North Texas Firkin Fest returns to Globe Life Park, May 21

Image courtesy of Texas Craft Brewers Guild (click to enlarge).

After a successful inaugural event in 2015, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild has announced that the North Texas Firkin Fest will return to Globe Life Park in Arlington on Saturday, May 21.

Over two dozen rare brews will be served from firkins at this year's North Texas Firkin Fest, each created by one of the 21 breweries scheduled to be in attendance (click image above to view a list). That number is up from the 15 breweries that participated in 2015, with this year's roster including 15 from North Texas alone. With cask-conditioned versions of some of your favorite beers expected to feature infusions of additional hops, fruits, herbs, spices and more, the festival will focus on delivering unique beers crafted by breweries in Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state.

In addition, the 2016 event will have a specialty beer tapwall, showcasing 10 limited release draft offerings from some of the participating breweries, giving beer aficionados even more sampling options.

According to Charles Vallhonrat, executive director of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, the event is one of the ways the group works to advance the common interests of its members.

"Two of the key missions of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild are to educate the public about the quality and character of Texas craft beer, while also promoting that beer and our brewery members who brew it," said Vallhonrat, "The North Texas Firkin Fest is a great opportunity to educated and promote, while having awesome beer. The most unique thing about the Texas Craft Brewers Festival Series (which includes festivals in Austin and Houston as well) is that these are events produced, managed and operated by an organization of Texas craft brewers."

Discounted tickets for North Texas Firkin Fest are on sale now for a limted time, with prices ranging from $40 for general admission, or $80 for a VIP option. At both levels, attendees will receive a commemorative tasting cup and 8 sample tickets, with VIPs enjoying the added benefits of early access to the beers, a festival t-shirt and special glassware.

A complete rundown of ticketing options, including one for designated drivers ($10), can be found at the following link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/north-texas-firkin-fest-tickets-22669912318

Note that after April 29, ticket prices will increase to $50 for general admission and $100 for VIP.

* Read my review of the 2015 North Texas Firkin Fest here.

Firkin Fest makes for a fine afternoon

Image credits: All images/logos the property of their respective owners.

After what's seemed like an endless string of rainy days, the skies cleared this past Saturday, just in time for the inaugural North Texas Firkin Fest. Put on by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, the event was held at Fanatics Pavilion on the picnic grounds just south of Globe Life Park in Arlington.

Fifteen breweries poured thirty different beers, most (but not all) of which were cask-conditioned rarities that may or may not see the light of day again. Among the varied tastes were a multitude of dry-hopped delicacies, as well as beers featuring all manner of herb, spice and fruit infusions. Personal favorites included Danko Colada from Cedar Creek, Capt'n Fantastic from Deep Ellum and Ethiopian Rapture from Rabbit Hole, as well as the two sour concoctions from the Collective Brewing Project (American Sour Red, Petite Golden Sour with Blueberries).

A standard ticket went for $35, but in my view if you were planning to attend, VIP was the way to go. The jump from $35 to $70 included a t-shirt, 32-ounce growler and early entry to the event. The latter being especially valuable since servers didn't start collecting drink tickets until after the gates opened for general admission. In other words, samples were unlimited for the first full hour.

Regarding the venue, in light of recent rainfall totals, the pavilion was an ideal spot to set up given its concrete foundation. Walking in, I couldn't help remembering an instance at another local festival a few years back, where the rain-soaked ground gave way and sent a table of firkins crashing to the ground. Beyond that, though, the space was covered (shade), there were actual restrooms (i.e. no porta-potties) and there was even a picnic table or two should you wish to sit for a spell out away from the crowd.

Considering any negatives, at least for me complaints were few. Casks were kept cool with bags of ice, which was fine considering the mild temperature, but something that could have been an issue on a warmer day. Beer and restroom lines were short thanks to the limited ticket sales, and there was more than enough parking to go around. In fact, while the website claimed there would be a $5 charge for parking, the attendant didn't ask me for single cent, simply pointing me in the right direction and sending me on my way.

