Cidercades of North Texas now serving Wild Acre beer

Image credit: Bishop Cider Co.

A selection of Wild Acre beers is now being served at all North Texas locations of Bishop Cidercade.

Previously, ciders produced by Bishop Cider Co. of Dallas, the parent company of Cidercade and Wild Acre Restaurant & Beer Garden, had been the primary beverage option at Cidercade. The reason being a need to acquire different licensing in order to offer beer from the company's brewery at Wild Acre in Fort Worth.

After applications were made, license approvals came in one-by-one, with Cidercade Arlington begin the first to pour Wild Acre beer in mid-January, followed by Cidercade Dallas going online at the end of the month. Then, just this week, Cidercade Fort Worth got the go-ahead as well.

As for what's on tap, area Cidercades are stocking the following Wild Acre products: Bock Bock, Sundance Wheat, Texas Blonde and Wild Acre IPA.

Bishop Cider opening Arlington Cidercade on September 29

Image courtesy of Bishop Cider.

Bishop Cider of Dallas is set to open the newest location of their family-friendly entertainment venue, Cidercade, in Arlington this Friday, September 29 at 10 a.m.. The new spot will be the company's fifth Cidercade, joining a roster that includes sites in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and Houston.

According to a press release, the Arlington footprint will span over 25,0000 square feet, making it the largest Cidercade yet. Inside will be over 300 retro and modern arcade games, pool tables, ping pong tables, shuffleboard courts (a Cidercade first), and more. The venue also has multiple party rooms and event spaces that are ideal for groups of all sizes.

Located at 500 E. Division St. (the former home of Legal Draft Beer Co.), the Arlington Cidercade will sit just blocks from AT&T Stadium, with proximity to other area attractions.

 “Arlington is already known as an entertainment destination, so I knew we had to build something awesome, says Joel Malone, CEO and co-founder of Bishop Cider. "Cidercade Arlington is not only our largest location yet, but it includes a much larger variety of games and experiences.”

Beyond the games, multiple bars inside allow patrons to choose from a variety of adult beverages on tap, all made by Bishop Cider. Guests wanting a non-alcoholic option can order soft drinks from soda machines that include unlimited refills, and if they work up an appetite, guests are welcome to bring their own food to Cidercade or have it delivered from one of the many nearby restaurants.

Like other locales, patrons of Cidercade Arlington will pay an admission fee of $12 and get unlimited play on all the games and activities once inside. Cidercade also offers a $20 monthly membership that includes unlimited admissions as well as discounts on drinks and merchandise. Cidercade is 100% family-friendly during the day,  but strictly 21+ starting at 8 p.m. every evening.

As for the future, Bishop previously announced a new Cidercade location in Dallas, relocating and dramatically expanding the existing Cidercade Dallas. The current location will remain open until construction has been completed at the new site near Love Field. At 79,000 square feet, the new location will be nearly 10 times larger, and it will feature concepts, games, and activities not offered anywhere else in Texas. Look for it to debut sometime in 2024.

Bishop Cider's newest Cidercade now open in Fort Worth

Image courtesy of Bishop Cider.

Bishop Cider of Dallas has announced the newest location of its Cidercade entertainment venue is now open in Fort Worth.

Located just south of downtown near the TCU campus at 1813 W. Bowie St., the Fort Worth outlet is the largest Cidercade yet at over 25,000 square feet. The space houses nearly 300 classic and modern arcade games that are free to play once guests have paid the $10 daily admission or $15 monthly membership fee. In addition, patrons can shoot pool, play basketball, air hockey, foosball, skeeball, shuffleboard, DDR, Guitar Hero, or bubble hockey.

“Fort Worth was the natural next choice for a Cidercade location,” says Joel Malone, CEO and co-founder of Bishop Cider. “It’s an incredible city with a growing population of families, cider drinkers, gamers and young people looking for a great time."

As far as other amenities, guests can enjoy artisan pizzas cooked in one of multiple Italian rotary stone hearth pizza ovens on-site. And to quench their thirst, Cidercade offers a selection of dozens of hard ciders and hard seltzers on tap, all made by Bishop Cider. On top of that, sodas and other non-alcoholic beverages are also available.

“This is our biggest Cidercade location yet, so we were able to add new experiences and games that we don’t have at other locations,” adds Malone. “We pulled out all the stops. This one is awesome!”

Bishop Cider also has plans for new Cidercade locations in Arlington and Dallas. Cidercade Arlington is slate to open around the end of 2022 at a location near downtown Arlington and AT&T Stadium. Bishop Cider will also relocate and drastically expand Cidercade Dallas, but it will remain open at its current location until construction has been completed at the new site near Love Field Airport. The new spot, debuting sometime in 2023, will be 10 times larger and feature concepts, games, and activities that aren’t offered anywhere else in Texas.

Bishop Cider going big, acquires Wild Acre, Legal Draft

Image: Bishop Cider.

Looking to expand its reach and build upon an already well-established brand, Bishop Cider of Dallas has acquired assets associated with two North Texas breweries - Wild Acre Brewing Co. of Fort Worth, and the recently-closed Legal Draft Beer Co. of Arlington.

TexBev, a beverage co-packing company owned by Bishop Cider, will relocate operations from Dallas to Wild Acre’s Fort Worth facility and expand its capacity and capabilities with the addition of the equipment from Bishop Cider's Dallas operation and Legal Draft’s Arlington brewery. Bishop Cider will also be opening a one-of-a-kind entertainment concept at the site, with details to be revealed in the fall.

Regarding Legal Draft, Bishop Cider acquired the company's equipment, but did not assume their liabilities and will not market beer bearing the Legal Draft name. Bishop Cider will, however, be opening a Cidercade location at the Arlington property around the end of the year.

At Wild Acre, beer will continue to be produced at the facility, but the brand will be getting a refresh - investments will be made in QA/QC equipment, and recipes will be fine-tuned. Grant Wood, co-founder and former brewmaster at Revolver Brewing of Granbury, is joining the new management team to ensure the liquid at Wild Acre is world class.

"Rightfully so, Wild Acre has gained a lot of respect in Fort Worth," says Joel Malone, CEO of Bishop Cider and TexBev. "Founder John Pritchett has built a very impressive facility and the beer can hold its own against other local breweries, but I believe there is potential to compete on a larger stage. I’m thrilled to be able to make this happen and partner on the next evolution of Wild Acre."

Wild Acre Camp Bowie will remain open, but it and a planned Fairview locale will transition to a new brewpub concept by an ownership group independent of Bishop Cider in the coming months.

On the cider side of things, Bishop Cider operates three locations of its Cidercade concept in Dallas, Austin, and Houston. In addition to the outlook for Arlington, construction is underway on Cidercade Fort Worth, set to open by the end of summer just south of the city's downtown area.

What's more, there are plans to relocate Cidercade Dallas to a 79,000-square foot building, a spot nearly 10 times larger than its present home (opening date to-be-determined).

"As the business has grown, we have been blessed to be able to make every new location even better than the last," says Malone. "Here’s the problem with that - Dallas, our home base and literal home, was our first location. A redo of Cidercade Dallas has been on our wish list for years and we finally get to bring our wildest ideas to life and go huge. Get ready."