Bearded Ax has a handle on brewing beer in Midlothian

A flight of beers and Pork Belly BLT Sliders at Bearded Ax Brewery (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

The co-owner of a brewery in the southern part of the Metroplex has quite the beard, but by all accounts, his facial follicles aren't what inspired the name of Bearded Ax Brewery in Midlothian. It was simply the gift of an ax, randomly passed on by a complete stranger.

And the bearded part? That refers to the hooked lower half of an ax blade...or axe blade, with the added "e" depending on whether you're using American or British English. These factoids, at least for me, falling under the heading of the internet acronym TIL (that is, "today I learned").

In any case, this namesake chopping tool now resides on the wall of Bearded Ax, which opened in December of last year after being founded by Danny and Anna Hammonds. The venture anchors one corner of Lawson District, a mixed-use site sitting one block back from the city's main downtown drag at 301 W. Main St.

Within the building, Bearded Ax has a space allotment of roughly 4,500 square feet. Public space consists of a 1,500 square foot taproom, supplemented by an 800 square foot covered patio - which can be open-air or fully enclosed by way of rolling garage doors. Then, the remaining real estate is split between the kitchen and a 1,500 square foot production area.

From behind the bar, liquids flow from a 20-handle tapwall. House beers occupy a half-dozen of those, with guest beers from Cowtown and Peticolas, selections from Bishop Cider, hard tea and Saint Arnold Root Beer pouring from others. Additional drinks by the glass, bottle, can or dispenser include wine, non-alcoholic beer, sweet/unsweet tea and soda.

For its own brews, Bearded Ax offers a wheat beer, märzen, Mexican lager, pale ale, SMaSH IPA and a stout. The latter, called Split Veil, was the personal favorite, it being a roasty and slightly bitter American-style stout. Incidentally, this beer is one of the aforementioned Bearded Ax recipes that's also available to go in cans.

Among food pairing options, a number of menu items feature house-smoked proteins prepared on a commercial smoker from J&R Manufacturing of Mesquite. Examples are the brewery's Pastrami Cheesesteak, the Pork Belly BLT Sliders and the Chicken Basil Pesto Sammy. Overall, Bearded Ax serves a variety of shareables, "Comforts" (burgers, sandos, sliders), salads and sweets. Plus, there's a menu section devoted to the "Tiny Humans." 

As for things to do, if you're wondering about ax throwing like I was, the FAQs on the brewery's website actually addresses this question. Bearded Ax doesn't have the activity itself, but outdoor ax-throwing parties are occasionally hosted on-site by DFW Battle Axes. These are in addition to recurring brewery events like music bingo, puzzle races, trivia nights and more.

So, are you looking to make the trip to Midlothian yourself? Bearded Ax Brewery is open for business six days a week, with hours beginning at 11 a.m. from Tuesday through Sunday.

From the inside, out: Notes from the first-ever open-air GABF

GABF took place outdoors for the first time at Levitt Pavilion in South Denver (Photo © Brewers Association).

If there's been one constant ever the past few years at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), it's been change. Put on annually by the Brewers Association, things started to feel different after the pandemic, when the event began getting a little smaller. Then came changes to the way things were organized, the addition of other alcoholic beverages (including liquor) and more. All of it driven in response to how the industry has had to pivot with recent shifts in the market.

This year, though, the most dramatic changes of all were instituted, as the event moved outside for the first time in history. Beer no longer had to share the stage with cocktail/liquor producers, but the number of breweries serving samples dropped dramatically to only 200 - the fewest since I first attended in 1993.

So, what of the new venue - Levitt Pavilion, an outdoor amphitheater in South Denver? Transportation to and from the park seemed fairly smooth, and while concerns were raised about the potential for bad weather when the location was announced, sunny skies and temperatures upwards of 80 degrees were a constant throughout the weekend.

On the layout, the grounds were cordoned off presumably to allow for plenty of open space to move around. That said, the terrain was uneven and quite elevated in spots, which meant traversing rolling hills as you explored the day's offerings, and then hoping you didn't overindulge to the point where a misstep had you taking a tumble and rolling down a hill yourself.

Many have also mentioned restroom access being at a premium, with lines a bit challenging by the middle of the first day. Additional facilities were added on day two, with lines noticeably shorter at least through the end of the awards ceremony.

Overall, what did I think? The festival is always a fun experience (I've been 17 times now), and I love the great outdoors - weather permitting, but I'd prefer a locale that's a little more navigable, especially considering the primary activity going on. Based on that and the bathroom thing, I found myself missing the friendly confines of the downtown convention center.

As for the breweries and their beers, some of the big names pouring samples included Dogfish Head, Firestone Walker, Russian River, Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada, Stone, The Lost Abbey, Three Floyds, WeldWerks and others. North Texas had only one representative on site, that being Bankhead Brewing Co. of Rowlett (and Farmers Branch).

Stylistically, IPAs continued to reign as the primary imbibing option, with roughly 180 variants available to be sampled. Special tappings were still part of the program as well, with Firestone Walker's 30th Anniversary Ale, WeldWerks' Dubai Starry Noche and Samual Adams' Utopias being among the limited pours.

A few favorites (in case you ever find yourself in the neighborhood of one of the mentioned breweries):

• Captain Doug's Porter and Wee Heavy Wilson from MudHen Brewing Co. of New Jersey.
• Double Oaked Cognac Grow Old With You Barrel-Aged English Barleywine from Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project of Colorado.
• Drudenhaus Märzen-Style Rauchbier from Counter Weight Brewing Co. of Connecticut.
• Kurt's Mile High Malt Coffee Vienna Lager from Wynkoop Brewing Co. of Colorado.
• Primo Breakfast Stout from Fremont Brewing Co. of Washington.
• Scarlet Reserve American Amber Ale with Cherries and Cocoa from Dogfish Head Brewery of Delaware.
• Smoke & Dagger Black Lager from Jack's Abby Craft Lagers of Massachusetts.

With that, the competition summary follows, along with the regular roundup of taproom visits outside the festival.

Cheers! 

Competition results

North Texas followed up a record haul in 2025 with another strong showing at this year's competition. The region matched its second best ever total with six medals, a number previously attained three different times in the past.

Competition Statistics:

• 7,267 entries sent in from 1,300 breweries and cidermakers residing in 49 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
• 336 total medals awarded across 112 style categories covering craft beer, cider and hop water.
• Most-entered categories in ranked order: West Coast IPA, Juicy or Hazy IPA, German-Style Maerzen, American IPA, German-Style Pilsener.

All five breweries who brought home medals this year represent repeat winners. In fact, four of the five breweries (False Idol, Flix Mansfield, Maple Branch, Peticolas) went back-to-back after posting wins at GABF last year. Not only that, both Flix Mansfield and Peticolas ran it back and upgraded with a second consecutive medal for The Last Bockbuster and Room for More, respectively, after winning bronze for those beers in 2025.

Also notable, Maple Branch and Peticolas have now been honored five times at GABF over the course of their histories. This ranks second-most among active breweries in North Texas.

