Fort Worth Flying Saucer celebrates 30 years on June 7

Image courtesy of Flying Saucer Draught Emporium.

Fort Worth’s original craft beer emporium, Flying Saucer, celebrates a 30-year milestone on Saturday, June 7, at 4 p.m. Festivities are set to include live music, food for purchase from the Saucer and sibling concepts Flying Fish and Rodeo Goat (4-8pm), special tappings, raffle prizes, merch giveaways, limited edition 30th anniversary swag for sale (Teku glasses, hats and t-shirts) and more.

And on the subject of more, in between live music acts in the evening (prior to the last band's set at 8:30 p.m.), Captain Keith will take the stage to lead a craft beer Q&A featuring a panel of experts, one of which will be Brad Farbstein, owner of Real Ale Brewing Co. in Blanco. It's an appropriate pairing, especially given the fact that Real Ale will be celebrating its own 30th anniversary in 2026.

As for what it costs to get in, the event is $10 per person at the door, or you can click here to RSVP in advance on Eventbrite for FREE admission.

Saucer OktoberFeast on the agenda for October 19

Images courtesy of Flying Saucer Draught Emporium.

It appears the BeerFeast we've come to know over the past 17 years has undergone a rebranding ahead of its 18th annual edition. The name change does makes sense, though, considering BeerFeast has traditionally occurred in October at Flying Saucer Fort Worth.

So, with that in mind, let this be your annual OktoberFeast alert, as the Saucer's seasonal beer festival is set to return on Saturday, October 19 at 2 p.m.

According to a press release, Oktoberfest 2024 attendees will be able to choose from over 80 Beerknurd-approved, rare and unusual brews from across the globe during the event. Selections will include limited releases and hard to find beers from the likes of Odell, Manhattan Project, Sierra Nevada, Real Ale, Firestone Walker and Lakewood. And then, on top of that, a patch of seasonal pumpkin beers is also expected to be available.

As for other attractions, there will be prizes for best costume (think Lederhosen and dirndls), along with live music on the 8.0 stage performed by Texas' own Mike Randall (1 p.m.) and Paul Val (4 p.m.).

Tickets for OktoberFeast can be purchased now on Eventbrite. General Admission is $35, which includes a souvenir tasting glass, tasting card and 12 (2-ounce) beer tastings. VIP privileges, set at $65, allow for 1 p.m. entry and exclusive access to the patio lounge, exclusive beer tastings, a $15 food credit, snacks and bottled water in addition to the tasting card and a special VIP glass.

OktoberFeast is a 21-up event, and all guests must purchase a ticket to participate. Regarding tastings, additional cards can be purchased for $10.

Flying Saucer to host 15th annual BeerFeast in Fort Worth

Image credit: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium.

Beerknurds rejoice, as the beer-tasting extravaganza known as BeerFeast is set to return for its 15th annual installment at the Fort Worth Flying Saucer on Saturday, October 23 from 1-7 p.m.

Attendees to this year's event will be able to choose from beer samples provided by 50 local, national and international breweries. Offerings will consist of limited releases and hard-to-find brews, such as the following:

• Boulevard Stuff of Legend - barrel-aged stout with vanilla and cocoa.
• Brooklyn Black Ops 2020 - bourbon barrel-aged imperial Russian stout.
• Firestone Walker Cinnamon Dolce Imperial Milk Stout.
• Firestone Walker XXV Anniversary.
• Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout with Cinnamon, Vanilla and Cocoa.
• Rahr & Sons Rumpy - rum barrel-aged pumpkin Ale.
• Odell Sippin' Tropical - wild ale with passion fruit, pineapple and tangerine.
• Saint Arnold Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pumpkinator.
• Turning Point Mazdarati - imperial stout with macadamia nut.

Tickets to BeerFeast 2021 are $45 per person, or $40 for Beerknurds. Included in the price, guests will receive a BeerFeast 2021 t-shirt, tasting glass and 12 two-ounce beer tastings. For more details, or to secure your admission, visit the official event website at www.saucerbeerfeast.com.

Addison Flying Saucer shuttering after 25 years

Image credit: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium.

After nearly 25 years of shining as a craft beer beacon across the northern reaches of the Metroplex, the Addison outpost of the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium is ending its run, with last call set for close of business on December 31.

