a cornerstone of the local hospitality scene, known for its award-winning beers, classic pub fare, live sports game watches, and an unbeatable Downtown atmosphere. Since its opening date of August 23, 1992, Cap City has become a gathering place for generations of Washingtonians, beer lovers, and sports fans alike. Throughout the month of August, Cap City invites guests to join in a month-long farewell celebration. Whether it's one more burger and a pint, catching a Nationals game on the big screen, or just sharing memories with friends, every visit is a chance to toast the legacy of a DC institution. 'Cap City has always been more than a brewpub. It's been a home for so many,' said David von Storch, CEO & Founder of Urban Adventures Companies (UAC). 'We're incredibly proud of what we've built and endlessly grateful to our staff, regular guests, and the broader DC community for making these 30+ years unforgettable.' Join us all month long, and raise a glass to the final chapter of Capitol City Brewing Company. Urban Adventures Companies (UAC) is a Washington, DC-based lifestyle company of the integrated and affiliated sectors of health and wellness, beauty and style, and dining and entertainment. Brands included in the Urban Adventures portfolio are Aura spa, Bang Salon, Capitol City Brewing Company, Penthouse Pool & Lounge, SweatBox, VIDA Fitness, and VIDA Pilates.
Boston Globe
11-07-2025
- Boston Globe
In the heart of tourist Boston, what is authentic?
But a plaque by its doorway cops to the real story: The original Green Dragon was located 'near this spot.' The current iteration opened in 1993. What's authentic and what is a marketing ploy? In the heart of the Hub, that line can be as blurry as a frosted beer mug. Take the warren of streets just across North Street from Faneuil Hall, where the Green Dragon and Bell in Hand are located. It's probably what most tourists think of when they think of revolutionary Boston, despite many of the buildings having been constructed decades after that war. There are cobblestone streets, brick buildings separated by tight lanes, and a blur of historic claims on various facades. Advertisement While the Bell in Hand's sign says it dates back to 1795, the building that now houses the establishment wasn't built until around 1844, according to state records. Adam Kessler, manager for the current bar, says it moved into its current home sometime in the 20th century. He's unclear on the exact year but thinks it may have been in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Advertisement Christine Sismondo, who wrote 'America Walks into a Bar: A Spirited History of Taverns and Saloons, Speakeasies and Grog Shops,' is skeptical of the bar's revolutionary-era claims. 'Most of the stuff around that area that is a drinking space does not go back as far as they say they do,' she said. There's often ambiguity in historical proclamations, she said, as interior spaces are often gutted and revamped over the decades and centuries, leaving little that is original. But even with a generous reading of history, the current iteration of the Bell in Hand 'really does fail' the smell test, she said. Any place claiming to have a bar — as in the physical rail where people order drinks — older than the actual establishment, as the Bell in Hand does, raises a red flag for her, she said. Additionally, Prohibition in the 20th century, she said, casts serious doubt on the establishment's claims of 'oldest continuously operating tavern.' 'Really, almost no one in America can make that claim,' she said. Kessler, though, defended the restaurant's lineage, saying during Prohibition, the Bell in Hand still operated but didn't serve booze. He said there is, in fact, an antique bar in the Bell in Hand. (One plaque says the bar top pre-dates 1844.) The bar still has a masthead carving from its early days centuries ago, he said. Another masthead carving from the bar was given to the Old State House, he said. 'We've had several different councils and historical societies been through the place and they've given us the same accreditation,' he said. Advertisement To be sure, the story the Bell in Hand presents is a good one. It claims that it was opened by Boston's last known town crier, Jimmy Wilson, who would ring his bell while sharing the news of the day in a booming voice and sharp wit. Edwin S. Grosvenor, president and editor-in-chief of the National Historical Society, has had a beer in both the Bell in Hand and Green Dragon. He points out that two books focusing on taverns in the early 20th century, one published in 1917, the other in 1926, both stated that no original taverns were left in Boston. (Kessler says the fact that the Bell in Hand moved explains that discrepancy.) Still, Grosvenor is magnanimous in his assessment. 'I love these taverns even if their claims sound a little silly or far-fetched to a historian,' he said. 