Ash & Ember closing brewery in Cedar Hill

Image credit: Ash & Ember Brewing.

Ash & Ember Brewing of Cedar Hill has announced it will permanently close on November 18.

Brian Krajcirovic and Timothy Martin launched Ash & Ember in June 2020, making it the first known brewing operation to exist in the city. The partners, who had been homebrewing together since 2013, opened Ash & Ember hoping to establish a small, family-friendly pub with a Cheers-like atmosphere. A sign reading "Cheers Cedar Hill" was even hung in the taproom.

Doors opened at Ash & Ember at the height of the pandemic, and the aftereffects of that event were cited as a contributing factor in the closure, according to a social media post.

"We started with a vision of bringing our passion for traditional and delicious craft beer to our community, and we achieved that goal. However, the pandemic wreaked havoc on small businesses and breweries everywhere, and we were no exception. Despite our best efforts to pivot and adapt, we faced ongoing challenges that hindered our operations and growth. Now, due to significant cost increases, we have no choice but to close."

Happy Hippie opens far out fermentation firm in Richardson

All photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

Completing the journey to opening a brick-and-mortar location, Happy Hippie Brewing Co. has pulled back the curtain on its new permanent home at 500 Lockwood Dr. in Richardson.

For anyone unfamiliar, Happy Hippie got its start after entering into an alternating proprietorship agreement with Hop & Sting Brewing Co. of Grapevine in 2019. From there, first beers hit the market in early 2020, with more than 10 different recipes eventually making their way into the firm's portfolio over the course of the last three years.

Now, those behind Happy Hippie - a group comprising Michael and Kellie Frederick, Scott and Happy Schwieterman, and Dave and Jess Steckel - can entertain family, friends and fans of the brand in the comfort of their own groovy little hippie pad in the Lockwood neighborhood of the city's Core District.

Happy Hippie operates inside an 11,000 square foot structure. Roughly half is dedicated to the
taproom, which features a spacious seating area flanked by the service bar and an indoor stage setup.

So, what's the new place like? Well, in terms of vibe, clearly a chill and laid back atmosphere is the order of the day. Honestly, it couldn't have been more appropriate that a Grateful Dead ditty came over the sound system literally the second I sat down. Bandleader Jerry Garcia is the patron saint of Happy Hippie, and what might be the brewery's most popular beer, Captain Tripels (Belgian tripel), is a nod to Captain Trips himself.

Given that, along with the playing of other tunes by early 70s artists, and the prominent stage setup anchoring one end of the taproom, it should be clear music is central to the concept. If not, maybe also consider past beer names featuring the song titles "Friend of the Devil" (the Dead) and "Smoke on the Water" (Deep Purple).

Those weren't on tap at opening, but a list of beers that were included Captain Tripels, Honey Magnolia Witbier, Marmalade Sky Blonde Ale, Rich Ale and Wa-Hotter Melon IPA. And while Captain Tripels might be the strongest beer of the bunch in terms of ABV, the punchiest flavor profile emerged from the watermelon and habanero-infused Wa-Hotter Melon IPA. In fact, the latter had a bitter edge on the order of an old-school West Coast IPA.

Beer workings, by the way, are brought to you by director of brewing operations, Nick Thomason. A homebrewing veteran with more than 15 years of experience under his belt, Thomason is formulating the fermentations at Happy Hippie using hardware supplied by ABE Equipment of Nebraska.

Once production is in full swing, beers will pour from as many as 12 tap handles at Happy Hippie.
Flights and full pours are available, with to-go selections presumably set to occupy a fridge adjacent to the bar.

As for other site amenities, widescreen televisions encircle the interior allowing for the viewing of sports and other events at Happy Hippie, with board games provided as an additional diversion. There's also a patio area for those who prefer open-air imbibing.

With regard to grub, food trucks will be the primary purveyor. Bites on grand opening weekend were served by Guitars & Growlers, a fitting partner since the pub's Richardson spot has acted as Happy Hippie's adopted taproom since its inception. Their menu offers a variety of appetizers (fries, onion rings, sweet potato nuggets), entrees (bratwurst, smash burgers, street tacos, wings), kids meals (chicken nuggets, hot dogs), and a Cream Cheese Filled Churro for dessert.