The Addison pub opened in February 1996, occupying of all things a former Colter's Barbecue building. It was the second Flying Saucer to debut, following the Fort Worth original which introduced the brand in 1994.  And in a curious bit of trivia, it was Kumar the Magnificent, a 70-something plate-spinning guru once featured on The Ed Sullivan Show, who entertained guests on the night of the official grand opening that March.

Of course, beer was and always has been the main draw at all of the Flying Saucer locations. In fact, the Addison Flying Saucer was ground zero for my own craft beer journey in North Texas. I was on assignment in another state when my craft beer epiphany occurred in late 1998, but once I moved back home, I quickly learned the Flying Saucer was the place to go for better beer.  Having lived north of the wall ever since, it was only natural for the Addison Flying Saucer to become my go-to spot, a status it maintained for a decade or more at least.

In addition to drinking my first Texas-brewed beer at the Addison Flying Saucer, I remember drinking my first Christmas beer there, and attending the first (of entirely too many) keep the glass nights there. I even remember the time a few buddies and I stopped in for Stone Brewery Night, when the beer in the spotlight was none other than Arrogant Bastard Ale. We had no idea what the beer was all about...just that it had a great name and a great logo, so it was a given we had to try it. By night's end, I had undergone what I now call my extreme beer epiphany. I think this was pre-Millennium, mind you, when big beers really weren't much of a big thing.

As for any additional firsts, I'm sure others occurred at the Addison Flying Saucer, for I certainly enjoyed many more beers there along the way.  Indeed, it's a mystery as to why I never joined the UFO Club. I surely would have had a plate or three by now, but I guess my focus was always on the beer and the experience, as opposed to achieving any accolades.

Along those lines, I always say it's the experiences I'll remember above all else when it comes to my time in the beer industry, and I can say I've had my share of them among friends over the years at the Addison Flying Saucer. So, here's one last cheers to a place that for me represents yet another unforgettable loss in what has been a completely forgettable year.

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According a report in the Dallas Morning News, the lease was up on the Flying Saucer's location in Addison, with co-owner Shannon Wynne choosing not to renew it due to an inability to create adequate patio space.

Ways North Texans can raise a pint in the fight against breast cancer

Image credits: Dallas Brew Scene/Uber, Susan G. Komen/Shannon Brewing Co.,
Oak Highlands Brewing Co., 903 Brewers (click to enlarge).

If you've seen the pink ribbons around town or on social media, or if you noticed the show of pink by the players during NFL games this past weekend, you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month all across the country. Should you be looking for a way to help, the North Texas craft beer community is doing its part to help raise funds and awareness for this disease in the following ways:


Shannon Brewing Company - First Annual Susan G. Komen Happy Hour

Fresh off celebrating the brewery's first anniversary, Keller's Shannon Brewing Company will host its First Annual Susan G. Komen Happy Hour on Friday, October 9 from 4 to 9 p.m. Stop in for a pint of fire-brewed Irish ale and pick up one of the pink Shannon koozies the brewery will be selling all month long in an effort to raise funds for the cure.

Donate directly: Susan G. Komen for the Cure


Oak Highlands Brewery goes pink for Oktoberfest

Oak Highlands Brewery in Dallas will hold its inaugural Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, October 10 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Oak Highlands will donate 10% of the sales from its seasonal Oktoberfest beer, as well as 10% of ticket sales to their Oktoberfest event to the North Texas Bridge Breast Network. Tickets are $20 online, or $25 at the door, with attendees receiving tokens for three beers and a commemorative Oktoberfest pint glass.

Donate directly: North Texas Bridge Breast Network


Dallas Brew Bus / Uber - Brew Crawl for Breast Cancer

The Dallas Brew Bus has teamed up with Uber to take riders on a trip to visit five local breweries on Saturday, October 17 from 12 to 5 p.m., with 100% of the net proceeds going to Bradie James' Foundation 56. Your ticket price of $50 gets you a pink brew crawl t-shirt, a branded sample glass and four 4-ounce samples at the following breweries: Community Beer Company, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Four Corners Brewing Company, Noble Rey Brewing Company and Texas Ale Project.

Tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/dallas-brew-scene-brew-crawl-for-breast-cancer-tickets-18865458093

Donate directly: Bradie James' Foundation 56


Flying Saucer on the Lake - Brews for Boobs

This is the third year for the Lake Saucer's annual Brews for Boobs event benefiting the Save the Ta-Tas Foundation. Happening Saturday, October 24 at 11 a.m., in addition to offering an array of special tappings and bottle releases, the pub will hold hourly raffles and a silent auction.

Donate directly: Save the Ta-Tas Foundation


Grapevine Craft Brewery - Drink Pink, Save Lives

Visit Grapevine Craft Brewery on Wednesday, October 28 at 6 p.m., for a special tapping of Prickly Pear Wheat. The beer is part of the brewery's Taproom Series, and it's color just so happens to coordinate with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Donate directly: National Breast Cancer Foundation


903 Brewers Blonde is now permanently pink

Hoping to inspire breast cancer awareness every day of the year, 903 Brewers in Sherman announced plans in July to offer the brewery's 903 Blonde Ale in year-round pink packaging. Now available at retail outlets around North Texas, a portion of the proceeds from each case sold goes to Women Rock, Inc.

Donate directly: Women Rock, Inc.

Twelve Beers to try at the 10th Annual Flying Saucer BeerFeast

Image credit: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

Considering how the craft beer boom here in North Texas has been going on for only about four years, it may seem strange to think that BeerFeast is now in its tenth year at the Flying Saucer. Yet, in that time, what was once known as the Flying Saucer Fall Beer Festival in Fort Worth (the city where the first Flying Saucer was founded) has grown into one of the premier craft beer events in the South.

Nowadays, the BeerFeast experience is spread across the State of Texas with festivals happening in Sugar Land, Austin and Fort Worth. Regarding the latter, this year the North Texas stop on this craft beer tour is scheduled for October 10 in Sundance Square.

As in year's past, BeerFeast will feature some of the country's best craft beers, including upwards of 80 selections hand-picked from more than 50 breweries. A full beer list will be released closer to the event, but the Saucer has released a teaser list of a dozen brews expected to be tapped on the big day. The lineup includes (click the links attached to each beer to read full brewery descriptions):

• Brooklyn Quintaceratops: Belgian quad aged in rum and bourbon barrels.
• Dogfish Head Choc Lobster: robust porter brewed with cocoa powder, basil tea and live lobsters.
• Evil Twin Yin: the imperial stout half of an Evil Twin Black and Tan.
• Evil Twin Yang: the imperial IPA half of an Evil Twin Black and Tan.
• Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee: Belgian quad brewed with turbinado sugar and aged in spirits barrels.
• Goose Island Backyard Rye Bourbon County Stout: stout aged in rye whiskey barrels.
• Green Flash Oculus Savage: Belgian tripel/ American imperial IPA hybrid inoculated with Brettanomyces.
• Mission Dark Seas: Russian imperial stout.
• Rogue Marionberry Braggot: braggot brewed with marionberries and wildflower honey.
• Saint Arnold Bishop's Barrel 9: imperial pumpkin stout aged in bourbon barrels.
• Stillwater Artisanal Stereo: India pale ale brewed with a blend of six hops.
• St. Louis Fond Tradition Gueuze: artisan-brewed lambic matured in oak barrels.

Tickets for the Saucer's 10th Annual BeerFeast in Fort Worth are on sale now at the following link:

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/beerfeast-fort-worth-tickets-17345191936?aff=web

General admission is $35, which includes a BeerFeast glass and a tasting card good for twelve samples of festival beers. Advance-only VIP tickets are also available for $65, with the added benefits of early entry, a VIP commemorative taster glass, a food voucher and a 2015 BeerFeast T-shirt. In addition, VIP ticket holders will have access to a VIP-only line for rare beer tappings staged hourly throughout the day.

Stephen Beaumont to headline week of events at Flying Saucer/Bird Café

Image credit: Sterling Epicure, Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, Bird Café

Those desiring an audience with author and world-renowned craft beer expert, Stephen Beaumont, will want to set aside time on the calendar during the second week of October. Beaumont will be visiting the Metroplex in support of his new book, Pocket Beer Guide 2015: The World's Best Craft and Traditional Beers, and he'll be stopping at Bird Café and area Flying Saucer locations for a series of unique tasting and book signing events happening October 7-11.

