Headed to Choctaw or Winstar? Breweries on the way

    Legalized gambling may soon be coming to Texas in the next few years. Until then, Texans have to travel to either Oklahoma or Louisiana to fill their gambling void. Whether you’re going up 35 to Winstar or up 75 to Choctaw, here are a few breweries that you could hit up on the way that you might not have known about.  

Krootz Brewing Company - Gainesville, TX

Chad Sykora opened Krootz in 2018 in downtown Gainesville. They brew traditional and experimental ales and lagers and also have a full scratch kitchen. They offer burgers, sandwiches and full entrees too. Their chicken fried steak is well-liked by the locals. With beer names like “Lake Trash” and “Badass Rockin”, Krootz would be a fun place to stop on your way up to Winstar on I-35.  https://www.krootzbrewingcompany.com/ 

Cellarman’s Pub & Brewery - Sherman, TX

Most everyone is familiar with the great beers (and food) that 903 Brewers puts out, but you may not know that there’s another brewery in Sherman. Cellarman’s has the English-style pub feel both inside and outside. They opened in 1998 but didn’t pour their first house brewed until 2018. Serving the typical pub fare like wings, pizzas, burgers and sandwiches.  Their fish and chips is their #1 seller as it is battered in their cream ale.  Don’t overlook their old fashioned root beer float brewed with their own house made root beer. I really enjoyed their “Juicy Pig” New England IPA. https://www.cellarmanspub.com/

Say When Brewing - Denison, TX

 Say When opened their taproom in late 2022 in historic downtown Denison. They feature about 9 taps with some experimental rotators too. I enjoyed their “Texas Penny Copper” amber ale and the “Local Motive IPA”. They offer pizzas, pastas and subs that are worthy of your appetite. https://www.saywhenbrewing.com/

Lost Street Brewing - Durant, OK

When you need a break from the black jack tables and slot machines at Choctaw, Lost Street is about a 10 minute drive northeast in downtown Durant.  Lost Street boasts 15 taps and their own root beer so you should be able to find something likeable with that many taps. They recently opened a kitchen on site that features chips and salsa, tacos and taco fries. Can’t make it over there? The Crown Pub at Choctaw has some of their beers on tap too.https://loststreetbrewing.com/

Clint Doherty

DFWBeerScene

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