Behold the beer list for Untapped Fort Worth 2016

Image courtesy of CrowdSource.

Warning...this post is long. Really long. In fact, it might be the longest post I've ever published. But, that's OK I think, because it's literally all about beer. Untapped beer, to be exact. You know, the kind of beer that gets served at a certain beer and music festival that comes to North Texas twice every year.

Of course, being that it's spring, that means we're talking about Untapped Fort Worth. Now in its fourth year, the Fort Worth edition of Untapped returns to Panther Island Pavilion for its fermented brand of festivities on Saturday, June 11. With it comes list of over 300 beers from more than 80 breweries, half of which are from the Lone Star State.

Within "the list," as I've referred to Untapped unveilings in the past, you'll find close to 100 IPAs, 22 barrel-aged beers, 22 sour/wild ales and 20 ciders. You'll also notice that breweries that like Alamo, Big Bend, The Bruery and COOP Ale Works will be serving beers that are new to the North Texas market. And speaking of new, there are debut beers on the menu from the likes of Real Ale, Revolver and others, not to mention a collaboration beer concocted by Jester King and Tired Hands, as well as another involving Sierra Nevada and five other breweries. Heck, there's even a beer from North Peak that'll challenge you superstitious sorts with its 66.6 IBUs and an ABV of 6.66%.

Oh, and let's not forget, there's music involved in this thing too, with eight bands on the bill headlined by Built to Spill and Hayes Carll. They'll be joined by Grupo Fantasma, David Ramirez, Rayland Baxter, White Reaper, Bummer Vacation and The Hendersons for a day that will no doubt become 'Local Legend', and one that'll surely be worthy of a 'Staycation' in 'The Fort Worth' area.

Tickets for Untapped Fort Worth are on sale now (click here to purchase), with prices ranging from $35 for General Admission (concert only with beer sold separately) to $119 for the all-new Stout Package. The latter provides VIP early entry and access to the Untapped Clubhouse, which includes side stage views, upgraded restrooms, a private bar and complimentary food from Brewed, Chipotle, The Common Table and Malai Kitchen.

For more information on Untapped, visit the festival website at http://untapped-festival.com/ftw/, and for the most up-to-date beer list (i.e. in case of last-minute changes to what's shown below) go to http://untapped-festival.com/ftw/brews.

And now...the beer:

Rahr VIP Area – Ft Worth, TX

• Blonde Lager – Helles – 4.6%
• Pride of Texas – American Pale Ale – 5.8%
• The Fort Worth – American Pale Ale -4.5%
• Summertime Wheat – Hefeweizen – 5.5%
• Bucking Bock – Bock – 7.5%
• Texas Red – Vienna Lager – 4.7%
• Stormcloud IPA – India Pale Ale – 6%
• Ugly Pug – Schwarzbier – 4.75%

Karbach Love Street Lounge – Houston, TX

• Hopadillo – India Pale Ale – 6.6%
• Weekend Warrior – American Pale Ale – 5.5%
• Love Street – Kölsch – 4.9%
• Staycation – Wheat Ale – 4.8%
• Hop Delusion – Imperial IPA – 9%
• Weisse Versa – Wheat Ale – 5.2%

Alamo – San Antonio, TX

• Golden Ale – 5.5%
• Amber Lager – Vienna Lager – 5.5%
• Pilsner – Pilsener – 5.5%
• German Pale Ale – American Pale Ale – 5.5%
• Maibock – 6.9%

COOP Ale Works – Oklahoma City, OK

• Grapefruit F5 – India Pale Ale – 6.8%
• Alpha Hive – Imperial IPA – 8.25%
• Double Dry-hopped F5 – India Pale Ale – 6.8%
• Cherry DNR – Belgian Strong Ale – 10%
• Orange Beerius – Fruit Beer – 3.2%
• Spicy Hawaiian – American Pale Ale

Deep Ellum Silent Disco – Dallas, TX

• Deep Ellum IPA – India Pale Ale – 7%
• Neato Bandito – Vienna Lager – 6%
• Rye Pils – Pilsener – 4.6%
• Local Legend – Sweet Stout – 5.6%
• Numb Comfort – Barrel-Aged Barley Wine – 10.7%
• Easy Peasy IPA – Session IPA – 5.2%
• Dallas Blonde – Blonde Ale – 5.2%

Real Ale – Rio Blanco, TX

• Firemans #4 – Blonde Ale – 5.1%
• Hans’ Pils – Pilsener – 5.3%
• Devil's Backbone – Tripel – 8.1%
• 4-Squared – Blonde Ale – 7.2%
• 20^th Anniversary Ale – Imperial IPA – 9.5%
• Mysterium Verum: Four Horsemen – Barrel-Aged Quadrupel - 10%

Revolver - Granbury, TX

• Blood & Honey – Wheat Ale – 7%
• The Mandarin – American Pale Ale – 6%
• Land Grab Ale – Amber Ale – 6.4%
• Death Ray IPA – India Pale Ale – 7.7%
• Anodyne – Barley Wine – 9%
• Sangre y Miel – Wild Ale – 7%

