Monday, April 17, 2017

Pegasus City ready to take flight in Dallas

Pegasus City's logo draws inspiration from the iconic "Flying Red Horse" that
originally sat atop the roof of the city's Magnolia Hotel (© Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

It's been over 20 months since a new brewery opened in the City of Dallas, but that ever so slight lull ended last week with the start of operations at Pegasus City Brewery.

Located steps away from the western border of the Design District, Pegasus City is the brainchild of Chris Weiss and the husband-and-wife team of Will and Adrian Cotten. All three reside in The Cedars, which is where the trio first hatched the idea to start a brewery in late 2014. The catalyst, according to Weiss, being that The Cedars is a neighborhood somewhat bereft when it comes to craft beer.

"Our local liquor store basically stocked the kind of beer that comes in 40-ounce, single serving cans," says Weiss. "You might find a few selections from the larger, more well-known craft brands like New Belgium or Sierra Nevada, but that was about it. So, for us, brewing was a way to bring better beer to our community."

Left: Back behind bright tanks and a line of fermenters sits Pegasus City's two-vessel, 15-barrel brewhouse (© Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Right: Pegasus City branding features an Art Deco design motif. The style choice pays homage to key moments in Dallas history that occurred during Art Deco's heyday in the 1920s and 1930s. That time period encompasses both the installation of the iconic Pegasus at the Magnolia in 1934, and the expansion of Fair Park (which was said to have been transformed into an Art Deco showcase) ahead of the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936 (© Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Along those lines, the original intent was to open Pegasus City in The Cedars, but finding the right kind of real estate at an affordable price just wasn't in the cards. Yet, while the brewery may have ultimately ended up in Dallas, a connection to where the business got its start is something the partners will look to maintain. In fact, the brewery's "porch-approved" tagline speaks directly to the company's roots.

"The apartment complex where we live has a spot that's nicknamed the 'back porch,'" explains Weiss. "We would be out there brewing and friends and family would stop by and try our beers. They seemed to appreciate them, which is how the 'porch-approved' slogan got its start."

Production samples of (left-to-right) Highpoint Porch Ale, Cannonball Bold Amber and Sixth Floor
Easy Porter were highly-drinkable with a smooth finish (© Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Naturally, recipes graduating from porch to production are what make up Pegasus City's core lineup, which consists of five beers: Sixth Floor Easy Porter, Cannonball Bold Amber (pending a name change), Highpoint Porch Ale, Texican Black Lager and Nine Volt Tripel. Seasonals are in the works as well, but they won't be doled out like they are at other breweries.

"We're going for a non-traditional seasonal calendar," says Weiss. "We'll be releasing beers on holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. But, we're not doing anything Christmas-y (i.e. a spiced beer), we're not doing anything with cherry or chocolate for Valentine's Day, and we won't have any kind of pumpkin beer...at all!"

Pegasus City will also dabble a bit in barrel aging, but taking a dip in the sour beer pool isn't something that's in the immediate plans. Overall, consumers should anticipate a line of easy-drinking beers that may feature a twist or two when compared to classic styles.

As for when you'll be able to enjoy Pegasus City beers on your own porch, Weiss expects the brewery to be canning its beers within two months. In the meantime, look for Pegasus City products to be tapped at select accounts in the coming days. Beer will also be made available in the brewery's taproom, which Weiss says will be open six days a week (hours and an opening day are still to be determined). Beyond that, larger on-premise events will occur roughly monthly, once the proper permits are in place.


Pegasus City Brewery (Web, Facebook, Twitter)
2222 Vantage Street
Dallas

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for coming to the brewery to meet everyone. We had a great time and look forward to seeing you again. As always, more to come soon.

    Cheers,

    Adrian, Will and Chris

    ReplyDelete