Plus, for the first time, the competition committee recognized breweries who were among the final cuts in the five most-entered categories (listed above). Scanning those lists, Bankhead Brewing Co. of Rowlett made the "Final Table" with Aoogah in the German Pilsener category.

Gold

• False Idol Brewing, North Richland Hills: House of Zest - Saison.
• Flix Brewhouse, Mansfield: The Last Bockbuster - Bock.
• Maple Branch Craft Brewery, Fort Worth: Seventh Hill Robust Smoked Porter - Smoke Beer.

Silver

• Maple Branch Craft Brewery with Karl King, Fort Worth: Three Kings Dunkels Bock - Pro-Am.
• Odd Muse Brewing Co., Farmers Branch: Graveyard Ghosts - German-Style Schwarzbier.
• Peticolas Brewing Co., Dallas: Room for More - Belgian-Style Abbey Ale.

Representatives from False Idol Brewing, Flix Brewhouse - Mansfield, Maple Branch Craft Brewery,
and Odd Muse Brewing Co. accept their awards (Photos © Brewers Association).

Source: Individual research.

Taproom trips

• Having been to Denver numerous times over the years, I decided to kick-off this edition of taproom trips with a list of favorite haunts focused on traditional styles and with a location in proximity to the immediate downtown area. This is personal preference, mind you, so your mileage may vary.
  
  
• Bierstadt Lagerhaus: traditional German lagers.
• Bruz Beers: traditional Belgian ales.
• Cohesion Brewing: traditional Czech lagers.
• Hogshead Brewery: traditional English cask ales.
• Prost Brewing Co. (five metro locations): traditional German ales.
  
  
• As for other explorations, while I spent a good amount of time at a few of the above favorites this time around, I did get out for a couple of first-time visits in Loveland.
  
  Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project's booth at GABF has always been a must-visit for me because of their range of barrel-aged beers - evidenced again this year with the cognac barrel-aged barleywine listed in the festival favorites up top. In addition to Others in Darkness Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, I picked up Angry Banjo Kentucky Common and Killer Boots Caramel Porter to bring back home. By the way, the Loveland spot sits downtown, while the company has a second location in Fort Collins.
  
  I also dropped by Grimm Brothers Brewing, the attraction there being a number of styles you don't see all that often around the Metroplex. There I enjoyed pours of Snow Drop German Köttbusser (a two-time GABF medal winner) and Big Bad Wolf Sticke Altbier.
  
  Regarding others in the area, Loveland is home to more than a half-dozen breweries and a meadery, so I hope to expand on my experience in the city next time I'm in town.
   

Images from Cohesion Brewing Co., Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project, Bruz Beers,
Hogshead Brewery, and Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

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For more on the 2025 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 2026 festival statistics.
• Download a complete list of 2026 winners in PDF format.
• View a historical chronicle of awards won by North Texas breweries at GABF and the World Beer Cup.

Mead, music and monks: On the 2026 Texas Mead & Music Festival

Scenes from the Texas Mead & Music Festival, with booths from Vinland Meads of Murchison
and Fox & Raven Mead of Carrollton (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

This weekend, more than 2000 patrons gathered on the grounds of Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie for the Texas Mead & Music Festival, presented by the Texas Mead Association. It was the thirteenth mead festival put on by the organization, but this was the first year the group partnered with those behind Scarborough Faire, the venue and the vibe seemingly a natural fit (to say the least) for an event of this type.

Of course, the locale drew the expected ren faire crowd, with a horde of lords and ladies, armor-clad knights, and fully-robed monks dressed to the nines and at the ready with their sample glasses, this despite the thermometer reading a pair of nines (or 99) at points during the day. Yes, it was hot...and there was a little bit of line waiting, but that didn't deter the medieval-adorned denizens in their quest for a drink.

On the afternoon's entertainment, more than fifteen Texas-based music acts provided continuous entertainment, while thirteen meaderies from around the Lone Star State pitched their tents, all of them joining resident artisans in Scarborough Hollow, a small section of the festival grounds which opens for fall activities.

Regarding the roster of mead-makers, all four from North Texas were in attendance at the event - Bee & Brew of Fort Worth, Breaking Brew Meadery of Dallas, Fox & Raven Mead of Carrollton, and Texas Longhouse Meadery of Wylie, with others coming from as far away as New Braunfels.

They brought with them a full array of mead styles for attendees to sample, from session to traditional meads, including melomels (blueberry, blackberry, cherry, cranberry, orange blossom, etc.), cysers (apple), spiced meads, barrel-aged offerings and more. Personal favorites were Rio Star (13.5% ABV), a grapefruit and cherry mead from Rohan Meadery of La Grange, and Pale Veil (6% ABV), a Citra dry-hopped session mead from Dancing Bee Winery of Rogers.

Most, if not all, of the meads being poured were available to purchase and take home in bottles (making beer festival goers everywhere jealous). Many meaderies also ship their wares across the state, with online stores to be found at their respective websites (something else on a beer lover's wishlist).

As for other North Texas notes, Rockwall Honey Bee Co. was on-hand selling honey products, while its owner presented an educational seminar entitled "From Hive to Honey: The Journey Behind Every Glass of Mead." Another learning session, "The History of Mead: From Ancient Civilizations to Modern Craft Culture" was headed by the folks from Breaking Brew Meadery of Dallas.

Oh, and if your preferences leaned more towards beer, barley and hop-based pours were supplied exclusively by none other than Odd Muse Brewing Co. of Farmers Branch.

On Cowtown's taproom takeover in Roanoke

The tapwall at CBC Taproom in Roanoke (Photo © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Late last year, news began to circulate regarding the division of Soul Fire Brewing Co. into two separate entities. Indications at the time suggested the original Roanoke location would be moving to a new site (still pending?), with the Cleburne satellite continuing on independently. Shortly thereafter, the ownership group behind The 206, the food hall Soul Fire called home since debuting in 2019, renamed the Roanoke space at 206 N. Oak St. to The 206 Brewery & Bar.

The 206 Brewery operated under that moniker for a number of months, serving primarily guest beers, though one or two house beers made an appearance on its tapwall as well. Though, as it turns out, one of the breweries supplying guest beers was apparently preparing to take over the space.

With that, Cowtown Brewing Co. of Fort Worth has been managing the taproom at The 206 since early May. And it's a full tap takeover beer-wise, with Cowtown recipes pouring from 14 of the facility's 20 available taps. Guest ciders and wine are also offered, and a full bar remains stocked for those preferring cocktails.

As for whether Cowtown intends to make use of the brewing hardware left behind by Soul Fire, according to the beertender, brewers are currently training at Cowtown's homebase in Fort Worth, with plans to potentially resume brewing operations in Roanoke later this year.

Cowtown Brewing Co. - Roanoke, also known as the CBC Tap Room, serves patrons Tuesday-Sunday, with operating hours beginning at 11 a.m.

'Craft Beer for the Soul' set to be served at Smittox

Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

Some dreams take a little longer to be realized than others, and that is certainly the case with Smittox Brewing Co., which is set to become the area's first fully black-owned brewery once it opens this weekend at 930 E. Clarendon Dr. in Dallas.

