Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Oak Cliff Brewing offering 99 years of free beer

Image courtesy of Oak Cliff Brewing Co.

Once the doors open at Oak Cliff Brewing Co. in Dallas, its founders will have worked to establish a new brewery in one of Dallas' oldest neighborhoods. And while their families have called the area home since the 1950s, Oak Cliff Brewing isn't just about producing a hometown brand of beer. It's about making new memories and creating a gathering place for the surrounding community.

As for where the scene will be set, the brewery will be part of a co-working village called Tyler Station. The development is located at 1300 S. Polk St., in a historic building that once housed the Dixie Wax Paper Co. Built in the 1920s, the 110,000 square foot structure is being re-purposed to support a variety of business types. Oak Cliff Brewing will occupy 14,000 square feet of that space, with the remaining real estate being open to retail, creative and small-scale manufacturing outfits willing to join the collective.

Looking to aid in the revitalization effort, Oak Cliff Brewing has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Idiegogo. According to co-founder Joel Denton, himself a third-generation Oak Cliff native, the bulk of the money raised through the campaign will go directly towards the restoration of the building. The campaign has a flexible goal of $60,000, and it will fund regardless of the final tally, but the amount of money brought in will determine how well the group is able to realize its vision at the outset.

"The success of the campaign will somewhat impact the finish of the taproom," says Denton. "We're prepared to open no matter what, but reaching our goal will enable us to do all the things we want to in the space."

Potential supporters will notice that the perks offered by the campaign don't follow the usual recipe. There aren't any stickers, pint glasses or other swag-like items to be had. Instead, the company has designed a set of rewards that offer contributors a more meaningful buy-in.

"We're doing this for the beer, to bring people together, and to share it with them...and that's the focus of the campaign," explains Denton. "We wanted to offer perks that drive that vision, that incentivize people to come to Oak Cliff, and that hopefully provide some real value in return for the contribution."

One perk sure to get people's attention is the offer of "99 Years of Free Beer." Essentially a free beer for life promotion, Denton was emboldened to run with the idea after seeing it offered by others in the industry, most recently by Saint Arnold Brewing Co. of Houston.

"It's sort of a reference to the old '99 bottles of beer on the wall' song," says Denton. "Initially, we were going to do presales of taproom pints, with the biggest quantity allowed being 99 pints. But, since we aren't licensed yet, we can't actually sell beer. The TABC is fine with me giving it away, so I decided to just go with free beer."

Details on how to get free beer for 99 years, as well as more on the story behind Oak Cliff Brewing Co., can be found by clicking here to visit the campaign's website. The fundraising drive will go on for one month, after which the founders will hit the ground running in hopes of getting the brewery and taproom open by March 2018.



Stay up-to-date with developments at the brewery by following Oak Cliff Brewing Co. on Facebook and Twitter.

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