Winners announced at the 2025 National Homebrew Competition

Image credit: American Homebrewers Association.

Winners from the final round of the 2025 National Homebrew Competition (NHC) were announced tonight at a ceremony taking place in Kansas City, Missouri.

Put on by the American Homebrewers Association, this year's event was the 47th annual edition of the NHC. A total of 1,086 homebrewers located worldwide entered the competition, submitting 2,974 beers for judging across 40 categories covering homebrewed beer, cider (and perry) and mead.

The list of honorees from North Texas includes a number of names familiar to the local homebrewing community, as most have made appearances on the roster of medalists going back a number of years.

As for this year's NHC, winning beers from North Texas are summarized below. You can also click here to be taken to a full competition summary.

Nicholas McCoy of Sachse, with Jeff Poirot.

• Go Big! - Bronze in the Specialty IPA category.
• Club Affiliation: Draft Punk.

Jarrett Long of Arlington, with Amanda Long.

• Foreign & Dark - Bronze in the Irish & British Stout category.
• Club Affiliation: Horsemen of the Hopocalypse.

Cheers and congratulations to all!

Local artist nabs Platinum Crushies for Odd Muse label designs

Image credits: Craft Beverage Marketing Awards, Odd Muse Brewing Co.

Winners from the 2025 Craft Beverage Marketing Awards (CBMA), a.k.a. "The Crushies," have been announced, with a local artist's work for a North Texas brewery recognized among the winners.

Now in its sixth year, the CBMAs "serve as the ultimate platform for honoring outstanding marketing achievement in the global craft beverage industry." Prizes are awarded across 12 different categories, with entries open to companies producing craft beer, cider/mead, craft hard seltzer, non-alcoholic craft beer, ready-to-drink cocktails and THC-infused beverages.

Matthew Scott, a Dallas-based artist who goes by the Instagram handle @greetings_from_the_not_dead, was honored with Platinum Crushies for two packaging labels designed for Odd Muse Brewing Co. of Farmers Branch (details below). Scott has been creating art for Odd Muse since the brewery opened in 2019, and you can purchase prints of his work in various sizes at the taproom.

For more on the 2025 Crushies, click here to visit the official competition website.

Matthew Scott for Odd Muse Brewing Co., Farmers Branch

• Platinum Crushie for Public Domain Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout - Best Bottle Label Design: Craft Beer.
• Platinum Crushie for Primrose Path Hazy IPA - Best Can Label/Printed Design: Craft Beer.

Cheers and congrats to Matthew Scott and Odd Muse Brewing Co.!

Beer is back at Landon Winery in Greenville

Image credit: Landon Winery.

A longtime local winemaker has rejoined the roster of North Texas beer brands, as Landon Winery is once again serving house beers at its location in Greenville.

Owned by Bob Landon, the winery originally opened in Mckinney in 2005, with Greenville coming online as the primary production facility in 2010. Beer was then added to the mix in Greenville during the summer of 2017, the motivation being to provide another beverage option for tasting room visitors seeking to enjoy something other than wine.

As it turned out, Landon's first foray into beer was somewhat short-lived, with brewing operations ending by early 2019. Now that beer is back, the winery has both an American Lager and a Mexican Lager on tap in Greenville.

As for other locales, house beers are also distributed to Landon's site in Downtown Gainesville, which opened last fall and is billed as a winery/brewery/distillery.

Locals line up for a taste of Forney's first brewery

Forney Brewing Co.'s taproom, tapwall, German hefeweizen, 10-bbl brewhouse, cobb salad (All photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

If the steady line of locals visiting on opening day is any indication, the first brewery to do business in the City of Forney should be well on its way to realizing the goal of being a go-to entertainment destination for area residents.

Owned and operated by Eric Britton, Forney Brewing Co. is located at 203 E. Main St. in the heart of Downtown Forney. Method Architecture did the work to renovate and modernize an existing structure on the site, which has around 5,000 square feet of interior space supplemented by a 1,500 square foot covered patio outdoors.