Alaskan - Juneau, AK

• Amber - Altbier - 5.3%
• Summer Ale – Kölsch – 5.3%
• Icy Bay IPA – India Pale Ale – 6.2%
• White – Witbier – 5.3%
• Hopothermia – Imperial IPA – 8.5%
• Smoked Porter - Smoked – 6.5%

AleSmith – San Diego, CA

• IPA – India Pale Ale – 7.25%
• Nut Brown – Brown Ale – 5%
• Speedway Stout – Imperial Stout – 12%

Ballast Point – San Diego, CA

• Grunion – American Pale Ale – 5%
• California Kölsch – Kölsch – 5.2%
• Sculpin – India Pale Ale -7%
• Pineapple Sculpin – India Pale Ale – 7%
• Tongue Buckler – Imperial Red Ale – 10%
• Homework Series Batch #7 – Saison – 4.5%

Big Bend – Alpine, TX

• La Frontera – India Pale Ale – 7.8%
• Terlingua Gold – Blonde Ale – 6%
• Hefeweizen – German Hefeweizen – 5.6%
• Balmorhea – Berliner Weisse – 7.2%
• Texas Desert Bock SW15 – Rauchbier – 8%
• #22 Porter – Porter – 6.4%

The Bruery – Placentia, CA

• So Happens It’s Tuesday – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 14%
• Tart of Darkness – Wild Ale – 7.2%
• Jardinier – Belgian Ale -4.5%
• Saison Rue – Saison – 8.5%
• Gypsy Tart – Wild Ale – 8.4%
• Mischief – Belgian Strong Ale – 8.5%

Community Beer Co – Dallas, TX

• Texas Helles – Helles – 5%
• Mosaic IPA – Imperial IPA – 8.6%
• Witbier – Witbier – 5.2%
• Triple Yessir! – Imperial IPA – 12%
• Barrel-Aged Brett Inspiration – Barrel-Aged Belgian Strong Ale – 10.2%
• Barrel-Aged Legion – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 11.2%

Firestone Walker – Paso Robles, CA

• 805 – Blonde Ale – 4.7%
• Luponic Distortion – India Pale Ale – 5.9%
• Velvet Merlin – Stout – 5.5%
• Union Jack – India Pale Ale – 7.5%

Lakewood – Garland, TX

• Lion’s Share III – Barrel-Aged Old Ale – 9%
• Zomer Pils – Pilsener – 4.8%
• All Call – Kölsch – 5%
• The Temptress – Imperial Stout – 9.1%
• Hopochondria – India Pale Ale – 3.5%
• Red Wine Barrel Till & Toil – Barrel-Aged Saison – 8.2%

Odell – Fort Collins, CO

• Tree Shaker – Imperial IPA – 8%
• 90 Shilling – Scottish Ale – 5.3%
• IPA – India Pale Ale – 7%
• St. Lupulin – American Pale Ale – 6.5%
• The Meddler – Wild Ale – 8.9%
• Drumroll – American Pale Ale – 5.3%

Peticolas – Dallas, TX

• Black Curtains – Imperial Stout – 11%
• Sledge Hammer – American Strong Ale – 11.5%
• The Duke – Barley Wine – 12%
• It’s Always Something – Belgian Strong Ale – 9%
• Velvet Hammer – Imperial Red Ale – 9%
• Sit Down or I’ll Sit You Down – Imperial IPA – 10%
• Golden Opportunity – Kölsch – 4.6%

Rahr & Sons – Ft Worth, TX

• The Fort Worth – American Pale Ale – 4.5%
• Iron Thistle – Scotch Ale – 8.5%
• Bucking Bock – Bock – 7.5%
• Summertime Wheat – German Hefeweizen – 5.5%
• Ugly Pug – Schwarzbier – 4.75%
• Storm Cloud – India Pale Ale – 6%

Shannon – Keller, TX

• Irish Red – Irish Ale – 5.8%
• All American Blonde – Blonde Ale – 5.3%
• Chocolate Stout – Stout – 5.7%
• IPA – India Pale Ale – 5.6%
• Irish Cream Ale – Cream Ale – 5.5%
• Bohemian Lager – Pilsener – 5.2%

3 Nations – Farmers Branch, TX

• GPA – German Pale Ale – 5.2%
• Texas Gold – Cream Ale – 4.7%
• Coffee Bull’s Brown Ale – Brown Ale – 5.5%

903 Brewers - Sherman, TX

• Balcones Barrel-Aged Sasquatch – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 10.3%
• Dry-hopped Trot Line – Saison – 6.8%
• Land of Milk & Honey – Imperial Stout – 10%

Abita – Covington, LA

• Bourbon Street Rye Pale Ale – Barrel-Aged American Strong Ale – 9.5%
• Big Easy – India Pale Ale – 4.5%
• Amber Lager – Vienna Lager – 4.5%

ACE – Sebastopol, CA

• Perry – Cider – 5%
• Pineapple – Cider – 5%
• Joker – Cider – 6.9%

Angry Orchard – Cincinnati, OH

• Crisp – Cider- 5%
• Summer Honey – Cider – 5%
• Green Apple – Cider – 5%

Argus – Austin, TX

• Ciderkin – Cider – 4.5%
• Ginger Perry – Cider – 4.5%
• Stellar – Cider – 6.7%
• Perennial – Cider – 6.7%

