Manhattan Project working to build facility in Waco

Foster Pavilion and parking garage at Baylor University (City of Waco).

According to the minutes of a council meeting held by the City of Waco on Tuesday, a North Texas brewery may one day be operating a new location within its borders.

Council members approved a lease agreement that would allow Manhattan Project Beer Co. of Dallas to construct a 10,260 square foot facility at 600 S. University Parks Dr. in Waco, the targeted location a retail development on the ground floor of the parking garage serving Foster Pavilion at Baylor University.

To be built by K4 Construction, site functions would involve the "operation of a craft beer brewing and manufacturing facility, including the production, packaging, storage and distribution of  beer; a taproom and bar for on-site consumption; a full-service restaurant and kitchen serving elevated bar foods and chef driven menu items; and a coffee and beverage concept." 

Manhattan Project produces beer at its original site on Sulphur St. in West Dallas, as well as at Four Corners Brewing Co. in The Cedars. Last summer, the company also explored the possibility of expanding to Mesquite, but it is not known if that initiative is still under consideration.

As for the Waco site, it's projected to open by May 1, 2027.

3 Nations notches another win at 2026 World Beer Cup

Image credit: Brewers Association.

Tonight in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, winners were announced at the 2026 World Beer Cup (WBC).

While the WBC hasn't always been a yearly event (annual competitions began in 2022), this was the 30th anniversary of the first WBC, which took place in 1996. Over that period, 24 beers brewed in North Texas have been recognized as being among the best in the world.

For 2026, in a repeat of last year's result, 3 Nations Brewing Co. of Carrollton was the lone North Texas honoree, taking a bronze for its year-round Mexican lager, Texian. It's the third overall WBC award for 3 Nations, having previously won medals at the 2022 and 2025 competitions.

Competition Statistics:

• 8,166 beers judged based on entries sent by 1,644 breweries and cideries representing 50 countries worldwide. For a historical comparison, 600 entries were submitted by 250 participating breweries in 1996.
• 356 medals awarded across 119 style categories covering craft beer (114) and cider (5).
• Most-entered categories in ranked order: West Coast-Style IPA, Juicy or Hazy IPA, Classic IPA.

Medals

• 3 Nations Brewing Co. of Carrollton: Bronze for Texian - Mexican-Style Light Lager.

Cheers and congrats to 3 Nations!

Craft, a new Canadian beer and food concept, now open in Dallas

The beer - Manhattan Project White Sands Witbier, the food - Brewmaster Chicken Sandwich (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

A new Canadian import is now serving up a wide-ranging menu of beer and bites in the Preston Center commercial district of North Dallas.

Simply called Craft, the restaurant located at 5974 W. Northwest Hwy is part of a venture founded by entrepreneur, P.J. L'Heureux. And since debuting the first Craft location in 2011, his company has gone on to open nine restaurants in seven Canadian cities.

Now, for Craft's first foray into the U.S., L'Heureux has partnered with Dallas Stars owner, Tom Gaglardi, to develop a two-story gathering spot which consists of a 10,500 square foot indoor space topped off by a 5,250 square foot open-air rooftop patio/beer garden.

As for the vibe, Craft fits the mold of an upscale sports bar/restaurant (with plenty of widescreen televisions throughout). Yes, the beer selection is literally a centerpiece, with a large two-sided tapwall surrounded by a rectangular bar centering the space, but Craft is a bright and lively spot with plenty of hustle and bustle, as opposed to a dark and quiet neighborhood pub.

The drink menu at Craft touts over 100 beverages on tap, with 75% sourced from local Dallas breweries. The current lineup doesn't hit that number, but you will find many familiar Dallas names among the listings, including Celestial, Community, Four Corners, Peticolas, Manhattan Project, Texas Ale Project and Westlake. These are supplemented by selections from cities further out by Rahr & Sons, Tupps, Union Bear and others.

Roughly 10% of Craft's taps are labeled as "rotating," which suggests they'll be refreshed from time to time. The everyday beers cover a full range of styles (wheat, white, blonde, IPA, stout, porter, Belgian, light lager, pilsner, fruit, sour, etc.), but either way, you should expect to pay $8-$9 a pour.

Regarding food options, they also run the gamut. There's the expected elevated pub fare in the form of appetizers, bowls, handhelds and pizzas, along with chef-crafted signature entrees, steak dinners and more. Then, a kids menu is available as well.

Beyond the consumables, community is also a key aspect of Craft. On that note, the restaurant features a "Community Brew" called Light Eh! Lager, a collaboration between Craft and Kingsville Brewery of Canada - the latter owned by former Dallas Stars goalie, Marty Turco. One dollar from every pint of the beer goes to the Heaven's 27 Foundation, created in memory of the 27 girls who lost their lives at Camp Mystic during the 2025 Central Texas floods.

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Craft serves patrons seven days a week, with hours beginning at 11 a.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. during the weekend.

Maple Branch, Flix Frisco/Little Elm medal at 2026 Best of Craft Beer Awards

Image credit: Best of Craft Beer Awards.

Two North Texas breweries have been honored at the 2026 Best of Craft Beer Awards competition.

Held in Central Oregon since 2014, and reported on here since locals were first awarded medals in 2016, the Best of Craft Beer Awards is billed as "one of America's fastest growing competitions." For the 2026 edition, the event drew 1,498 entries from 270 breweries, with submissions judged against style guidelines covering 58 beer and beer-adjacent categories and subcategories.

Among this year's winners were Flix Brewhouse Frisco/Little Elm and Maple Branch Craft Brewery of Fort Worth. This is the first Best of Craft Beer award for the crew at Flix Frisco/Little Elm, while Maple Branch has now nabbed four medals at the competition. In fact, Maple Branch's winning beer, Raspberry Fields, has been recognized at three separate competitions, including the Great American Beer Festival (2022) and the Texas Craft Brewers Cup (2023, 2024).

For more on the 2026 Best of Craft Beer Awards, click here for a full competition summary.

Flix Brewhouse, Frisco

• Flixbrau, Bronze in the Rye Beers category.

Maple Branch Craft Brewery, Fort Worth

• Raspberry Fields, Bronze in the Fruit & Field Beers category.

Cheers and congratulations to Maple Branch and Flix Frisco/Little Elm!