Eamoni Collier just made Shaw's most storied brew space her own

Eamoni Collier just made Shaw's most storied brew space her own

The address has history. 624 T Street NW spent years as Right Proper Brewing's Shaw taproom - a beloved neighborhood anchor where regulars nursed Belgian-inspired farmhouse ales under exposed brick and a low hum of conversation. Right Proper is gone now, relocated. And on June 19, 2026 - Juneteenth - Eamoni Collier cut the ribbon on what comes next.

Urban Garden Brewhouse is D.C.'s first Black woman-owned brewery with a brick-and-mortar address. That alone would be worth the trip down T Street. But the beer she's pouring is the real reason to go.

Sacred Pours and the beers that got Collier here

Urban Garden Brewing distinguishes itself through a menu centered on botanicals, herbs, and flowers rather than the hop-forward beers common in the craft brewing market. Collier calls her draft lineup "Sacred Pours." Five beers grace the list - all her own creations.

The Chamolite is a soothing garden ale with notes of honey and chamomile. The floral Roses Aren't Dead incorporates rose petals and rose hips. The Lotus Flower Bomb, a botanical IPA, contrasts velvety lavender and rose florals with a tea-like bitterness. None of these read like beers designed to impress judges. They read like beers designed to be drunk slowly, in a room where you actually want to stay.

The philosophy behind all of it traces back to an ancient lineage. Harvesting herbs from her uncle's garden, Collier experimented with incorporating them into her brewing. Studying the history of the craft, she discovered its connection to ancient Egypt, where women brewed beer - herbs, flowers and spices were essential elements. Inspired by those traditions, the beers are brewed in-house with herbs, spices, and flowers, resulting in botanical flavors reminiscent of handcrafted tea blends.

The cocktail program follows the same logic. Spirited cocktails feature housemade botanical syrups and ingredients shared across the brewery and kitchen - a program rooted in creativity, sustainability, and flavor. Non-drinkers aren't an afterthought. Expect NA drinks made with herbs and botanicals alongside the house craft beers. Order the house pickles, too. They come complimentary with any beverage, and the fried pickle plate with house Garden Sauce is seven dollars.

The space, and what Collier did with it

Patrons will find the place largely unchanged from its Right Proper days, except for the wall decor. A spacious front dining area is complemented by a very long bar at the back, where the brewery equipment is visible through a window. Colorful murals pop against the interior, and the plants in the expansive front patio are a welcome addition.

What Collier changed is harder to quantify. The building at 624 T Street Northwest was once a neighborhood pool house - a space woven into the Shaw-Howard community's past. The exposed brick, preserved architectural details, and intentional design choices create a "touch of home." Every corner reflects someone who made an imprint on Collier's journey - from a listening lounge dedicated to her grandfather to curated shelves of African American archives and murals honoring Black artistry.

That grandfather is Joe Tate. A saxophonist who played in the Howard Theatre's house band during the 1960s, Tate worked with The Blendells and contributed to the early sound of the Soul Searchers as Chuck Brown was defining go-go. His influence shaped generations of sound in the Shaw neighborhood. The listening lounge named in his memory sits just steps from the Howard Theatre, which still stands next door. It's a small room with a real weight to it.

A decade in the making - and one false start

This opening did not come easily. Before landing T Street, Collier signed a lease and poured heart, soul and money into a space in Northeast D.C., only to see it all fall through. The Shaw location was the second chance. It also happened to be the place where the whole idea started.

Collier is a D.C. native who spent eight years working at Right Proper Brewing in the very space she now runs. A manager there once gave her a home-brewing kit. She started pulling herbs from her uncle's garden. She found a tea shop called Calabash around the corner and began cross-pollinating flavor ideas. Taking over the space, she said, "made the experience a little bit more comfortable because I know the ins and outs. But also a bit surreal because it's now my space."

The math on representation is stark. "Black breweries make up 2% of the entire nation," Collier told Axios. She says owning her own brick-and-mortar brewery - one of the few Black-owned breweries in D.C. and the first owned by a Black woman - has been a dream come true. "As a startup and especially as a minority-owned business, getting access to capital and even grant money was so hard."

The grand opening on Juneteenth was free and public. The ribbon cutting was followed by a full day of beer, live go-go music by N2L Band, arcade games, and family-friendly programming. By all accounts the line stretched outside before noon.

The practical stuff

Urban Garden Brewhouse is open Tuesday through Saturday. It functions as a craft beverage community hub built for connection - with space for private celebrations, corporate gatherings, casual meetups, and special occasions. The address is 624 T Street NW, right next to the Howard Theatre in Shaw.

Collier put it simply when she described what she wants the place to feel like: "When you come inside you feel welcome to stay. We really want people to feel like a second home, you know, like auntie's house."

The Chamolite is cold. The mural is on. The saxophonist's granddaughter has the keys.

Sources

• Urban Garden Brewing - Official Site
• DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection - "Urban Garden Brewing: A Legacy Rooted in Culture, Craft, and Community"
• Axios Washington D.C. - "DC's first Black woman-owned brewery Urban Garden opens in Shaw"
• Washingtonian - "DC's First Black Woman-Owned Brewery Comes to Shaw"
• WTOP - "Woman-owned brewery inspired by garden botanicals to open in DC"
• HillRag - "Urban Garden Brewing"
• DC Beer - "Urban Garden Brewing to Open First Permanent Home in Shaw"
• PoPville - "DC's First Black Woman-Owned Brewery Opens in Shaw on Juneteenth"