Union Bear debuts new lair in Denton

Images: A sampler of the brewpub's Hazelnut Coffee Stout enjoyed alongside a plate
of Grown Up Chicken Tenders at Union Bear - Denton. © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Union Bear Brewing Co. of Plano has added to its pack this week with the introduction of a new location at 221 S. Bell Ave. in Downtown Denton.

It's the next step in the evolution of a brand that's been part of the local language for more than a decade. Union Bear first appeared on the marquee of a spot in the West Village of Uptown Dallas in 2012. Those behind the original concept passed the baton to 33 Restaurant Group in mid-2014, who then sent the Bear off to hibernation for a bit before re-introducing it in Plano as part of The Boardwalk at Granite Park in January 2018.

Of course, many will remember the Denton address as the former home of Armadillo Ale Works. The folks at 33 Restaurant Group purchased the site in late 2022, with work on the 17,000 square foot facility getting underway around the middle of 2023. Renovation plans called for the installation of a full kitchen and a complete taproom overhaul, steps needed in order to bring the full brand experience to bear, if you will, in the new space.

Along those lines, fans of Union Bear Plano should feel right at home in Denton. Similar furnishings and color choices fill the interior, with one adder being a lounge area off to one side having a pool table and video games as entertainment options.

Further diversions like dart boards and cornhole setups are part of the patio outside, where a fresh coat of paint, murals and new signage adorn a building that stands out from the neighbors in its urban setting. Indeed, the exterior presents as the primary visual difference compared to Plano's suburban retail digs.

From there, similarities are also found in the food and drink. While the dining menu is maybe slightly scaled back, many familiar dishes carry over, though one change is the flatbreads at Plano swap out with hand-stretched pizza pies in Denton. That said, many flatbread-turned-pizza items share the same name and toppings.

On the topic of beer, hardware was already in place, so production actually began late last year in Denton, according to Coty Bell, director of brewing operations. Since then, a 30-barrel system has been churning out standards served at both sites like the brewpub's blonde and amber ales. Other recipes crafted by head brewers Nick Stolz (Denton) and Eric Todd (Plano) will supplement the mainstays, though Denton may see more active rotation since it has access to a smaller, five-barrel system.

In terms of availability, Bell says upwards of 20 beers will be poured daily in Denton, this number including a few taps dedicated to guest beers from neighboring breweries. Cans of select Union Bear beers are also in the works as of this week, both for distribution and to-go sales.

As for one other notable feature in Denton, efforts have been made to keep the memory of the former tenant alive. To that end, Union Bear pays homage to Armadillo Ale Works with Easter eggs hidden in the decor inside and out (these discoveries are left to the reader). This provides a sense of continuity for the Denton community and industry friends as well...and isn't community and camaraderie what this whole craft beer thing is all about?

Union Bear - Denton is open daily, with operating hours beginning at 11 a.m.

Voodoo Brewing adds second NTX spot in Plano

The menu at Voodoo Brewing Co. - Plano features beers like Wynona's Big Brown Ale (a "spontaneous" release),
and Cajun-inspired food items like the Bayou Salad with Blackened Chicken ( all images © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Voodoo Brewing Co. of Pennsylvania has debuted its second franchise taproom in North Texas, this time in the heart of Historic Downtown Plano.

Located at 1001 14th St., Voodoo Plano is owned and operated by Jennifer and Jeremy Dartez. The brewpub sets up in a 3,900 square foot spot on the ground floor of Morado Plano, a five-story development described as an "ultra-modern" apartment community.

Given the locale and how the space was designed, it's obvious upon entry a different sort of vibe is in order at Voodoo Plano compared to its area predecessor which opened in May of 2023, Voodoo Grand Prairie. The latter, anchoring one end of a retail center, has a suburban bar and grill-type feel, while Voodoo Plano has more of a neighborhood pub quality.

Different yes, but it's all part of how Voodoo partnerships work. Not only do franchisees have the freedom to make design decisions which give each brewpub its own unique personality, they can also add a bit of personal flavor choice to the food offerings.

