Local pours and more for your World Cup watch party

Image credits: FIFA, Maple Branch Craft Brewery, Texas Ale Project, Lakewood Brewing Co.,
Peticolas Brewing Co., Four Corners Brewing Co., HopFusion Ale Works, Community Beer Co., Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.

A rather fantastical football event is on the horizon for North America, with North Texas playing a role as well. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be contested by 48 teams from around the world at venues located in Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 until the World Cup Final on July 19.

In the span of those 39 days, there will be 104 matches, with nine taking place in Arlington at AT&T Stadium, or what will be called Dallas Stadium for the duration of the event.

Area bars, breweries and restaurants are gearing up for the festivities with plans to be open for special hours in order to show the games. There will be watch parties, there will be themed merchandise and, of course, there will be beer.

A list of what sort of beer and swag you can expect to find at local breweries is provided below. And keep in mind we're talking about a sportsball event going on in the dead of summer in Dallas, which means the bulk of the internationally-inspired offerings are sessionable beers, being lagers or light-bodied ales. Also, most are available on draft or in cans. 

As for watch parties and special events, some gatherings will be added to the events page, but for the most up-to-date details, it'll be best to keep an eye on the social media channels of your favorite watering hole.

Beer & Merch:

3 Nations Brewing Co., Carrollton/Anna

• Extra Time Churro Golden Stout
• Match Day IPA Tangier SmAsH
• Night Match Lager Schwarzbier
• Pitch Pils West Coast Pilsner.
• Note: These draft-only beers and others being released for the brewery's Eleventh Anniversary Party.

Community Beer Co., Dallas

• Golden Boot Classic American Lager (a Golden Boot is awarded to the tournament's top goal scorer).
• Merch: chalice glassware embossed with a football hexagon pattern.

Dr. Jeckyll's Beer Lab, Pantego

• Merch: dimpled soccer mugs.

Four Corners Brewing Co., Dallas

• Pitch Mix - France French-Style Witbier.
• Pitch Mix - Germany German Style Pilsner.
• Pitch Mix - Mexico Mexican Style Lager.
• Pitch Mix - Spain Spanish-Style Orange Blonde.
• Note: Pitch Mix beers are available in a 12-can variety pack.

HopFusion Ale Works, Fort Worth

• Outlaw Summer of Soccer Lager.

Lakewood Brewing Co., Garland

• Local Gold Pilsner.

Maple Branch Craft Brewery, Fort Worth

• Merch: gold-rimmed chalice glassware embedded with a football hexagon pattern.

Oak Cliff Brewing Co., Dallas

• Cenzoni Italian Pilsner.
• West African Blonde Ale.
• Note: Four draft-only beers to be revealed as part of the brewery's International Friendly Flight.

On Rotation Brewery & Kitchen, Dallas

• Ose Ose Japanese Rice Lager (Ose Ose is a Japanese phrase encouraging players to pressure or Push! Push!).

Peticolas Brewing Co., Dallas

• Malice in Dallas Session Red Ale.
• Melee in the USA American Pale Ale.
• TKO in Mexico Mexican-Style Lager.
  
• Merch: koozies, pint glasses, stickers, stress balls, t-shirts and more.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Co., Fort Worth

• Merch: Soccer pint glasses.

Texas Ale Project, Dallas

• Break Free Blonde.

Lakewood releases new and renewed seasonals for summer

Image credit: Lakewood Brewing Co.

Lakewood Brewing Co. of Garland has released two beers, one being new, while the other is a returning favorite.

The new beer is Fruition Pineapple Ginger Blonde (4.2% ABV), which is described as "light and ridiculously refreshing with just the right pop of juicy pineapple up front and a little ginger spice on the finish to keep things interesting. Golden, bright, and built for easy drinking, it’s smooth, and seriously crushable."

As for the legacy beer Lakewood is bringing back into the summer seasonal fold, Raspberry Temptress (9.1% ABV) launched the brewery's limited Seduction Series in 2014. Infused with fresh raspberries, this Temptress variant is "raspberry forward with a hint of coffee."

“If you don’t walk through our doors a beer lover, we hope you’ll find your perfect match by the time you leave,” says Wim Bens, founder and president of Lakewood. “We keep two dozen options rotating on tap that range from IPAs and lagers to popular seasonal releases and new varieties like Fruition Pineapple Ginger Blonde and Raspberry Temptress, one of the many riffs on our flagship Temptress.”

Fruition Pineapple Ginger Blonde and Raspberry Temptress are now available on tap at the Lakewood Taproom, as well as on craft beer shelves throughout Texas. To find a location near you, click the link to access the Lakewood Beer Finder.

East Dallas Brewing Co. no longer in development

Image credit: East Dallas Brewing Co.

The principals behind the highly-anticipated East Dallas Brewing Co. have decided to cease development on the venture which had targeted the city's popular Lower Greenville neighborhood.

First announced in early 2024 by a founding group consisting of John Mitchell, Michael Stone and Andrew Huerter, the company had begun to introduce itself by way of collaborations with Lakewood Brewing Co. and Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery, both of Garland. From there, East Dallas last poured preview beers at the 2025 Big Texas Beer Fest.

As for the future, Huerter currently has eyes on a new beer project, the details of which will be revealed once due diligence has been completed. Prior to more recent stints with Oak Highlands Brewery of Dallas and Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. of Fort Worth, Huerter was the head brewer at BrainDead Brewing of Dallas, which closed in November 2021.

Oak & Stone opens first Texas franchise in McKinney

Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

A new craft kitchen with "loaded taps" is encouraging patrons to make pour decisions, now that it's open in a recently-built retail center at 8575 W. University Dr. (U.S. 380) in McKinney.

First founded in 2015, Oak & Stone is a Florida-based concept under the Artistry Restaurants banner featuring a self-pour tapwall experience. As of now, the company has eight locations in Florida, with McKinney being the first one established in Texas. It won't be the last, though, since another locale is set to open later this year in Addison.

A sign declaring that "Beer Tastes Better in McKinney" is the first thing you'll notice when entering the new North Texas spot, which consists of around 6,000 square feet. Seating options are split between the indoor public space, and a covered patio section outdoors.

On the consumables, the food menu at Oak & Stone has an elevated pub grub feel (apps, wings, pizzas, burgers/handhelds, salads), but the centerpiece of the place is certainly the self-pour tapwall. And it's not all about barley and hops, as upwards of 50 rotating handles pour beer, wine, cocktails and spirits (tequila, whiskey), as well as non-alcoholic options including root beer, soda, lemonade and more.

Roughly half of the taps are devoted to craft beer, with products primarily sourced from local breweries. Current selections hail from 3 Nations, Armor, Community, Lakewood, Manhattan Project, Martin House, Peticolas, Rollertown, Texas Ale Project, Three Wide and Tupps.

The closest thing to a macro on tap was a beer from Golden Road, with others beers like Lone Star and Shiner available in cans behind the bar.

As for pricing, most draft pours run $0.50 - $0.60 per ounce, with dark beers (porter, stout) and a fruited sour being higher-priced outliers. Beers may be poured into a provided pint glass, snifter, or a collection of sample glasses, with flight boards available to transport the latter.

Oak & Stone - McKinney serves patrons daily, with hours beginning at 11 a.m. from Monday-Friday, and at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.