BabyCat Brewery

A neighborhood brewery that makes you feel right at home. I'm not a beer drinker, but I did enjoy the Catnip Bender. They had me at "flavor bouquet" in the description. I also tried the Cat-Tails, BabyCat's own mixed drink creation, in the raspberry ginger flavor, which I did find quite strong. They describe it as having the equivalent of 1.5 shots of 80 proof alcohol. So, if you're not in the mood for beer, they have some other things on the menu. On top of that, very nice service from the bar.

My friends and I got dinner from the food trailer ("The Cattie Shack") on the premise, which offers cheeseburgers, falafel burgers, wings, and fries. A big heads up if Steeze is selling burgers there: expect a lot of people! BabyCat's Instagram always has updates on food.

A big selling point here is the patio. It was a warm evening in March and it was a great place to enjoy the weather. The top deck is also a unique aspect of BabyCat where you can hang out above the patio. Another heads up: they welcome kids and local families do love hanging out at the brewery.

Small spot tucked away behind dish and dram. You gotta park out front even though there is a small lot back by the brewery which sucks. We went around 1pm on a Saturday and by 230 it was really busy.

The staff was nice. People had their kids and dogs inside.

The beer was ehh. The stout was very good but the pale ale wasn't great. Kolsch and pub ale lacked flavor. If you live in Kensington and want a neighborhood place to go to with your kids and dogs and don't mind mediocre beer, this place is for you. If you love craft beer, Silver Branch, Denizens, 3rd Hill are much better. I hope with time this place will bet better at brewing. I think it has a lot of potential.

So, i'd found out about BabyCat while looking up directions for somewhere else on google maps a little bit back and I loved the vibe of a cat themed brewery and their all cat related beer names. After coming back from camping early due to weather, and one of us taking a nap, we popped over to BabyCat for pre-dinner drinks, especially intrigued by their pumpkin beer.

If you're going to check them out, you've gotta park in the front of the plaza by The Dish and Dram and some other businesses. BabyCat's behind there, past a whole bunch of signs that say "no parking for BabyCat customers" which to me says that's just staff parking for them and the other businesses.

Anyway, we loved the look of their outdoor space, but with the chilly, dreary weather, we chose not to sit outside, option for bar seats on the comfy green chairs. We each got a flight of beer (mine pictured below) and we really enjoyed all of the ones we got.

If you like IPAs, come here.

If you like good pumpkin beer, come here--Pumpqween is more sweetness of a pumpkin pie forward that spice forward, FYI. If you like cats, come here as there's a loose cat theme throughout and one even hangs out in a room in the back separate from where all the beer is brewed. apparently, as I overheard, that cat is the parent and the actual babycat lives at home with their human, who owns the brewery. The vibes were great inside and we really enjoyed everything we got. Staff was super freindly.

Biked here on a Saturday, place was busy but not wild. Very dog and family friendly. Bartenders are friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the inside and outside seating as our visit continued. We were two days early for the newly installed bike locks! The beers are varied and cute, often named after feline inspiration. One stuck out- the raspberry wheat beer, which wasn't too fruit forward which I think happens often in fruit beers. This was more subtle, plus the can art was fun!
We liked that could you choose your own for a flight. They also offered lots of other drinks and snacks. A food truck was outside but we didn't partake. There's also a beer store with a deli around the corner. If you're a beer snob, check out the store! Lots of local and lovely brews. Decor is cute too, cat centric!

I stopped by since I was in the neighborhood, and I'm so glad I did! My GPS definitely misled me though haha -- I was directed to the opposite side of the plaza where Dish & Dram and other businesses are.

If you love cats, you will definitely love this place... and it's not done in an over the top way either. All of the beers are inspired by cat-related things -- heck, even the wifi password is cat-related XD. I heard there are kittens in the back, and one of the staff was even wearing a cat-related shirt!

But cat stuff that aside, it's a very open and awesome brewery. Inside, there are games for adults and for kids, snacks for kids, a bunch of comfy green (my favorite color) seats at the bar, and tables all around. It was dark when arrived, but there's a bunch of seating right outside too! There's a food truck you can order from, though I didn't check it out since I had my own food. You are indeed allowed to bring your own food in!

It was towards the end of the night, and I decided to try a beer flight. Kieffer's Kolsch, Catnip Bender, Calico and Hot Tin Roof were my picks. Kieffer's and Hot Tin were definitely my favorites -- the first just had a comfortable flavor... while the latter was SPICY (jalapeno), but still delicious. Catnip was really tart, and Calico was neutral for me. Descriptors aside, I enjoyed every single one and also got to try the Black Cat. It reminded me a lot of Guinness which I typically don't like... but there was a flavor in there that made it quite palatable!

I am just getting into beers myself, and I have friends who are doing the same. I am going to return (and hopefully it'll be daytime), and I look forward to trying more things off the menu and seeing the cats :).

BabyCat is still just a baby at six months old! Like most breweries, they don't have a kitchen, so it's either Pringles ($2.00 for a small can) or food from the food truck du jour. we opted for Pringles which surprisingly pair well with their brews.

We shared a flight, which are any four choosing of your choice of the day's offerings for $12.00. We chose two pales (Warner Mansion- my friend's choice, and Purrlock Holmes- my choice). We also sampled two Hoppy brews (Catnip Bender- grapefruit infused and Logan's Pale Ale- notes of orange marmalade).

I'm glad we tried all four, but I liked the golden Purrlock Holmes the best because it reminded of my days at the
pubs in England. We also ordered a half pint of NITRO Caribbean Cat because the toasted coconut was alluring. It was a nice, dark dessert beer.

It was packed on the Sunday afternoon we went. The tables outside were all taken, but we scored a table inside ahead of the drizzle.

This place is tucked away and difficult to see from the road. I read here that people wrote that parking is limited, but we parked on the street due to the books festival we attended. Now that I know how charming this place is, with a friendly staff to boot, I will be back to sample future brews, and maybe a veggie friendly food truck.

cute , family friendly, mellow
What a cute brewery in a backyard environment. Respectable , hoppy IPAs. Family and dog friendly, the patio is lovely. Plenty of parking and sesting. Highlight of my DMV trip.

What's not to like? Great beer, a nice patio, friendly staff, and of course, a . This was a great find and I am so glad that we stopped in. Catnip Bender and Feral topped our list.

Cheers!

Good beer (and good range of options and price points for pours), family-friendly, and just a really good vibe. It's also by the train tracks for added entertainment for the kids!

We ventured to Kensington from DC for our first visit to Babycat and we will 100% be back

The beer was amazing and the bartenders were very helpful. They had a food truck outside serving barbecue and someone singing and playing guitar outside. There was plenty of places to sit inside, outside and an elevated deck where kids and pets aren't allowed (everywhere else was kid and dog friendly). Vibes were 10/10 I loved the artwork on the cans and the bathroom wallpaper (you'll have to see for yourself)

I can't wait to come back and bring friends and my pups!