Founded by Kuumba "Smitty" Smith, the Smittox name has been known to the industry since the company's inception in 1998. That same year, the brewery's recipe for Short Order Porter, an imperial breakfast porter infused with coffee, maple syrup, cacao nibs and hazelnut, won the Riverside Shootout Homebrew Competition at Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth.

After the success of the event, Smith began searching for a place to set up shop. Collin County was the original target, but by January 2023, Smith had signed a lease on the Clarendon space in Dallas, which was then approved for a brewpub license the following April. From that point on, it's been a matter of navigating a number of hurdles that managed to get in the way.

Smith, though, wasn't one to rest on his laurels. While working to bring the brewery to fruition, he kept the Smittox name front and center by way of collaborations with other breweries. And, we're not just talking about an occasional collab here and there. In fact, since 2018, well over 40 beers (representing nearly 20 different styles) bearing the Smittox name have been produced at 30 breweries or more, both in and outside of Texas.

Now that Smith finally has a brewery of his own, Smittox recipes will be brewed on a 7-bbl system using hardware acquired from Dallas-based White Rock Brewing Co.'s original "Alehouse" location. A 12-handle tapwall will pour stylistic offerings initially, examples of which included a Kölsch, an American pale ale, a stout and a hazy IPA during a preview event this week.

Then there was the porter, which may best represent how Smith is going about this whole brewery business. Fans familiar with Smittox and its history may be hoping for Short Order Porter to be on tap at the outset, but for now Outta Order Porter, a straightforward American porter, is on the menu.

On that note, according to Smith, the plan is to get things locked down from a foundational point of view while learning the ins and outs of his setup. In other words, he wants to make sure his base beers are spot on before adding more exotic flavor ingredients.

As for the atmosphere at Smittox, there's a foundational element to that aspect of the brewery as well. For the time being at least, taproom distractions are at a minimum. Whether you sit inside or out on the covered patio, the taproom experience encourages conversation and connection in an environment open to all.

Core values, if you will, and a welcome reminder of what this craft beer and community thing is all about. And it seems quite appropriate, considering the spirit of support and collaboration within the community of craft brewers helped play a part in getting the area's newest brewery off the ground.

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Smittox Brewing Co. is located just northeast of the Dallas Zoo. Note, parking spots adjacent to the brewery are limited, but patrons may also park at East Dock, a multi-purpose shopping and entertainment destination across the street to the south.

Oak & Stone opens first Texas franchise in McKinney

Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

A new craft kitchen with "loaded taps" is encouraging patrons to make pour decisions, now that it's open in a recently-built retail center at 8575 W. University Dr. (U.S. 380) in McKinney.

First founded in 2015, Oak & Stone is a Florida-based concept under the Artistry Restaurants banner featuring a self-pour tapwall experience. As of now, the company has eight locations in Florida, with McKinney being the first one established in Texas. It won't be the last, though, since another locale is set to open later this year in Addison.

A sign declaring that "Beer Tastes Better in McKinney" is the first thing you'll notice when entering the new North Texas spot, which consists of around 6,000 square feet. Seating options are split between the indoor public space, and a covered patio section outdoors.

On the consumables, the food menu at Oak & Stone has an elevated pub grub feel (apps, wings, pizzas, burgers/handhelds, salads), but the centerpiece of the place is certainly the self-pour tapwall. And it's not all about barley and hops, as upwards of 50 rotating handles pour beer, wine, cocktails and spirits (tequila, whiskey), as well as non-alcoholic options including root beer, soda, lemonade and more.

Roughly half of the taps are devoted to craft beer, with products primarily sourced from local breweries. Current selections hail from 3 Nations, Armor, Community, Lakewood, Manhattan Project, Martin House, Peticolas, Rollertown, Texas Ale Project, Three Wide and Tupps.

The closest thing to a macro on tap was a beer from Golden Road, with others beers like Lone Star and Shiner available in cans behind the bar.

As for pricing, most draft pours run $0.50 - $0.60 per ounce, with dark beers (porter, stout) and a fruited sour being higher-priced outliers. Beers may be poured into a provided pint glass, snifter, or a collection of sample glasses, with flight boards available to transport the latter.

Oak & Stone - McKinney serves patrons daily, with hours beginning at 11 a.m. from Monday-Friday, and at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Beer, BBQ & burros: A look at Village Creek Brewing Co. in Rendon

Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

If you're looking for a place to go where you can get away from it all, a new venue in Rendon may be just the sort of spot you seek. What's more, with the primary offerings being craft beer and barbecue, one wonders what more does a Texan need?

Founded by Art & Sunny Anderson, you could certainly call Village Creek Brewing Co. a labor of love, considering the couple has been working to make the business a reality since 2019. That year, they poured beer at Luckapalooza V, hosted by LUCK at Trinity Groves, while they were scouting locations for their future endeavor.

By the end of 2019, the Andersons had purchased a 4.7-acre site in Rendon, with the brewery and an expansive biergarten set to front the property while occupying around an acre of that land at 6690 Levy County Rd.

So, why did it take six years to get here? Well, to start, there was this pandemic thing that caused a few disruptions. Beyond that, by all accounts Village Creek was built by the family from the ground up, almost completely by hand. The result being the very definition of a destination brewery, given the remote, rural locale and wooded surroundings.

As for what the experience is like at Village Creek, it begins with the aforementioned beer and barbecue.

Liquids pour from upwards of 20 taps, with the menu featuring mostly classic styles or slight variants of such. Examples include This Spuds for You (potato cream ale), Hopfire Amber (hoppy amber ale), Big L Vanilla Porter and a favorite of those sampled, Blackwater Scotch Ale. You could even turn back the clock with a pint of Threat Level Midnight, a peanut butter and chocolate milk stout dating back to the Luckapalooza days.

Among other beverages available, Village Creek's house hard seltzer can be enhanced with one of four flavoring options, while those preferring wine can choose from varieties bottled by Burning Daylight Estate Vineyard & Winery of Mansfield.

Then for non-alcoholic drinks, canned soda and bottled tea are sold at the Smokehouse Republic food trailer, an on-site barbecue purveyor. There, hungry patrons can order from a food menu consisting of brisket options (sandwiches, nachos), smashburgers and more.

And entertainment? If communing with nature while holding a beer in hand isn't quite enough, you can find widescreen televisions and board games in the taproom, with cornhole and giant connect four set-ups outside. There are also donkeys in an attached pen, who appear to quite enjoy poking their heads through the fence line for a friendly pat.

That brings us to the topic of when to visit, as Village Creek has been opening at noon on weekends - beer and food stock permitting. Given the latter, it's best to check the brewery's social media channels for updates before heading down south.

Blue Flag now flying over familiar Fort Worth spot

Single malt in the bottle, Blue Flag Pale Ale in the glass (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

A new beverage alcohol business called Blue Flag Distillery has taken over a long-time familiar spot in the Near Southside neighborhood of Fort Worth.

Led by Will Rucker and Nate Swan, Blue Flag replaces Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. at 701 Galveston Ave., with the brewery's former taproom transformed into a special event space known as The Vault. Blue Flag has been hosting private events there for a few weeks, but a Saturday soft opening was the first time The Vault's doors were open to the public.

