There are few things more satisfying than a tasty beer in a tall, icy glass, and here in North Texas, there are many local brews from which to choose. In the past five years, more than a dozen craft breweries have popped up, adding to the handful already here. They have tasting rooms, where friends and families can gather to drink and converse. They offer brewery tours for those interested in the magic of how beer is made from four simple ingredients: grain, hops, yeast and water. And they’re located in diverse areas, which means a visit to any one of them will provide a glimpse into the neighborhood’s character. We took a look at the breweries participating in NTX Beer Week and learned their stories. Read about their popular brews here.
Lakewood Brewing Co.
A Rock Ryder Wheat Ale, one of Lakewood Brewing Company's offerings is poured on Saturday, August 30, 2014. (Rex C. Curry)
The tasting room at Lakewood Brewing Co. is cozy. Light shines through a stained-glass window with the image of a beer glass, illuminating a gray bar that matches the dark walls. But walk through the doors into the brewery, and it’s noisy and festive. This is where a food truck pulls up and a local band jams every Saturday while visitors sip beer and learn all about how the brew is made. Painted in bright red across the wall is the word Schol! (Flemish for “Cheers!”) Though brewery founder Wim Bens has lived in North Texas since he was 7, he was born in Belgium, and he’s always “looking for that taste of home” in his brews. Lakewood Lager, the best-selling beer at the brewery, is the color of copper and tastes like caramel with a bitter tang.
Tours and tastings Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. $10. Admission includes a souvenir glass, four 8-ounce samples (two samples after 2 p.m.), a tour of the brewery that starts at 1:30 and live music. There also will be a food truck where guests can purchase snacks. Lakewood Brewing Co., 2302 Executive Drive, Garland. 972-864-2337. lakewoodbrewing.com.
Grapevine Craft Brewery
Angela Callahan (center) speaks to Matt Swisher (right), both of Irving, Texas, while drinks beers during tasting and tours inside the Grapevine Craft Brewery in Farmers Branch, Texas Saturday September 6, 2014. (Andy Jacobsohn)
“What home brewer doesn’t think, ‘Gosh, what if I could start a brewery?’ ” asks Gary Humble, founder of Grapevine Craft Brewery. But how many actually take the initiative? Fortunately, Humble and his wife were already considering starting a small business when they began home brewing. Humble considered selling roasted coffee beans and sheepishly admits contemplating opening a cupcake shop (“Who doesn’t love sprinkles?”), but it was his love for home brewing that convinced him to open a brewery. While Grapevine Craft Brewery produces its beers in Farmers Branch, the brewery is constructing its future home smack in the middle of Grapevine. It hosts tours at the current production location. Stop by and try the popular Lakefire Rye Pale Ale or equally popular Sir William’s English Brown Ale.
Tours on the first Saturday of every month from noon to 3 p.m. $10 (includes samples). 2405 Squire Place, Suite 200, Farmers Branch. 817-823-7225. grapevineontap.com.
Franconia Brewing Co.
Dennis Wehrmann poses for a photograph at Franconia Brewing Company in McKinney, Texas on Sept. 4, 2014. (Rose Baca)
Dennis Wehrmann is not just any old brewmaster, he’s a brewmaster from Germany whose family started brewing in the 1800s. Wehrmann studied brewing in Munich, then moved to Dallas, where he opened Franconia Brewing Co. in 2008. “Forget about the word ‘craft,’” Wehrmann says. “I think that’s a crazy word. It’s a marketing term. We are a brewery. We’re making beer.” While Wehrmann says the brewery doesn’t have a most popular beer, his favorite is Franconia Wheat, which is brewed with Bavarian wheat yeast.
Visit the brewery at 11 a.m. Saturdays for a tour by Wehrmann. $5. The tour lasts about an hour and a half. Hang out afterward to drink beer and chat about the brewing process. 495 McKinney Parkway, McKinney. 972-542-0705. franconiabrewing.com.
Community Beer Co.