Audacity – Denton, TX

• Cherry Bomb – Berliner Weisse - 3.5%
• Summer Nights – 5.54%
• Repercussions – Amber Ale – 6.44%

Austin Eastciders – Austin, TX

• Hopped Cider- Cider – 5%
• Texas Honey – Cider – 5%
• Pineapple Cider – Cider – 5%

Backcountry – Frisco, CO/Rowlett, TX

• Texas IPA – India Pale Ale – 6%
• Double IPA – Imperial IPA – 8.1%
• Imperial Saison – Saison – 9.2%

Bishop Cider – Dallas, TX

• Lilikoi – Cider – 6.5%
• Nectar – Cider – 6.5%
• Crackberry – Cider – 6%

Boulevard – Kansas City, MO

• The Calling – Imperial IPA – 8.5%
• Tank 7 – Saison – Saison – 8.5%
• Tell Tale Tart – Wild Ale – 6.2%

BrainDead – Dallas, TX

• Hammer of the Gods – Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter – 11%
• Bent de Garde – Barrel-Aged Biere de Garde – 8%
• BrainDead Red – Amber Ale – 6%
• Dry Hopped Wheat – Wheat Ale – 4.8%

Breckenridge – Breckenridge, CO

• Vanilla Porter – Porter – 4.7%
• SummerBright – Wheat Ale – Wheat Ale – 4.5%
• 471 IPA – Imperial IPA - 9.2%

Brooklyn – Brooklyn, NY

• Improved Old Fashioned – Barrel-Aged American Strong Ale – 12.8%
• Defender IPA – India Pale Ale – 6.7%
• Sorachi Ace – Saison – 7.6%
• Summer Ale – Golden Ale – 4.5%

Buffalo Bayou

• Selections TBD

Cobra – Lewisville, TX

• Conan Dank – Imperial IPA – 11.77%
• Best Mistake – Stout – 6.5%
• All Eyez on Me – Imperial Stout – 9.92%

Collective Brewing Project – Ft Worth, TX

• Plum Petite Golden Sour – Wild Ale – 4.5%
• Thunder Funk – Wild Ale – 5%
• American Sour Red – Wild Ale – 6.5%

Deschutes – Bend, OR

• Black Butte – Porter – 5.2%
• Hop Slice – India Pale Ale – 4.5%
• Armory XPA – American Pale Ale – 5.9%
• The Stoic – Barrel-Aged Quadrupel – 11%

Dogfish Head – Milton, DE

• 90 Minute – Imperial IPA – 9%
• Festina Peche – Berliner Weisse – 4.5%
• Namaste – Witbier – 5%
• Burton Baton – Oak-Aged Imperial IPA – 10%

Epic – Salt Lake City, UT/Denver, CO

• Tart & Juicy IPA – India Pale Ale – 4.5%
• Brainless on Peaches – Belgian Strong Ale – 11.5%
• Elder Brett – Wild Ale – 8.8% (collaboration w/ Crooked Stave)

Founders – Grand Rapids, MI

• Mosaic Promise – India Pale Ale – 5.5%
• Centennial IPA – India Pale Ale – 7.2%
• Rübæus – Fruit Beer – 5.7%
• Sumatra Mountain Brown Ale – Brown Ale – 9.2%

Four Corners – Dallas, TX

• El Super Bee – Saison – 8%
• Santana Ray Equinox Lager – 5.3%
• Heart O’ Texas – Amber Ale – 6.2%

Franconia – McKinney, TX

• Maibock – Heller Bock – 7.09%
• Pils – Pilsener – 4.8%
• Tripel Dunkel – Belgian Strong Ale – 10.4%
• World Tour Belgium Ale – 6.2%

Full Sail – Hood River, OR

• ­Blood Orange – Fruit Beer – 5.2%
• Slipknot IPA – India Pale Ale – 7.2%
• Cascade Pilsner – Pilsener – 6%
• Bourbon Wheatwine – Barrel-Aged Barley Wine – 12%

Funkwerks – Fort Collins, CO

• Nelson Sauvin – Saison – 7.5%
• Raspberry Provincial – Wild Ale – 4.2%
• Saison – Saison – 6.8%

Grapevine Craft Brewery – Grapevine, TX

• Brewer’s Reserve Double IPA – Imperial IPA – 8.5%
• Monarch Pils – Pilsener – 5.2%
• Lakefire – American Pale Ale – 5.5%
• Sir William’s English Brown – Brown Ale – 4.9%

Green Flash - San Diego, CA

• Sea to Sea – Lager - 4%
• Passion Fruit Kicker – Fruit Beer – 5.5%
• Natura Morta Boysenberry – Wild Ale – 6.5%
• Alpine Nelson – India Pale Ale – 7%
• Alpine Duet – India Pale Ale – 7%

Independence – Austin, TX

• Redbud – Berliner Weisse – 4.2%
• Stash IPA – India Pale Ale – 7%
• Power & Light – American Pale Ale – 5.5%

