Three NTX breweries nab medals at 2024 World Beer Cup

Image credit: Brewers Association.

Tonight in Las Vegas, Nevada, winners were announced at the 2024 World Beer Cup (WBC), with three local breweries receiving medals.

The competition, otherwise known as "the Olympics of beer," now takes place annually during the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America put on by the Brewers Association. For the 2024 edition of the WBC, 9300 entries were submitted by 2,060 breweries from 50 countries worldwide. A total of 110 categories were judged, representing 172 beer styles (includes sub-categories).

Among honorees from North Texas, Peticolas Brewing Co. of Dallas scored its second WBC medal - winning the two in back-to-back years no less, while Odd Muse Brewing Co. of Farmers Branch and Union Bear Brewing Co. of Denton (and Plano) earned WBC wins for the first time.

Odd Muse Brewing Co., Farmers Branch

• Silver Spaceship, Silver in the Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale category (132 entries).

Peticolas Brewing Co., Dallas

• Irish Goodbye, Silver in the Irish-Style Red Ale category (98 entries).

Union Bear Brewing Co., Denton

• Mexican Lager, Bronze in the International Pilsner category (133 entries).
  

Cheers and congrats to Odd Muse, Peticolas and Union Bear!

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For more on the 2024 WBC, and the historical performance of breweries from North Texas, click the links below:

• Official press release from the Brewers Association, with a summary of 2024 competition statistics.
• Download a complete list of 2024 WBC winners in PDF format.
• View a historical chronicle of awards won by North Texas breweries at GABF and the WBC.

Vector, Pro Brew Supply/Southern Roots honored with 2024 'Crushie' awards

Image credits: Craft Beer Marketing Awards, Vector Brewing, Pro Brew Supply/Southern Roots Brewing Co.

Pro Brew Supply of Haltom City with Southern Roots Brewing Co. of Waco (and Waxahachie), and Vector Brewing of Dallas and were honored today for their marketing efforts at the 2024 Craft Beer Marketing Awards (CBMA).

Known more familiarly as "The Crushies," the CBMAs debuted in 2020. The aim of the event is to "recognize the pinnacle of craft beverage marketing and the brilliant teams and individuals who create them." This is accomplished by way of judging over 40 categories covering branding, label design, logos, packaging and more.

Contestants compete both regionally and internationally, with Platinum and Gold Crushies going to regional winners, and a Global Crushie signifying the international achievement.

Local winners are summarized below. For more on the 2024 Crushies, click here to visit the official competition website.

Pro Brew Supply, Haltom City with Southern Roots Brewing Co. of Waco

• Platinum Crushie for Expanding Possibilities Dry Hopped Saison in the Best Fun & Feel-Good Branding / Cause-Related Product or Campaign: Craft Beer category. This collaboration beer was brewed to support American Foundation for the Blind (AFB).

Vector Brewing, Dallas - Craig Bradley, Creative Director

• Global Crushie for Anchovy Pail Ale in the Best Can Label Design (16-32oz): Craft Beer category.

Cheers and congrats to Pro Brew Supply with Southern Roots, and Vector Brewing!

Funky Picnic closing brewpub in Fort Worth

A pour of Funny Accent, a spot-on ESB offered by Funky Picnic ( © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Fort Worth will be a little less funky come the end of the month, as Funky Picnic Brewery & Café has announced it will close after nearly 5 years in business.

Founded by Samantha Glenn, Collin Zreet, Jenni Hanley and John Koch, Funky Picnic opened in June 2019. This, after the team spent a number of years building its brand by way of local homebrew competitions.

In terms of approach, Funky Picnic took the idea of being a true brewpub to heart, with its beer and food offerings getting equal billing. Everyday pairings were further enhanced by the fact that the business was the only one of its kind in the area with an Advanced Cicerone on staff (Zreet). And, while beer recipes were ever-rotating in line with consumer expectations, one could always count on a reliable pour in the form of Funny Accent, a spot-on stylistic ESB.

According to a social media post, difficulties with rising costs and other economic factors influenced the decision to close.

"Over the past year and a half...we have seen rising operating and material costs from inflation while consumer habits have shrunk back on their spending due to the current economy, leading us to sales now lower than what we saw in both 2023 and 2022. We have put everything we have (money, emotions, time) into keeping these doors open, but it no longer makes viable sense."

Funky Picnic will remain open until its final service on Saturday, April 27.

Rollertown breaks ground on new Frisco HQ

Logo courtesy of Rollertown Beerworks. Insets © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D (click to enlarge).

Officially kicking off a project first announced in November 2022, Rollertown Beerworks of Celina broke ground today on what will become the company's new headquarters in Downtown Frisco.

The principals at Rollertown include Jonathan Rogers, co-founder and CEO, along with Ben Rogers and Jeff "Skin" Wade, co-founders and hosts of The Ben & Skin Show on 97.1 The Freak. They were joined at the event by Frisco city leaders and a list of sports and entertainment celebrities who also happen to be Rollertown investors:

Dirk Nowitzki, formerly of the Dallas Mavericks.
Travis Frederick, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys.
Torii Hunter, formerly of the Minnesota Twins.
Matt Kemp, formerly of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Dude Perfect, Frisco-based Sports and Comedy Group.

As for Rollertown's future home, it will be built on 2.9-acre tract at the northeast corner of Main St. and John Elliot Parkway. Buildings will be designed with an industrial look meant to play off their proximity to the BNSF railroad, while also paying homage to mills that once occupied the land.

Exterior views of the brewhouse, taproom and event lawn (Rollertown Beerworks, City of Frisco, PGAL).

Among the features are over 6,350 square feet of air-conditioned indoor hospitality space, including a two-level taproom with large porches and multiple bars, a 4,320 square foot outdoor beer garden, a 25,200 square foot great lawn connecting Frisco’s historic grain silos to the taproom’s porches (fronted by an 800 square foot performance stage), and a 15,000 square foot production hall featuring three different sized brewhouses (30-bbl, 7-bbl, 1-bbl).

"We are absolutely thrilled to be planting our flag in what is consistently recognized as one of the finest cities in the country," says Jonathan Rogers. "To join the family of companies based in Frisco that includes the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Stars, the Frisco Roughriders, the PGA of America, and Keurig Dr Pepper among many others is a true honor.”

Interior views of the two-story taproom (Rollertown Beerworks, City of Frisco, PGAL).

Rollertown Frisco will be equidistant from Toyota Stadium and Frisco’s Historic Downtown. This family and dog-friendly venue is meant to be a cornerstone of Frisco’s Downtown development plans and a beacon of community engagement.

“We’ve been brainstorming for years about how to find the best project for the silo tract to incorporate into our plans to redevelop historic downtown,” says Mayor Jeff Cheney. “We believe Rollertown Beerworks fulfills our vision to bring destination entertainment to the heart of our city. Research shows our residents want live music, brewery experiences, and historic downtown settings – all while being family friendly. Rollertown delivers."

Look for Rollertown Frisco to open in the summer of 2025.