Santa's Last Stop is at Beard Science this holiday season

Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

It's not just beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Beard Science Sour House, they've got a whole deck the halls thing going on right now at the brewery and beer hall attached to Truck Yard in The Colony.

For the holiday season, Beard Science has been transformed into "Santa's Last Stop at Truck Yard," a limited-time pop-up bar featuring holiday-themed cocktails, rare whiskey pours, seasonal beers and more, with the surrounding scene decked out to its core with more decor than you can shake a peppermint stick at. Indeed, photo ops abound, whether you choose to strike a pose next to the Christmas tree, under the mistletoe, or in the naughty phone booth off in the corner.

Plus, reminders of classic holiday movies (both traditional and non-traditional) like Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Die Hard  and The Gremlins  are everywhere, with some call-outs found in drink options on the "Santa's Last Stop" special menu.

Along those lines, among the boozy beverages are Bad Santa Sangria, Clark's Irish Java, and Gizmo's Hot Spiked Apple Cider, along with "Naughty Shots" called Resting Grinch Face and Elf Fart. Then, for a non-alcoholic option, there's the Elf-inspired Buddy's Hot Chocolate.

Oh, and just so you don't forget you're at Beard Science, a handful of the brewery's daily Berliner Weisse offerings are on tap, supplemented by seasonal pours of Pumpkin Spiced Ale, Wild Huckleberry Sour and Candy Cane Seltzer.

As for how long the holiday pop-up will last at Truck Yard in The Colony, the displays and drink specials will run through Sunday, January 11 - that includes operating hours on both Christmas and New Year's Day.

After that, the standard array of Beard Science sour beers will return. Though, Brew Boss Dennis Wehrmann says to keep an eye out, as there are more foeder-aged beers and open-fermentation projects in the plans, and he may even serve some beers directly from the foeder in the future.

Beard Science set to release first pHunky beer in bottles

Beard Science's new beer is brewed to the proper pH for a
Flanders red (photo © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

The first fruits of a project begun within a few months of when Beard Science Sour House originally opened at Truck Yard The Colony are now ready to be enjoyed, as the brewery is set to release its first bottles filled with a beer that began resting in a foeder onsite during February 2021.

Introducing pHunky pHlemish (5.8% ABV), a wine-like Belgian-style beer brewed with the characteristics of a traditional Flanders red in mind. In other words, it's not an over-the-top modern take on the style, but rather a sour and fruity beer (red plums, black cherries, red currants) with appropriate subtlety and nuance.

"To me, it drinks like a pinot noir, with that kind of wine character," says Brew Boss Dennis Wehrmann. "And, it's not JUST a sour beer where it punches you in the face with acidity. It's just right, and I even think people who don't like sour beers would enjoy it."

Packaged in a 600-count limited run of 750mL flip-top bottles, pHunky pHlemish will debut at Beard Science on or before Friday, December 8, with a price point of $18 per bottle. Plus, a small amount of the beer will be placed on draft, allowing patrons to try before they buy.

Of course, this is just the beginning with regards to bottles at Beard Science - these extended aging efforts take time, after all. Next on the list, a dark sour beer aged in bourbon barrels from Ironroot Republic Distillery of Denison will make its way into bottles over the next few months.

And speaking of barrels, there's more to come on that topic as well. Six weeks ago, Wehrmann and the Truck Yard team travelled to Kentucky to take part in a special barrel select program.

"We chose three barrels from Weller, Stagg and Eagle Rare," says Wehrmann. "The bourbon inside will be available in our facilities, but I'm getting all three barrels to age beer in."

Plans are still being finalized, but the expectation is one or more barrels will house a sour beer at Beard Science, with another to be located at the company's sister site, Second Rodeo Brewing, in Fort Worth.

Indeed, these are busy times at both Beard Science and Second Rodeo - where, incidentally, a recent expansion added two new tanks to what is now a "maxed out" production area. Wehrmann himself says they have "lots going on," and while there may actually be more to talk about down the line, we'll save those stories for another day.

Beard Science spons new Wild Sour beer

Image credit: Beard Science Sour House/Truck Yard.

It's been just over a year since Beard Science Sour House opened its doors at Truck Yard in The Colony, setting itself up as the area's lone purveyor of strictly wild and sour beers. Quicker-to-market kettle sour beers have filled the tapwall to this point, but the first of many more long-term fermentations is now ready for release.

According to Brew Boss Dennis Wehrmann, exploring the wild and sour beer realm beyond things fast and furious was part of the plan at Beard Science from the start.

"I think the concept of a sour house, the way we planned to do it, you have to compare to how you would start a bourbon distillery," says Wehrmann. "If you make bourbon, it takes years until the product is ready, and it's the same thing with a sour house. Wild and sour beers take time to ferment and mature, so while waiting for these to develop, we've been making kettle sours as well."

From this line of perpetual liquid projects comes the brewery's new Wild Sour beer. Starting with a dark base, Wehrmann literally let nature take its course with the recipe by way of spontaneous fermentation. The resulting spon beer is tasty and tart with bits of barnyard funk, dark fruit (raisins, plums) and maybe a hint of apple.

"We fermented the beer in our wooden oak fermenter - it's open at the top, and it's not temperature controlled," explains Wehrmann. "This lets bacteria come in from the air and from the environment and they start feeding in there, building lactic acids and other things. We had it in the oak fermenter for about 10 days, and after that we moved it into one of our wooden foeders, where it sat for almost a year."

On that note, it's all about timing with these beers according to Wehrmann. You never know what you're going to get, so it's trial and error as you sample and taste in order to determine when to release any given beer. With this inaugural Wild Sour offering, Wehrmann hopes to get customers excited about the prospects of what's in store for the future from Beard Science.

