I travel a lot for work and leisure and enjoy visiting different breweries when I travel. This year I was able to visit 70 breweries. While 31 were breweries I hadn’t been to before, 39 were repeat visits. I was able to visit 5 states outside of Texas as well as the Cayman Islands. Sadly, 5 of the breweries that I visited this year are no longer in business. I have posted all of the breweries I visited this year at the end of this blog. Here are some of my most memorable experiences.
Favorite New Mexico brewery
Ex-Novo Brewing Company - Corrales, NM
Located in the quaint “ranch style” town of Corrales just north of Albuquerque, Ex-Novo (meaning “from scratch”
in latin) has a modest taproom with a brewhouse just across the parking lot. Their “Drink Beer, Do Good” culture has resulted in them donating almost $150k to their surrounding communities. With 2 original locations in Portland and Beaverton, Oregon, those have since been sold. They have this location in Corrales and a recently opened new location in Albuquerque with high quality dining being a focus. I enjoyed the Corrales location and my favorite beer was their “Mass Ascension” IPA. This IPA is named after the famous Albuquerque hot air balloon festival.
https://exnovobrew.com
Favorite Colorado brewery
Ska Brewing - Durango, CO
Ska has been a staple of Durango since 1995. They claim to have their brewery be wind powered and their name derives from the “ska” and “rude boy” culture. In 2020, they opened a brewstillery in Boulder and in April of this year, Telluride Brewing announced that they had moved 83% of their production to Ska. It’s a huge facility that brews over 21,000 barrels annually. My favorite beer was their “Modus Hoperandi” IPA
Favorite Arkansas brewery
Moody Brews - Little Rock, AR
This small operation located in the Pettaway square of Little Rock opened in March of this year. While not offering flights, they do offer 5 ounce, 13 ounce and 16 ounce pours. Their back patio faces a square with other retail partners including a coffee shop, a burger food truck and a bookstore. Their “Earl Grey ESB” brewed with Earl Grey tea was full of flavor and easily one of the top 5 beers that I had in 2024.
Favorite new DFW brewery
Union Bear Brewing - Denton, TX
Although Union Bear has their original location in Plano, the Denton location opened in July of this year in the old Armadillo Ale Works location. The tan leather stools and green marble bar gives this spot a much different look than its predecessor. I really enjoyed their “Grown Up Chicken tenders” and their “brussels slaw” made me want to make a return trip soon. My favorite beer was their “New Zealand Pilsner”
Photo courtesy of Union Bear Brewing
Favorite Austin brewery
Draught House Pub and Brewery - Austin, TX
Draught House opened in 1995 making them the oldest brewery in Austin. It’s got that German-style draft house feel to it with brass taps and the dark wood decor inside. They have a food kitchen and an outside biergarten too. My favorite beer was their “Trophy Bitter” English Pale Ale.
Favorite San Antonio brewery
Idle Beer Hall and Brewery - San Antonio, TX
Located in the River North area of San Antonio, Idle opened in October of 2023 in an old Cadillac showroom building. This 15,000 square foot building features 2 bars, a large patio and a 10 barrel brewery. A sign that reads “Cultivating Your Confidence” hangs from the rafters and pays homage to the building’s dealership roots. Their beer names also reflect the building’s history with names like “Fleetwood”, “Tailfin”, “Hop Rod” and “El Dorado”. My favorite beer was their “Classic Cruiser” kolsch.
Favorite Hill country brewery
Acopon Brewing - Dripping Springs, TX
Nestled in downtown Dripping Springs, Acopon specializes in English ales and taps fresh cask beers every week. Although English ales are their thing, it’s not all they do. You can find everything from a west-coast IPA to a Russian imperial stout on tap when you go. Their “Mircalla” ESB was another one of my top 5 beers of 2024.
Favorite South Texas brewery
Nueces Brewing - Corpus Christi, TX
Located in downtown Corpus Christi, Nueces is housed in an old car dealership building that has transitioned into a large tap room featuring a full kitchen with barbecue being their focus. They have 11 total taps with some flagships and seasonal beers as well. My favorite beer was this “Saint Nicholas Wonder Worker” greek pilsener.
