Happy Hippie hopes to build hip new brewery and taproom in Richardson

Image credit: Happy Hippie Brewing Co.

Happy Hippie Brewing Co. is putting plans in motion to open a destination taproom and brewery in the City of Richardson.

Products from the team of Michael and Kellie Frederick, along with partner Scott Schwieterman, first appeared on the market in early 2020. This, after Happy Hippie entered into a joint proprietorship agreement with Hop & Sting Brewing Co. of Grapevine. Since then, a total have 10 beers have been released, one of which is the firm's highly-rated Belgian-style tripel, Captain Tripels (which is also available in a rum barrel-aged variety).

Going forward, though, Happy Hippie hopes to establish a brick-and-mortar facility in the Lockwood District, an area of development in Richardson anchored by Lockwood Distilling. To be located at 500 Lockwood Dr., Happy Hippie's future home would sit across the street from the spirit maker, and be contained in a existing structure comprising nearly 11,000 square feet.

To aid in this endeavor, Happy Hippie is gauging the public's interest in providing investment by way of crowdfunding. Set up on Wefunder, the company's campaign wants to thank loyal customers for their support by offering them a chance to be a stakeholder in the future of Happy Hippie Brewing Co.

For more details and further insight into Happy Hippie's overall vision for its future, visit the landing spot for the campaign at : https://wefunder.com/happyhippiebrewingcompany.

Oak Cliff Brewing offering 99 years of free beer

Image courtesy of Oak Cliff Brewing Co.

Once the doors open at Oak Cliff Brewing Co. in Dallas, its founders will have worked to establish a new brewery in one of Dallas' oldest neighborhoods. And while their families have called the area home since the 1950s, Oak Cliff Brewing isn't just about producing a hometown brand of beer. It's about making new memories and creating a gathering place for the surrounding community.

As for where the scene will be set, the brewery will be part of a co-working village called Tyler Station. The development is located at 1300 S. Polk St., in a historic building that once housed the Dixie Wax Paper Co. Built in the 1920s, the 110,000 square foot structure is being re-purposed to support a variety of business types. Oak Cliff Brewing will occupy 14,000 square feet of that space, with the remaining real estate being open to retail, creative and small-scale manufacturing outfits willing to join the collective.

Looking to aid in the revitalization effort, Oak Cliff Brewing has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Idiegogo. According to co-founder Joel Denton, himself a third-generation Oak Cliff native, the bulk of the money raised through the campaign will go directly towards the restoration of the building. The campaign has a flexible goal of $60,000, and it will fund regardless of the final tally, but the amount of money brought in will determine how well the group is able to realize its vision at the outset.

"The success of the campaign will somewhat impact the finish of the taproom," says Denton. "We're prepared to open no matter what, but reaching our goal will enable us to do all the things we want to in the space."

Potential supporters will notice that the perks offered by the campaign don't follow the usual recipe. There aren't any stickers, pint glasses or other swag-like items to be had. Instead, the company has designed a set of rewards that offer contributors a more meaningful buy-in.

"We're doing this for the beer, to bring people together, and to share it with them...and that's the focus of the campaign," explains Denton. "We wanted to offer perks that drive that vision, that incentivize people to come to Oak Cliff, and that hopefully provide some real value in return for the contribution."

One perk sure to get people's attention is the offer of "99 Years of Free Beer." Essentially a free beer for life promotion, Denton was emboldened to run with the idea after seeing it offered by others in the industry, most recently by Saint Arnold Brewing Co. of Houston.

"It's sort of a reference to the old '99 bottles of beer on the wall' song," says Denton. "Initially, we were going to do presales of taproom pints, with the biggest quantity allowed being 99 pints. But, since we aren't licensed yet, we can't actually sell beer. The TABC is fine with me giving it away, so I decided to just go with free beer."

Details on how to get free beer for 99 years, as well as more on the story behind Oak Cliff Brewing Co., can be found by clicking here to visit the campaign's website. The fundraising drive will go on for one month, after which the founders will hit the ground running in hopes of getting the brewery and taproom open by March 2018.

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Stay up-to-date with developments at the brewery by following Oak Cliff Brewing Co. on Facebook and Twitter.

Be a part of the New Main story

Image courtesy of New Main Brewing Co.

With hopes of opening the first brewery in Pantego later this year, New Main Brewing Co. is entering the final stages of a crowdfunding campaign aimed at enhancing the project's vision.

That vision, according to founder David Clark, is the manifestation of a core philosophy that lies at the heart of what he and wife Amanda wish to create with the company.

"If you're passionate about something, you owe it to yourself and those around you to give your endeavor meaning," says Clark.

In this case, those who visit New Main will find such substance and significance in the brewery's name and how Clark will apply it when engaging his customers.The choice of a nautilus shell as the logo for the business is a further embodiment of how it will all come together, based on its identification as a "growth spiral."