Incidentally, Rucker comes from an oil and gas background, while Swan spent many years as a cellarman and brewer at Rahr & Sons, which for him means this new venture makes for a full-circle moment.

So, what's the "blue flag" all about? It's drawn from a tradition built around neighborhood gatherings. Symbolic of an open invitation, if a blue flag was being flown outside of someone's house, it meant friends were free to stop by for community, conversation and a bit of food and drink.

Now, a blue flag flies not only over the entryway to The Vault, but also over the brewhouse in the production area. Among remaining equipment from Rahr & Sons, the brewhouse is the origin point for both house-brewed beer and the distillery's flagship American single malt whiskey.

For the single malt, the "American" designation is new, as "American Single Malt Whiskey" was officially recognized as a category by the U.S. Government in January 2025. Though, at Blue Flag, you could arguably add a "Texan" tag as well, since Blue Flag is partnering with Fort Worth-based TexMalt to source 100% of their malted barley from Texas farms.

In terms of product lines, beer options currently include a rice lager, house lager and a pale ale, with other styles like an IPA and stout in the works. Then on the spirits side, in addition to single malt whiskey, Blue Flag is bottling gin and straight rye whiskey. And like most distilleries just starting out, Blue Flag is outsourcing whiskey to sell (finished, blended and bottled on-site) while its own liquid is aging.

Still to debut is the Tasting Room at Blue Flag, the distillery's retail space being set up at 700 S. Main St. in a building adjacent to the former location of Locust Cider. Until that happens, public access would presumably be limited to pop-up dates at The Vault, so stay tuned to Blue Flag's social media channels (Facebook, Instagram) for upcoming opportunities to visit.

Craft, a new Canadian beer and food concept, now open in Dallas

The beer - Manhattan Project White Sands Witbier, the food - Brewmaster Chicken Sandwich (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

A new Canadian import is now serving up a wide-ranging menu of beer and bites in the Preston Center commercial district of North Dallas.

Simply called Craft, the restaurant located at 5974 W. Northwest Hwy is part of a venture founded by entrepreneur, P.J. L'Heureux. And since debuting the first Craft location in 2011, his company has gone on to open nine restaurants in seven Canadian cities.

Now, for Craft's first foray into the U.S., L'Heureux has partnered with Dallas Stars owner, Tom Gaglardi, to develop a two-story gathering spot which consists of a 10,500 square foot indoor space topped off by a 5,250 square foot open-air rooftop patio/beer garden.

As for the vibe, Craft fits the mold of an upscale sports bar/restaurant (with plenty of widescreen televisions throughout). Yes, the beer selection is literally a centerpiece, with a large two-sided tapwall surrounded by a rectangular bar centering the space, but Craft is a bright and lively spot with plenty of hustle and bustle, as opposed to a dark and quiet neighborhood pub.

The drink menu at Craft touts over 100 beverages on tap, with 75% sourced from local Dallas breweries. The current lineup doesn't hit that number, but you will find many familiar Dallas names among the listings, including Celestial, Community, Four Corners, Peticolas, Manhattan Project, Texas Ale Project and Westlake. These are supplemented by selections from cities further out by Rahr & Sons, Tupps, Union Bear and others.

Roughly 10% of Craft's taps are labeled as "rotating," which suggests they'll be refreshed from time to time. The everyday beers cover a full range of styles (wheat, white, blonde, IPA, stout, porter, Belgian, light lager, pilsner, fruit, sour, etc.), but either way, you should expect to pay $8-$9 a pour.

Regarding food options, they also run the gamut. There's the expected elevated pub fare in the form of appetizers, bowls, handhelds and pizzas, along with chef-crafted signature entrees, steak dinners and more. Then, a kids menu is available as well.

Beyond the consumables, community is also a key aspect of Craft. On that note, the restaurant features a "Community Brew" called Light Eh! Lager, a collaboration between Craft and Kingsville Brewery of Canada - the latter owned by former Dallas Stars goalie, Marty Turco. One dollar from every pint of the beer goes to the Heaven's 27 Foundation, created in memory of the 27 girls who lost their lives at Camp Mystic during the 2025 Central Texas floods.

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Craft serves patrons seven days a week, with hours beginning at 11 a.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. during the weekend.

New brewery looks to leave its footprint in Glen Rose

Texas Honey Blonde one of 10 beers on tap at Glen Rose Brewing Co. (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

If you find yourself making tracks in the far southwestern region of North Texas, there's a new craft beer destination for your consideration, now that Glen Rose Brewing Co. is open and operating in the city known as the "Dinosaur Capital of Texas." It's the first brewery for Glen Rose and the surrounding county of Somervell.

David Dulcie founded the company, which debuted in early July at 302 Lake View St. on a site that sits just over a mile northeast of Glen Rose's historic downtown district. There, the brewery shares an outdoor public area with a neighboring restaurant called 3B Beers, Brats & Burgers. It's a convenient co-existence, since hungry patrons can order one of the shop's build-your-own burger, bratwurst or grilled chicken baskets at the bar inside the taproom.

On that note, Glen Rose operates within a smaller structure, with the taproom and production space each taking up about half of the available square footage. A two-barrel brewing system sets up in the back, with small-batch fermenters lining the walkway along one side of the building.

From those tanks, finished recipes pour from 10 taps, with most product names calling attention to city's topography and dinosaur heritage. Among those are Brazos Brown Ale and Paluxy Pecan Porter (the Paluxy River is a tributary of the Brazos River), along with Raptor Weizen, TriceraHops Hazy IPA and Fossil Fuel Oatmeal Stout.

Of those sampled, the pecan porter (brewed with 20 pounds of locally roasted nuts) was the favorite, though the brewery's Texas Honey Blonde seemed a popular choice as well. With an ABV of 7.1%, the blonde boasts more strength than is typical for the style, the result of a happy mistake when more honey than intended was added during development, according to the beertender.

Other styles on the board included a helles lager, light lager and a bock. And for the non-beer drinkers, Glen Rose offers Big Rocks Hard Seltzer, which can be enjoyed as-is or customized with one of various flavored syrup options.

As for other amenities, the inside has barstool and community seating, along with a handful of widescreen televisions. Then outside, there are cornhole setups, Adirondack chairs and picnic tables for those wishing for a bit more elbow room. There's also a merch stand with swag featuring the brewery's hop logo centered by a three-toed dinosaur footprint, and if you bring your own growler, they'll fill it with your choice of beer to take home.

Glen Rose Brewing Co. opens for business five days a week, with hours beginning at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, and at noon from Thursday-Sunday.

A visit to the new Bosque River Taphouse in Stephenville

A flight of beers paired with the Hothead Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sando
at Bosque River Taphouse (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

This weekend, time was spent catching up on new facilities setting up somewhat outside the orbit of the immediate Dallas-Fort Worth area. One of these, Bosque River Taphouse of Stephenville, originally opened in a temporary space in late 2023. The company has since upgraded to an expansive new spot at 320 S. Harbin Dr., just south of the campus of Tarleton State University.

