Flix Brewhouse in Little Elm-Not just a movie theatre!

          I got to visit with Moose and Dennis yesterday at Flix Brewhouse Brewery and Cinema. They have a large brewing operation and fun taproom where you can drink and eat without having to see a movie. They have a bar top and a lot of their own house beers as well as several guest taps. Both Dennis and Moose have been around awhile at various breweries and have a lot of experience brewing great beer and Flix is no different. I was really impressed with their Nebulus Hazy IPA and their Luna Rosa wit. 

          What makes this brewery unique is that they have their “core” beers but also have rotating taps that they use to make beers for upcoming movie releases.  They also have Crowlers to go so you can grab one for when you get home. These guys are brewing really good beer and are really friendly and enjoy talking beer. I would definitely recommend visiting Flix and stay tuned for a new location coming in 2019 in Mansfield. Big thanks to these guys and cheers. Follow me on Untappd at “Cldaggie” and on Twitter at @DFWBeer. 

Backstory Brewing in Sulphur Springs Worth the trip!!!

        Backstory Brewery in Sulphur Springs opened on July 13th. Sulphur Springs is experiencing a revival of businesses in their downtown area and Backstory is taking advantage of it. They are located near downtown in a huge building that was built in 1901. It started as a grocery store and then was a meat packing plant and an ice house before becoming a brewery. This place showcases a large outdoor and indoor seating areas.  There are video games and cornhole inside for everyone to play.  It also has a stage for live music and events. One of the coolest parts of this brewery (there are many), is the bus they have purchased for events, and being able to have a beer outside of the brewery on the patio. Their tap handles are different tools which really stands out at the brewery. 

           I got to talk to Phillip who is the brewer and co-owner. He’s brewing really good beer and constantly rotating the taps and trying new things. My favorite beer there was their Paper Chase hazy IPA. You will be blown away at the size of this brewery. It is a big facility with plenty of room to grow. Go by and say Hi to Phillip and the rest of the crew at Backstory. Follow me on Twitter at @DFWBeer and on Untappd at Cldaggie

-Clint

6 Breweries in outlying Texas cities that you should visit!

My job carries to all parts of this great state. It allows me to see some cool places and try new brews and check out other breweries. Here’s 6 (plus honorable mentions) breweries in outer areas that are worth checking out. These are in no particular order

1. Fredonia Brewery - Nacogdoches, TX

This large brewery with plenty of outdoor space is nestled right near the brick streets in Downtown Nacogdoches. My favorite beer there was their “9 Flags Amber Ale”. The most memorable part of this brewery was the 2,500 empty cans for display. It’s truly a beer history just seeing it. 

Best restaurant to visit while in Nacogdoches-

Clear Springs Catfish or C C’s Smokehouse

Best bar to drink craft beer-

Maklemore’s Ale House and Bistro

2. Bar D Brewhouse - San Saba, TX

A small little 2 level building near downtown San Saba, this gentleman who owns this place runs on a one barrel system. He has good food and the beer is pretty good too. I would recommend eating here. Good sense of humor too! 

3. Bare Arms Brewing - Waco, TX

Waco’s first brewery opened in 2015. They have approachable beers and have had crowlers since the beginning. Waco is getting a semi pro baseball team and Bare Arms is doing their ballpark beer. Their name comes from Brewing beer with their “bare arms” and Bear being a play on words from Baylor. They have grown slowly over time and are succeeding in Waco. They now have even more space and room in their welcoming tap room. My favorite beer there was their Turbulence IPA.  Located near the roundabout east of 35 in Waco. 

