The first distillery to legally open in DC after Prohibition and best known for Green Hat Gin
When New Columbia Distillers opened in 2011, it was the first distillery to operate in DC in more than a century. The distillery’s most famous product is Green Hat Gin, which is named for a local bootlegger who operated on Capitol Hill during Prohibition. George Cassiday, a World War I veteran, supplied Congressional representatives with alcohol from the Cannon House Office Building for five years. When he was eventually caught, the Washington Post reported the arrest of a man in a green hat. Cassiday then moved to the Russell Senate Office Building where he continued to sell bootleg alcohol to politicians for another five years. New Columbia Distillers adopted Cassiday’s green hat for their logo and christened their gin in his honor.
Tours and tastings are held at New Columbia Distillers every Saturday. The free tastings include samples of different kinds of gin, a summer cup (described as a “fruit and herb cordial”), and vermouth. All of their products are produced in small batches. The area where the tastings are set up is pretty small and can get crowded. After finishing the tasting, you can purchase a cocktail and wait for the next distillery tour.
Every distillery puts their own spin on their distillery tour. The New Columbia Distillers’ tour focuses on the story of The Man in the Green Hat, the founding of the distillery, and their role in the small business community in DC. The tours are announced from the tasting room and seem to take place whenever there are enough people interested rather than on a set schedule.
For adventurers who want a more hands-on distillery experience, you can sign up for the New Columbia Distillers newsletter to be notified about their bottling parties. Volunteers get to drink cocktails and learn about gin making and the production process as they help the distillery staff bottle the latest small batch. These fill up months in advance and require advanced planning.
If you’re not a gin drinker, you’ll be happy to hear that New Columbia Distillers expect to release their rye whiskey within the next year. Even non-gin drinkers will enjoy the tour and tasting at New Columbia Distillers and learning about The Man in the Green Hat.
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Address
1832 Fenwick Street NE
Metro Station
- NoMa-Gallaudet U (RD)
- Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood (RD)
Directions
The distillery is about a mile and a half walk from either the NoMa or Rhode Island metro stops. I recommend either walking from NoMa or taking the D8 bus from Rhode Island.
Cost
Free tastings and tours
Hours
Saturdays from 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Length of Adventure
1 hour
