15 May 30 - June 5, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Essential Dallas-Area Breweries Discover Dallas’ vibrant craft beer scene with a diverse selection of award-winning beers. BY NICK REYNOLDS T hanks to an abundance of top- flight breweries that call North Texas home, there’s no short- age of frothy options. Narrow- ing those down to one short list wasn’t easy. So, you can forgive us if we missed a few. But these spots made it for a reason, namely great beer in a fun space. Scout out your target brewery and then head on over for a flight of locally brewed suds. Celestial Beerworks 2530 Butler St. With a focus on “hop-forward, approach- able yet complex” beer options, Celestial Beerworks offers perhaps the most unique brewery experience of any on the list. The Celestial brand celebrates the arts, science and space — and their one-of-a-kind tap- room is a testament to that. So is the beer se- lection. At Celestial, you can immerse yourself in a tall glass of Hazy Cosmic Jive, Chaotic Orbit or Andromeda. And if the at- mosphere and brew names aren’t enough to send you to space, the beers just might be (many of the beers at Celestial range from 7% to 10% ABV). Community Beer Co. 3110 Commonwealth Drive Community Beer Company’s yeast is culti- vated in-house with a top-of-the-line cus- tom yeast propagation system that paves the way for an array of rich yeast strains. This al- lows the layering of complex flavoring and depth found throughout all of Community’s offerings. The menu includes eight core brews (including the highly popular Mosaic IPA), seasonal, small-batch, limited and non-alcoholic selections. The food is legit, too. They offer a robust brunch on Sundays when you can find smoked salmon flat- breads, giant German pretzels, wagyu smash burgers and mammoth bowls filled with house-made buttermilk biscuits and Ascen- sion coffee-infused gravy with sausage (or chorizo) and then topped with a fried pas- ture-raised egg. Deep Ellum Brewing Co. 2823 St. Louis St. Established in 2011, Deep Ellum Brewing Co. took an old factory under a freeway overpass on the edge of Deep Ellum and transformed it into one of the best breweries in North Texas. Many of the brand’s brews are virtual household names to local beer drinkers: Dallas Blonde, Deep Ellum IPA, Dream Crusher Double IPA and Neato Ban- dido are well-known local beer staples. They also host a trivia night on Thursdays and have live music on Saturdays in the heart of Deep Ellum, naturally. Four Corners Brewing Co. 1311 South Ervay St. Starting with a small batch brewed over a kitchen stove and fermented in a bathtub — then next graduating their operation to a home garage — award-winning Four Cor- ners Brewing has come a long way. With close to 20 beers to choose from, such as the Spicy Chela (a lime jalapeño lager), Mango Fresca, Sandia Fresca (watermelon ale), Notorious O.A.T. oatmeal stout and the house staple, Local Buzz (honey rye golden ale), Four Corners is a beer connois- seur’s dream. If you’re looking for a fun time on a weeknight, go play loteria on Thursday night. Lakewood Brewing Co. 2302 Executive Drive, Garland After selling their first keg in 2012, Lake- wood Brewing Co. has blossomed into a Dal- las area stalwart. You can find the Lakewood brand all over town, from grocery stores to bars and restaurants. And their brewery in Garland offers an immersive experience where you can taste test everything the brand offers. The Lakewood lager and IPA are well-known local staples. When the weather turns cooler (which supposedly it will every year) go for the Pumpkin Spice Latte Temptress and S’mores Temptress, which both clock in at a stout 9.1% ABV. If you’re partial to taking your kids with you to the brewery, Lakewood is your Huckleberry. Oak Cliff Brewing Co. 1300 S. Polk St., No. 222 Five years ago, Oak Cliff Brewing opened in historic Tyler Station, a small retail space in Oak Cliff. And since this brewing outfit has taken off and soared. This 30-barrel brewery has a taproom with an ever-evolving and ro- tating set of taps that Oak Cliff Brewery views as their “playground.” The Black La- ger, a German-style Schwarzbier that’s as re- freshing as it is crisp, is arguably the headliner. But don’t stop there — like we said, there’s a playground of suds to swim in at OCB. Outfit Brewing 7135 John W. Carpenter Freeway For head brewer Jordan Young, it all started as a hobby, something he did in his garage so he could hook up friends and family with sudsy new concoctions he was tinkering with. And then he realized he was pretty damn good at it. Now Young leads the charge for Outfit Brewing, where you can find glasses of Milky McStoutface (a milk stout aged on cocoa nips with tones of coffee and chocolate), Hoppy Longstockings (a West Coast-style IPA) and one of the most potent pound-for-pound beers you’ll find anywhere — a Russian Imperial called Bar- rel Tricks that checks in at an earth moving 13% ABV. Peticolas Brewing Co. 1301 Pace St. Located in Dallas’ Design District, Peticolas promises to “deliver you world-class passion in a glass.” And they have a deep roster of beers — 26 that we counted, with another 14 former limited-release lines set to return. The Sure Bet Dreamsicle hefeweizen, with notes of orange, tangerine and vanilla, is the perfect summer beer. And many of us are al- ready acquainted with Peticolas’ Velvet Hammer, an imperial ale that’s dark and deeply rich. But take it easy on ‘em because they pack a 9%-ABV punch. White Rock Alehouse 7331 Gaston Avenue, No. 100 Located in one of the most picturesque areas of Dallas (hence the brewery’s name), White Rock Alehouse showcases 10 house beers crafted by award-winning brewer Blake Mor- rison and a host of other brews from local and national breweries. Their biggest seller, the Big Thicket, is Morrison’s take on a classic blond ale. Another to try (or just try them all) is the award-winning IPO IPA, a hazy, New England-style IPA. And then head out to the expansive patio to take it all in. Turning Point 1309 Brown Trail, Bedford Yes, Bedford. Don’t hang up, hear us out. Since 2018, Turning Point has aimed to in- troduce underrepresented beer styles to North Texas. It has since made its mark with a flagship line of New England IPAs that has earned the brewery a loyal following from fellow breweries and imbibers. The cavern- ous taproom, which includes an expansive brewing system, boasts more than 50 beers on tap, showcasing diverse offerings, includ- ing hazy styles, sours and stouts. Autonomous Brew Pub 1928 S. Akard This Cedar’s neighborhood craft beer desti- nation is in a 1940s building with a big tap- room and outdoor patio with plenty of TVs for all the sports. The house line is Deanitude, the work of owner and certified cicerone Dean Weaver, who spent two years in Ger- many while in the Army in the late ‘80s, spur- ring a lifelong interest in craft beer. You can find about two dozen house beers Lauren Drewes Daniels Four Corners Brewing Co. has loteria on Thursday nights. | CITY OF ATE | t Dish Nathan Hunsinger Peticolas Brewing Co.’s Velvet Hammer helped to enlighten many about the craft beer world. >> p16