Along those lines, Voodoo Plano takes a cue from the fact that its name is synonymous with New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. As such, the menu has a Cajun flair with items like po'boys, beignets and boudin balls being notable additions to the parent company's base menu of burgers, pizzas, salads, sandwiches and more.

As for the beer, the bulk of the lineup consists of house beers brought in from The Keystone State, with year-round recipes like Good Vibes West Coast IPA and Voodoo Love Child Belgian Tripel supplemented with both seasonal and spontaneous releases (one of which, Wynona's Big Brown Ale gets high marks). You'll find a little bit of Bayou State influence here as well, with guest selections from Abita Brewing Co. of Covington, Louisiana.

Other beverages include Voodoo's Elxr hard seltzers, wines, spirits, hand-crafted cocktails, and a bevy of non-alcoholic options like root beer, sodas, and a Nitro Crème Brûlée Coffee drink courtesy of The Thirsty Growler in The Colony.

Voodoo Brewing Co. - Plano held its grand opening today, but going forward the brewpub will serve patrons seven days a week, with hours starting at 11 a.m.

Union Bear shares first details of Denton expansion

Logo: 33 Restaurant Group.
Photo © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

A former Denton brewery is getting a new lease on life, as the building that once housed Armadillo Ale Works is now the property of 33 Restaurant Group. The Frisco-based company, and parent of Union Bear Brewing Co. in Plano, purchased the facility late last year.

This acquisition fits into an overall expansion strategy for the Union Bear brand, which includes already-revealed plans to open a restaurant-only outlet in McKinney. In Denton, though, locals will be able to enjoy everything Union Bear is about, according to Coty Bell, who hired-on as director of brewing operations in 2022. That means a full kitchen and dining experience will be paired with Union Bear beers brewed in house.

Located at 221 S. Bell Ave., the site has been TABC-approved since last November, but construction on the 17,000+ square foot space has just recently gotten underway in earnest. And, at least in terms of the public areas, crews essentially wiped the previous slate clean.

A completely new bar is being installed alongside what will be the main dining room, where booths and high-top tables will be positioned for the comfort of Union Bear patrons. Then, adjacent to this section, a raised lounge area will set the stage for entertainment options consisting of a pool table, dart boards, arcade games and more.

On the beer production side, operations will be led by Nick Stolz, who arrived at Union Bear after working as head brewer at Cowtown Brewing Co. of Fort Worth since its inception in 2018. Stolz will be producing Union Bear recipes on a 30-barrel system, an upgrade compared to what Armadillo Ale Works originally used on site.

The brewhouse also exceeds the 10-barrel capacity setup at Union Bear in Plano. Small-batch runs will continue there, with high-volume movers like the brewpub's amber and blonde ales shifting to the queue in Denton. Some distribution will come with the expansion as well, a primary point of delivery being other members of the 33 Restaurant family.

As for timelines, Bell says they hope to begin brewing in a few weeks, while the ultimate opening of Union Bear Denton is likely to occur in early 2024.

Gordon Biersch to close last North Texas location, March 4

Image credit: CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries.

By way of a post on its Facebook page, the Plano location of Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant has announced it will close this Sunday, March 4.

Opening in The Shops at Legacy in 2008, the Plano restaurant represented Gordon Biersch's first foray into North Texas. A Dallas location on Park Lane followed in 2009, but that too closed in October of last year. Both arguably filled a niche by arriving on the scene prior to the current craft beer boom, with Gordon Biersch even opting to distribute bottled beer to Texas for a short time.

With these closures, the Gordon Biersch brand will no longer be represented in North Texas, and the brewpub's parent company, CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, will no longer have an active brewing entity in the area. Craftworks does, however, continue to operate a number of Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom franchises in the region. These can be found in Dallas, Fort Worth, Garland and Cedar Hill.