Jester King, Austin, TX

• Biere de Syrah – Wild Ale – 7.3%
• Fantôme Del Ray – Saison – 8% (collaboration w/ Fantôme)
• Cloudfeeder – Wild Ale – 3.8% (collaboration w/ Tired Hands)
• Hibernal Dichotomous – Wild Ale – 5%

Jolly Pumpkin – Dexter, MI

• iO Saison – Saison - 6.8%
• Biere de Mars – Biere de Garde – 5.8%
• North Peak Diabolical IPA – India Pale Ale – 6.66%
• North Peak Majestic Wheat – Wheat Ale - 5.5%

Karbach – Houston, TX

• Bourbon Barrel Hellfighter – Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter – 10.8%
• Hop Delusion – Imperial IPA – 9%
• KR&D India Pale Lager – 5.97%
• Staycation – Wheat Ale – 4.8%

Lagunitas – Petaluma, CA/Chicago, IL

• IPA – India Pale Ale – 6.2%
• Undercover Investigation Shut-Down – American Strong Ale – 9.75%
• Lucky 13 – American Strong Ale – 8.56%
• Aunt Sally – Wild Ale – 5.7%

Lazy Magnolia – Kiln, MS

• Jeeze Louise – American Pale Ale – 5.5%
• Southern Pecan – Brown Ale – 4.5%
• 10 – American Strong Ale – 10%

Left Hand – Longmont, CO

• Good Juju – Spice/Herb – 4.5%
• Milk Stout Nitro - Sweet Stout – 6%
• Wake Up Dead Nitro – Imperial Stout – 10.2%

Leinenkugels – Chippewa Falls, WI

• Summer Shandy – Shandy – 4.2%
• Grapefruit Shandy – Shandy – 4.2%
• BeerGarTen Tart – Berliner Weisse – 4.8%

Malai Kitchen – Southlake, TX

• ThaiPA – India Pale Ale – 7%
• 3C Porter – Porter – 6.4%
• Oaked Golden Triangle – Saison – 7%

Martin House – Fort Worth, TX

• Cellarman’s Reserve IPA – India Pale Ale – 7%
• Salty Lady – Gose – 5%
• Oatmeal Hef – German Hefeweizen – 5.4%

Merchant du Vin - Various

• Lindemans Faro – Lambic – 4.5%
• Lindemans Peche – Lambic – 2.5%
• Westmalle Tripel – Tripel – 9.5%
• Samuel Smith Organic Pale Ale – ESP – 5%

New Belgium – Fort Collins, CO/Asheville, NC

• Fat Tire – Amber Ale – 5.2%
• Juicy Mandarina – India Pale Ale – 6.5%

New Holland – Holland, MI

• Mad Hatter – India Pale Ale – 5.25%
• White Hatter – Belgian Ale – 5.5%
• Dragon’s Milk – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 11%

Nine Band – Allen, TX

• Blue Lacy – Brown Ale – 6%
• Cactus Cat – Kölsch – 5.2%
• Hoop Snake – German Hefeweizen – 5.3%
• 28^th State Stout – Stout – 5.6%

Ninkasi – Eugene, OR

• Maiden the Shade – India Pale Ale – 6.8%
• Hop Cooler – India Pale Ale – 7.2%
• Barrel-Aged Ground Control – Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 10%

Noble Rey – Dallas, TX

• Bridesmaid’s Tears – Saison – 6.6%
• Steam Punk – California Common – 5.4%
• Golden Rey – German Hefeweizen – 5.9%

Oak Highlands – Dallas, TX

• Golden Mustache – Dortmunder – 5.5%
• Chump Change – Saison – 9.8%
• Freaky Deaky – Tripel – 10%

Oasis – Austin, TX

• Luchesa – Zwickel – 4.8%
• Meta Modern – India Pale Ale – 4.5%
• Pub Series – Zwickelbier - 5%

Ommegang – Cooperstown, NY

• Seven Kingdoms – Belgian Ale – 6.9%
• Rosetta – Fruit Beer – 5.6%
• Three Philosophers – Quadrupel – 9.7%
• Fleur De Houblon – Belgian Ale – 6.8%

Oskar Blues – Longmont, CO/Brevard, NC/Austin, TX

• Dale’s Pale Ale – American Pale Ale - 6.5%
• Pinner – India Pale Ale – 4.9%
• Beerito – Vienna Lager – 4%
• Gubna – Imperial IPA – 10%

Panther Island – Ft Worth, TX

• Red Bandit – American Pale Ale – 5%
• Creamweaver – Cream Ale – 7.4%
• Summageez – Wheat Ale – 5.7%

Pedernales – Fredericksburg, TX

• TX Hop Bomb – India Pale Ale – 7.5%
• Robert Earl Keen Honey Pils – Pilsener – 5%
• Lobo Negro – Dunkel – 5.5%

Rabbit Hole – Justin, TX

• Rapture – Brown Ale – 6.4%
• 10/6 – English Pale Ale – 6.5%
• Wonderlust – Saison – 5.5%

Saint Arnold – Houston, TX

• Icon Gold Honey Saison – Saison
• Art Car IPA – India Pale Ale – 7.2%
• 5 O’clock Pils – Pilsener – 5.2%
• Boiler Room Brett w/ Raspberries – Berliner Weisse – 3.8%
• Bishops Barrel #12 – Barrel-Aged Old Ale – 8.9%