Inside, patrons seated in the taproom are surrounded by a variety of visuals. Windows on one end of the building provide views of the production space, while a wall on the opposite end is adorned with vintage photos paying homage to the city's history. Then, of course, there's the requisite array of widescreen TVs.

A full kitchen is also among the amenities, and Britton - a confessed foodie - says an attention to detail will be applied to the food offerings as well as the beer. At a glance, the focused menu has an elevated pub fare feel, featuring starters (deviled eggs, nachos, wings), salads, sandwiches, smash burgers, and kids items, not to mention Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert.

Liquid options naturally begin with the beer, but Forney Brewing also serves wine, cocktails and sodas. Flights and full pours are filled from a 17-handle tapwall, with four house beers and five guest offerings from Manhattan Project Beer Co. now on tap. The context there is Britton worked at the Dallas-based firm before taking the leap to open a brewery of his own.

On the current beer lineup, Britton is quick to emphasize it's in the introductory stage. He says "the fun stuff will come out once production gets going," but at the outset, the idea is to get a feel for Forney's flavor preferences. So, for now, his recipes include standards like an American light lager, a German hefeweizen, a juicy IPA and a hoppy brown ale.

And therein lies another bit of insight into Britton's approach, as new beers will debut with style nomenclature only. "Our beers will have names, but they have to earn a name first," explains Britton. In other words, both he and his customers will have to be happy with a beer before it assumes any sort of identity. That said, the hoppy brown could be a nominee, at least based on favorites discussed with fellow drinkers seated at the bar.

As for other things to look forward to, Britton says the "just getting started" thing really applies to the whole operation. On top of expanding the house beer portfolio, they'll add events, kids games and more as they work to further establish Forney Brewing Co.'s family-friendly atmosphere.

For more on Forney Brewing Co., including updates on operating hours going forward, follow the brewery's social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.

Sweet Dol-ings to dole out Temptress treats at Lakewood, June 14

Image credit: Lakewood Brewing Co.

These days, it has seemingly become more common to see a brewery put baked goods into their beers as opposed to other way around. That said, The Temptress Imperial Milk Stout has proven to be a tasty addition when used in cookies, ice cream and other confections ever since Lakewood Brewing Co. of Garland began producing the beer over a decade ago.

Of course, collaborating with local makers on products beyond beer is a way for breweries like Lakewood to expand their brand awareness. In this case, the brewery has lent its liquid to Sweet Dol-ings Bakery of Dallas for use in the creation of two new Temptress-infused treats that will be on the menu during a pop-up event at Lakewood this weekend.

Launched in 2024, Sweet Dol-ings is a woman-led baking business founded by Nedjina Dol. A passion for baking led Dol to begin mailing homemade dessert boxes to friends and family during the 2020 holiday season. It turned into an annual tradition that has since become something much bigger.

Now, coming up on Saturday, June 14 at 12 p.m., Sweet Dol-ings will be set up in the Lakewood Taproom offering up a Temptress Cake, made with the original Temptress, along with a Temptress Blonde Cupcake, made with the brewery's recently released imperial golden stout.

It's an opportunity to shop small and support local business, and if you want to make a day of it, you can enjoy one or both desserts after grabbing a bite of lunch first. Options include beer-infused snacks and entrees from the Lakewood kitchen like the Bavarian Pretzel (with beer Cheese spread and Temptress mustard) and the limited time Chicken Pickle Ranch Flatbread (with ranch dressing, grilled chicken, mozzarella, Lakewood Lager house-made pickles and a buffalo drizzle).

Tupps to host inaugural Sausage Fest, June 14

Image courtesy of Tupps Brewery.

This Father's Day weekend, Tupps Brewery of McKinney will be offering patrons the best of the wurst during the company's first ever Sausage Fest, taking place on Saturday, June 14 at 4 p.m.

According to a press release, "this one-of-a-kind celebration brings together the best of North Texas sausage and craft beer for an unforgettable day of delicious indulgence, live music and spirited competitions."