As for whether I would attend another Firkin Fest, the simple answer is yes. It was an enjoyable small-scale gathering which featured a variety of unique tastes in a setting designed to celebrate Texas beer. Sure we'd like to see more breweries and more beer, but that's something we say in association with most any first-time festival. Assuming the event will continue, it's assumed growth will come in time, and when it does perhaps more North Texas breweries will participate. Either way, I for one hope there are more Firkin Fests in our future.


Beer and brewery breakdown:

Brewery Attendance      North Texas - 12      Austin/Blanco - 2      Houston - 1

Top Firkin Flavors Dry-hopped - 9 Fruit infusions - 7 Coffee - 3

Inaugural North Texas Firkin Fest releases preliminary beer list

Image credit: Texas Craft Brewers Guild

Marked by the return of Big Texas Beer Fest this past weekend, beer festival season is upon us here in the Metroplex. And, while you're no doubt familiar with names like BTBF, Untapped and the Best Little Brewfest in Texas, a new sort of event is on the horizon.

Coming to the Picnic Grounds adjacent to Globe Life Park in Arlington on Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m., the North Texas Firkin Fest will offer up just what its name implies, an all-cask event featuring rare and one-off tappings from breweries located around the Lone Star State. Produced by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, the same organization behind the Texas Craft Brewers Festival in Austin, Firkin Fest follows a similar affair in Houston put on by the Guild in March. It's also the first time the group will host an event in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Currently fifteen breweries are expected to be in attendance, a full list of which can be found on the official festival website, ntxfirkinfest.com. Ticket prices range from $35 for general admission, to $70 for VIP privileges. The latter includes early entrance, a commemorative T-shirt and growler. Designated driver tickets are also available for $10, with all options on sale now at Ticketfly.

Attendees will receive a tasting cup with eight sample tickets, each good for a 3-ounce pour (additional samples may be purchased on site). The beer list is included below, with the full list to be released later this week (note, in some case descriptions are adapted from those found on the respective brewery's website).

Cedar Creek Brewery

Danko Colada (6.8% ABV | 70 IBU): Dankosaurus with grilled pineapple and toasted coconut.

Baja Patio Pounder (5.5% ABV | 35 IBU): Patio Pounder Pale Lager with lime and coconut.


Chimera Brewing Company

Citra Dry Hopped Shields Up! (5% ABV | 45 IBU): American-style pale ale brewed with Blacklands malt, along with Cascade, Crystal and Zythos hops for a citrus and floral punch with a clean, crisp finish.

Roman Empire (6% ABV | 35 IBU): English-style pale ale with added Myrtle leaves to create a spicy, herbaceous and balanced spin on a classic style.


Collective Brewing Project

Funkytown Series - Petite Golden Sour (4.5% ABV | 1 IBU): Brewed with Brettanomyces bruxelensis var. Drie and lacto delbruckeii, Brett lambicus was added to the firkin and the beer was dry-hopped with Citra.

Funkytown Series - American Sour Red (6.6% ABV | 16 IBU): Brewed with Brettanomyces bruxelensis var. Drie and lacto brevis, this beer has a Flanders Red malt bill and was aged in Icaria Winery Cabernet barrels. In addition, Brett lambicus was added to the firkin.


Community Beer Company

Public Ale ESB with EKG Hops (5.5% ABV | 38 IBU): Public Ale dry-hopped with East Kent Goldings to produce a slightly hoppier finish highlighting earthy, spicy, herbal and piney notes.

Legion with Blackberries (9.9% ABV | 70 IBU): Legion aged on organic blackberries to increase the depth of flavor and add a sweeter, fruity component complimenting the roasted chocolate and coffee flavors of the base beer.

Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Capt'n Fantastic (6% ABV | 35 IBU): Oatmeal Pale Ale dry-hopped with El Dorado and Simcoe.

