Make no mistake: the family behind Portner Brewhouse in Alexandria, Va., is hands on.

“I’m loading beer as we talk,” Catherine Portner apologetically told Roll Call After Dark as she prepared for Tuesday night’s beer talk event at the Morrison House in Old Town. Part of a monthly cultural speakers’ series in Alexandria, Catherine and her sister Margaret will discuss their joint brewing venture, as well as its connection to their great-great grandfather’s brewery, the Robert Portner Brewing Company, which operated in Alexandria from 1869-1916.

“We are going to be sharing some of the stories from our family’s history … [and] how that history is informing our company,” Catherine said.

While the Portner’s Brewhouse isn’t expected to open until next year, they will have on hand beer samples derived from their kin’s operation — the Hoffbrau Pilsner, Portner Porter and Vienna Cabinet Lager. (Just to assuage any concerns, that’s Vienna as in Austria, not suburban Virginia.)

The talk goes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight. It’s free, but space is very limited. No RSVP required.