All of the events noted below will include meet and greet opportunities, as well as a chance to purchase the 2015 guide or Beaumont's other highly acclaimed work, The World Atlas of Beer. Beerknurds are also encouraged to bring copies of their own to be signed.

Tuesday, October 7 at 6 p.m., Flying Saucer on the Lake:

Brewers Foursome: Beaumont will lead a tasting featuring one beer each from Deschutes, Founders, Real Ale and Rahr & Sons. Brewery representatives will be on hand to join in the discussion, and six-ounce servings of each beer will be paired with small plates ($30pp, call 972-226-0725 to reserve).

Wednesday, October 8 at 6 p.m., Flying Saucer Addison:

Beer Tasting & Book Signing: Beaumont will lead a tasting of rare beers to include 2012 North Coast Old Stock Ale, Community Trinity Tripel, Prairie Artisan Ales Coffee Noir, Aecht Schlenkerla Oak Smoke, and Del Ducato Nuova Mattina. Small plates will be served to complement the beers ($40pp, call 972-991-7093 to reserve).

Thursday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m., Bird Café in Fort Worth:

Five-course Pairdiné ($75pp, call 817-332-2473 or visit www.birdinthe.net to reserve).

First Course

Dalwhinnie 15-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch

Smoked oyster vichyssoise

Second Course

Trappistes Rochefort 6

Slow-scrambled duck eggs with smoked butte and brioche pretzel

Third Course

Château de Beaucastel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone Valley, France 2009

Slice of stuffed trotter, prunes and chestnuts

Fourth Course

Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin

Double American lamb chop, roasted pumpkin grits and cranberry pickle

Fifth Course

Schneider Weisse Aventinus Eisbock

Coconut banana cream chia seed

Friday, October 10 at 7 p.m., Fort Worth Flying Saucer

Local Brewers Summit: Beaumont will lead a tasting and discussion with local brewers to include Wim Bens of Lakewood, Jamie Fulton of Community, Grant Wood of Revolver, Cody Martin of Martin House and Craig Mycoskie of Rahr & Sons. Six-ounce servings of one beer from each brewery will be paired with small plates ($45pp, call 817-336-7470 to reserve).

Saturday, October 11 from 4-5 p.m., Fort Worth Flying Saucer

BeerFeast 2014:  Beaumont will host a meet and greet book signing for festival attendees (purchase tickets at www.beerfeast2014.com).

Flying Saucer Addison presents a Firestone Walker Beer Dinner, June 26

Image credit: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, Firestone Walker Brewing Company

On Thursday, June 26 beginning at 7 p.m., the Flying Saucer in Addison will host a beer dinner featuring the Firestone Walker Brewing Company. The four-course menu includes two beers from the brewery's highly sought after Proprietor's Reserve Series, as well as the award-winning Union Jack IPA.

Tickets for the event are $65 for the general public, or $60 for U.F.O. Club members. They can be purchased at the Saucer, or you can call 972-991-7093 to make reservations.

Welcome Beer

Easy Jack Summer Session IPA

First Course

Opal (Dry Hopped Saison)

Springtime salad with arugula, strawberry, heirloom tomatoes, asparagus and bacon with clove-lime vinaigrette

Second Course

Union Jack IPA

Caribbean jerk chicken street taco with roasted corn elotes and mango salsa

Third Course

Parabola (Barrel Aged Imperial Stout)

Mole-spiced pork loin and parsnip puree with braised mustard greens

Fourth Course

Sucaba (Barrel Aged Barley Wine Ale)

Caramel apple funnel cake with dark chocolate and vanilla crème

Addison Flying Saucer to tap Reserve Series for Deschutes Beer Dinner, December 19

Image credit:  Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

Long about this time each year, questions start to arise as to when we can expect to see The Abyss from Deschutes arrive in Texas.  If the upcoming Deschutes Beer Dinner at the Flying Saucer in Addison is any indication, the answer looks to be around the middle of December.

On December 19, the Addison Saucer will host its final beer dinner of the year.  Guests will enjoy a glass of Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale, followed by a four-course meal paired with beers from the brewery's Reserve Series.  The menu for the evening is as follows:


1st Course:
Black Butte XXIV, a porter brewed with artisanal cocoa nibs, Deglet dates and Mission figs.

