The Brewer’s Archipelago and Distillery Islands

Mapping DC's Distilleries and Breweries

Areas of work
Cartography and GIS
Updates/background
Project page

An ongoing project to produce a map of DC's new alcohol producers, and to examine the ways in which modern craft economies are shaped by zoning and historical land use.

Even microbreweries and craft distilleries need open, industrial spaces. Zoning regulations restrict them to sites that are designated for manufacturing. DC has little industrial land, and the remaining areas are increasingly lost to redevelopment. It’s almost as if these companies could only operate on tiny, shrinking islands.