Washington, DC: Please support Greg Hourigan.

An open appeal to good beer fans, good beer brewers, and good beer advocates in the Washington, D.C. / Baltimore, Maryland, area ...

Someone who has long been an advocate for good, local beer, and who has long given our business his support, now needs our assistance. A few weeks ago, Greg Hourigan —proprietor of Hard Times Cafe, in Bethesda, Maryland— was diagnosed with leukemia.

The craft beer world in the U.S. today sometimes seems spoiled by its current good-beer abundance. Whether its the replenished neophytes or group short-term memory loss: for a beer or brewery of more than three years pedigree, the collective will have moved on to the next newest thing, forgetting or abandoning what came before, much of which remains damn tasty.

In the Washington, D.C. suburban area, Greg Hourigan, at his Hard Times in Bethesda, does not forget. Yes, he pours the 'standards, but he also has long been pouring 'craft' beers —local and far afield— often when others aren't, and beginning when such things were not always easy to find. Early on, he supported local breweries, and has continued to do so.

Here's Hourigan (left) greeting Gary Heurich, in March 2006, who had chosen Hard Times to be the site for the final DC-area event for his Heurich beer.

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UPDATE: 9 August 2012

A celebration in Hourigan's honor was held Thursday, August 9th, at Hard Times Cafe, where Greg has long been the proprietor. It was an opportunity for friends and well-wishers to show their appreciation, offer their support, and raise much-needed funds to help defray Hourigan's mounting medical costs.


Over 700 showed up, filling the pub and the block of Del Ray Avenue outside, which the Bethesda Police and Fire department had blocked off. Thanking all, Kevin Hourigan, Greg's brother, had hopeful news to report.

Is it even POSSIBLE to put into words the beauty of Thursday night's Celebration honoring Greg?

Montgomery County Police blocked off Del Ray Avenue; The Liquor Board granted us an outdoor license for the evening; and Lyrics' own Rick Demar emceed the raffles and auctions and provided the crowd of over 700 people with non-stop music!

We had SOOO much fun as we mixed, mingled, ate, drank, danced, and shared stories of Greg and days-gone-by.

And we raised A LOT of money to help Tenna and Greg with any of their financial needs.

I cannot begin to single out any one contributor...you showed your love and support by the hundreds and the entire Hourigan Clan is grateful beyond measure.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!!

Greg is continuing his slow road back to wellness and we ask your continued prayers for his physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being.

For those who were not able to attend and would wish to contribute, send a check —payable to Greg Hourigan— to:
The Greg Hourigan Fund
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Ste. 1204
Bethesda, MD 20816.
... or contact Gloria Arnold of the Bethesda/Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce at garnold@bccchamber.org.


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• For updates on Hourigan's condition (and information on where to visit him), go to Caring Bridge.
• See more photos of the benefit: here. And, a video: here.