Sam Adams – Boston, MA

• Nitro White – Wheat Ale – 5.5%
• Grapefruit Rebel – India Pale Ale – 6.3%
• KMF Grand Cru – Wild Ale – 6.4%

Shiner – Shiner, TX

• Prickly Pear – Fruit Beer – 4.9%
• Strawberry Blonde – Fruit Beer – 4.3%
• Ruby Redbird – Spiced Ale – 4.2%

Sierra Nevada – Chico, CA/Mills River, NC

• Pale Ale – American Pale Ale – 5.6%
• Otra Vez – Gose – 4.5%
• Sweet Sunny South – Saison – 4.9% (collaboration w/ Austin Beerworks, Bayou Teche, Creature Comforts, Funky Buddha, & Wicked Weed)
• Barrel-Aged Bigfoot – Barrel-Aged Barley Wine – 11.6%

Small Town – Wauconda, IL

• Not Your Father’s Rootbeer – Spiced Ale – 5.9%
• Not Your Father’s Ginger Ale – Spiced Ale – 5.9%

Southern Tier – Lakewood, NY

• Tangier – India Pale Ale – 4.6%
• Crème Brûlée – Imperial Stout – 9.6%
• Choklat - Imperial Stout – 11%

Stone – Escondido, CA

• Citrusy Wit – Witbier – 5.3%
• Delicious IPA – India Pale Ale – 7.7%
• Go To IPA – India Pale Ale – 4.5%
• Mocha IPA – India Pale Ale – 9%

Texas Ale Project – Dallas, TX

• 50 Ft Jackrabbit – India Pale Ale – 7%
• The Caucasian – Imperial Stout – 9%
• 100 Million Angels Singing – Imperial IPA – 9.2%

Traveler – Burlington, VT

• Curious Traveler – Shandy – 4.4%
• Grapefruit Shandy – Shandy – 4.4%
• IPA Shandy – Shandy – 4.4%

Tupps – McKinney, TX

• Ooo LaLa – Stout – 7.9%
• For Ella – Imperial IPA – 8.9%
• Raspberry Shade – Stout – 5.7%

Unibroue – Chambly, CA

• Ephemere Apple – Fruit Beer – 5.5%
• La Resolution – Spiced Ale – 10%
• La Fin Du Monde – Tripel – 9%

Upslope – Boulder, CO

• Craft Lager – Lager – 4.8%
• India Pale Ale – India Pale Ale – 7.2%
• Belgian Style Pale Ale – Belgian Ale – 7.5%
• Thai Style White IPA – India Pale Ale – 6.5%

Victory – Downingtown, PA

• Vital IPA – India Pale Ale – 6.5%
• Cage Radler – Shandy – 2.7%
• Prima Pils – Pilsener – 5.3%
• Summer Love – Golden Ale – 5.2%

Woodchuck – Middlebury, VT

• Amber – Cider – 5%
• Summer – Cider – 5%
• Day Chaser – Cider – 5.5%

The Pub

• Alaskan Jalapeno Imperial IPA – Imperial IPA – 8.5%
• Deep Ellum Cherry Chocolate Double Brown Stout – Baltic Porter – 8%
• Community Legion – Imperial Stout – 10%
• Odell Prop! Culture – Saison – 7.1%
• Saint Arnold Elissa IPA – India Pale Ale – 6.6%
• Real Ale Rio Blanco Pale Ale – English Pale Ale – 5.2%
• Deschutes Chainbreaker – India Pale Ale – 5.6%
• Ace Pineapple – Cider – 5%

Can Stand

• Deep Ellum IPA – India Pale Ale – 7%
• Karbach Love Street – Kölsch – 4.9%
• Founders All Day IPA – India Pale Ale – 4.7%
• Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale – American Pale Ale – 6.5%
• Real Ale Firemans #4 – Golden Ale – 5.1%

InBev Tent

• Blue Point Toasted Lager – Amber Lager – 5.5%
• Elysian Space Dust IPA – India Pale Ale – 8.2%
• 10 Barrel Joe IPA – 6.8%
• Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout – Barrel-aged Imperial Stout – 14.2%

Hemisphere shaping up for summer debut in Rockwall

All images © Brian Brown/Beer In Big D.

A year ago at this time, Rockwall was a Dallas suburb without a brewery. In a matter of weeks, though, the city's brewery count will be two after the long-awaited arrival of Hemisphere Brewing Co.

Ask founders Ruben Garcia and Brandon Mullins about their journey, and the first response is likely to be a sigh and a shake of the head. It's taken them five years to get to this point, with seemingly one obstacle after another getting in the way. And, while they've settled on Rockwall as Hemisphere's home, the path to opening their brewery actually began in another city.

"We originally planned to open in Richardson, but for a variety of reasons it just didn't work out," says Mullins. "Here in Rockwall, though, things seemed to fall in place a little easier and we felt like there was some amount of progress right away."

Yet, despite closing on the brewery's location in 2014, it's taking them another two years to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Part of the reason is that they are handling renovations to the interior and exterior of the structure themselves, while another is simply a matter of working through city and county requirements like anyone else.

