A look at 2024 North Texas production numbers

Click to enlarge.

This is an update of the annual breakdown of brewery sizes in North Texas, with 2024 production data added as reported to the Brewers Association and published in the May/June 2025 issue of The New Brewer.

Note, not all brewing companies provide their numbers, and some report statistics combining multiple locations. Data also includes production from breweries that closed during the course of 2024, but ignores production from companies whose output was consolidated and moved out of state (Deep Ellum Brewing Co., Revolver Brewing). As a result, the number of entities represented in the chart is not equal to the total number of breweries open and operating at any given time.

Inside the numbers:

The large- and mid-size brewery tiers in North Texas, based on production (shown alphabetically):

     Large

• Community Beer Co. of Dallas.
• Manhattan Project Beer Co. of Dallas.
• Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth.

     Mid-Size

• Four Corners Brewing Co. of Dallas.
• Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. of Fort Worth.
• Tupps Brewery of McKinney.
• Twin Peaks Brewing Co. of Irving.
  
  

Tier movement

• Advancing from "Very Small" to "Small" tier: Armor Brewing Co. of Allen, Panther Island Brewing of Fort Worth, Rollertown Beerworks of Celina.

Year-to-year production change

• At 55%, just over half of the breweries in North Texas reported a drop in production during 2024.
• Overall production in North Texas was down roughly 3% for those reporting in 2023 and 2024. This number does not include contributions from Deep Ellum or Revolver.
• Comparison: Craft beer volume was down 4% nationally in 2024, according to the Brewers Association.

Significant year-to-year production gains (based on those reporting in 2023 and 2024)

• For the third year in a row, Manhattan Project had the largest year-to-year gain in raw barrels produced locally for 2024. Their sales have increased 5X since 2019, and they are now the area's largest producer.
• The largest year-to-year percentage gains for brewing companies with production greater than 1000 barrels were realized by (alphabetically) Armor Brewing Co. of Allen, Manhattan Project Beer Co. of Dallas, Panther Island Brewing of Fort Worth, Rollertown Beerworks of Celina, and Union Bear Brewing Co. of Denton/Plano.

Panther Island to tap Etzel's next BIG thing

Image credit: Panther Island Brewing.

Continuing the tour of Tarrant County breweries who have signed on to create beers in honor of Fort Worth homebrewer, Greg Etzel, Panther Island Brewing has announced the release of the sixth entry in the series, Greg's BIG Chocolate Stout (7.0% ABV).

Panther Island's assistant brewer, Sandra DiPretore, led the effort at Panther Island, after learning about the project from organizer Nigel Curtis. Both were acquainted with Etzel by way of a mutual association with area homebrew supplier, Texas Brewing, Inc. of Haltom City.

"I wanted to be a part of this project as soon as Nigel started putting it together," says DiPretore. "I came to know Greg through the Come and Brew It Radio Podcast, and as my editor for Stubby's Texas Brewing Homebrew Blogs. He was the kind of guy who was insanely talented but absolutely humble and I think that has been showcased brilliantly with every brewery release."

As for the beer, DiPretore honored Etzel's recipe for a chocolate rye oatmeal stout and brewed it exactly as he wrote it. That goes for the beer's name as well, since "Greg's BIG Chocolate Stout" is what Etzel called the recipe, and as DiPretore puts it, "he called it like it is."

Greg's BIG Chocolate Stout goes on tap at Panther Island on Wednesday, November 18 at 4p.m. The beer is a taproom-only release and supplies will be limited, with a portion of proceeds benefiting charities chosen by the Etzel family.

North Texas breweries nab three medals at 2020 GABF

Image courtesy of the Brewers Association.

In a year that has been anything but ordinary, the persistence of the pandemic forced the Brewers Association to move the 2020 Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony to a virtual format for the first time in its history. Once the pivot was made, 8,806 beers from 1,720 breweries were judged across 91 different categories. From those entries, 272 medals were awarded to 240 breweries, with a trio of North Texas brewers landing among the winners.

Surveying the locals, it's worth noting Armadillo Ale Works has achieved a rare double with the beer Honey Please. The brewery's mesquite bean blonde ale is the second North Texas beer to win a gold medal at both the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. In other words, Honey Please has now been recognized as the best honey beer in America, and also the world.