Sean and Amanda Mosher form the duo behind the family-owned business, which completed the move to its new locale in May. The couple now operates the brewery and taproom in a 15,000 square foot building fronted by roughly 7,000 square feet of outdoor space and a sizable dedicated parking lot. 

On the inside, available area is divvied up between larger and smaller dining sections, the kitchen and the brewhouse, with the main dining room surrounded by more than a dozen wide-screen televisions. Then outside, more seating options occupy both covered and open-air patios, the latter finished with artificial turf and outfitted with ping-pong tables and a fire pit.

So, what about the consumables? Well, Bosque River's food menu features a full range of starters, sandwiches, burgers, flatbread pizzas and "Fried Faves" - like chicken fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and fried catfish. They also have "STX Style" southwestern specialties (tacos, nachos, quesadillas), "Heart Healthy" salads and a kids menu.

For beverages, in addition to wine, cocktails and a full bar, 16 taps pour house beers and a handful of guest offerings. Bosque River recipes include Top Goat Texas Bock (maybe their best beer), Don't Feed This to Your Cows Wheat Ale, Sunfisher IPA (the brewery's Citra-infused flagship) and States Up Texas Lager - the official lager of Tarleton State Athletics. Also rotating in are sour ales, blondes, a hefeweizen, Kölsch, light lager, seltzers and more.

As for the vibe, Bosque River Taphouse was built to be a family-friendly destination for all, with the goal of bringing people together while being an active part of the community, as opposed to just another place to eat. Of course, given the proximity to Tarleton State, university students are bound to become part of the brewery fam as well. Either way, Bosque River would seem to be an ideal hangout for Stephenville locals, whether they're looking to grab a beer and a bite while catching the game, or simply catching a break from their studies.

Bosque River Taphouse serves patrons six days a week, with hours beginning at 11 a.m. from Tuesday-Saturday, and 10 a.m. on Sunday.

On the mead-maker behind the white door in Wylie

 Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

If you've got a need for mead in North Texas, options for enjoying a honey-based fermented beverage are unfortunately somewhat slim. There are only a handful of active producers in the area, and even then, not all of them have a taproom.

For those wishing to sit and sip for a spell, one possibility is Texas Longhouse Meadery, located behind an unassuming white door at 2311 E. Stone Rd. in Wylie. Owned by Carlos and Kayla Herrera, both military veterans, the business is nearing its one-year anniversary, having debuted in December 2024.

On the menu at Texas Longhouse, you'll encounter a mix of traditional and session meads. Everyday pours consist of lightly-carbonated, lower-strength taps (6% ABV) like Odin's Gift (traditional), Raided Gold (lemon with lemon drop hops), Baldur (mango) and Lothbrok (peach), along with stronger stills (12-13% ABV) in the form of Skål (traditional, barrel-aged), Tyr's Vindrue (oak-aged with Chilean Malbec grapes) and Asgard's Orchard (cranberry and apple).

There are also limited and seasonal selections favoring the sturdier side of the strength spectrum, with barrel-aged meads and bochets (caramelized honey meads) being featured offerings.

Of the regulars sampled, Baldur was the favorite, though the rotator Idunn's Reserve (apple mead aged in Amburana barrels - 13% ABV) was also a satisfying sipper. Among others, a sneak peak of Surtur (smoked pineapple and chipotle - 13% ABV) was particularly intriguing, while Law Giver (inspired by the Old Fashioned cocktail - 13% ABV) came highly recommended by fellow patrons.

As for the setting, the meadery is part of a backroads destination with Wylie Urban Farm & Market. The taproom is small, but cozy and welcoming with low lighting and a dark color motif giving the space a sort of hideaway feel. But then it's an appropriate ambiance, given that Texas Longhouse is a bit off the beaten path.

It's an urban escape, to be sure, and one that's designed to bring together the community of like-minded mead drinkers - the latter fitting the vision of what a longhouse was used for historically. And taken together, it all makes for a nice little Nordic nook, tucked away on the far eastern edge of North Texas.

Texas Longhouse Meadery is open five days a week, with hours beginning at 2 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, and at noon on Saturday and Sunday.

Lagers, liquor and local records: Notes from the 2025 GABF

Photo courtesy of Brewers Association.

A long time ago, in a galaxy seemingly far, far away...you would have counted yourself lucky to get a taste of certain beers at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF). Lines would form at breweries like 3 Floyds, Russian River and Lawson's Finest Liquids for a precious ounce or two of Dark Lord, Pliny the Elder or Sips of Sunshine.

These days, though, beers patrons once chased tend to linger throughout the session (at least on a Thursday night). Even the Holy Grail for some, Samuel Adams Utopias, was still pouring after the usual mass of humanity gathered, got their prize and moved on from the Boston beer-maker's booth.

But then, it's just an example of how the industry and event have evolved in general. With beer, a renewed lean towards lagers is afoot, and there's also the fact that beer no longer holds court as the exclusive attraction at GABF (or your local brewery). Trends in consumption have led to the addition of other beverage options like ciders, seltzers, kombucha, hard sodas and teas, canned cocktails, and now this year...straight-up hard liquor (albeit in quarter-ounce shot samples).

Even so, we'll stick to talking about beer.

So, what beers caused a stir this time around? One popular destination was Weldwerks Brewing Co. of Colorado, for the hazies of course, but also for a beer brewed with one of the more recent viral sensations in foodstuffs, the brewery's Single Barrel Dubai Chocolate Bar Medianoche Imperial Stout.

Crowds also formed, as they always do, at the landing spot of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery of Delaware while reps were running 120 Minute IPA through a Randall filled with fresh hops.

Then, there was the steady stream of curious quaffers who stopped by the Bero booth, where a familiar face in brewmaster Grant Wood (formerly of Revolver Brewing in Granbury) was pouring samples and talking up the non-alcoholic (NA) beer venture co-founded by actor Tom Holland. Up to now, I've yet to find a NA beer I would drink on regular basis, but that may change after sips of Bero's Noon Wheat and Double Tasty West Coast IPA.

As for style availability on the festival floor, single IPAs and lagers (American-style, hoppy, light, pilsners, Vienna and more) were again predominant, and there was a plethora of seasonal Oktoberfest beers. Conversely, there weren't many sour beers (only three Berliners), dessert/pastry stouts, or even double/imperial IPAs. Those absences more surprising than the lack of Belgian beers and German specialty offerings that has come to be the norm.

Me? I stuck to what I could find in barleywines, stouts, Scottish ales and smoke beers. And for whatever reason, gravitated towards coffee infusions. Favorites among those were:

• Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout Rye Vietnamese Coffee Edition from AleSmith Brewing Co. of California.
• Kill or be Kilt from Quarter Celtic Brewpub of New Mexico.
• Neighbors with Attitude Barrel-Aged Black Barleywine from Boneyard Beer of Oregon.
• Single Origin Coffee Stout from Pizza Port Brewing Co. of California.
• Smoked Cherry Bourbon Porter from Tapped 33 Craft Brewhouse of Georgia.
• Vietnamese Coffee Stout from Dzo Brewing Co. of California.