That's why, even now, they aren't ready to commit to an opening date beyond saying that'll be early summer. Another factor is that pesky licensing process, which for them is now nothing more than a waiting game, but as soon as that completes they'll fire up the brewhouse and start building up a stock of beer.

On that note, Hemisphere will be working with a combination of equipment obtained from 903 Brewers in Sherman and the now-defunct Texas Big Beer Brewery of Buna. The brewery will employ a four-barrel system for production, with the operation being draft-only for the time being. Packaging is something that's in the long-term plan, but at least initially, Hemisphere will spend its time and resources on building the brand and getting beer to market by way of draft accounts.

Hemisphere's 3200 square foot building feels bigger than it is, thanks in part to the three large retractable
doors that open to the front. An additional door will lead to an outdoor beer garden in the back.

Product-wise, Hemisphere will launch with six beers, though which styles will be available on opening day has yet to be decided. Garcia and Mullins are hoping to differentiate by offering types of beer that may be under-represented as part of their portfolio, which will otherwise remain flexible with no hard and fast rules as to how long any given beer will be made available.

"We'll have an IPA and other approachable styles," says Mullins, "but we also plan to take advantage of our small-scale system to do a lot of experimentation. With that, we'll reserve one or two handles in the taproom for brewery exclusives and recipes where we'll be looking for consumer feedback to help decide if something is worthy of wide release. Beyond that, we may or may not have year-round beers, it just depends on consumer demand."

The creativity aspect, in fact, is what got Garcia and Mullins interested in opening a brewery in the first place. Both are musicians who've been homebrewing for about 10 years, and from time spent doing both, they see a philosophical parallel between the art of making music and the art of making beer. So, as they see it, the brewing process represents another way to express themselves.

"There are layers to a song just like there are layers to a beer," explains Garcia. "And, in both cases, it's all about putting all the pieces together and coming up with a great finished product. Whether it's beer or music, you want to be proud of what you make and you want to share the passion that went into it with others."

"Plus, for us it's that constant need for a creative outlet," adds Mullins. "It kind of goes along with the idea of idle hands when you get right down to it. When we're not writing music, we want to be making beer."

Regarding Hemisphere's location, the company's 3200 square foot building sits right across the street from Woodcreek Brewing Co., which should make the spot a destination for anyone looking to drink local beer in Rockwall. Of course, being located on the far eastern edge of the Metroplex also means trying to find ways to get people from Dallas and beyond to want to come out for a visit, but that's something the founders are keeping in mind as they design the space.

"Whether you're having a beer at the bar, or hanging out in the beer garden we'll create out back, we want the space to have a relaxed, chill vibe," says Mullins. "I mean, if you're going to make the drive, it outta be worth the trip. So, hopefully we're able to create an atmosphere that makes people want to stay a while."

As alluded to above, federal (TTB) and state (TABC) licenses are still pending for Hemisphere, but once obtained the brewery expects to be open for regular taproom hours, both on select nights during the week and on weekends.


Hemisphere Brewing Co.
2015 Kristy Lane
Rockwall

A lucky man drank the last brunch at Brew Riot

Image credit: Go Oak Cliff/Dowdy Studios.

At least here in North Texas, there aren't many beer-centric events that can lay claim to having been around since before the current craft beer boom got started. In fact, given that we're talking about anything that debuted prior to say 2011, you don't even need whole handful of fingers to count the few that qualify for such a characterization.

Were we to make a list, we'd find that one of those in question has to do with a bunch of knurds and some kind of feast, while a couple of others are built around the amateur brewer in all of us. Indeed, homebrewing competitions like The Bluebonnet Brew-Off and Brew Riot are among the longest-running industry-related events in our history. But, that sort of makes sense if you think about it, considering that the craft beer movement has its origins in the homebrewing community. If not for homebrewers seeking to make a better brand of beer than what was being offered by the "big three", we probably wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place.

As for Brew Riot, this year marked the eighth annual edition of an event that has called the Bishop Arts District home from the time of its inception in 2009. Since then, many brewers have taken their skills to the next level after having first sampled their beers from behind a booth at this popular beer festival. Four Corners traces its history back to Brew Riot number one, while later years have seen pre-opening samples being poured from the likes of Peticolas, Lakewood and others. In 2015 alone, three alumni made the jump to the professional ranks, with Oak Highlands, Noble Rey and On Rotation opening new breweries last year.

So, who's next? Well, as of now, we know that The Manhattan Project will begin production in October after entering into a joint proprietorship with Bitter Sisters in Addison. We also know that Steam Theory plans to open on Lower Greenville later this year, adding their name to the roster of brewpubs that make their home in the City of Dallas.

Beyond that, though, it's anybody's guess. Maybe it'll be long-time participants like Grotto, Knowles Brothers, Mossberg or Mox Nix. Or perhaps it'll be someone we aren't as familiar with like The Fort or Dirty Job. Then again, it could be a group like Oak Cliff Brewing. They came out of nowhere in early May with sights set on a location, only to be derailed because of something to do with a sewer line.