'The events of the 1770s were so consequential that anything that helps the public recall them is to be welcomed. I put them in a category similar to battle reenactments.' Using history as a draw for commerce is not new. Whitney Martinko, a history professor at Villanova University, recently said that 'people who kept shops and taverns as early as the 1820s and 1830s definitely tried to highlight the history of their buildings to attract attention from customers and respect from the public.' Such associations, said Martinko, who has written a book on historic real estate, were sometimes legitimate. 'Often times these were shopkeepers or tavernkeepers who were in buildings that would have been perceived simply as dark, cramped, and old-fashioned — even lower class — at a time when cities were modernizing and when consumers in places like Boston and Philadelphia saw new styles of stores and hotels as most respectable," she said. Advertisement In Boston, Dan Keating, a Charlestown native and retired attorney who now guides walking tours for Boston By Foot, explained how Faneuil Hall, once known as 'the cradle of liberty,' has evolved over the years. Where there were once livestock and produce for sale, there are now shirts proclaiming you are 'Wicked Smaht' and rows of stuffed animal lobsters with 'Boston' emblazoned on their claws. Additionally, it's now more than double the size it was when first built in the 1740s. Back then, the structure also would've been hard on the water, a jumble of wharves at its rear, he said. Things change, is his point, even in the most historic of places. And when places are restored to their past glory, choices are often made to ignore or gloss over parts of the history of the place, he said. On a recent sweltering day, multiple groups of people stopped to take a photo of the facade of the Green Dragon Tavern, which shares its name with a place that was genuinely important as a meeting place for revolutionaries in the 18th century, according to multiple historians. But the building itself was constructed around 1850, A sign by its doorway admits as much, and different historians say the original Green Dragon was located at the present-day Boston Public Market or the edge of City Hall Plaza. Attempts to reach the bar's ownership for comment were not successful. Advertisement 'All these places now, they're using history to sell things,' said Peter Drummey, chief historian for the Massachusetts Historical Society, while walking around near the bar recently. 'It's not like it's all invented, there's a thread and sometimes those threads are probably stronger.' Drummey said there are many instances where there are facts that are sometimes related to but separate from the legend attached to a place. The legend, he said, 'isn't made up, necessarily, but it blends facts into a story people can understand.' 'There's no history police to go around and say, 'This is right and this is wrong,'' he said. 'And God help the person in the middle of some of these things.' To be sure, there is much legitimate history in the vicinity, with city archaeologist Joseph M. Bagley's book, 'Boston's Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them,' acting as a guide. The Union Oyster House, which, unlike its tavern neighbors, has achieved national landmark status, is no. 9 on Bagley's list, with the building dating back to 1716. It is steeped in history, including being the oldest operating restaurant and oyster bar in the nation, according to its national historic landmark designation. But even its operation has changed over the decades. It once sat 240 people, it now sits 560, said the restaurant's current chief executive, Joseph Milano. It has expanded into adjacent buildings, he said. Historians point out how the brickwork is different on various parts of its exterior, which reflects different time periods. For Milano's part, he views his role as a steward or caretaker for the property. Advertisement 'The busiest seasons,' he said recently, 'are when people are hungry for history.' Danny McDonald can be reached at
Axios
07-07-2025
- Axios
Washington state braces for SNAP cuts under Trump spending bill
The sweeping domestic policy bill President Trump signed last week will cut food assistance for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians, Gov. Bob Ferguson's office says. The big picture: The legislation makes deep cuts to the social safety net — including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as food stamps) — while extending tax breaks and boosting immigration enforcement. By the numbers: All told, more than 908,000 people in Washington received SNAP benefits as of March 2025, per federal data. That's about 11% of the state population. Zoom in: Among other changes, the maximum monthly allotment for Washington's SNAP recipients will drop, falling from $975 to $848 for a family of four, Ferguson said in a news release. New work requirements could also cause more than 130,000 Washingtonians to lose their benefits entirely, the Democratic governor said. What they're saying:"This bill takes food from our most vulnerable Washingtonians to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy," Ferguson said. The other side: Trump calls the legislation his "big, beautiful bill," and described it last week as "the greatest victory yet" for his administration.