Indeed, taken together, what Happy Hippie has created is a songful space designed to inspire patrons to commune with other like-minded craft beer drinkers. To that end, you're invited to "Find Your Tribe" at the brewery during operating hours from Wednesday through Sunday.

Rollertown breaking out The Cypher for upcoming B-Boy Battle

Image courtesy of Rollertown Beeworks.

Rollertown Beerworks of Celina has teamed with Battle Grounds, a community-based group rooted in hip hop culture, for the Second Annual Rollertown B-Boy Battle, an incredibly unique, high-energy event taking place at the brewery on Friday, October 20 at 6 p.m.

According to a press release, organizers are looking to elevate the experience by building off the success of the inaugural event last year while celebrating breaking’s inclusion in the 2024 Olympics. Attendees can expect incredible dance-offs, world-class technique, and one-of-a-kind performances by talented breakers from across the state. The event will take place outside under a large tent to increase visibility for spectators, and there will be a 3 vs. 3 competition with a larger grand prize of $1,500.

“This event embodies why we wanted to start Rollertown in the first place,” says Jeff "Skin" Wade, co-founder of Rollertown. “We have a long history of fusing together things we’re passionate about. And providing our guests with the essence of true Hip-Hop culture fills us with so much pride and excitement.”

To commemorate the event, Rollertown will release a new beer called The Cypher (10% ABV) as part of its Back to the Lab Experimental IPA Series. This imperial hazy IPA is made with copious amounts of wheat and oats, a clean American pilsner base malt and a mix of Bru-1, Citra and HBC-586 hops. The result is said to present with a velvety body and powerful hints of pineapple, mango and lychee.

Appropriately, the beer is named as a tribute to a "cypher," an open-circle warmup prior to the battle where the group communes while people take turns executing freestyle moves. The cypher (or cipher) has deep cultural roots in hip hop culture and beyond.

Leo J, a prominent figure in the breaking community who will perform at the event, also expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming festivities.

"After the huge success of last year's event, I am happy to partner with Rollertown for a second year in a row," adds Leo J. "With breaking making its debut in the 2024 Olympics, it makes events like these even more important for the breaking community as fans of the culture can get an up close and personal view of the artform."

The B-Boy Battle is free for attendees. Apart from breaking and music from DJ Leo J, there will be food from Cane Rosso and Cheddr Wheel, and pop-ups from Josey Records, DFW Vintage Swap Meet and more. Rollertown encourages early arrival to ensure a good viewing spot, as the event is expected to draw a very large crowd again this year.

Black Fox now stalking just off the square in Denton

All photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

Black Fox Brewing Co. of Texas has opened in the location previously occupied by Howling Mutt Brewing just off the square in Downtown Denton.

Michael Velasco, a veteran and homebrewer of more than 20 years, took over the space at 205 N. Cedar St. in May. All it took was a new permit, a little paint and some polish to get the site re-branded and up and running again.

Along those lines, visitors of the former tenant will be met with a familiar scene at Black Fox. The barroom centers the place, flanked by the production alcove on one side, and a lounge-like spot (still being decorated) on the other. These smaller indoor areas (1200 square feet total) are then supplemented by an enclosed, open-air patio out back.

Black Fox's opening day lineup features a variety of light-to-moderate ales.

Naturally, house beers are the brewery's primary attraction, but select wines and non-alcoholic beverages are also available. A half-dozen brews make up Black Fox's initial lineup, with styles focused on light-to-moderate offerings. Menu options include easy-drinking blonde, pale and red ales, along with an IPA and a stout. And on the topic of favorites, while patrons overheard at other tables seemed taken with the Dirty Cursed Blonde, my tastes leaned more towards Black Fox Stout.

Speaking of which, Velasco's first foray into commercial brewing came when he participated in the Homebrewers League program at Barley & Board in Denton during 2018. The recipe Velasco brewed was Black Fox Stout, a beer he described as a straight-forward American-style stout purposely designed as a back-to-basics kind of thing, which nowadays represents a rarity in a market filled with adjunct-heavy alternatives.

As for when to visit and experience one of the region's newest brewing operations for yourself, Black Fox plans to provide service five days a week, with operating hours Wednesday through Sunday.