Naturally, the gathering point (as it were), will be New Main's portfolio of beers, the presentation of which will center around a line of six core styles offered with a set of four different treatments (i.e. infusions, barrel-aged beers, etc.). In that way, customers can discover "New" ways to enjoy their "Main" go-to beer.

"Beer is about people and the relationships they forge together," explains Clark. "The symbolism of the nautilus shell, and how it uses its past to build its future, is something we want people to feel when they come into our brewery. We want our patrons to use their past knowledge of tasting our 'Main' beers as a guide for tasting our 'New' treatments, and we want them to share their experiences with friends and family."

As for the crowdfunding campaign, hosted by Indiegogo, the impetus behind it represents yet another way for consumers to feel connected to New Main by being "a part of the story." Money raised will go to creating a taproom and beer garden with patio seating, yard games and an open area for festivals and homebrew competitions. Clark sees it as a place where fans, friends and neighbors can come to spend time together while catching up over a pint of New Main beer.

"When they contribute to the campaign, our supporters become a part of the story in different ways," says Clark. "Above all, the campaign is meant to give the community a way to make the space their own. We want people to have their own seats at the bar with their names on them, we're letting people name our fermentation tanks, and anyone who contributes over $100 is going up on our wall of supporters so we can show our appreciation for the impact the community has had on our brewery. We'll also thank each of our contributors on the New Main blog as part of our Building a Brewery series, because without them our story would be vastly different."

Anyone looking to learn more about the project can visit the aforementioned blog, where Clark takes readers on a journey from his start in homebrewing, to the week he announced plans to go pro, to weekly updates on the progress of brewery build out and more. Information can also be found on the Indiegogo campain page, where rewards associated with varying contribution levels are outlined in detail.

In addition, New Main will host a Fundraising Party on Friday, March 31 at the Pantego Lions Club (located next door to the brewery). Attractions include food, live music, door prizes and a live auction. Tickets for the event are $15pp and can be purchased through Eventbrite.

Muenster Brewing launches crowdfunding campaign

Image credit: All images the property of Muenster Brewing Co.

It was August of 2014 when Independent Ale Works announced in was closing its doors in Denton County, with one of the two founding partners already eyeing a new beginning to the north. Now, after a little over a year in development, Stefen Windham has advanced to the funding stage of a brewery project to be set in the City of Muenster.

Muenster Brewing Co. will be located at 102 N. Main Street in downtown Muenster. The business will occupy a building originally constructed in 1940, with space available for a 1000 square foot taproom and a 4000 square foot production area. Once the site of an automobile dealership, the structure will be re-purposed to house the first known brewery to exist in Muenster and surrounding Cooke County.

The brewery's address is also just a short distance from Muenster Heritage Park, which is home to the city's annual Germanfest and Oktoberfest celebrations. These events are part of a local culture with German roots that date back to when the city was founded in 1889. It's appropriate, then, that Windham's vision for the brewery is to focus on crafting traditional German styles. That's a departure from the approach taken at Independent Ale Works, but Windham says he has always favored German brews. "There is so much variety with German beer," he explains, "and I've always said that if you can't find a German beer you like, then you must not like beer."

Referencing long-standing German traditions, Windham recognizes that to be able to execute German styles, and execute them well, the company's brewing process will have to be technically exacting. Using the 1000 year-old Weihenstephaner brewery as an example, he notes that "Germans have had a long time to perfect the art of beer." To develop the brewery's own best practices, Muenster Brewing is working with an equipment manufacturer to custom design a setup that Windham says, "will utilize a number of innovations allowing us to brew beer to exacting quality standards. It is highly efficient and will have the ability to outproduce a system three times its size." Upon completion, Windham indicates the brewery will be the only one in the world to utilize the system in a craft brewing environment.

To help with the purchase of the brewhouse, Muenster Brewing has created a GoFundMe campaign to supplement capital being sought from a combination of private, equity and debt financing. A prospectus detailing the brewery's overall plan and philosophical approach can be found at the following link:

http://simplebooklet.com/publish.php?wpKey=SqFZaJMwZmVlXQwygpSlLV#page=0

The document, which outlines expected expenditures and includes a brief market analysis, may also be accessed directly from the GoFundMe page located at:

https://www.gofundme.com/6d9g9tek/

Active now, like other crowdfunding initiatives, rewards are offered for different contribution levels. Donation amounts ranging from $5-$6000 will get you anything from a free pint of beer on opening day, to taking part in a brew day while enjoying accommodations at local lodging destinations.

Once the campaign closes, if all else goes according to plan, Windham expects to open for business in late spring or early summer 2016. He intends on operating as a production brewery, as opposed to a brewpub, with a bottling line in the forecast to provide packaged products for distribution. That aspect, according to the prospectus, will be handled by Miller of Denton, with initial deliveries being limited to accounts within a 100 mile radius of the brewery.

* Update: Muenster Brewing has ceased development.*