With his beer on a nearby stool, Justin Blacklock of Fort Worth, plays a game of pool while waiting for friends to arrive at the Community Beer Company Open House & Tour event Saturday September 13, 2014 in Dallas. (Ron Baselice)
When Kevin Carr started home brewing more than a decade ago, he was frustrated. “To get interesting beer, you had to travel out of state,” he says. Business took Carr to Denver, Portland and parts of Northern California, where the craft-beer industry thrived, but when he returned to Dallas, “there was nothing.” So Carr decided to open his own brewery. He sees beer as a communal drink — hence the name, Community Beer Co. “We were looking for a place to grow out and up,” Carr says, and he found it in Community’s location in the Dallas Design District. The tap room and adjoining brewery are in an expansive building with concrete floors and a towering ceiling. What distinguishes Community? “We manage and grow our own yeast,” Carr says, pointing to the glass flasks in which brown yeast sloshes. This yeast is responsible for some of Community’s most popular beers, including the Mosaic IPA and Vienna Lager.
Tours and tastings held Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m. $10 in advance. $15 at the door. 1530 Inspiration Drive, Suite 200, Dallas. 214-751-7921. communitybeer.com.
Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.
Friends enjoy a beer tasting event at Rahr and Sons Brewing Company in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014. (Jim Tuttle)
A “Come and Drink It” flag hangs on the wall behind a bar made of scrap wood. Next to it stand rows and rows of wooden barrels and stacks of silver beer cans. While most of the breweries that populate North Texas popped up within the last five years, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. is celebrating its 10th anniversary this fall. Owner Fritz Rahr has beer in his blood: His family had a brewery in Wisconsin in the 1800s. That is, until Prohibition hit and they switched to producing malt and cereal instead. Fritz always loved home brewing, but it was his wife, Erin Rahr, who encouraged him to turn his passion for home brewing into a business. “Why don’t we open a brewery and do what you want to do?” she asked Fritz. So the couple moved from Houston to Fort Worth, where they now produce about 25,000 bottles of beer per day. What’s Fritz’s favorite beer? “The one that’s in my hand,” he says, before adding gruffly that Rahr’s Blonde is the most difficult to make and, thus, the most rewarding to drink.
Brewery tours held Wednesdays from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m. $10. Includes a Rahr & Sons pint glass and beer samples. 701 Galveston Ave., Fort Worth. 817-810-9266. rahrbrewing.com.
Martin House Brewing Co.
Volunteer bartender James Herrington pours a beer during a tasting and tour event at Martin House Brewing Company in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014. (Jim Tuttle)
The Purple Martin is a North American swallow, which often builds its nests in communities. When Cody Martin and his two friends, David Wedemeier and Adam Myers, decided to start a brewery, they named it after this communal bird that shares Martin’s last name. The guys all asked their wives if they could quit their day jobs, then set about turning Martin House into a cool hangout where friends could come to drink some beer. “We do what we want to do,” Wedemeier says. They brew goofy beers like Day Break, which blends honey, milk and crunchy oats for a taste like a bowl of cereal, and Salsa Verde, which is spicy like hatch chile peppers and lime. The brewery stands on the banks of the Trinity River, so locals can bike right up to the back door and grab a cool one on a hot day.
Brewery tastings are held Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m. There is a 20-minute tour on Saturdays that begins at 4:30. $10. Admission covers three pints and a glass. There’s food for sale and games, including corn hole, washers and ladder golf. Feel free to bring chairs and umbrellas, as seating is limited. 220 S. Sylvania Ave., Suite 209, Fort Worth. 817-222-0177. martinhousebrewing.com.
Deep Ellum Brewing Co.
People enjoy the cool weather at Deep Ellum Brewing Company on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014. (Rex C. Curry)
Located in Deep Ellum, this brewery aims to celebrate the neighborhood that shares its name. The Deep Ellum Brewing Co. riffs off the tattoo-style graffiti, flashy colors and layered art that distinguish the neighborhood, which is known as a diverse center for arts and culture. The brewery is the brainchild of John Reardon, who decided to open it in 2011 after attending the University of Colorado and seeing the thriving craft-beer market there. He wanted the brewery to sync with Deep Ellum’s artistic lifestyle, so the brewery often hosts local musicians and artists who paint and design murals during tastings. The most popular brew: the Dallas Blonde, a citrusy ale that’s easy on the palate, especially for those new to craft beer. The brewery just opened its indoor tasting room this fall, adding onto an outdoor seating area where guests can sip from cold glasses of beer beneath colorful strings of lights.
Visit Thursdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. $15 at the door. $12 online. Tickets include a tour, glass and tastings. 2823 St. Louis St., Dallas. 214-888-3322. deepellumbrewing.com.
Bishop Cider Co.
