The Berliner Beer Hall, Georgetown’s newest addition, transports you to Germany without leaving DC. Housed in the former Malmaison space (3401 Water Street NW; no website yet), this cavernous hall is promises a German beer experience like no other. DC has German restaurants (Cafe Berlin is a favorite), but truly inspired beer halls are hard to come by in this area.

I attended a recent media event there and was immediately welcomed with a beer. I started with the Berliner Weisse from Braubacher, a 2.5% ABV sour. I loved the tart funkiness but the ABV just doesn’t do it for me, although it is easy drinking. So I switched to a slightly higher one, the Hefe Weissbier from Weihenstephaner, at 5.4% ABV. This beer was light and refreshing and had citrus notes. The beer menu is highly-curated, with a focus on both German and local brews.

Food was passed as we listened to a German band. The Berliner is quite loud, especially with the music, so there was no way to ask what each item was. My favorite was the Pretzels and Beer Cheese, and while that combination can occasionally be too salty, this was not. I truly enjoyed many of the sausages, but I am not sure which ones I tried. The Kofta was quite flavorful, as was the Falafel, though both were slightly overcooked. I appreciate the friendly, hard-working staff, as it was an extremely busy kickoff party.

While the location is slightly out-of-the-way (almost to the Key Bridge Boathouse), I expect the Berliner to do well, especially with it’s proximity to Arlington. I look forward to celebrating Oktoberfest here and grabbing a beer after kayaking in the summer.

-LEM (Lia)