Oak Highlands opens new Richardson locale

Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

Following an April announcement detailing plans to move operations from their original location in Dallas, Oak Highlands Brewery (OHB) is debuting the company's new digs in Richardson during a grand opening event this weekend.

Situated at 500 Lockwood Dr. in the Lockwood neighborhood of city's Core District, Oak Highlands will occupy an 11,000 square foot structure going forward. Formerly home to Happy Hippie Brewing Co., the turnkey space is a purposeful step down from the 16,000 square feet Oak Highlands utilized in Dallas, with the new site offering a number of advantages.

For one, the interior lays out with a larger taproom (separate from the production area) compared to Dallas, with an alcove set aside for live music set-ups and a separate room that can be cordoned off for events. Plus, there's the potential for more foot traffic, given the change of scenery from an industrial park to the outskirts of a residential community where an array of retail and entertainment destinations now sit in proximity to the brewery.

Neighbors include Communion Coffee Shop and Lockwood Distilling Co., both of which do business just steps away from Oak Highlands' front door. And judging by the opening day tappings of a Nitro Coffee Porter with Communion Coffee and Locktoberfest, a barrel-aged version of the brewery's Oktoberfest finished in Lockwood whiskey barrels, there's the promise of many collaborations to come in the future.

Speaking of beer production, the company will be downsizing with respect to brewhouse operations as well. Ryan Pickering, head brewer and Certified Cicerone at Oak Highlands, is moving from the 30-barrel system in Dallas to a newer 10-barrel setup in Richardson. It's actually a bit of a blessing, according to Pickering, since smaller batches means he'll be able to brew more often and with a lot more flexibility.

Right now, the Richardson tapwall is capable of pouring 10 beers, but there are plans to expand that to the 20-handle wall currently being used in Dallas. Pickering says they'll also bring other equipment over, while making further adjustments to the pre-existing production, canning and cooling capabilities to bring things more in line with the brewery's everyday needs.

Beyond the beer, on the topic of other amenities at Oak Highlands' new spot, there are wide-screen TVs, pinball machines, and a to-go fridge, not to mention fresh merchandise in the form of a new lineup of t-shirts and hats. Oh, and let's not forget about the permanent food truck installation.

After making a name for itself out west, Brix Barbecue will be parked out front serving barbecue to Oak Highlands patrons on the regular. Brix, which has a brick-and-mortar locale in the Near Southside neighborhood of Fort Worth, was among those receiving an Honorable Mention nod in Texas Monthly's just-published list of the best barbecue joints in all of Texas.

As for operating hours, set service times in Richardson are pending, but take note that Dallas will remain open (and hosting events) during the transition, with the final day at the original OHB set for July 31.

A look at 2024 North Texas production numbers

Click to enlarge.

This is an update of the annual breakdown of brewery sizes in North Texas, with 2024 production data added as reported to the Brewers Association and published in the May/June 2025 issue of The New Brewer.

Note, not all brewing companies provide their numbers, and some report statistics combining multiple locations. Data also includes production from breweries that closed during the course of 2024, but ignores production from companies whose output was consolidated and moved out of state (Deep Ellum Brewing Co., Revolver Brewing). As a result, the number of entities represented in the chart is not equal to the total number of breweries open and operating at any given time.

Inside the numbers:

The large- and mid-size brewery tiers in North Texas, based on production (shown alphabetically):

     Regional (> 15,000 bbls)

• Manhattan Project Beer Co. of Dallas.

     Large (> 10,000 bbls)

• Community Beer Co. of Dallas.
• Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth.

     Mid-Size (> 5000 bbls)

• Four Corners Brewing Co. of Dallas.
• Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. of Fort Worth.
• Tupps Brewery of McKinney.
• Twin Peaks Brewing Co. of Irving.
  
  

Tier movement

• Advancing from "Large" to "Regional" tier (>15,000 bbls): Manhattan Project Beer Co. of Dallas.
• Advancing from "Very Small" to "Small" tier: Armor Brewing Co. of Allen, Panther Island Brewing of Fort Worth, Rollertown Beerworks of Celina.

Year-to-year production change

• At 55%, just over half of the breweries in North Texas reported a drop in production during 2024.
• Overall production in North Texas was down roughly 3% for those reporting in 2023 and 2024. This number does not include contributions from Deep Ellum or Revolver.
• Comparison: Craft beer volume was down 4% nationally in 2024, according to the Brewers Association.

Significant year-to-year production gains (based on those reporting in 2023 and 2024)

• For the third year in a row, Manhattan Project had the largest year-to-year gain in raw barrels produced locally for 2024. Their sales have increased 5X since 2019, and they are now the area's largest producer.
• The largest year-to-year percentage gains for brewing companies with production greater than 1000 barrels were realized by (alphabetically) Armor Brewing Co. of Allen, Manhattan Project Beer Co. of Dallas, Panther Island Brewing of Fort Worth, Rollertown Beerworks of Celina, and Union Bear Brewing Co. of Denton/Plano.

Fort Worth Flying Saucer celebrates 30 years on June 7

Image courtesy of Flying Saucer Draught Emporium.

Fort Worth’s original craft beer emporium, Flying Saucer, celebrates a 30-year milestone on Saturday, June 7, at 4 p.m. Festivities are set to include live music, food for purchase from the Saucer and sibling concepts Flying Fish and Rodeo Goat (4-8pm), special tappings, raffle prizes, merch giveaways, limited edition 30th anniversary swag for sale (Teku glasses, hats and t-shirts) and more.

And on the subject of more, in between live music acts in the evening (prior to the last band's set at 8:30 p.m.), Captain Keith will take the stage to lead a craft beer Q&A featuring a panel of experts, one of which will be Brad Farbstein, owner of Real Ale Brewing Co. in Blanco. It's an appropriate pairing, especially given the fact that Real Ale will be celebrating its own 30th anniversary in 2026.

As for what it costs to get in, the event is $10 per person at the door, or you can click here to RSVP in advance on Eventbrite for FREE admission.

Rahr & Sons recognized at 2025 Australian International Beer Awards

Image credit: Melbourne Royal.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. of Fort Worth has been honored with two medals at the 2025 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA).

First established in 1993, the AIBA is put on by Melbourne Royal, a not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to promote and celebrate agricultural products and producers by way of community events and competitions.

For the 2025 AIBA event, 391 breweries from 22 countries worldwide entered 2,277 beers for evaluation. Submissions were then judged across 24 categories covering beer and cider products, as well as packaging design and media. Winners from Texas included Rahr & Sons, who was recognized for a pair of its year-round beers, Dadgum IPA and Paleta de Mango.

For more on the 2025 Australian International Beer Awards, click here to visit the official competition website.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Co., Fort Worth

• Paleta de Mango, Silver for American Style Fruit Beer.
• Dadgum IPA, Bronze for West Coast Style IPA.
  
  

Cheers and congratulations to Rahr & Sons!