Guests wait at the bar to be served freshly brewed cider at the Bishop Cider Company Grand Opening Bash in Oak Cliff, TX on July 19, 2014. (Alexandra Olivia)
Laura Malone always loved cider, so when she and her husband, Joel Malone, decided to start home brewing, it was easy for them to choose hard cider over beer. They started with a basic cider recipe, then began to experiment. Now they’ve got popular brews like the Suicider, which blends cinnamon, allspice and cloves, and Cat Scratch Fever, which is infused with catnip and spicy jalapeños. In the winter, they serve hot cider. In the summer, they sell it frozen — like a margarita. Their new bar is located in the Bishop Arts District. It’s a narrow space, made cozy by gray walls, a golden-hued wood bar, soft lights and gleaming silver kegs.
Open Fridays from 6 p.m. to midnight, Saturdays from noon to midnight and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. 509 N. Bishop Ave., Suite C, Dallas. 214-364-7728. bishopcider.com.
Four Corners Brewing Co.
Manager Jonathan Colley explains the canning process while leading a brewery tour offered at the Four Corners Brewing Co. in Dallas Saturday September 27, 2014. (Andy Jacobsohn)
“To the world, Dallas has a lot of glitter,” George Esquivel says. Not so for Esquivel, co-founder of Four Corners Brewing Co. He grew up in Oak Cliff and sees Dallas less as a glitzy city and more as the good ol’ town where he was raised. When he and his two partners, Steve Porcari and Greg Leftwich, decided to open a brewery, they were determined it would have a neighborhood feel. They named the brewery after a street corner in Oak Cliff, and rather than topple a building and start from scratch, they chose to reuse a rundown warehouse in Trinity Groves, transforming it into an airy brewery with a classy tasting room. Four Corners has done a lot to bring craft beer to Dallas: the owners pushed the Dallas City Council to change zoning laws so breweries could open in the city (before that, they had to get a special-use permit). The brewery’s most popular beer: Local Buzz, named after the honeybees in Oak Cliff’s community gardens. The can has a giant yellow-and-black cartoon bee, typical of the pop art that adorns Four Corners. Opening a Four Corners beer can means taking off the entire top so you can “get your nose in there” for an aromatic experience wherever you are — out by the pool, floating down the river or lounging by the lake.
Tours are at noon or 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Free. Includes samples of beer. 423 Singleton Blvd., Dallas. 214-748-2739. fcbrewing.com.
Peticolas Brewing Co.
Visitors raise their glasses during a tour of Peticolas Brewing Company in Dallas on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014. (Jim Tuttle)
Michael Peticolas was a lawyer in Dallas when a friend asked him to invest in a brewery startup. Michael and his wife, Melissa Peticolas, were home brewers themselves, and so they wanted to help out. But then Michael got to thinking he’d rather be at home working with his family than at work. When Melissa asked him why they didn’t do this themselves, the answer seemed obvious. Peticolas Brewing Co. opened in 2011, making it one of the first in the fresh wave of craft breweries opening across North Texas. They transformed what used to be a warehouse in the Dallas Design District into a quirky, light-filled space, complete with a spiral staircase, foosball and air-hockey tables, and funky furniture constructed from leftover wooden pallets. What makes Peticolas beer distinct? No packaging. That’s right: the Peticolases don’t use bottles or cans. The beer goes straight from a keg in the cooler to the tap. This prevents oxygen pickup and heat from lowering the quality of the beer, Michael says. Their most popular brew: the Velvet Hammer, a red-brown ale that’s full and floral.
Tour the brewery on the first and third Saturday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m. $10. Cash only. Includes a glass and three wooden nickels to redeem for beer. Tour starts around 2. There will be food trucks to purchase snacks and bands jiving while you drink. 2026 Farrington St., Dallas. 214-234-7600. peticolasbrewing.com.
FireWheel Brewing Co.
“Life’s too short for bad beer.” So reads the slogan on the side of Brad Perkinson’s black pickup parked in front of FireWheel Brewing Co. Leaning against the window pane is a wooden wagon wheel. Triangular yellow and blue flags flap in the breeze above it. “We’re not Uptown,” Perkinson says. When Perkinson was laid off as a financial analyst, instead of searching for another job, he thought, “Why not open a brewery?” In 2012, that’s what he did. Perkinson didn’t have grandiose expectations; he just wanted to make beer. “It’s just a dude who has a buddy that he hired, so now it’s two dudes,” Perkinson says about the brewery as he sits on one of the tap room’s two couches. He’s drinking root beer — chocolate coconut root beer — which he says is a great attraction for the wives and kids who frequent the brewery (Perkinson also points out that it’s great mixed with rum). FireWheel’s other popular brew: StrIPA, a strawberry IPA that’s dark and sweet.