As for the area's other honorees, Panther Island Brewing upgraded its 2015 GABF silver for Allergeez with gold in 2020, while White Rock Alehouse & Brewery brought home its first ever GABF medal for White Rocktoberfest.

Armadillo Ale Works, Denton

• Gold for Honey Please in the Honey Beer category.

Panther Island Brewing Co., Fort Worth

• Gold for Allergeez in the Herb and Spice Beer category.

White Rock Alehouse & Brewery, Dallas

• Silver for White Rocktoberfest in the German-Style Maerzen category.

Cheers and congratulations to all!

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For more on the 2020 GABF and the historical performance of breweries from North Texas, click the links below:

• Official press release from the Brewers Association, with a summary of 2020 festival statistics.
• Download a complete list of 2020 winners in PDF format.
• View a historical chronicle of awards won by North Texas breweries at GABF and the World Beer Cup.

Panther Island has Road Trip Snacks at the ready

Image credit: Panther Island Brewing.

This weekend, prepare to make a pit stop at Panther Island Brewing of Fort Worth, as the brewery is set to release its first production batch of Road Trip Snacks (4.8% ABV).

Otherwise known as the beer with Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets, a test run of Road Trip Snacks was rolled out in early February, but the 12-gallon batch sold out within hours. This time, though, Panther Island went bigger, using 100 pounds of Beaver Nuggets to create a 60-barrel batch, which ends up equating to roughly 700 cases to go around.

As for differences between the two batches, the only change to Road Trip Snacks was a slight reduction in strength.

"The test batch was higher [6% ABV]," says Ryan McWhorter, founder of Panther Island, "but I lowered it to around 5% to be a little more approachable and drinkable for all types of beer drinkers."

Six-packs of Road Trip Snacks go on sale at the brewery today, Friday, April 17 at 2 p.m. Eager beavers can pre-order online by clicking here, or simply call ahead before making the trip.

Beginning April 20, the beer will also be available at select retailers around Dallas-Fort Worth, as well as at the six North Texas locations of Buc-ee's: Denton, Ennis, Fort Worth, Melissa, Royse City and Terrell.

Local brewers join All Together collaboration to help hospitality professionals

Image courtesy of Other Half Brewing Co./Stout Collective.

The spirit of community within the craft beer family is apparent again, as breweries around the world are taking part in an open-ended beer collaboration designed to support members of the hospitality industry.

Organized by Other Half Brewing Co. of Brooklyn, New York, All Together is an initiative that seeks to raise awareness and provide relief to workers struggling in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

As part of the program, Other Half is offering participants the tools they need to brew, brand and promote the collaboration beer, All Together IPA. The beer's base recipe has been created by Other Half, while resources for label design, label printing, and an online presence for the project are being provided by Stout Collective, Blue Label Packaging Co., and Craftpeak respectively.

Local brewers are free to add their own twist to the beer, with the only stipulation being that a portion of the proceeds go to hospitality professionals in the brewer's local community. Up to now, over 550 breweries from 39 countries have joined the cause, including the following North Texas companies:

Turning Point Beer, Bedford

• Beneficiary - North Texas Food Bank.

Celestial Beerworks, Dallas

• Beneficiary - Everybody Eats/8020 Concepts.

False Idol Brewing, North Richland Hills

• Beneficiary - United States Bartenders' Guild, Dallas-Fort Worth.

Panther Island Brewing, Fort Worth

• Beneficiary - United Way Creative Industry Relief Fund.

Turning Point's take on All Together IPA is on sale now, and can be purchased online for curbside pickup. Beers from Celestial, False Idol and Panther Island are currently in the works, so be sure to follow each brewery on social media for updates on availability.

Panther Island puts Beaver Nuggets in beer

Image credit: Panther Island Brewing.

Anyone who's taken a road trip in Texas has probably been to a Buc-ee's, the gas station/convenience store found alongside major roadways throughout the Lone Star State.

In fact, many would argue that stopping at Buc-ee's is a sort of rite of passage for passersby, whether it be for the chance to mix and mingle with what seems like the entire Texas traveling public, or to grab an oversized soda and a sackful of Buc-ee's brand snacks.

Regarding the latter, perhaps the most popular snack item at Buc-ee's is Beaver Nuggets. Love 'em or hate 'em, these caramel-coated corn puffs are revered to the point that some would consider them an iconic Texas taste temptation.