Favorite International brewery
Cayman Islands Brewery Ltd - Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands Brewery or “CIB” was launched in 2007 and features 9 beer taps with 3 core beers and some seasonal beers as well. “CayBrew” lager is their flagship beer and is marketed as the “National beer of the Cayman Islands”. CIB is plastic free and has seen some brewery expansions in recent years. My favorite beer was their “White Tip” golden lager. This beer is named after the white tip shark and with each case purchase, a portion goes towards its conservation.
Photo courtesy Explore Cayman
2024 Brewery Visits (underlined are breweries that were new visits for me, italicized are breweries that have since closed)
1.Jaquval Brewing - Oak Cliff, TX
2.Braided River Brewing Company - Mobile, AL
3.Wriggly Tin - Dallas, TX
4.Tall City Brewing Co. - Midland, TX
5.Frost Brewhouse- Lubbock, TX
6.Good Line Beer Company - Lubbock, TX
7.Old Tascosa Brewing Company - Amarillo, TX
8.Pondaseta Brewing Company - Amarillo, TX
9.Southern Roots Brewing Company- Waxahachie, TX
10.Siren Rock Brewing Company- Rockwall, TX
11.Armor Brewery - Allen, TX
12.Tupps Brewery (new location) - McKinney, TX
13.Happy Hippie Brewing Company - Richardson, TX
14.Autonomous Brewing Company - Dallas, TX
15.Bankhead Brewing Company - Rowlett, TX
16.By the Horns Brewery - Mansfield, TX
17.SoulFire Brewing - Cleburne, TX
18.Bell Springs Brewery - Dripping Springs, TX
19.Acopon Brewing - Dripping Springs, TX
20.Lone Man Mountain Brewing Company - Wimberley, TX
21.Ghost Note Brewing - Dripping Springs, TX
22.Roughhouse Brewing - San Marcos, TX
23.Vector Brewing - Dallas, TX
24.Funky Picnic Brewery and Café - Fort Worth, TX
25.Ex Novo Brewing Company - Corrales, New Mexico
26.Casa Vieja Brewery - Corrales, New Mexico
27.Taos Mesa Brewing - Taos, NM
28.Ska Brewing - Durango, CO
29.Kaktus Brewing - Bernalillo, NM
30.Bosque Brewing - Bernalillo, NM
31.Parker County Brewing Company - Hudson Oaks, TX
32.Southern Roots Brewing Company - Waco, TX
33.Bosque River Taphouse - Stephenville, TX
34.Bird Creek Brewing - Temple, TX
35.Glen Echo Brewing - Wylie, TX
36.Vino’s Brewpub - Little Rock, AR
37.Moody Brews - Little Rock, AR
38.Lost Forty Brewing - Little Rock, AR
39.Cayman Islands Brewery - Cayman Islands
40.Union Bear Brewing Company - Denton, TX
41.Black Hawk Brewery - Prosper, TX
42.Windmills - The Colony, TX
43.Idle Beer hall and Brewery - San Antonio, TX
44.Wild Barley & Kitchen - San Antonio, TX
45.Prost Alehouse - Pflugerville, TX
46.Fast Friends Brewing Company - Austin, TX
47.Three Wide Brewing - Fort Worth, TX
48.Paris Brewing Company - Paris, TX
49.Draught House Pub and Brewery - Austin, TX
50.Hold Out Brewing - Austin, TX
51.Oddwood Brewing - Austin, TX
52.Keyworth Brewing - North Richland Hills, TX
53.False Idol Brewing - North Richland Hills, TX
54.ETX Brewing - Tyler, TX
55.True Vine Brewing - Tyler, TX
56.Seventh Tap Brewing (Eastbank) - Bossier City, LA
57.Rüggenbach Brewing Company - Marshall, TX
58.Intrinsic Brewing & Smokehouse - Garland, TX
59.Lakewood Brewing - Garland, TX
60.Oak Highlands Brewing - Dallas, TX
61.Railport Brewing Company - Waxahachie, TX
62.Maple Branch Craft Brewery - Fort Worth, TX
63.Q and Brew - Canton, TX
64.Railroad Seafood Station and Brewery - Corpus Christi, TX
65.B&J’s Pizza - Corpus Christi, TX
66.Nueces Brewing Company- Corpus Christi, TX
67.Cork and Barrel Pub - Round Rock, TX
68.Bare Arms Brewing - Waco, TX
69.Flix Brewhouse - Mansfield, TX
70.Division Brewing - Arlington, TX
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on social media
Clint Doherty
DFWBeerscene
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Instagram - @dfwbeerscene
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