Bourbon -n- Branch taps first house beer in Hudson Oaks

Top image: Bourbon -n - Branch Brewing Co.
Bottom (left-to-right): Exterior, Bourbon Drip Rye Pale Ale, The Goat, Interior Bar (© Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Head to the newly-minted Bourbon -n- Branch Brewing Co. in Hudson Oaks, and you'll likely notice a certain theme. It's a Dallas sort of thing, but it's not about the city itself, but rather a lead character in the popular television series of the same name which premiered in 1978.

Founded by Brian Lixey and Joshua Tarbay (the latter formerly of Parker County Brewing Co.), Bourbon -n- Branch gets its name from a favored cocktail of J.R. Ewing. Naturally, the drink is served here, along with a number of other infusions from a full bar featuring...what else...whiskey varieties from Kentucky, Texas and beyond.

House beers will also occasionally be dipped with bourbon, so to speak, as evidenced by the debut offering, Bourbon Drip Rye Pale Ale (9.0% ABV). More IPA-ish than the moniker implies, the beer was fermented with Hungarian oak chips soaked in TX Whiskey from Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. of Fort Worth. The bourbon is somewhat hidden in the resulting beer, but it's still a tasty opener featuring notes of rye and citrus peel upfront, with wood tannins and an ever-so-slight bourbony burn in the finish.

And while we're on the topic, beer recipes at Bourbon -n- Branch are brewed on a one-barrel system, and as such they are very limited. Given that, patrons thirsty for a beer should know house selections are supplemented by upwards of 25 guest taps pouring local and national craft brews, along with a few domestic macros as well.

As for what there is to eat, Bourbon -n- Branch serves up a menu of appetizers, Akaushi Wagyu burgers, flatbread pizzas and boneless wings. House specialties like The Goat (a pizza with white crème sauce, smoked sausage, black figs, feta cheese and rosemary) are labeled as J.R.'s Favorite, while a burger selection called Who Shot J.R. harkens back to the famous cliffhanger episode which concluded season three of Dallas.

Beer, bourbon and a taste of Texas-inspired television history...that's the draw at Bourbon -n- Branch Brewing Co., a place perhaps best described as a modern brewpub with a bit of a western vibe. Urban cowboys are surely welcome, so maybe don your best Stetson, slip on a pair of boots and mosey on in seven days a week. Bourbon -n- Branch opens daily at 11 a.m.