Tupps will welcome sausage legends from around the region, serving up a total of eight curated sausage samples expertly paired with eight signature Tupps beers.

The menu:

• The Grain Room at Tupps Brewery: Alsatian Country Sausage + Farmhouse Ale.
• Hamm's Meat + Market of McKinney: Summer Sausage + Day Pass Belgian-Style Wheat Ale.
• Corner BBQ Shack of McKinney: Polish Rings + Backyard Bock.
• Jimmy's Food Store of Dallas: Hot Italian Sausage + Tupps IPA.
• Kuby's Sausage House of Dallas: Jalapeño Sausage + Salted Lime Mexican Lager.
• Deep Cuts Dallas: Butcher's Choice + Hefeweizen.
• Local Yocal Farm to Market of McKinney: Brisket & White Cheddar + Juice Pack Hazy IPA.
• Ye Ole Butcher Shop of Plano: Hot Links + East Side Lager.

Additional attractions at Sausage Fest will include live music, a hot dog eating contest, a dad bod contest and more (contest sign-ups will be on-site the day of the event). There will also be gourmet sausage dishes and other food available for purchase, along with beer, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. 

Tickets are not required to attend, but tasting tickets are the only way to enjoy the sausage and beer pairings - and they're expected to sell out. Pre-purchasing is highly encouraged to ensure there is enough sausage for everyone, so click on the following link to secure your spot: https://www.prekindle.com/promo/id/-2853111880211067068.

Welcome to the Herb 'N Jungle: Sheraton Dallas taps new signature beer

Herb 'N Jungle Honey Beer, Chicken 'n Waffles with Chipotle Hot Honey, the Herb 'N Jungle, El Cubano (All photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Something new is buzzing about the Sheraton Dallas Hotel at 400 Olive St. in downtown, as the travel and entertainment destination has launched a new signature beer brewed in collaboration with Manhattan Project Beer Co., the Dallas-based brewery doing business just four miles away.

Formally introduced at an exclusive preview event last evening, Herb 'N Jungle Honey Brew - a.k.a. Gold Flash Honey Lager (5.2% ABV), is made with honey sourced from beehives maintained on-site in the Sheraton's Herb 'N Jungle outdoor garden. Upwards of 70,0000 bees live and work in the garden, which is located on the fourth-floor terrace of the hotel.

The motivation for creating a house beer for the hotel was borne out of the Sheraton's ongoing commitment to community support and its desire to provide patrons with locally-inspired offerings. In the spirit of this, a partnership with Manhattan Project was formed roughly two years ago, shortly after the hotel first began housing bees on the property.

According to Brandon Byrd, part of the management team at Manhattan Project, when the project started the production crew got to work with research and development once the hotel delivered "buckets of Sheraton honey" to the brewery. They experimented with other beer style types before landing on the final formulation, which adds honey to a classic Munich-style helles base recipe.

The objective was to create a beer with "wow" factor, but also one that would have wider reach in terms of appeal. In the end, those goals appear to have been realized in the form of an ever so slightly-sweet summer crusher, which finishes clean with a subtle hint of honey character in the finish.

As for where to get it should you frequent the hotel, Herb 'N Jungle Honey Brew will be on tap year-round at the Sheraton's dining establishments - Draft Sports Bar & Lounge, Open Palette and The Parlor.

And for those looking to enjoy their honey beer with a bite, suggested pairings include two new offerings on the daily Draft food menu: the Chicken Bao-Bun (grilled chicken teriyaki with soy aioli, cilantro and pickled vegetables) and the El Cubano (smoked crispy pork cutlet with Swiss cheese, honey mustard, tomatoes and dill pickles). 

At the same time, diners should also keep an eye out for special menu items infused with honey from the rooftop bees like Chicken 'n Waffles with Chipotle Hot Honey and the Honey Cake with Rose Water Cream.

For more information on the food and drink options at eateries of the Dallas Sheraton Hotel, click here to visit the "Dining" section of the hotel's official website.