Union Bear wakes from hibernation, opens new suburban beer den

Union Bear joins Taverna Rossa, Cadillac Pizza Pub and Heritage Pizza 

as part of the 33 Restaurant Group (Photo © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

The opening of Union Bear Brewing Co. presents those in the know with a case of "what's old is new again," as the once Dallas-based brewpub has established new roots in Plano.

Originally a concept developed by The Spillers Group (Eno's Pizza Tavern, Oddfellows), the first incarnation of Union Bear opened in 2012 as part of the West Village development in East Dallas. At the time, the idea was to operate a small-batch brewpub making recipes in collaboration with local homebrewers. Things never really got going in that respect, however, with in-house brewing eventually being halted in early 2013.

The restaurant side of the business carried on until August 2014, when it was announced that the brand had been sold to 33 Restaurant Group - the company behind Taverna Rossa, Cadillac Pizza Pub and, most recently, Heritage Pizza. A three-year hibernation ensued, after which Union Bear has re-surfaced in a new and stylish suburban beer den.

Today, Union Bear resides in a 7250 square foot space located on The Boardwalk at Granite Park. And, while the area set aside for making beer only takes up about 700 square feet, the pilot system of the brewpub's past has been replaced with a more production-worthy setup. It's something that catches the eye upon entering the place, as a gaze through its glass-paned enclosure reveals an equipment cache consisting of a 10-barrel brewhouse, along with an array of 10 to 20-barrel fermenters and brite tanks.

The brewhouse and finishing tanks line the entryway at Union Bear (Photo © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

As for who's behind the beer, Brian Burton (Grapevine Craft Brewery, Four Corners Brewing Co., Texas Ale Project) and Jon Powell (Grapevine, Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.) have been tasked with developing Union Bear's initial lineup, not to mention what brews will be offered in the immediate future. A blonde and a red ale are among the house beers currently being poured, as is a white IPA.

Most popular among those is likely to be the latter, but don't read white IPA and assume it's a beer that brings together elements of an IPA and a Belgian-style witbier. Union Bear's white IPA is fermented with an American yeast strain, as opposed to one of Belgian origin, and "white" simply means it was brewed with wheat. In terms of tasting notes, the beer is resinous, with a prominent citrus tone, hints of tropical fruit and a moderate finishing bitterness. What that means is, it's a sort of "no coast beer" (as the brewpub calls it), in that it doesn't fit directly into a West Coast or East Coast definition of the IPA style.

Beyond that group of beers, Burton and Powell say the sky is the limit with regards to what comes next. Expanded offerings are expected to include an oatmeal stout (tapping by the end of the week), a bock and a double rye IPA. Barrel-aged beers are also in the plans, with an imperial stout to be among the first styles to get such a treatment. A bumped-up batch of the aforementioned double rye IPA may find its way into barrels as well, with bitters, cherries, orange peel and Benedictine added to create a beer-based version of one of Union Bear's house cocktails, the Speakeasy.

Of course, it should be also noted that there's more to North Texas' newest brewpub than just house beers. The restaurant aspect of Union Bear serves a menu of "chef-driven takes on American classics," while the bar stocks a comprehensive selection of wine and spirits. Guest brews are also available, with the brewpub's 33 taps split between house beers, full-time taps (roughly a dozen) and featured rotators.


Union Bear Brewing Co.  (Web, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
5880 State Highway 121, Suite 101
Plano

Then and now: Comparing Plano's newest brewery to the one that started it all

Unlawful Assembly is the third brewing entity to exist in Plano (Photo © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Nearly 30 years after the last production brewery operated in the city, Unlawful Assembly Brewing Co. (UABC) has opened its doors in Plano. The brewery exists on the third floor of Legacy Food Hall, in the new Legacy West development.

Indeed, while breweries have popped up in all corners of the Metroplex, Plano has seemed like a forgotten city. Other than an offshoot of the Gordon Biersch brewpub chain (just across the Dallas North Tollway from UABC, in the Shops at Legacy), Plano has been bereft of a dedicated brewing operation since Texas' first ever microbrewery, Reinheitsgebot Brewing Co. (affectionately known as Reinbo), closed in 1989.

