Astro Lab Brewing to Close; New Brewery to Open

Astro Lab Brewing at 8216 Georgia Ave in Silver Spring has announced it will close at the end of this month. The brewery made the announcement on its social media pages Thursday afternoon. A new brewery, Third Hill Brewing Co., will be launching in the former Astro Lab space.  Astro Lab Brewing opened in 2018 and brewed a variety of different beers, such as the Cherry Blossom Donut Sour and the Rock Creek Lager. Full statement below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsHG5BGu6XC/

“The Astro Lab story began almost eight years ago. Supported by friends and family, we planned and planned and planned, and finally we opened this brewery during the fall of 2018. Over the four and a half years that followed, Astro Lab would become far more than just a business. Our staff, thoughtful and passionate, turned into family. The taproom transformed into a gathering place for regulars and Lab Rats and a weekly run club. We felt the warmth of community, both within downtown Silver Spring and across the DMV’s vibrant brewing scene. So, it is with heavy hearts – but also deep gratitude and an immense optimism for what will follow in our wake – that we announce that Astro Lab will be closing at the end of May.

Was this an easy decision? Yeah nah, as Matt would say. As with a lot of businesses, the pandemic kicked us in the butt. Astro Lab has been sustained to the present day by the love of patrons, bars, and retailers – and we’ll eternally be grateful for that – but our long-term vision was challenged by new economic realities, and our plans for expansion and growth were perpetually pushed to another day. The past year has been a labor of love, to be sure. Matt has produced our beer mostly on his own. Emma has pretty much lived in the taproom. We’ve made it work – with a lot of help, understanding and patience, especially from our families. Meanwhile, we’ve been exploring numerous avenues for how to continue forward, as Astro Lab or otherwise. Ultimately, we were introduced to Jason Sliter, who was searching for a space to launch Third Hill Brewing Co.  It felt like the right fit. As tough as all of this is, we’re happy knowing that 8216 Georgia Ave. will continue to be a home for new and exciting beers. We can’t wait to try them.

But, look, we still have three more weeks of Astro Lab. Let’s have some fun. Let’s celebrate the memories we’ve made and create some new ones. We’ll be open our regular hours. We’ll continue canning and serving the freshest Fresh As. Kid Fresh Pale Ale is on the way, as well as our final brew, named Astro Lab, which will feature a symphony of Nectaron, Galaxy, Codename Peacharine, and Nelson Sauvin hops. We want to end on a high note – and we hope to do it with you.

After that, Emma will be taking the summer off to spend time with her family, then focusing on the other family business. Matt will continue to apply his creativity and deft hands in the brewing industry, and he’s excited about the new opportunities that await. We’re also exploring options for our staff, some of whom have been with us since this very beginning, to retain employment at Third Hill, so you may see some familiar faces when that beer project opens.
Again, we just want to say thank you for investing your time and friendship with us. We’re so proud of what we did together. It’s been a blast.”