And what exactly is to come, you might ask? Wehrmann has a Flemish red and a champagne sour beer currently resting in foeders, along with a rather unique spirit-like dark sour beer aging in Ironroot Republic bourbon barrels (think calvados). Of these, the champagne sour is earmarked for bottles, which will be filled and allowed to condition for a time leading up to a 2023 New Year's Eve debut.

Second Rodeo ready to ride in Fort Worth

All images © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

For the first time since 1997, beer is again being brewed in the Fort Worth Stockyards, as Second Rodeo Brewing has begun production ahead of a mid-September opening on Mule Alley.

Second Rodeo is the latest concept from Brain Storm Shelter, whose portfolio includes Truck Yard venues in Houston and Dallas, along with both a Truck Yard and Beard Science Sour House in The Colony (a fourth Truck Yard is currently under construction in North Fort Worth). And, while Second Rodeo sports a different name, elements of Truck Yard's design are an integral part of the experience.

Given the above, Second Rodeo clearly isn't Brain Storm Shelter's first project, a fact that plays into the naming of the place based on the saying, "This ain't my first rodeo." The taproom motif, though, takes the rodeo aspect a step further in drawing inspiration from local cowboy culture and the history of the Texas Prison Rodeo in Huntsville.

Beneath an expansive covered patio featuring a retractable roof, Second Rodeo's
outdoor design and decor matches that of Brain Storm Shelter's Truck Yard locations.

Along those lines, indoor areas at Second Rodeo have thematic touches like iron bars lining the stairways and balconies, tap handles with handcuffs, and a mock jail cell off in one corner (guests are asked to kindly refrain from using the cell's mock latrine!). Plus, if you've ever toured Alcatraz, you'll notice how the walls, painted signs, and light fixtures have a familiar jailhouse feel as well.

Outside, Second Rodeo is essentially an incarnation of Truck Yard, with Adirondack chairs, park benches, and an open-air stage set up underneath a retractable roof. The main difference being the absence of any actual trucks, as food (cheesesteaks, funkified chicken wings) will be served by way of self-service kiosks.

Regarding the beer, Brew Boss Dennis Wehrmann oversees brewing operations at Second Rodeo, just as he does at Beard Science. Production is taking place on a 15-barrel system, and while sour beers are the focus at Beard Science, a variety of styles will be brewed at Second Rodeo for consumption onsite or at other company locales.

Tap handles with handcuffs, a mock jail cell, and iron bars throughout are just
some of the elements brought together to create Second Rodeo's indoor jailhouse theme.

"We will have a total of 10 house beers on tap, and out of those, six will always be the same," says Wehrmann. "We will also brew for all the other Truck Yards in the Metroplex after we open."

In addition, visitors to the Stockyards will be allowed to purchase beer at Second Rodeo to enjoy anywhere on the grounds.

"We bought a little mobile-canning line to do some cans," says Wehrmann, "because the Stockyards is licensed for open containers, so you can take a beer and walk around."

Second Rodeo's equipment array includes a 15-barrel
brewhouse, stacked fermenters, and horizontal lagering tanks.

Patrons will be able to choose from a house beer lineup set to include a blonde ale, Mexican lager, amber ale, hefeweizen, dunkelweizen, and an IPA. Other options will consist of seasonal rotators, such as an Oktoberfest, and Beard Science offerings like the Sour House's cucumber lemon sour and hibiscus hard seltzer.

Beyond that, Second Rodeo will carry a stock of guest beers, spirits, and wine as part of its everyday drink menu.

As for when you can saddle up to Second Rodeo yourself, the spot is scheduled to open on Thursday, September 16. From there, the brewery/foodarama/live music venue will offer service daily beginning at 11 a.m.

Truck Yard tapping 200 year-old kegs for Trucktoberfest

Image courtesy of Truck Yard.

In light of Dennis Wehrmann's recent move from his previous venture to Beard Science Sour House in The Colony, some may be curious as to the fate of annual Oktoberfest tappings drawn from his family's 200 year-old kegs. Well, wonder no more, as the Brew Boss will continue this popular pastime during Trucktoberfest events happening at Truck Yard locations in September.

“I’m excited to tap one of my personal 30-liter Oktoberfest kegs!" says Wehrmann. "Sharing this great tradition with Truck Yard is a great honor for me. The outdoor beer garden-style setting at Truck Yard is the perfect environment to enjoy something so special.”

According to a press release, the inaugural Trucktoberfest will feature a lineup of adult, kid, and dog-friendly activities including a stein holding contest, a pretzel eating contest, wiener dog races and a yodeling competition. And, there will of course be an Oktoberfest beer, with Truck Yard's take sharing the same name as the celebration.

“The 200+ year old wooden keg belonged to my great, great grandfather, who started our first family brewery in Germany in 1800," says Wehrmann. "We will fill the keg with our Oktoberfest beer, called 'Trucktoberfest,' that we brewed specially for this event. It is brewed as a traditional German Oktoberfest beer with German malt, hops and a Munich lager yeast. Enjoying this traditional German beer that is made locally alongside other local American and Oktoberfest beers at the event will certainly be a highlight for everyone."

Trucktoberfest takes place September 18-19 at Truck Yard Dallas and Truck Yard The Colony . The event is free to attend, but guests can click here to sign up for the various contests. To learn more, visit Truck Yard's social media channels for further details.

Ceremonial "Trucktoberfest" keg tapping schedule:

Saturday, September 18: Truck Yard The Colony at 2 p.m.
Sunday, September 19: Truck Yard Dallas at 3 p.m.