Open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Tours are at 12:30 and 2:30. They last around 15 minutes. $10. Cost includes a FireWheel pint glass or mason jar, and three tasting tickets. 2806 Lawing Lane, Rowlett. 972-807-3922. firewheelbrewing.com.
OTHER BREWERIES
We didn’t make it to a few of the participating breweries (some don’t have an open-to-the-public location yet), but here is some information on those.
Collective Brewing Project
Collective Brewing Project opened this year, when Mike Goldfuss decided to quit his job in New York City and brew beers in Fort Worth with his friend and business partner, Ryan Dale. While they’re turning a 1925 brick building in Fort Worth’s Near South Side neighborhood into a brewery and tap room, you can purchase their beers at several locations throughout the city.
To find out where their beers are sold, visit the “Locations” section on their website. 817-708-2914. collectivebrew.com.
Armadillo Ale Works
In the coming year, these guys will open up their new space in Denton. Meanwhile, their beers are made at Deep Ellum Brewing Co. and sold throughout North Texas. Their Brunch Money Imperial Golden Stout is especially popular. It’s an amber-colored beer brewed with coffee, cocoa and vanilla.
Find their beer with their online beer finder. 940-580-4446. armadilloaleworks.com.
Revolver Brewing
Located in the countryside near historic Granbury, this brewery cooks up beers with names like Mother’s Little Fracker and Blood and Honey. It’s one of the most popular breweries in North Texas.
Tours are Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. $10 for every person over 18. Admission includes a logo pint glass, beer tastings, live music and the tour. Arrive before 2 for four 8-ounce tastings. Arrive after 2 for two 8-ounce tastings. 5650 Matlock Road, Granbury. 817-668-6080. revolverbrewing.com.
Panther Island Brewing
This Fort Worth brewery is getting ready to open its location on the Trinity River. Until then, you can purchase its brews around North Texas. The brewery’s most popular beer is Allergeez, a light beer with a floral aroma and a touch of honey and chamomile.
To find where its beer is sold, check out the “Find it. Get it.” section on the website. 501 N. Main St., Fort Worth. 817-882-8121. pantherislandbrewing.com.
Shannon Brewing Co.
This brewery is located right on top of the bubbling spring that supplies water for its brews. Try out the popular Shannon Irish Red or Shannon Chocolate Stout, both with nicely caramelized sugars and a malty flavor.
Tap room and beer garden open Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m. Tours are Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. $10. Beer available for purchase. 818 N. Main St., Keller. 817-337-9892. shannonbrewing.com.
903 Brewers
Head over to 903 Brewers for a chill evening drinking beer and hanging with friends. There’s a beer garden outside and comfy chairs inside. The most popular brew? The Chosen One Coconut Ale, made by adding toasted coconut to the brew.
Tours are Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. Beer available for purchase during tours. Trivia on Tap every Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tap room opens at 5:30, and trivia starts at 6:30. Teams should have between four and six players. 1718 S. Elm St., Sherman. 214-243-8090. 903brewers.com.
Rabbit Hole Brewing
For authentic Kölsch beer, you’d have to go to Germany. But the next best bet may be Rabbit Hole Brewing, a wacky brewery out in Justin where Mike Modano’s 561 Kölsch-style ale is for sale. After tasting it, you might try Rapture Fusion Brown Ale, a brew that’s easily just as popular down the Rabbit Hole.
Tour the brewery and sample some beers on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. 608 Topeka Ave., Justin. 940-441-3528. rabbitholebrewing.com.
Cedar Creek Brewery
Cedar Creek Brewery specializes in session beers, drinkable brews that have a low alcohol content (around 4 percent or 5 percent) and balance the flavor of hops and malt. These are great for an enjoyable evening with family and friends.
Tap room is open Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. 244 E. Cedar Creek Parkway, Seven Points. 214-502-9795. cedarcreekbrewery.com.
Elizabeth Hamilton, staff writer
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