| Right Proper Brewing Company 624 T Street NW | Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 607-2337 rightproperbrewery.com |
Right Proper Brewing Company opened at 624 T Street NW, just a few blocks from the Shaw/Howard U Metro Stop in the historic Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC. on December 10, 2013. The brewpub opened in the former location of Frank Holiday’s Pool Hall, where Duke Ellington learned how to play jazz as a teenager. Right Proper is also located next to the Howard Theater.
Right Proper was founded by partners Thor Cheston, previous beer director of Brasserie Beck and Pizzeria Paradiso, John Snedden, owner of Rockland’s Barbecue, and Nathan Zeender, award-winning local brewer and producer of WildCraft Soda.
The name Right Proper comes from the small North Carolina town where Thor’s wife, Leah Dedmon Cheston, grew up. The locals would say things like “I’ll be there right quick” or “that girl is just right pretty.” “Right proper” is another one of those sayings.
One of the first things that stand out when you enter Right Proper is the artwork. A local DC artist Patrick Owens created a chalk mural depicting battling robotic animals among a Godzilla-ridden D.C. Another commemorating the history of the jazz club was painted by North Carolina-based artist and Cheston’s brother-in-law Nico Amortegui.
The kitchen at Right Proper serves up comfort food with a Southern twist by Head Chef Robert Cain. There are dishes made with beer and dishes made for beer.
Appetizers include Pork Rinds & Pimento Cheese; House Made Pickle Plate; Blueberry, Jalapeño Corn Muffins; Baked Macaroni & Cheese; and Sauteed Swiss Chard. Sandwich options include BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, Eight-Hour Lamb French Dip, Catfish Po’ Boy, Southern Fried Chick-Filet, and Fried Green Tomato Po’ Boy. There are also soups and salads.
There were also some “Super Awesome Stuff That is Not on the Menu” including Wings!, Blistered Shishito Peppers, Tim’s No-Nonsense Breakfast Burger (topped with pork belly, fried egg, and Point Reyes Toma), and Dolcezza Artisanal Gelato (including strawberry tarragon, blueberry thyme, and Thai coconut milk). A separate menu listed the cheese offerings for the day.
Head brewer Nathan Zeender sources a wide range of yeasts, as well as cultivating house strains, to use a range of fermentation techniques including mixed fermentation techniques and secondary and tertiary fermentation cycles. Zeender brews styles from all over the world. The unique and complex beers available during my visit included:
- Kodachrome Dream(ing) – 4.5% ABV Farmhouse Radler
- Pacific Ocean Blue – 3.9% ABV West Coast Mild
- Range Life – 5.7% ABV Hop-focused Wheat Beer
- Fausto – 7.0% ABV Dark Farmhouse Ale
- The Lubitsch Touch – 4.7% ABV grätzer (pale smoked beer)
- Really Rosie – 3.9% ABV Rosé Berliner Weisse
- Tmavy – 6.2% ABV Czech Dark Lager (guest beer from Lost Rhino Brewing Company)
It should be noted that Right Proper brews in small batches, so the list of beers will differ each time you visit the brewpub. In fact, Zeender has brewed over 40 different beers in the first seven months of operation. Some things to look forward to from the barrel program include the dark saison Fausto, which is sitting in Jim Beam barrels, and a tripel is in peach mead barrels. Check out Right Proper’s website to see what’s currently on tap.
All beers on tap are available in full or half pours as well as growlers to go. Eventually Right Proper looks to send kegs to local DC bars and restaurants.
There are also bottles and cans available from breweries including DC Brau, Brewer’s Art, Jolly Pumpkin, Weihenstephaner, Oskar Blues, among others. Wines on tap are available in five ounce pours and half liter or liter carafes.
Cheers to Right Proper Brewing Company and their inventive line up of delicious brews. I can’t wait to stop by again in the future and see what’s on tap next. Another great addition to the ever-growing DC beer scene!