In any case, it's fun to speculate about who among Brew Riot participants might be the next North Texas brewer, and better yet whether something they served might one day be the next great North Texas beer. And, at least for me, that in a nutshell is what keeps me coming back to Brew Riot year after year.


A few favorites from this year's event:

Knowles Brothers Lucky Skott Drunk on Woodford: Count yourself lucky if you got a taste of this wee heavy aged in whiskey barrels from Woodford Reserve. Sweet, warm, boozy, good.

Manhattan Project Plutonium 239: Named for the primary fissile isotope used to make nuclear weapons, this coconut porter (or was it a stout?) displayed great balance between the sweetness of the toasted coconut and the bitterness of the dark malt-based grain bill.

Mossberg Whiskey Drank: It can't be a bad thing when you keep changing your mind about what beer you think might be the best you've ever had from a particular brewer. This time around it was Whiskey Drank that got my attention from Mossberg, with barrel aging adding a wonderful natural vanilla character to the sour brown base.

The Seventh Tap - The Last Brunch: A big breakfast stout (12% ABV) that led with rich notes of maple syrup, followed by flavors cinnamon, dark chocolate and vanilla.


Also notable: Bleshoux Golden Stout, Dallas Homebrew Collective Pilsner, East Dallas Black Honey Ale, Grotto Experimental IPA, Mox Nix Texas Breakfast Stout, The Seventh Tap Faux, Trunk and Commerce #16 Brett IPA.

Two new cans coming from Texas Ale Project

100 Million Angels Singing recalls lyrics from the Johnny Cash song "The Man Comes Around," while
Payne Pils is a reference the brewery's location at the corner of Payne St. and Riverfront Blvd. (Texas Ale Project)

Like many breweries have done in recent history, Texas Ale Project opted to go the mobile canning route when it made the decision to offer its products in cans for the first time in November 2015. The idea, of course, being that the convenience of the mobile option allows a brewery to get packaged beer on the market without having to pay the upfront cost of an in-house canning line.

For T.A.P., though, the purchase of something more permanent was always in the long-term plan. And now, with the delivery and installation of a new canning line in April, not only is it a plan that has come to fruition, it's also one that means more packaged products are in store for fans of the Dallas-based brewery.

First off the line will be T.A.P.'s year-round double IPA, 100 Million Angels Singing (9.2% ABV, 100 IBU), with cans appearing on shelves in mid-May. Brewed with Simcoe and other hop varieties, the beer's "smooth, yet robust hop profile...offers notes of pine, resin and citrus."

Following that this summer, the brewery will can Payne Pils (5.5% ABV, 31 IBU), a Czech-style pilsner that fits the mold of a Zwickelbier in that it's served unfiltered. The beer, which was first introduced at T.A.P.'s first anniversary party, is the first lager to come out of the brewery and one that's crafted in a traditional manner with a recipe consisting of Pilsen malt and Czech Saaz hops.

According to a press release, the new canned offerings will be available for purchase in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton and the newly-added Johnson County. A launch party for 100 Million Angels Singing is also in the works, with that event to be held at the brewery on May 27.

Manhattan Project to share space with Bitter Sisters

Image Credit: The Manhattan Project Beer Company.

A name familiar to many in the homebrewing community, The Manhattan Project Beer Company has revealed that it will begin commercial production in October 2016.

Karl and Misty Sanford first teamed up with fellow founder Jeremy Brodt in 2010. At the time, the goal was simply to design a special beer for Karl & Misty's wedding, but after working together the group found it had a unique sort of synergy that led it to formally establish The Manhattan Project in 2013. Since then, the trio has gone on to win over 25 awards at local, regional and national homebrew competitions for both Belgian and American-style brews, including a version of the beer that started it all, a Belgian-American brown ale known today as Inception.

As for how The Manhattan Project will get its beer on the market, the company has entered into an alternating proprietorship with Bitter Sisters Brewing Company. Like other similar agreements, this essentially means the two companies with both be licensed to brew at the facility presently occupied by Bitter Sisters in Addison.

Of course, this won't all happen for another few months, but that doesn't mean you can't get a taste of what the company is all about a little sooner. The Manhattan Project plans on offering free samples of its products at events around the city between now and October, with one chance occurring this Sunday, May 15, at Brew Riot in the Bishop Arts District.

For more information on The Manhattan Project, follow the company on social media (Facebook, Twitter) or visit its website at www.manhattanproject.beer.

A fruit beer comes to fruition at Grapevine

Image courtesy of Grapevine Craft Brewery.

A product nearly four years in the making, Grapevine Craft Brewery has announced the release of its first fruit beer in the form of Prickly Pear Wheat.

The creation of head brewer, Jonny Daylett, Prickly Pear Wheat has a bit of history around the homebrewing community. As far back as 2012, a version of the beer known as The Pear Necessities made the rounds at events under the umbrella of the Daylett Brew Company. Later, Daylett and the beer's recipe would become part of the plans behind Frisco City Grainworks, a startup slated to open in late 2014. When that didn't happen, Daylett made his eventual move to Grapevine, where the beer will now live on as a limited commercial release.