• Paired with a fig, honey and blue cheese tartlet.

2nd Course:

Black Butte XXV, a porter brewed with Theo cocoa nibs, Mission figs and Medjool dates.

• Paired with cold-smoked bay scallops, candied bacon, bourbon sauce and Southern grits.

3rd Course:

The Abyss, an Imperial stout that is consistently ranked among the best beers in the world.

• Paired with boeuf bourguignon a l'abime, caramelized onion and mushroom.

4th Course:

The Dissident Sour Brown Ale, an Oud Bruin aged for 18 months in pinot and cabernet barrels.

• Paired with Greek yogurt cheesecake and pomegranate-cherry compote.

Tickets are $65pp (or $60 for UFO members) which includes tax and gratuity.  Call 972-991-7903 to reserve.

Addison Saucer to tap Texas-sized fun at 3rd Annual BeerBQ

Image credit:  Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

Texas beer and BBQ will be the order of the day at the 3rd Annual BeerBQ, being put on by the Flying Saucer in Addison on Sunday, July 21.

Regarding the beer, "some of the Addison Saucer's favorite local breweries were handpicked for this event". Brews from Deep Ellum, Lakewood, Rahr & Sons, Jester King, and (512) will be featured, as will casks of Divine Reserve 12 and 13 from Saint Arnold.  Not only that, but the Saucer will release four different beers from Real Ale's Mysterium Verum series.  Two of these rare brews will be tapped at 2 p.m., with the others going on at 2:30 p.m.  Once beer is flowing from all four kegs, provided something still remains of the initial twosome, flights of the four brews will be available for purchase while supplies last.

Thematic dining options will include a smoked sausage plate, BBQ Brisket Bratzel, and a Deep Fried Bratzel Dog, along with a beer-centric dessert item in the form of Lakewood Temptress Ice Cream.

Festivities get started at 1 p.m., with live music provided by J.D. Monson from 2:30 - 5 p.m.

Cheers!

Best of the fest: Summing up the Saucer's spring beer festival

Image credit: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

You'd think that sooner or later, Mother Nature would give BeerFeast a break. It's springtime in Texas, so we expect it to be warm, but one year we get a lake breeze that just about stops you in your tracks, and the next, nothing. Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever seen Lake Ray Hubbard so still. Who turned off the breeze?!

Thank goodness for cold beer, as the Flying Saucer delivered on what mattered most, a plethora of tasty pours. Nothing to review here, been there, done that, and we'll do it again next time it comes around. Someone please just remember to call that brewery with the blue and white logo (and maybe the one up the street, and that one with a big bird on the building, too).

Let's just call this the BeerFeast four:

Pairing beer with food

Seeing as how pretzels are commonly associated with beer, it was just a matter of time before someone included the snack time staple in one of their brews. There Will be Stout by Martin House is dubbed the original pretzel stout, and given its dry roasted character and salty undertones it drinks just about as you'd expect. In sample form it's an intriguing brew, so I'll be curious to see how it evolves over the course of a full pint.

Hands off the hefeweizen

Bring me a hefeweizen with a fruit wedge attached and I very well might throw it at you (the fruit, not the beer). This is the style that got me into craft beer in the first place, so I get a little jumpy when people start horsing around with my hefe. That being said, Franconia did a little dry-hop number with Sterling and Columbus hops I think I'm ok with. It gave their Bavarian-style Wheat a refreshing and subtle citrusy edge that I suppose some might argue can be obtained by ringing out an orange slice over top of their carefully crafted beer. Unfortunately, they're wrong.

Finding a comfort zone

I guess you could say I'm becoming more comfortable with Numb Comfort. My first taste of Deep Ellum's barleywine seemed a little sweet and a little bitter for my taste, but subsequent pours have smoothed out to the point that it might be time to give this one its proper due. I do believe it's working. Good.

Am I delusional?

I by no means consider myself a hophead, but BeerFeast now marks the third time this year that an IPA has turned out to be my festival favorite. This time it's Karbach Hop Delusion, a bright and bitter brew that's properly labeled as dank and resinous. Considering this and that Bourbon Barrel Hellfighter that's been making the rounds, I just have one thing to say. Where were these guys when I lived in Houston?

Cheers!