So, why bring this up?

Because Panther Island Brewing of Fort Worth put them in a beer. And while Beaver Nuggets may be just as polarizing as Marshmallow Peeps - a candy that crept into a beer at another Fort Worth brewery, we're at the point now in the craft beer universe where we no longer ask why...we simply say...why not?!

Beaver Nugget Brown Ale goes on tap this Friday, February 7, starting at noon. A small-batch offering, the beer is said to be super-limited and only available in the taproom - for now.

North Texas Craft Beer Conspectus - May 25, 2018 edition

The business of beer comes to the forefront in this edition of the Conspectus, with news bites on branding, packaging, production and licensing.

Cheers!


Braindead says yes, we can

Crowlers are a thing at Braindead Brewing in Dallas, now that the brewpub has installed a can seamer on site. Happiness Comes From Within, a New England IPA, was released in the 32-ounce can format on Monday, along with the promise of more beers to come in the future.


Flix Brewhouse now open in Little Elm

In late April, Flix Brewhouse opened its latest cinema/brewery in Little Elm. On-site brewing operations will mostly follow a list of corporate recipes, but head brewer Derrick Rima will have some flexibility to create special house beers on occasion. The Little Elm theater is the first of two planned locations for North Texas, with an additional outpost in the works for Mansfield.


Tillman readies first gypsy brew

Gypsy brewer Barrett Tillman of Black Man Brewing has bottled his inaugural release, Gesho Forest Rustic Ale. Set to debut on draft at Small Brewpub on Tuesday, June 19 (Juneteenth), Tillman describes the beer as a "rustic ale with gesho leaves, cinnamon tree bark and hickory wood." Consumers can secure take-home bottles on the day of release by purchasing them in advance at iso.blackmanbrewing.com. Public sales will take place later, beginning on June 23.


Canning underway at Old Town

Old Town Brewhouse of Lewisville initiated the first canning run under the company's new moniker in early May (Old Town was formerly known as Cobra Brewing Co.). Six-packs of Can't Get Enough Amber Ale began arriving at retail locations last week. No doubt the beer is best enjoyed while listening to Bad Company's self-titled debut album.


Hop & Sting shifts production to Grapevine

Hop & Sting Brewing Co. is now producing beer at North Texas Brewing Co. (a.k.a. Grapevine Craft Brewery), after making the decision to move operations to secure more production time and space. In addition to helping Hop & Sting increase its market presence, the change also enables the company to serve its products in Grapevine's taproom.


Chimera re-branding as Fort Brewery & Pizza

After being sold to the principals behind Kent & Co. Wines and other Fort Worth ventures, Chimera Brewing Co. will now be known as Fort Brewery & Pizza. The re-branding puts the focus of the business primarily on pizza and beer, though salads and bar bites remain as additional food options. A launch party for the new brand will occur at the brewpub on June 6.


Pick up beer to-go at Panther Island

Looking to add the ability to sell beer to-go, Panther Island Brewing Co. has switched over to a brewpub license. Consumers can now fill growlers and/or pick up cans of Panther Island brews from its facility in Fort Worth.

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Image credits (top to bottom, click to enlarge): Braindead Brewing, Flix Brewhouse, Black Man Brewing, Old Town Brewhouse, Hop & Sting Brewing Co., Fort Brewery & Pizza, Panther Island Brewing Co.

North Texas Craft Beer Conspectus - October 17, 2017 edition

In an effort to provide more complete coverage of the goings on related to our craft beer community, presented here is the first edition of what I'm calling the North Texas Craft Beer Conspectus.

Long story short, the plan is to publish an occasional summary of notable news items as a way for me to keep up with all that's happening in the local scene (since time constraints and/or limited details make it impossible to write long-form features on everything), and a way for you - the reader - to catch up on things you may have missed on social media.

As is the case with feature articles, information appearing here will be new, which means you won't see mention of re-releases or returning seasonals, both of which generally get due attention on the weekly events page. The exception to that rule being any case where a beer (year-round, seasonal or otherwise) is being packaged for the first time.

Lastly, the intent is for this to be like a week (or month) in review piece, so the past tense prevails, meaning anything occurring in the future (e.g. a new beer being released later this month) will be reserved for later editions.

Got it? Good. Off we go then...


