Brickskellar Closing...For Real This Time?

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So, I had heard several rumors this summer that Dupont Circle's well-known beer bar, The Brickskellar, was closing. And then, it didn't.

It's now December, and Prince of Petworth is reporting that Brickskellar's time may finally come to an end. DC Beer corroborates.

According to PoP, via J Street Beer Review, the Dupont Circle institution is closing December 18th. I'm curious to know what people think about this. On one hand, I used to live less than a block from here, and it was nice to have someplace chill (read-not clubby) nearby to have a quiet night with friends.

But, now that I've lived in DC longer, I don't think Brickskellar is so cool. I'd frankly much rather go to The Black Squirrel.

The Brickskellar feels like a dungeon, with its lack of natural light and brick walls. The service at Brickskellar is possibly the most atrocious in DC. The food brings bar food to a new low. And the beer list, boasting more than 1,000 bottles alone? 80% of the time, if you order something unusual, it's not in stock. Apparently they buy like 5 bottles of each cool beer and then only restock the Smuttynose. 

Yet, despite their shortcomings, it is sad to see Brickskellar go. It's just one of those places, you have to be in the mood for (i.e. not hungry or hurried). I know the ownership had been looking for a buyer for quite some time, so perhaps the daily management suffered as a result.

It does feel like Dupont Circle is losing a lot of its older establishments lately (The Brickskellar opened in 1957)--I'm thinking back to the loss of the Lambda Rising bookstore (where I was, admittedly, not a patron or even the target market...but still...neighborhood history, people!).

It also makes me wonder what will replace Brickskellar. I remember reading that a new, similar concept beer bar was coming into the space, but that the family who owns Brickskellar wouldn't license the Brickskellar name to them.

Whatever joins the 22nd and P corner, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's not another club.