Right Proper Turns One Tonight: An Interview with Nathan Zeender

Shaw’s Right Proper is turning one, and to celebrate, they’re putting on a few rarities and barrel-aged beers, but the real present was unveiled last month, when the brewpub announced a production brewery in Brookland. We sat down with co-owner and head brewer Nathan Zeender to find out a bit more about the new space, and to reflect on a year of Right Proper. 

DCBeer: Have you been surprised by the response and crowds at Right Proper?

Nathan Zeender: We didn’t know what to expect and the immediate positive response was very reassuring, if a little overwhelming at first. It was definitely a case of the right place at the right time.

DCB: When did you realize you had hit brewing capacity at the restaurant, and how soon after that realization did you and Thor [Cheston, another co-owner], et al., move to look for another facility, or was a stand-alone brewery always part of the plan?

NZ: Within the first few weeks we realized the demand was outpacing the supply. After busy weekends we were