Malai Kitchen opens third location in Fort Worth

Image credit: Malai Kitchen.

Established in Fort Worth's Shops at Clearfork development, Malai Kitchen opened the doors to its third location on October 4. According to a Facebook post, the restaurant does expect to do some brewing with a small-batch brewhouse set up on-site, but the majority of Malai's barley-and-hop-based libations will continue to be made at its site in Southlake.


Panther Island now packaging its beer

Image credit: Panther Island Brewing Co.

Last week, Panther Island Brewing Co. of Fort Worth became the latest North Texas brewery to begin canning its beers. Panther Island utilized the services of Beer Dudes Mobile Canning to package Allergeez (5.7% ABV), an unfiltered American wheat ale brewed with local honey, chamomile flowers and rose hips. The new cans feature a label graphic referencing a silver medal awarded to the brewery for Allergeez, which placed in the Herb and Spice Beer category at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival.


Noble Rey introduces Eagle Tears

 Image credit: Noble Rey Brewing Co. 

Noble Rey Brewing Co. of Dallas has introduced Eagle Tears, a beer crafted in response to Dallas Sucks, a seasonal offering from Pennsylvania's Weyerbacher Brewing Co. The two beers call attention to the longstanding rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL.

Billed as a "better beer, with a better name and a way better design," Noble Rey's announcement was met with a swift reply from a Philadelphia-area reporter who suggested Eagle Tears wasn't even a good comeback. A curious counter, considering the amount of deep thought that must have gone into coming up with the oh-so-original phrase, "Dallas Sucks." Either way, with five Super Bowl rings to our team's credit, we'll take being better at football over being better at comebacks any day of the week.

Also from Noble Rey, Tactical Combat Firefighter IPA (6.2% ABV) was canned for the first time last week. Pick up six-packs at the brewery in the Design District, at Noble Rey's taproom in the Dallas Farmers Market, or at a craft beer-friendly retailer near you.

Image credit: Pegasus City Brewery.

From Pegasus City to your porch

Highpoint Porch Ale (5.3% ABV), the second #porchapproved product to be canned by Pegasus City Brewery of Dallas, is now available at retail in six-packs of 12-ounce cans. The beer, an English-style mild ale, was the first ever made by the team at Pegasus City, with the original test batch being one that was crafted on an actual porch.

  Image credit: Martin House Brewing Co.

Martin House launches Saturday IPA

Launched at the brewery last Thursday, Saturday IPA (8.0% ABV) is the newest micro-seasonal from Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth. The beer is brewed with three hop varieties and 200 pounds of blood orange puree, creating a double IPA that is said to be "a bit boozier with a heavier mouthfeel" compared to its predecessor, Friday IPA. Look for it in four-packs of 12-ounce cans.

North Texas continues winning ways at 2016 Great American Beer Festival

Photo © Brewers Association.

The 30th annual edition of the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is now in the books, and if you've been on social media at all of late you've probably already seen the list of winners. If by some chance you haven't, though, they are summarized below.

Prior to that, though, it's worth noting a few statistics related to the competition. This year, 7227 beers were judged, resulting in 286 medals awarded to winners in 96 categories covering 161 different beer styles. Over 260 judges participated in the evaluation of competition entries, which included an additional 88 in the growing Pro-Am division.

Style-wise, the American-Style IPA was once again the most-entered category, despite a small drop in entries compared to 2015. Other popular categories included Imperial IPA, American-Style Strong Pale Ale, Coffee Beer and Wood and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer. The latter two were new to the top five this year, with American-Style Pale Ale, American Style-Sour Ale and German-Style Sour Ale categories landing in slots just outside the top five in terms of the rankings.

As for North Texas, local breweries had another good showing in 2016, winning five medals overall. In fact, this marks the third straight year that breweries from the Metroplex have won at least five medals at the competition. Among this year's honorees, Nine Band Brewing Co. and Revolver Brewing brought home GABF medals for the first time, while Community Beer Co., Grapevine Craft Brewery and Panther Island Brewing Co. were repeat winners. Pictures of medal-winning breweries, where available, are posted here for your perusal (ceremony photos © 2016 Jason E. Kaplan).

Panther Island Brewing Co./Clifton Ellis: Gold for Just Rye'te (Pro-Am). 

