Parker County Brewing Co. now occupies new stable in Willow Park

Top center: Parker County's Spicy Chicken Sammie (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Parker County Brewing Co. of Willow Park first appeared on the North Texas scene after opening in early 2018. Now, seven years later, the brewpub has traded-in its retail development digs for a standalone place of its own right across the highway from its original location.

Currently owned and operated by co-founder Ryan Stewart, the company began looking to expand to a larger facility in late 2022. At first, the plan was to pursue a new construction just down the way along I-20, but an alternative became available when a building once home to Parker County Ice House hit the market.

Located at 210 Willow Bend Dr., the existing building consisted of 4,500 square feet on 0.72 acres of land, but an additional 1,500 square feet was added during the renovation process. And to put it quite simply, the resulting venue is a bigger, better version of the Parker County brewpub.

Bigger being the operative word when talking about the kitchen, dining room and bar area. Add to that an outdoor wrap-around patio (with a covered stage) that has as much room or more than the interior, and patrons and crew members alike should have more than enough room to move around in Parker County's new surroundings.

With regards to other aspects of the upgraded experience, there's also something new on the drink menu. Beverage options begin with Parker County's portfolio of "Unbridled Brews," but now in addition to wine, cider and seltzer, a fully-stocked bar provides the spirits necessary to create a range of hand-crafted cocktails.

Really, just about the only thing standing pat, at least for now, is the brewpub's production setup. Trucked over as-is, the brewdeck and equipment array is manned by Mike Kraft, a longtime industry vet who got his start in North Texas during the brewpub boom of the 1990s. And he's got plenty of taps to play with, considering 30 handles are installed on each side of the service area.

On that note, these days the year-round beer lineup includes Side Pony Blonde, Southern Passion IPA, Just a Phaze IPA and Galactic Cowboy Double Hazy IPA. Then, seasonal selections like 1879 Prohibition Ale, Velvet Reaper Imperial Oatmeal Stout, Peach Blonde, Wild Cherry Sour and others rotate in regularly.

As for the food, Neapolitan pizzas are still the primary culinary attraction, with salads, sammies, wraps, and a kids menu set to fill out the daily offering sheet as well.

Parker County Brewing Co. is now open for lunch and dinner six days a week (closed on Tuesday). An official grand opening takes place on Saturday, March 1, with live music acts hitting the stage starting at 2:30 p.m.

Grab a pie and a pint at Parker County

Standards, seasonals and cask offerings are all part of the program
at Parker County. (Photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.)

Turn back the clock on beer production in Parker County, and you'll find the name William F. Both attached to an entity that existed in Weatherford during the late 1800s. His firm, known as W.F. Both & Co., produced less than 50 barrels in 1878, making it the smallest licensed brewery in Texas at the time.

Both's death in 1879 brought an end to that operation, and effectively put a cap on Parker County beer production for the next 139 years. Local brews started flowing again in March, though, with the opening of Parker County Brewing Co. (PCBC) in Willow Park.

Ryan Stewart and Joshua Tarbay have partnered on the modern-day project, which they've designed with a simple and straightforward approach, letting tradition take precedence in the creation of offerings centered around the classic combination of pizza and beer.

PCBC's production setup is anchored by a 10-barrel brewhouse (left).

Hand-pulled pours, like this cask brown ale, are a popular attraction at PCBC (right).
Photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

With regards to the latter, the brewpub's recipes tend towards the stylistic, with an everyday lineup including a blonde, a hefeweizen, an IPA and a stout. The best of the bunch, though, might be PCBC's 1879 Prohibition-Era Ale, an agreeable amber brew that recalls the end date of Both's enterprise mentioned above.

Beyond those beers, options extend to a chocolate hazelnut porter and a just-tapped double IPA, not to mention seasonals like the current rotator, Peach Blonde. The brewpub also features a set of cask engines, a rarity for North Texas, with both hoppy and malty varieties available for hand-pulled pours.

As for the food aspect of PCBC, Neapolitan pizzas are the primary output of a house kitchen. Couple that with a growler fill from the bar, or the purchase of 16-ounce cans seamed onsite, and it would appear to make PCBC a convenient stop for locals craving a pie and a pint to-go.

Of course, that works for wanderers as well, especially those seeking out a craft beer destination west of Fort Worth.