As for what consumers can expect, Prickly Pear Wheat is brewed with real fruit puree to give it a "vibrant and striking magenta color." It's a beer of moderate strength, given an ABV of 6.1%, and one the brewery says is "summer drinking at its finest."

According to a press release, Prickly Pear Wheat will be available on draft and in six-packs of 12-ounce cans beginning in June. Additional limited offerings will follow, including Tropical Double IPA with Blood Orange and Mango (draft and package), and Brewers' Reserve Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse (draft only).

Bitter Sisters, Deep Ellum and Oak Highlands win medals at 2016 WBC

Image credit: Brewers Association.

Billed as "The Most Prestigious Beer Competition in the World," the 2016 edition of the World Beer Cup has come to a close with three North Texas breweries among the award winners.

Put on by the Brewers Association, the World Beer Cup was first held in 1996 and it differs from the Great American Beer Festival in that it only occurs once every two years, and the competition welcomes entries from all over the world. This year, 1907 breweries from 55 countries entered 6596 beers in 96 different categories. A pool of 253 judges ranked the beers, with the panel consisting of internationally recognized brewers, consultants, industry suppliers and writers.

The list of award-winning beers from North Texas is given below, and it's worth noting that Deep Ellum Brewing Company has now brought home back-to-back medals from the World Beer Cup for its Belgian quad, Four Swords (for a historical chronicle of North Texas winners at the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, click the GABF/WBC award winners tab at the top of the page).

Bitter Sisters Brewery

• Gold for Hissy Fit in the German-Style Märzen category.

Deep Ellum Brewing Company

• Silver for Four Swords in the Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale category.

Oak Highlands Brewery

• Silver for Chump Change in the Other Belgian-Style Ale category.

Cheers and congratulations to all!

Click here for a complete list of 2016 winners.

Click here for the 2016 WBC Fact Sheet.

Big Bend set to launch in North Texas next week

All images the property of Big Bend Brewing Co.

Just shy of a year after first expanding its distribution footprint to include areas around Austin, Big Bend Brewing Company of Alpine is now ready to launch its West Texas-inspired brand of beer here in North Texas.

Beginning the week of May 9, FullClip Craft Distributors will begin deliveries of Big Bend brews to draft accounts around the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Initial shipments will be limited to kegs, with packaged products arriving on retail shelves around mid-June.

Tejas Lager, the brewery's flagship beer, as well as other year-round and seasonal selections will be available locally.

Once on the market, consumers can expect to find all five of Big Bend's year-round offerings, including Tejas Lager, Big Bend Hefeweizen, La Frontera IPA, Number 22 Porter and Terlingua Golden Ale, as well as the brewery's latest seasonal, Balmorhea Imperial Berliner Weisse.

To help introduce Big Bend to North Texas, brewery representatives will be on hand for a series of official kick-off events, the first of which will be held on Thursday, May 12. Details on that and other festivities to follow are provided below.

Thursday, May 12

• Taps & Caps, Lewisville - 5-8 p.m. - Meet the Brewer with Director of Beer Operations, Jan Matysiak.
• The Rustic, Dallas - 8-10 p.m. - Big Bend Launch Party.

Friday, May 13

• Magnolia Motor Lounge, Ft. Worth - 4-7 p.m. - Big Bend Brewing Co. Happy Hour.
• Reata Restaurant, Ft. Worth - 5-7 p.m. - Big Bend brews on the rooftop.

Saturday, May 14

• Katy Trail Ice House, Dallas/Plano - 10 a.m. - Big Bend beers featured throughout the day.

For more information on the brewery and its beers, visit Big Bend's website at: http://www.bigbendbrewing.com.

Smithsonian launching initiative to document brewing history

Image credits: Smithsonian, Brewers Association.

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has announced the launch of a three-year initiative to collect, document and preserve the history of brewing, craft brewing and the beer industry to explore how beer and brewing connects to larger themes in American History.

This effort, which is part of the "Smithsonian Food History" project, is being made possible through a donation from the Brewers Association. The work will seek to examine beer's connection to significant social, cultural, economic and environmental movements across the country, as well as how the beverage ties in to different aspects of advertising, agriculture, innovation, business and community life.

"Brewing has a long and deep connection to our country's history, and the museum's collections explore the history of beer from the late 19th to early 20th centuries," said John Gray, director of the museum. "The Support of the Brewers Association allows our staff to collect the more recent history, including the impact of small and independent craft brewers who continue to advance the U.S. beer culture and inspire brewers worldwide."

Museum staff have researched and documented American food and beverage history for more than two decades and will work with the Brewers Association, American brewers and beer historians to document and collect the stories of the modern industry. The museum currently houses several small, but important collections dating from the 1870-1960s, but as American brewing continues to expand in scope, scale and impact, the museum is uniquely positioned to collect new industry material for the future benefit of scholars, researchers and the public.

"The craft brewing revolution in American has had a profound social, cultural and economic impact on this country," said Bob Pease, president and CEO of the Brewers Association. "America is a beer destination. We are honored to support this effort and work with the National Museum of American History to chronicle and showcase the significant achievements small and independent brewers have made throughout this nation's history."

For more information on the initiative and a link to the museum's digital collections relating to beer history, visit http://s.si.edu/BrewHistory.