Revolver Brewing: Gold for Anodyne Wheat Wine (Other Strong Beer).

Community Beer Co.: Bronze for Witbier (Belgian-Style Witbier).

Not pictured:

Grapevine Craft Brewery: Silver for Sir William's (English-Style Brown Ale).

Nine Band Brewing Co.: Bronze for Toad Choker Barley Wine (Barley Wine-Style Ale).

For more on the 2016 GABF and the historical performance of breweries from North Texas, click the links below:

• Official press release from the Brewers Association, with a summary of festival statistics.
• Download a list of 2016 winners in .pdf form.
• View a historical chronicle of awards won by North Texas breweries at GABF and the World Beer Cup.

Beer Travels: A recap of the 2015 Great American Beer Festival

Photo © Brewers Association.

In case you somehow missed it, the 2015 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) went down once again this past weekend in Denver, Colorado. Now in its 29th year, the event drew upwards of 60,000 attendees with 1552 breweries entering the competition. From those entries, 275 medals were awarded to 242 breweries from across the country. For those that are interested, a full rundown of statistics and links to a complete list of winners can be found at the following website:

https://www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/2015-gabf-award-winners/

With respect to the locals, North Texas breweries were awarded 6 medals overall. Add that to a list of past honorees, and area brewers have won a running total of 17 GABF medals since 2012 (9 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze). For 2015, the roster of winners includes (ceremony photos © Jason E. Kaplan, each may be clicked to enlarge):

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company: Gold for Oktoberfest
(German-Style Marzen) and The Regulator (Doppelbock).

903 Brewers: Silver for 2014 Sasquatch (Aged Beers).

Panther Island Brewing Company: Silver for Allergeez (Herb/Spice Beers).

Rabbit Hole Brewing Company: Silver for Rapture Fusion Brown Ale (American-Style Brown Ale).

Twin Peaks Brewing Company: Bronze for Barrel Aged Brown Ale (Wood/Barrel-Aged Beers).

Looking over the list, some may be surprised to see a certain chain restaurant make the cut, but it should probably be noted that company brewmaster Thomas Janik brewed for 17 years at Humperdinks before taking the reins at Twin Peaks. In other words, it's not the guy's first rodeo. During his time at 'Dinks, the brewpub won 10 medals at GABF for the execution of various recipes developed both in-house and at the corporate level (Humperdinks partnered with Big Horn Brewing up until 2005).

As for the other medalists, while Rahr & Sons was a repeat winner, Twin Peaks and the other three breweries listed took home hardware for the first time. While this surely won't quiet down the armchair experts who claim that only a handful of breweries make quality beer in North Texas, the fact is that 11 different local breweries have now won medals at either the GABF or the World Beer Cup over the past three years (click the GABF/WBC Honor Roll tab at the top of the page to see a complete historical list). Awards don't mean everything, of course, but to me the results indicate that more than just a few breweries are producing good beer in the region right now. Given that, I fully expect to see more first-time winners from the Metroplex in the years to come.

Additional coverage:

Craft beer is big in Colorado

While we've seen some notable new build-outs (Grapevine, Lakewood) in North Texas, as of now nothing here at home quite compares to new facilities recently opened by three well-known Colorado brewers.

Avery Brewing Company's new $30 million/67,000 square foot space opened in February and is a considerable upgrade compared to the one the company previously called home in a nearby Boulder business park. The new building has a taproom on the ground floor, while the upstairs has a full-service restaurant and a catwalk which allows visitors to peer into various aspects of the production area. It sits in the Gunbarrel section of Boulder County, literally steps away from the relatively diminutive Asher Brewing Company, which is the first all-organic brewery in Colorado.

Internal and external views of Avery's new facility in Boulder, including production
areas and the wall of the taproom (click to enlarge, © Brian Brown/Beer In Big D).

Opening in June, Breckenridge Brewery spent a total of $36 million to develop their new farmhouse brewery in Littleton, just south of Denver. In addition a production and storage space comprising 76,000 square feet, the expansive site also contains the Farm House restaurant. There, they serve a "Colorado Fresh" menu and pour beer from 24 taps. Among them are 16 house selections and another 8 from guest breweries.