Best bar to drink Craft beer in Waco- Shorty’s pizza shack, Dancing Bear Pub

Best restaurant in Waco- Friday’s seafood, La Fiesta Mexican

4. Nocona Beer and Brewing - Nocona, TX

Almost 2 hours northwest of DFW sits the old Nocona Boot factory in Nocona, TX. It now houses Nocona Beer and Brewery. This place showcases a ton of space and a very unique experience when it comes to the history of their location. They are canning their beer with the wide mouth top cans that are very popular. This brewery is a fun place to visit with good people there and good beer too. My favorite beer there was their Bronc Buster IPA

5.  True Vine Brewing - Tyler, TX

In a growing east Texas market now with 2 breweries in Tyler, True Vine has been brewing for awhile and recently moved into a huge new location a little southwest of downtown Tyler. There’s plenty of room to grow and plenty of patio space outside here. My favorite beer that I drank  when I was there was their “Daddy’s juice box” IPA. This brewery features an attached pizza kitchen with a hot stone coal fired oven. This place is surprisingly large for The Tyler area. It’s worth seeing and drinking. 

Best bar to drink craft beer in Tyler- Roast, Rotollo’s Pizza, Rose City Drafthouse

Best restaurants in Tyler, TX- Stanley’s BBQ - legendary in Texas. On Texas Monthly’s top 10 BBQ list. Beer too

6. Athens Brewing Co - Athens, TX

Located in the downtown Athens square, Athens Brewing opened in 2015 with a great location and cool venue. Featuring the brew tanks on the lower floor, this brewery makes use of all the space it can.  With a nice patio and games, this place is a great spot for a weekend night with music and food is served at the brewery too! My favorite beer I had there was “Tits on Bulls” Barleywine. 

Best place to buy craft beer in Athens -  “Come and Take It” is a great Beer and Wine shop for this neck of the woods. Great selection and a Stone’s throw from Athens Brewing

Best place to eat in Athens- Wawa’s seafood shack 

Honorable mentions worth checking out :

1. ETX Brewing - Tyler, TX

Good location in downtown. Good food too.

2. Oil Horse Brewing - Longview, TX

Check hours they are open. Usually only weekends. 

3. Wichita Falls Brewing Co. - Wichita Falls, TX

Great location in downtown. Good beers too

Thanks for reading. Check me out on Twitter at @DFWBeer and on Untappd at Cldaggie. Cheers to Texas!!  

Something’s brewing at Nocona Beer and Brewery

          I recently visited with Ryan, Adam and Dave at Nocona Beer and Brewery in Nocona, TX. Everyone is familiar with Nocona boots but they have turned the old boot factory into a brewery.  There’s so much history in their building that houses the brewery now. They have been open since October of 2017. Adam showed me around the brewery while Dave was busy cleaning the brewing area. This place is huge with plenty of space for events and music. 

       Their flight holders are from old wood as well as the huge bar top that came from a tree from the brewery’s owner’s ranch. They have food trucks and live music on weekends.  Their beers are really good too. My favorite was their Bronc Buster IPA.  They like to call themselves “Country Craft”. I was really impressed with this hidden gem in North Central Texas. If you ever in the Nocona area, this is a place that you HAVE to visit. Go say Hi to Adam and and everyone there at Nocona!! Follow me on Twitter at @DFWBeer and on Untappd at Cldaggie 

Shannon Brewing- Brewing good beers at a fun location.

        I got to meet with Nick who’s the head brewer at Shannon Brewing in Keller last week. Obviously they’ve been around for awhile but now they are brewing a larger variety of beers. One of my favorites was the “Mor IPA”. They also have a very good crisp PussyWillow Pilsner and I was impressed with their “Blackberry crystal Wheat”. They have some of their Chocolate Stout that was aging in Witherspoon barrels when I was there.  

         You’ve had Shannon’s regular run of beers before probably, but they are brewing a lot more different beers now. Their taproom is a fun place to hang out with Golden Tee and other games to play in the taproom. Their taproom opens up to a relaxing outdoor covered patio with Hop vines planted around the patio. One of the cool things that I saw from this place is the camaraderie of the people that work there. You can tell they enjoy working there and enjoy being part of a good brewery. Plenty of space for parking and food trucks arrived when I was there. This place is definitely worth the drive and the beer and atmosphere is fun too. Big Thanks to Breanna and Nick at Shannon. It’s a fun place. Follow me on Untappd at Cldaggie and on Twitter at @dfwbeer. Cheers!