On the topic of local representation, the recently-opened Glen Rose Brewing Co. poured at GABF for the first time, joining a roster of returnees consisting of 903 Brewers of Sherman, Bankhead Brewing Co. of Rowlett, False Idol Brewing of North Richland Hills, Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth, Odd Muse Brewing Co. of Farmers Branch and Peticolas Brewing Co. of Dallas.

Drawing from visits to those above, the best story from this year's GABF comes from a conversation I had with one of the owners. His is a spot that's gotten various types of recognition in the past, especially in relation to its barrel program (one of the area's best), but he made the comment "we haven't really won anything yet," referring to getting a win at one of the two big competitions - GABF or the World Beer Cup.

Well, two days later, False Idol was the first North Texas name called, and the brewery got on the board with not one, but two medals. Plus, neither was for a barrel-aged beer.

Congrats to them and all North Texas winners. The competition summary follows, along with my usual roundup of taproom visits outside the festival.

Cheers! 

Competition results

It was a banner year for local brewers at this year's competition, as a new record was set for GABF medals won in a single year by North Texas breweries. The nine medals won in 2025 tops the previous best of six medals, a mark achieved in 2014, 2015 and 2022.

Competition Statistics:

• 8,315 beers judged based on entries sent in from 1,555 breweries and cideries residing in all 50 U.S. states, plus Washington D.C.
• 347 total medals awarded across 116 style categories covering craft beer and cider.
• Most-entered categories in ranked order: Juicy or Hazy IPA, West Coast IPA, Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest, German-Style Pilsener, Hoppy Lager.

First-time honorees include False Idol Brewing of North Richland Hills, Flix Brewhouse of Mansfield, and Union Bear Brewing Co. of Denton. Surveying others, Bankhead Brewing Co. of Rowlett acquired its fifth medal all-time, Peticolas Brewing Co. of Dallas its fourth, 903 Brewers of Sherman its third, and Maple Branch Craft Brewery of Fort Worth its second and third.

Also of note, Bankhead extended its current run of consecutive years with a GABF medal to three.

Gold

• Union Bear Brewing Co. of Denton: Mexican Lager - International Light Lager.

Silver

• 903 Brewers of Sherman: Kilt Switch - Scotch Ale.
• Bankhead Brewing Co. of Rowlett: Awesome But Verify - Old/Strong Ale or Barleywine.
• False Idol Brewing of North Richland Hills: Fluff Said - Dessert or Pastry Stout.
• Maple Branch Craft Brewery of Fort Worth: British Bulldog - English-Style Brown Ale.
• Maple Branch Craft Brewery of Fort Worth: Romanov's Revenge - Imperial Stout.

Bronze

• False Idol Brewing of North Richland Hills: Groovy - Field Beer.
• Flix Brewhouse of Mansfield: The Last Bockbuster - Bock.
• Peticolas Brewing Co. of Dallas: Room for More - Belgian Dubbel.

False Idol Brewing, Union Bear Brewing Co.,
Flix Brewhouse - Mansfield, Peticolas Brewing Co.,
903 Brewers, Bankhead Brewing Co. (Photos © Brewers Association).

Source: Individual research.

Taproom trips

• In this edition of taproom trips, the focus is on spots outside of the immediate Denver area, since I've visited most Denver-based breweries in years past.
  
  
• Poncha Springs/Salida: Located about three hours southwest of Denver, the adjacent towns of Poncha Springs and Salida are home to five breweries. Of those, Elevation Beer Co. in Poncha Springs once distributed to North Texas. Then in Salida, there's Soulcraft Brewing, on the outskirts of town, with Moonlight Pizza & Brewpub, Tres Litros Beer Co. and Salida Brewing Co. all within a six-block stretch downtown.
  
  As for a recommendation, the mountain views at Elevation can't be beat, but if you prefer proximity to water,  Salida Brewing (which I didn't have time to visit) is right on the Arkansas River.
  
  

• Estes Park: The gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park now has four breweries within its borders. Estes Park Brewery is the oldest, having been around since 1993. New ownership and a recent renovation have transformed the brewpub's upstairs space into The Hive, which now has a more upscale restaurant vibe. A tasting room/retail area is on the lower level.
  
  Other breweries include Rock Cut Brewing Co., just across the street from Estes Park Brewery, Avante Garde Aleworks, and Lumpy Ridge Brewing Co. (two locations). I opted to hit up Rock Cut after checking in at Estes Park Brewery, the main attraction being their range of barrel-aged beers under the Wooden Mayhem moniker.
  
  
  
• Fort Collins: Most recognize Fort Collins as the home of New Belgium Brewing Co., Odell Brewing Co. and Funkwerks, but there are another 20 or so breweries doing business there. Four are steps away from each other in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins, one of the more vibrant downtown districts you'll find. Coopersmith's Pub & Brewing has been around since 1989 and is the elder statesman. It now shares downtown with Equinox Brewing, Gilded Goat Brewing Co. and Salt Road Brewing.
  
  My advice? Start a brewery crawl with dinner and a pint of cask-conditioned ale at Coop's, then make your way around the neighborhood.

Images from Salt Road Brewing, Rock Cut Brewing Co, Tres Litros Brewing Co.,
Coopersmith's Pub & Brewing, Elevation Beer Co., and Gilded Goat Brewing Co. (© Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

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For more on the 2025 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 2025 festival statistics.
• Download a complete list of 2025 winners in PDF format.
• View a historical chronicle of awards won by North Texas breweries at GABF and the World Beer Cup.

Voodoo opens fifth North Texas franchise in Prosper

Moody murals and Korean Chicken Tacos at Voodoo Brewing Co. - Frontier (Photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Voodoo Brewing Co. of Pennsylvania has made its fifth foray into the North Texas market, now that the company's newest franchise is open in Prosper.

Owned by the husband-and-wife team of Shiva and Aman Kaur-Moonsammy, with along partner Paul Han, the new spot has been dubbed Voodoo Brewing Co. - Frontier. The name adopts that of its locale on 1440 W. Frontier Parkway, which by the way aligns exactly with the border separating the cities of Prosper and Celina.

Of course, by now readers should have the Voodoo drill down pat. That is, how the parent company provides the Voodoo taproom/restaurant blueprint, leaving local owners to fill in the details with regards to decor and/or specialty food items.

At Voodoo - Frontier, the decor differs from its North Texas predecessors in that it centers on a decidedly darker color palette, with black-painted walls surrounding dark wood furniture and fixtures. It's a more striking look, and one which likely lends itself to a more intimate atmosphere come evening time.

On that note, in addition to bar, table and community seating, Voodoo - Frontier offers a cozy, cocktail seating arrangement by way of a row of low-rise tables and chairs, the latter with seatbacks fashioned in the shape of a spirit barrel. Those all set up on the inside, while an array of picnic tables inhabits a small patio out front.

As for the food and drink, dining selections unique to Voodoo - Frontier don't fall into any one set category, with Cajun and Korean influences mixing with Texas-inspired fare. Examples include the Cajun Shrimp Pasta, Korean Fried Chicken (the taco option gets high marks), Beer Braised Texas Short Ribs and more.