Of course, things are a lot different now than they were in the 1980s. While UABC's setup screams modern-day industrial facility, getting Reinbo up and running meant scavenging and/or inventing the equipment used to make its beer.

For example, UABC's system consists of a newly-minted 30-barrel brewhouse, along with 21 large-scale tanks situated for use in the cellar and production space.

Unlawful Assembly's three-vessel, 30-barrel brewhouse and an impressive lineup of tanks can be
viewed on the second and third floors of Legacy Food Hall (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

And Reinbo? Its founders equipped their brewery by converting used dairy equipment for things like a lauter tun and fermentation vessels, making a grain grinder from scratch, and retrofitting a household water heater to act as a hot liquor tank.

At Reinbo, dairy tanks served as fermentation vessels (left), grain grinders were made by hand (middle) and
water heaters posed as hot liquor tanks (right). Photos courtesy of Russ Klisch, president of Lakefront Brewery in Wisconsin.

Regarding the types of beer made by each company, as the name suggests, Reinbo's products followed the German Purity Law - i.e. the brewing ingredients consisted of only malt, hops, water and yeast. The brewery's two main beers were a pale lager called Collin County Pure Gold, and a dark lager called Collin County Black Gold.

As for UABC, Plano's newest brewery has already gone on record as saying that it "won't be afraid to break a few brewing rules." In other words, it won't be guided by such limitations. One of UABC's beers proves that to some extent, considering Idol Time, a passion fruit pineapple wheat, was among the brewery's opening day pours.

Other beers on tap at UABC, at least for now, come together to form a fairly standard craft beer lineup. A brown ale, a pale, an amber lager and a witbier make up the list of what's to be had currently, but further experimentation is promised. Should that come to pass, Plano residents can look forward to a more diverse range of offerings, especially compared to what was being made in the city more than 30 years ago.

Either way, it's interesting to see how the industry has changed since the times of the first microbrewery to exist in the city, the region and the state. Reinbo may be a thing of the past, but the efforts of those behind it laid the early groundwork that allows breweries like Unlawful Assembly to be a part of the future.

Unlawful Assembly unveils its initial offerings

Image courtesy of Unlawful Assembly Brewing Co.

Set to open in October as part of Legacy Hall in Plano, Unlawful Assembly Brewing Co. (UABC) has announced its opening day lineup of craft beers.

From a press release:

• Idol Time: Passion Fruit Pineapple Wheat – In this unfiltered wheat ale, fermented with tart tropical fruits, we celebrate the times we can’t remember and the friends we won’t forget.
• Peacemonger: Pilsner – You can defuse any tense situation with a little diplomacy and the right beer, especially one as agreeable as this European-style pilsner. It’s a crisp and slightly malty beer with a spicy, noble hop finish.
• Rebel Faction: Farmhouse Ale – Rise up! This saison’s floral aroma, fruity and earthy flavors and subtle tartness will be the antidote for conformity.
• Public Dissent: Pale Ale – This refreshingly crisp grapefruit and piney hop-flavored pale ale with caramel undertones stands up against the mainstream.
• The Antagonist: Amber Lager – With a medium body, balanced caramel-like flavor and a dry finish, this beer is one that everyone will enjoy.
• Blind Justice: IPA – West Coast meets Texas. A blend of six different hops makes this beer an amber slice of heaven. The mouthwatering IPA gets its flavor from a heavy helping of Mosaic, Citra, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo and Magnum hops, balanced by a perfect level of malt body.

Unlawful Assembly will make the aforementioned six beers available year-round, supplementing that slate with a constantly rotating selection of seasonal and specialty brews.

