Most imagine breweries tucked in an old barn framed by a sylvan landscape surrounded by picnic tables. Abandoning this bucolic conceit, a Hill resident has chosen to brew on H Street! Henceforth, is the result. No, the comma is not a typo.
Located on the site of the storied H Street Country Club at 1335 H St. NE, Henceforth, due to open this April, is the brainchild of neighbor Michael Spinello. For Spinello, it has been a long journey that started in a fa away locale.
One evening in 2005, serving as infantry grunt on the streets of Iraq, Spinello had an epiphany. After witnessing immense violence and destruction, he dedicated his life to making socially positive contributions. A decade later, the Army dispatched him to the District. He quickly fell in love with his new city.
Shedding his uniform, Spinello settled on the northeast side of Capitol Hill. Then COVID decimated the businesses in the neighborhood he had come to call home. H Street, he decided, needed place for the community to socialize after the isolation of the pandemic. “I stopped wishing someone else would do it and decided to do it myself,” said Spinello. “We are here for the neighborhood.”
Henceforth, will be a local hangout, where neighbors can connect. There will be comfortable couches, all of which he and his partners have road tested. Patrons can grab a quick beer before a show at the Atlas or simply spend the evening relaxing.
The first floor is configured as a classic pub with seating for 30. Visitors will be tickled to find the fake wooden lockers, a relic of the now closed H Street Country Club, still lining the walls. The décor is mid-century modern with beautifully tiled floors and a gorgeous bar set off by a lighted canopy reminding one of the old classic downtown bus stations of yesteryear. Patrons can order a favorite libation, while watching the brewers at work through a glass wall.
On the second floor, a swanky bar sets off a tap room for approximately 75 patrons, designed as a comfortable hangout with couches and long communal tables. The vibe again is modern. An intimate wine bar, seating 35, completes the equation, fronting the street on the second floor with gorgeous windows framing the bartenders. The roof deck will open later this summer.
No brewery is complete without a talented wizard to mix its alcoholic nectars. Out in Stanton, Virginia, Spinello discovered master brewer Benjamin Mullett. A former Marine, Mullett had learnt his trade in New England as an apprentice. He honed his craft at Chicago’s storied Siebel Institute. A master of traditional techniques, Mullett has earned gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and the World Beer Cup.
“You have to understand the classic styles and then experiment,” said Mullet.
He plans to brew everything from classic German lagers and Czech pilsners to Belgian sours. His particular specialty is the Belgian Dubbel. Gluten free and non-alcoholic brews are part of his plan.
Gutting the Country Club, Spinello and Mullett created a long deep room behind the pub. They reengineered the floor with a drain and tile installed by German artisans. Into this tight space, they MacGyvered a 10-barrel system. All of it had to be engineered to fit tightly under the duct work. This stainless steel army of fermenters, brite tanks and brewing vessels, connected by a complicated network of pipes and pumps will produce close to 620 gallons of beer a week, 1,000 barrels a year. All of this powered by a steam boiler weighing over a ton.
Perhaps unique in the District, Henceforth, is a tank-to tap-operation. Nine of the 12 taps behind the first and second floor bars are connected directly to the tanks in the brewery and the remaining three to kegs. All the beer produced will be sold and consumed onsite.
Not a fan of the brew? No worries. Henceforth,’s Wine Program Manager Monica Lee, a veteran of Ellē and Daikaya, is designing a full wine program for the establishment. While in the kitchen, Chef Walfer Hernandez plans full brunch, lunch and dinner menus. There will be dishes to share, sandwiches or a quick bite and delicious entrees. This writer is particularly looking forward to sampling the rabbit ravioli and braised short ribs.
Henceforth, is due to open in April. For more information, visit www.henceforthdc.com.
