Blue Flag now flying over familiar Fort Worth spot

Single malt in the bottle, Blue Flag Pale Ale in the glass (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

A new beverage alcohol business called Blue Flag Distillery has taken over a long-time familiar spot in the Near Southside neighborhood of Fort Worth.

Led by Will Rucker and Nate Swan, Blue Flag replaces Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. at 701 Galveston Ave., with the brewery's former taproom transformed into a special event space known as The Vault. Blue Flag has been hosting private events there for a few weeks, but a Saturday soft opening was the first time The Vault's doors were open to the public.

Incidentally, Rucker comes from an oil and gas background, while Swan spent many years as a cellarman and brewer at Rahr & Sons, which for him means this new venture makes for a full-circle moment.

So, what's the "blue flag" all about? It's drawn from a tradition built around neighborhood gatherings. Symbolic of an open invitation, if a blue flag was being flown outside of someone's house, it meant friends were free to stop by for community, conversation and a bit of food and drink.

Now, a blue flag flies not only over the entryway to The Vault, but also over the brewhouse in the production area. Among remaining equipment from Rahr & Sons, the brewhouse is the origin point for both house-brewed beer and the distillery's flagship American single malt whiskey.

For the single malt, the "American" designation is new, as "American Single Malt Whiskey" was officially recognized as a category by the U.S. Government in January 2025. Though, at Blue Flag, you could arguably add a "Texan" tag as well, since Blue Flag is partnering with Fort Worth-based TexMalt to source 100% of their malted barley from Texas farms.

In terms of product lines, beer options currently include a rice lager, house lager and a pale ale, with other styles like an IPA and stout in the works. Then on the spirits side, in addition to single malt whiskey, Blue Flag is bottling gin and straight rye whiskey. And like most distilleries just starting out, Blue Flag is outsourcing whiskey to sell (finished, blended and bottled on-site) while its own liquid is aging.

Still to debut is the Tasting Room at Blue Flag, the distillery's retail space being set up at 700 S. Main St. in a building adjacent to the former location of Locust Cider. Until that happens, public access would presumably be limited to pop-up dates at The Vault, so stay tuned to Blue Flag's social media channels (Facebook, Instagram) for upcoming opportunities to visit.