Left: Breckenridge Brewery's production and storage buildings.
Right: The tapwall inside the Farm House restaurant.
(click to enlarge, © Brian Brown/Beer In Big D)

At least in terms of the initial phase, Great Divide Brewing Company's new digs in the River North section of Downtown Denver is the smallest of the three large-scale breweries I visited. Then again, the 65,000 square feet in question doesn't include brewing operations. Such things will come later as part of an overall expansion plan expected to cost a total of $38 million. Right now, the building which opened in July is a packaging/warehouse facility with an attached 40-seat taproom called Barrel Bar. It's a short walk to both Crooked Stave at The Source in one direction and a newbie by the name of Mockery Brewing in another.

Checking out a new 'spot'

Among the smaller, lesser-known breweries I visited on this trip was Goldspot Brewing Company. Located to the west of Downtown Denver, the brewery opened earlier this year after being founded by Matt Hughes and brother-in-law Alex Sward. Hughes hails from Lancaster, Texas, where he still has family, and I actually came to know him through social media where he keeps up with the North Texas beer scene. He left the Lone Star State in 2005, eventually going on to work for Wynkoop in Denver before taking on his current project.

Goldspot's taproom is near Regis University in the Berkeley/Regis neighborhood of Denver
(click to enlarge, © Brian Brown/Beer In Big D).

Goldspot's portfolio consists of a mix of styles, including beers of American, German and Belgian influence. Among the highlights are Gus' Breakfast Porter, brewed with cold-pressed coffee and dry-hopped with cocoa nibs, Wolfpack, a fresh hop Belgian pale ale, and La Cienega Grisette, an imperial farmhouse ale. Really, though, there wasn't a bad beer among the nine that were on tap the day I stopped by, with each being an embodiment of the brewery's goal to produce "properly made beer."

Sights and samples: A short sketch of my GABF tasting card

Cleverly named beers found on the festival floor:

• Cherry Busey, a Flanders oud bruin from Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Cone Flakes, an imperial IPA from Firefly Hollow Brewing Company in Bristol, Connecticut.
• Farm to Face, an American wild ale from Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine.
• Quad Damn It!, a Belgian quad from Chicago Brewing Company in Chicago, Illinois.
• Recalcitrant Dockhand, a robust porter (get it?) from Black Star Co-Op in Austin, Texas.

Out-of-state favorites (i.e. beers not distributed to Texas):

• Bacon Bomb, a rauchbier brewed with beechwood and cherrywood smoked malts, chocolate wheat and black pepper from Brenner Brewing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Bourbon Barrel Aged Palo Santo Marron, a barrel-aged imperial brown ale from Dogfish Head in Milton, Delaware.
• Bramble Berry Bourbon Barrel, a spontaneously fermented wild brown ale from New Glarus in New Glarus, Wisconsin.
• Morning Wood, an imperial maple bacon coffee porter aged in bourbon barrels from Funky Buddha in Oakland Park, Florida.
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, a beer that tastes just like it sounds from Aftershock Brewing Company in Temecula, California.

A North Texas favorite:

• Lakewood Brabo's Reserve - this version of the brewery's 2013 entry in their popular Legendary Series was aged in a Lost Oak Winery Petit Verdot barrel. Simply put, this beer has never tasted better.

Most curiously-concocted beers: Scratch Brewing Company in Ava, Illinois.

This farmhouse brewery produces the Single Tree series, which consists of beers made with various parts of, you guessed it, trees. Ingredients include acorns, bark, branches, leaves and more. One beer, Single Tree: Maple, forgoes water entirely in favor of tree sap.

Most curiously-named brewery (and location) on the festival floor: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery in Goochland, Virginia.

It sounds made up, but this farm brewery lies alongside Little Lickinghole Creek, a waterway where wildlife have stopped to drink since pre-colonial times. As for where it's located, former Virginia governor Sir William Gooch named Goochland County after himself in 1727. The City of Goochland is the county seat.


And, finally....

Favorite brewery from outside Texas: Fremont Brewing of Seattle, Washington.

Makers of The Lamb (Brett saison aged in Chardonnay barrels), Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star (oatmeal stout), Bourbon Barrel Abominable (winter ale) and Cinnamon Bourbon Barrel Abominable. This family-owned brewery has been around since 2009, but according to my notes I had never sampled Fremont's products previously. Based on the above four beers, though, it's a safe bet the brewery will be a must stop on into the future.

Cheers!