Welcome to what the Guinness Book of World Records (which was created by the managing director of the Guinness Brewery Sir Hugh Beaver in 1954) describes as “the bar with the world’s largest beer selection.” The Brickskeller opened in October of 1957 and has been serving the very best beers to thirsty politicians and beer lovers ever since. This brick rathskeller (the German word for a tavern below street level that serves beer) sits in the basement of an old hotel in the heart of American democracy — Washington, D.C.

With over 1,300 bottled beers (and counting) from over 50 countries, their Beer List is not only mind-boggling, but also according to Dave Alexander never completely accurate. There are just too many beers to keep track of; by the time they finish they have to restart the list. Dave and his wife Diane, the granddaughter of original owner’s Felix and Marie Coja, operate this wonderful world of beer, thus making it a third-generation owned establishment.

“The Brick,” as locals call it, bore witness to the birth of craft beer in the United States. Some of the industries brightest luminaries even say Dave & Company created the concept of beer tastings back in the 1980’s. Both the Smithsonian Institution and the National Geographic Society call The Brick for expert beer advice, and nearly 600 seminars have been given by the who’s who in craft beer. If all that weren’t impressive enough, over twenty-five million beers have reportedly been served in its 51 years of existence. This place is packed with great beer and backed by a whole lot of historical street cred.

So the next time you’re in D.C., and want to learn about another piece of Americana, one would be remiss in not grabbing a pint at the oldest, and best stocked beer bar in the land of the free and home of the brave.

Submitted by: Eli - The Mad Beer Man