Boombox (6.6% ABV | 32 IBU): Oak Cliff Coffee Ale with added coffee and cinnamon sticks infused with rum from the Witherspoon Distillery in Lewisville.


Four Corners Brewing Company

El Chingón with Guava & Ancho (8% ABV | 76 IBU): El Chingón dry-hopped for an intense fresh hop aroma, then infused with guava and ancho.

Local Buzz with Sorachi Ace (5.2% ABV | 22 IBU): Local Buzz dry-hopped with Sorachi Ace, which is known for its high-alpha aroma and intense lemon character.


Grapevine Craft Brewery

Citrus Hibiscus Monarch (4.3% ABV | 21 IBU): Classic American wheat ale with hibiscus, orange peel, sage and lavender tea blend added for a tart, refreshing finish.

Root Beer Sir William's (4.9% ABV | 21 IBU): English brown ale steeped with sassafras, sarsaparilla and vanilla beans for a flavor reminiscent of an old fashioned cask brewed beer.


Independence Brewing Company

Power & Light Pale with Raspberries (5.5% ABV | 42 IBU): Crisp, hoppy and refreshing session pale ale with added raspberries.

Busted for Possession (7.5% ABV | 95 IBU): Blend of Stash IPA and Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout dry-hopped with whole leaf Columbus hops.

Lakewood Brewing Company

Ancho Lager (4.6% ABV): Lakewood Lager with ancho chilies.

Piña Colada Rock Ryder (4.8% ABV): Rock Ryder rye wheat with pineapple and coconut.


Martin House Brewing Company

Pretzel Stout with Butterfingers (6.5% ABV | 43 IBU): Pretzel Stout with Butterfinger candy for an added bit of peanut butter and chocolatey goodness.

Cellarman's reserve IPA with Honeydew Melon (7% ABV | 65 IBU): Single-hop IPA with German Hull Melon hops infused with the complimentary flavors of raw honeydew melon.

Peticolas Brewing Company

Sledge Hammer (11.5% ABV): Previously only available at the brewery, this triple imperial red ale has been described as Velvet Hammer on steroids.

Operation Collaboration (8% ABV | 75 IBU): The brewery's IPA collaboration with Green Flash dry-hopped with the same experimental hop varieties used to brew the beer (#07270 and #06277).

Rabbit Hole Brewing Company

Ethiopian Rapture (5.7% ABV | 33 IBU): Rapture Fusion Brown Ale cask-conditioned with Ethiopian coffee from Mystical Coffee to add rich, complex coffee flavors.

Simcoe and Six (6% ABV | 69 IBU): 10/6 English Pale Ale cask-conditioned with Simcoe to add distinctive grapefruit and pine notes typical of American-style pale ales to the aroma of this traditional English brew.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

Oak Aged Regulator (8.5% ABV | 30 IBU): The brewery's limited-release doppelbock aged on toasted American oak spirals.

Iron Joe (8% ABV | 35 IBU): Iron Thistle infused with Noir cold brew coffee from Fort Worth's Avoca Coffee Roasters.

Real Ale Brewing Company

19th Anniversary Baltic Porter (7.7% ABV | 34 IBU): Malt-forward with the focus on dark malt character, this porter is a heartier brew like the inspirational beers of the Baltic region.

Citra Dry-Hopped Full Moon Rye IPA (6.2% ABV | 50 IBU): A new take on Real Ale's original flagship, this edition is dry-hopped with Citra for a bright orange and tropical hop flavor and aroma.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Divine Reserve 15 (10.1% ABV | 46 IBU): Originally brewed as Divine Reserve 5, DR15 has a rich, malty body full of coffee and chocolate flavors and a spiciness derived from the combination of hops and high alcohol.

Divine Reserve 14 (10% ABV | 30 IBU): A Belgian Strong Golden Ale brewed with the goal of making a Belgian/American hybrid using west coast American hops and rye malt to emulate the fruit and spices often found in Belgian beers.