Images: A sampler of the brewpub's Hazelnut Coffee Stout alongside a plate of Adult Chicken Tenders at Union Bear - Denton. © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D). Union Bear Brewing Co. of Plano has added to its pack this week with the introduction of a new location at 221 S. Bell Ave. in Downtown Denton. It's the next step in the evolution of a brand that's been part of the local language for more than a decade. Union Bear first appeared on the marquee of a spot in the West Village of Uptown Dallas in 2012. Those behind the original concept passed the baton to 33 Restauran ..read more

On the flight board, beer styles at Krootz include a märzen, maibock, pale ale and imperial milk stout (logo: Krootz Brewing Co., image: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D). Five years ago, when Krootz Brewing Co. first opened in Gainesville, it did so with a relatively straightforward approach. Its facility housed the brewery and taproom, and while a kitchen providing pizza and small bites was in the plans, there was the convenience of a farmers market and food truck lot right out the back door. On the liquid side, a standard set of approachable beer recipes was to be served, with ..read more

Image credit: U.S. Open Beer Championship. Winners were announced today at the 2024 U.S. Open Beer Championship. Based in Oxford, Ohio, the U.S. Open is now in its sixteenth year. The event, billed as the second largest annual beer judging competition in America, has been a popular testing ground for local brewers for more than a decade.  Looking back, the first win for a North Texas brewer occurred in 2012, but the region has celebrated wins for multiple breweries in each of the last 12 years - 2024 included. And now with this year's results, 29 area breweries have been awa ..read more

Image credits: Texas Craft Brewers Guild, Method Architecture, Toasty Bros., Village Creek Brewing Co. Recipients have been announced for the fourth year of a grant program awarding aspiring craft brewers with membership in the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. Grantees listed below will receive a one year "Brewery in Planning" membership - a $300 value - in the trade association that represents small and independent craft breweries in the Lone Star State. These grants are funded by Method Architecture, a Texas-based firm that's also a longtime member of the Guild. 2024 Grantees: Cottonwood ..read more

Flight trays at Lucky Brewing Co. and Bosque River Taphouse (all images © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D). For the first time in as long as I can remember, I can again say I've visited every active brewery currently residing in the North Texas coverage area. This, after making a trek to Erath County in the far southwestern corner of the region to check out Lucky Brewing Co. of Dublin and Bosque River Taphouse of Stephenville. Now, given the remote locale, and the fact the breweries sit just 12 miles apart on a stretch of US-377, it stands to reason that anyone making the trip is likely to ..read more

Snaps from inside and out at Soul Fire Cleburne Brewing Co. - Cleburne (all images © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D). Upon hearing the news that Soul Fire Brewing Co. - Cleburne had brought home its first award, from an international competition no less, it seemed there was no better time for an inaugural visit to one of the newer brewing operations in North Texas. Owned by James Brown, the Cleburne spot is the second for Soul Fire, the original having been in business in Roanoke since the fall of 2019. The branding is the same, but the two locales differ slightly in approach. Soul Fire Ro ..read more

The brewery's name is a military reference, stemming from ownership's support of our armed forces (all images © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D). Black Hawk Brewery is now open in the Town of Prosper, thereby establishing itself as the first business of its kind in the city. Built from the ground up, Black Hawk sits at 390 W. Broadway St. on the western edge of Proper's downtown district, operating inside a 12,000 square foot structure housing a full restaurant and brewery, along with a rooftop deck. According to a spotlight piece on the Prosper Economic Development website, owner ..read more

Image courtesy of Lakewood Brewing Co. Later this month, Lakewood Brewing Co. of Garland will team with Andy's Frozen Custard, a popular purveyor of frozen treats, in an attempt to build the world's largest beer float. Happening on Saturday, June 29 at 1 p.m., Lakwood will create the float using a full keg of its Temptress Imperial Milk Stout melded with 50 scoops of Andy's World Famous Frozen Custard. According to a press release, this effort seeks to break a previous record set in February in Ohio using about 20 pints (9 liters) of Third Eye Brewing’s Higher Purpose Milk Stout ..read more

Non-alcoholic efforts to this point have covered a range of different beer styles (Collin Zreet). While recently taking a break from drinking alcohol, I have embraced the opportunity to explore the fast-growing realm of non-alcoholic (NA) beers.  This is an especially great time to do so, since there has been a surge of these beers being produced in the craft and macro beer markets. After trying several different brands, styles, and production methods, it has me thinking: what makes a good (or great) NA beer?  Does it have to be “to style?”  Does it have to taste exactl ..read more

Image credit: Deep Ellum Brewing Co. After more than 12 years in business, Deep Ellum Brewing Co. is closing its doors in the Dallas neighborhood for which it was named. Founded by John Reardon, Scott Frieling and Jim Piel, Deep Ellum debuted in November 2011, and in doing so, it became the first new brewery to open in the City of Dallas since the late 1990s. The company's opening day manifesto was centered around a bold and unapologetic attitude geared towards "Total Beer Domination." Over the years, the brand and its popularity grew to the point where Deep Ellum attracted the intere ..read more