“Whether you’re a craft connoisseur or you’re just fine with a light brew, UABC has got you covered,” says Tim Timbs, senior vice president of brewery stuff. “A lot of blood, sweat and … well, not really tears – but you get the point – have gone into creating these first six beers and we couldn’t be more proud of the result. Unlawful Assembly is about to turn heads in North Texas, and we can’t wait to start sharing these creative, collaborative and bold flavors with everyone – in just a matter of weeks.”

The company's beers are designed to pair with the diverse flavors to be showcased in Legacy Hall. And, like the chefs expected to occupy stalls in the artisanal food mecca, the brewers at Unlawful Assembly intend to infuse their creations with ingredients from around the globe.

“We’re bringing a rebellious spirit to this venture, so we won’t hesitate to use non-traditional ingredients in our beers, and we’ll be constantly pushing the envelope to explore unique flavor combinations,” says Tom Janik, brewmaster for UABC. “And because we’ll be rotating our taps on a regular basis, there will always be something new for our guests to discover.”

World of Beer celebrates Grand Opening in Plano, March 30

Image credit: World of Beer

Making it the fourth such franchise in North Texas, and the second to debut this year, World of Beer Plano is set to officially open on Monday, March 30, at their 1941 Preston Road location in the Preston Shepherd Place retail development.

Joining in the Grand Opening celebration will be Real Ale brewmaster Eric Ogershok, as he and the area's newest WOB tap an exclusive firkin of the brewery's Dry-Hopped Porter. Commenting on the planned event, WOB-Plano general manager Barry O'Brien said, "We'd like to thank Real Ale Brewing...for being a part of opening day. This event is just the first of many that we believe will provide our avid beer explorers with something unique they won't find anywhere else. We look forward to getting to know our neighbors in the Plano community and discovering together the nuanced styles and rich stories that make craft beers [in Texas] so special."

In addition to the above, the following activities are also planned for opening week:


Sunday, March 29, 11 a.m.: "Support Local, Drink Local" soft opening featuring live music and pours of Franconia Irish Red to be tapped from one the brewery's wooden kegs by brewmaster Cam Horn. Net proceeds from the evening will benefit the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), a nonprofit group working to fund research and education for this debilitating neuromuscular disorder.


Tuesday, March 31, 5-8 p.m.: Loyalist Night featuring a ribbon cutting ceremony and a special tapping of Deep Ellum Neato Bandito Lager with Citra and Mosaic hops.


Wednesday, April 1, 6-9 p.m.: Brewery Night featuring Lakewood Brewing Company, with glassware while supplies last. Scheduled to be tapped: Hopochondria Session IPA and Bokkenridjers.


WOB-Plano will be open from 11 a.m. - 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit http://worldofbeer.com/locations/Plano.

Taverna Rossa partners with Peticolas for first-ever beer dinner, May 15

Image credit: 33 Restaurant Group, Peticolas Brewing Company

Since opening in September of last year, Taverna Rossa in Plano has established itself as a destination for "Craft Pizza and Beer." Among their twenty-four taps, you can always expect to find a variety of local and national craft beer brands, as well as four regional rotators. Yet, up to know, the restaurant has yet to host a signature event geared specifically toward the craft beer crowd. That will change come May 15, as they've partnered with the Peticolas Brewing Company for their inaugural beer dinner, which will be presented in honor of American Craft Beer Week.

The price of the five-course dinner is set at $70 per person. This includes food, beverage, tax and gratuity, as well as a Peticolas branded glass and coaster to take home. Seating is limited, so call 469-209-5646 to make your reservations.

1st Course

Golden Opportunity

Beer Baked Chicken & Spinach Flautas

2nd Course

Royal Scandal - English Pale Ale

Beer Cheese Soup / Beer-battered Asparagus

3rd Course

Alfred Brown Ale

Texas Sausage / Smoked Gouda / Green Chili Cheese Enchiladas

4th Course

Velvet Hammer - Imperial Red Ale

Braised Beef Short Ribs / Beer Risotto

5th Course

The Duke - Barley Wine

Sticky Toffee Pudding / Homemade Ice Cream