Then for beverages, Voodoo - Frontier has a tapwall featuring 30 draft beers. Roughly a third of those are devoted to Voodoo recipes, with the rest allotted to local and national craft offerings (i.e. neighboring breweries like Armor, Rollertown, Tupps and Union Bear). Though, if you simply must drink a macro, smaller print on the menu instructs you to ask a beertender to raid the bar's hidden stash.

Beyond the beer, there's also a full bar serving wine, cocktails and spiked "Frozens" for those indulging, with coffee, tea, sodas, lemonade and mocktails available for those who are not.

Voodoo Brewing Co. - Frontier welcomes customers seven days a week, with daily hours beginning at 11 a.m.

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For info on other Voodoo Brewing Co. franchises in North Texas (past and present), click the appropriate link: Grand Prairie (re-branded), Plano, Fort Worth (closed), Lewisville/Castle Hills.

On 903's new spot in Downtown Sherman

The ins and outs of 903's new restaurant and taproom in Downtown Sherman (Photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

It's been nearly two months since 903 Brewers officially moved out of its original taproom in Sherman, but this week was my first opportunity to check out the finished version of the company's new downtown digs in person.

In February, owners Jeremy and Natalie Roberts first announced plans to end their 12-year run on Elm St. in Sherman and relocate operations to not one, but multiple new locations. Details on a new production space are pending, and a taproom in Denison is currently under construction, but the brewery's new taproom and restaurant at 221 W. Houston St. in Sherman has been up and running since early June.

Located in a structure dating back over 120 years, 903 Brewers now sets up in what is known as the Kreager Building. The name references a prominent local landowner, John C. Kreager (1892-1972), and his Kreager Hatchery, Seed & Feed Co. which occupied the building from roughly the late 1930s until at least the early 1980s. History buffs will notice signage calling attention to the former business in the restaurant's public areas.

As for what the now renovated structure offers modern day patrons of 903 Brewers, the 7,500 square foot interior splits into a main dining room, supplemented by two smaller seating areas, and the kitchen. The larger room has bar seating as well, the requisite array of widescreen TVs, and a beer to-go station where customers can grab a few cold ones to take home.

Then for outdoor dining, there's a spacious open-air back patio (the outside may actually be bigger than the inside), along with a more intimate covered patio out front.

Of course, no matter where you choose to sit, you'll have access to a range of consumables that includes a selection of well over 30 house beers, local wines, and non-alcoholic sodas to pair with a food menu featuring shareables, build-your-own grilled cheese options, burgers, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and more.

Oh, and not for nothing, I know it's a brewery and we're supposed to talk about the beer, but 903 is an old friend to us by now, so let me just mention that they have the best onion rings I've had in a long, long time (look for the Whiskey Battered Onion Rings under "Shareables and Snacks").

903 Brewers - Sherman is open from Tuesday through Sunday, with daily hours beginning at 11 a.m.

Rios Brewing Co. taps first house beers in Grand Prairie

Patio elevation, Club Sandwich w/ House Salad, Norwegian Citrus IPA,
Wild Berries Sour, American Light Lager (Photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Rios Brewing Co. has fully made the transition to a local independent brewpub, now that the spot's first house beers have been tapped at 1015 Ikea Pl. in Grand Prairie.

Originally set up as a franchise taproom for Voodoo Brewing Co., the location was the first North Texas landing spot for the Pennsylvania-based beer maker. It opened in May 2023 and was managed as such for two years before owner Roland Rios decided to end the partnership and re-brand in order to establish the first-ever brewing operation in Grand Prairie.

Changes made included the creation of new signage and a new logo, along with the installation of brewing equipment which tucks into a corner off to one side of the bar. From there, small-batch beers flow from three five-barrel fermentation tanks, rotating into the brewpub's daily lineup every few weeks.

Among those first to emerge are Rios' Light American Lager, a Wild Berries Sour, and a Norwegian Citrus IPA. These and future "Rios" recipes (Mexican Lager, Honey Wheat and more) will supplement a large selection of guest brews from local, regional and national producers (including a handful of macros) on a 44-handle tapwall. And just in case you're wondering, at least for now, a few Voodoo beers are indeed still part of the mix.

As for other changes, the food menu has been revamped as well. Elevated pub fare is still the order of the day, with a range of appetizers, salads, sammies, burgers and pizzas on the offer. There are also food flights, with various options on the table for how customers choose to enjoy hot dogs or tacos.

Rios Brewing Co. serves patrons seven days a week, with daily hours beginning at 11 a.m.

Cooley Bay Winery adds brewing ops in Van Alstyne

Photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

It's now cool to order a craft beer at Cooley Bay Winery, as the company has begun brewing and serving its own brand of beer on-site at 545 Collin Mckinney Pkwy in Van Alstyne.

In fact, the terms brewery, cidery and meadery will all apply to the venture going forward, fulfilling the vision owners William and Jennifer Windlow had in mind when they purchased Cooley Bay in December 2024. And with specialty sips of all types available, Cooley Bay will be the only known business in North Texas producing beer, cider, mead and wine in one place on a regular basis.

On making beer, Cooley Bay's new phase is the culmination of a years-long journey towards doing the thing William knew he wanted to do. He went from his first homebrewing attempts around 2008, to starting a homebrew club in Texoma in 2010, to recruiting investors to open a brewery in 2018, to getting derailed by COVID, to forming a new group and being a signature away from buying Franconia Brewing Co. of McKinney in 2022.

When that deal fell through, Windlow shifted his focus to explore partnerships with the idea of adding beer production to an existing business model. Those efforts eventually led to a discussion with the original owners of Cooley Bay. Turns out they were ready to move on, so the timing was right for the Windlows to take over the business earlier this year.

From there, small-batch brewing operations launched in June leading up to Cooley Bay's house beer debut on Thursday. For the inaugural pours, a traditional and enjoyable style lineup with a blonde, ESB, Irish red, and stout was chosen purposefully, as Windlow wants to keep things simple while gauging the taste preferences of the local community.

Along those lines, other classics in the queue include a rye beer, a saison, an English brown, a Scottish light and a Belgian patersbier. Then, seasonals like an Oktoberfest should be expected as well.

Indeed, standards may be the norm, but Windlow assures that fun stuff will also pop up from time to time (and more often if the demand is there). That said, no matter the recipe, every beer at Cooley Bay will be brewed with all natural ingredients - no syrups, no extracts, no artificial flavorings. If something calls for a citrus element, for example, what's added to the mix will come from the actual fruit.

As for what Cooley Bay offers beyond their quartet of craft beverages, a small bites food menu has charcuterie and snack boards, flatbread pizzas, sliders, crab cakes, and a dessert of the week. One snack board, incidentally, is the new Beer Board featuring house-made beer bread and beer cheese. It was created, of course, to celebrate the release of Cooley Bay beers.

Cooley Bay Winery (& Brewery) serves patrons Thursday through Sunday, with hours beginning at 2 p.m. each day.

Locals line up for a taste of Forney's first brewery

Forney Brewing Co.'s taproom, tapwall, German hefeweizen, 10-bbl brewhouse, cobb salad (All photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

If the steady line of locals visiting on opening day is any indication, the first brewery to do business in the City of Forney should be well on its way to realizing the goal of being a go-to entertainment destination for area residents.

Owned and operated by Eric Britton, Forney Brewing Co. is located at 203 E. Main St. in the heart of Downtown Forney. Method Architecture did the work to renovate and modernize an existing structure on the site, which has around 5,000 square feet of interior space supplemented by a 1,500 square foot covered patio outdoors.

Inside, patrons seated in the taproom are surrounded by a variety of visuals. Windows on one end of the building provide views of the production space, while a wall on the opposite end is adorned with vintage photos paying homage to the city's history. Then, of course, there's the requisite array of widescreen TVs.

A full kitchen is also among the amenities, and Britton - a confessed foodie - says an attention to detail will be applied to the food offerings as well as the beer. At a glance, the focused menu has an elevated pub fare feel, featuring starters (deviled eggs, nachos, wings), salads, sandwiches, smash burgers, and kids items, not to mention Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert.

Liquid options naturally begin with the beer, but Forney Brewing also serves wine, cocktails and sodas. Flights and full pours are filled from a 17-handle tapwall, with four house beers and five guest offerings from Manhattan Project Beer Co. now on tap. The context there is Britton worked at the Dallas-based firm before taking the leap to open a brewery of his own.

On the current beer lineup, Britton is quick to emphasize it's in the introductory stage. He says "the fun stuff will come out once production gets going," but at the outset, the idea is to get a feel for Forney's flavor preferences. So, for now, his recipes include standards like an American light lager, a German hefeweizen, a juicy IPA and a hoppy brown ale.

And therein lies another bit of insight into Britton's approach, as new beers will debut with style nomenclature only. "Our beers will have names, but they have to earn a name first," explains Britton. In other words, both he and his customers will have to be happy with a beer before it assumes any sort of identity. That said, the hoppy brown could be a nominee, at least based on favorites discussed with fellow drinkers seated at the bar.

As for other things to look forward to, Britton says the "just getting started" thing really applies to the whole operation. On top of expanding the house beer portfolio, they'll add events, kids games and more as they work to further establish Forney Brewing Co.'s family-friendly atmosphere.

For more on Forney Brewing Co., including updates on operating hours going forward, follow the brewery's social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.

Welcome to the Herb 'N Jungle: Sheraton Dallas taps new signature beer

Herb 'N Jungle Honey Beer, Chicken 'n Waffles with Chipotle Hot Honey, the Herb 'N Jungle, El Cubano (All photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

Something new is buzzing about the Sheraton Dallas Hotel at 400 Olive St. in downtown, as the travel and entertainment destination has launched a new signature beer brewed in collaboration with Manhattan Project Beer Co., the Dallas-based brewery doing business just four miles away.

Formally introduced at an exclusive preview event last evening, Herb 'N Jungle Honey Brew - a.k.a. Gold Flash Honey Lager (5.2% ABV), is made with honey sourced from beehives maintained on-site in the Sheraton's Herb 'N Jungle outdoor garden. Upwards of 70,0000 bees live and work in the garden, which is located on the fourth-floor terrace of the hotel.

The motivation for creating a house beer for the hotel was borne out of the Sheraton's ongoing commitment to community support and its desire to provide patrons with locally-inspired offerings. In the spirit of this, a partnership with Manhattan Project was formed roughly two years ago, shortly after the hotel first began housing bees on the property.

According to Brandon Byrd, part of the management team at Manhattan Project, when the project started the production crew got to work with research and development once the hotel delivered "buckets of Sheraton honey" to the brewery. They experimented with other beer style types before landing on the final formulation, which adds honey to a classic Munich-style helles base recipe.

The objective was to create a beer with "wow" factor, but also one that would have wider reach in terms of appeal. In the end, those goals appear to have been realized in the form of an ever so slightly-sweet summer crusher, which finishes clean with a subtle hint of honey character in the finish.

As for where to get it should you frequent the hotel, Herb 'N Jungle Honey Brew will be on tap year-round at the Sheraton's dining establishments - Draft Sports Bar & Lounge, Open Palette and The Parlor.

And for those looking to enjoy their honey beer with a bite, suggested pairings include two new offerings on the daily Draft food menu: the Chicken Bao-Bun (grilled chicken teriyaki with soy aioli, cilantro and pickled vegetables) and the El Cubano (smoked crispy pork cutlet with Swiss cheese, honey mustard, tomatoes and dill pickles). 

At the same time, diners should also keep an eye out for special menu items infused with honey from the rooftop bees like Chicken 'n Waffles with Chipotle Hot Honey and the Honey Cake with Rose Water Cream.

For more information on the food and drink options at eateries of the Dallas Sheraton Hotel, click here to visit the "Dining" section of the hotel's official website.

Voodoo Brewing now holding court in Castle Hills

Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

The latest in a series of Voodoo-branded franchise taprooms to land in North Texas, Voodoo Brewing Co. - Castle Hills is now open at 4400 State Hwy 121 in Lewisville.

Owned by Manal and Fahad Keen, the new Voodoo placement has set up shop in a 4,346 square foot space as part of the mixed-use development, The Realm at Castle Hills. It's the fourth foray into the Metroplex for the Pennsylvania-based parent company, following previous ventures debuting in Grand Prairie, Plano and Fort Worth*.

And naturally, there are similarities and differences when comparing Voodoo Castle Hills to its area predecessors. Readers may recall that every franchise begins with a blueprint providing access to Voodoo's culinary recipes and its line of hand-crafted beers. Individual owners then infuse a bit of their own personality into the place, either by way of the decor or by adding unique items to the menu.

In the case of Voodoo Castle Hills, differences start with the interior design. Rather than having a bar & grill or downtown pub-like feel, Voodoo Castle Hills almost comes across as a small event venue, with a very open, single-room setup where the tables are spread out and surrounded by wide-screen televisions.

Then on the food service side of things, visitors are met with a Mediterranean-inspired menu. Along with selections from Voodoo's standard range of burgers, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and more are options like the Med Zeppelin Burger, the Puffy Pita Smash Salad, the Groovin' Gyro, the Meat-iterranean Pizza (with Turkish sausage) and the Gyro Hero Bowl.

As for similarities, of course there's the beer. From a 24-handle tapwall, year-round and seasonal offerings from Voodoo pour alongside a smattering of guest beers sourced from a variety of Texas breweries. The house-to-guest beer ratio is likely to vary over time, but at least for now recipes from the Lone Star State hold a slight advantage.

Wine, cocktails, mocktails and other non-alcoholic beverages (sodas, tea, lemonade, Liquid Death Mountain Water) round out the liquid lineup, which leaves just one important amenity to mention.

Off to one side, a throne scene flanked by golden crowns has been fashioned for photo-ops...you know...for those looking to declare themselves king of Castle Hills.

Voodoo Castle Hills is open seven days a week, with daily hours beginning at 11 a.m.

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* The Fort Worth pub closed in November, while Grand Prairie is re-branding as an independent entity. Voodoo Plano continues to operate, with another project, Voodoo Brewing Co. - Frontier, currently under construction in Prosper.