Oil Horse Brewing - Brewing up great beers in East Texas

I recently got to visit Oil Horse Brewing in Longview, Texas and try their beers and see their operation. They are brewing up some good beers and have an inviting tap room. Jack and John are the two guys who I visited with and it's obvious they know what they're doing. They opened in 2016 and chose a great location in the newly renovated downtown Longview as their home. Their name "Oil Horse" derives from the oil pump jacks which Longview is famous for.  Their "1877" is a malt forward red ale with caramel notes that was named for a fire that destroyed everything in downtown longview except the building that Oil Horse is in. The "Big Inch" named after an oil pipe line is their smooth milk stout. "Moon Pool" was my favorite beer from Oil Horse. It's a strong Belgian Tripel that hides high abv well. I enjoyed their pale named "Nodding Donkey" too. After trying all of Oil Horse's brews, I was surprised to find out that they are all gluten-free but don't have that normal gluten free taste. Oil Horse has found an enzyme that breaks down the gluten during the brewing process. These beers definitely don't taste gluten-free!  Big Thanks to Jack and John at  Oil Horse Brewing for the hospitality and beers!  If you're out in East Texas, this is definitely a place you should check out! Find them at www.OilHorseBrewing.com . Follow me on twitter at @DFWBeer and on Untappd - Cldaggie .  Cheers! 

  

Flying Heart Brewing - Brewing good beers in Bossier City!

I recently got to visit with Elizabeth and the rest of the crew at Flying Heart Brewing in downtown Bossier City, Louisiana. They have been open since May of 2015. They are located in an old firehouse built in the 1940's in downtown Bossier City. Their tap room is open on Saturdays and is very inviting with an open patio and games to play. The downtown area is currently going through a redevelopment approved by the city so there will soon be a lot going on in that area. They have 12 great beers on tap and my favorites were the Bomb Bay IPA and their Firehouse Blonde. They distribute to many restaurants and bars around the Shreveport/Bossier City area. The craft beer scene is starting to grow in the Northern Louisiana area. If you're heading east towards Louisiana, Flying Heart Brewing should definitely be on your list of places to visit in Bossier City!

Bankhead Brewery - Honoring Rowlett's history with great beers and food

I was fortunate enough to visit with Kevin, Chad and Ryan from Bankhead Brewery today in Rowlett. The brewery is now where the old Rowlett fire station used to be. They have a great location in downtown Rowlett with a great patio, rustic bar and a restaurant. Their name "Bankhead" is in reference to the Bankhead highway that actually runs through Rowlett.  Inside of the brewery/restaurant gives you a great view of the brew tanks from the restaurant and bar. The front of their taps is actually a custom old Ford car grill which is really cool. A lot of what they have done is taking reclaimed products and using them as decor for the brewery. The bar top is actually the wood from the floors of old train rail cars. The wall features wood from the old ceiling of the fire station. The decor is definitely inviting and is a place that looks fun to have a good beer and great meal. Ryan, their head brewer is from Oklahoma and has many years of home brewing experience. Chad has worked at many various breweries in the Bay Area of California. Obviously they have perfected their craft because I was really impressed with the amount of beers they already have brewed and the fact that their beers were so good. They are brewing on a brand new state of the art 15 barrel system. The beers they have currently on tap now are a Munich Helles,an ESB,a Hefeweizen,a raspberry wheat, a Vienna lager, and an excellent American Brown ale (Janet's Brown Ale). They received permission to brew Janet's Brown from Mike "Tasty" McDole who originally has the recipe.  They are currently brewing an IPA that will soon be ready. They have a great kitchen with a fire-brick oven for pizzas that look delicious. Other offerings from their menu consist of Triple grind meatloaf, Shrimp and Spaghetti, Roasted Salmon and Fish and Chips. Bankhead is registered as a brewpub so they are able to fill your growler so bring your growler when you come. Thanks to Kevin, Ryan, and Chad for the hospitality! Bankhead is definitely worth a visit! Follow me on untappd @Cldaggie and on Twitter at @DFWBeer. 

Pecan Point Gastropub and Brewery - Texarakana's gateway into craft beer.

I was able to visit with Head brewer Jacob and owner Bill at Pecan Point Brewing today. Pecan Point got its name from the historical geographical spot nearby on the Red River that was a trading post and settlement. It's been open 2 years and is in downtown Texarkana, Texas.  The food there is what everyone raves about but their beers are right there in line with the food. The beers I was able to try were the State Street blonde, La Harpe Pale Ale, Pecan Point Ale (English Brown ale) and my favorite, the Iron Mountain IPA. The Iron Mountain IPA had tropical, fruity notes to it with the IBUs at the end. They are currently only working on a 1 barrel system now but plan to expand their process in the near future. They are registered as a Brewpub so they are able to fill your growler on the spot too. When I was there, there was barely an empty seat there so it has become a popular spot for the local community in Texarkana. Thank you to Bill and Jacob for the hospitality.  And if you're heading out I-30 this way, Pecan Point Is definitely worth your stop! Cheers! 

Whistle Post Brewery - DFW's newest brewery

Visited with Evan and Blake from Whistle Post Brewery today in Pilot Point, Texas. They have a great spot next to their distillery near downtown Pilot Point. They are currently brewing with a 5 barrel system but their 20 barrel system is on order and will arrive from California in July. Their taproom is already fully furnished with taps, Tvs, and fun games and is very inviting. They will be having a grand opening on June 25th. I was able to try their Pale Ale and their blonde and both were quality good beers. They will soon be working on a Vienna lager. Their head Brewer Blake, used to work at Cedar Creek Brewery. They currently only have their beers available in their taproom but hope to be bottling in the fall of this year. If you're in the Denton area or just want to go check these guys out, it's definitely worth the drive. Thanks to the guys at Whistle Post for the hospitality!  Follow me on Twitter at @DFWBeer and on untappd at - Cldaggie. Cheers! 

B-52 Brewery- Brewing great beer with a fun atmosphere in Conroe

Got a chance to visit with Jessica and the crew at B-52 Brewing Company in Conroe, TX this past weekend. If you're visiting the Houston area this is a "must visit" brewery. It's tucked away in a beautiful area full of huge trees with an awesome relaxed setting. It's a great setup to bring the dog and have a beer. What makes it even better is on top of the great setting, the beer is great too. My favorite 2 beers they had were their Berliner Weisse and Wingman Wheat IPA. But their other beers are just as good. We got to try their Brett IPA which is being released in bottles soon. They are working on a lot of different barrel aged beers currently. There are lots of different games to play at the brewery including a set of disc golf chains which I liked. Ping pong, ladder ball and corn hole too. Just a great place to visit  in Conroe. If you're headed to Houston, check B-52 out and thank to everyone there for the great visit. Cheers!!

Big Thicket Brewery - Brewing great beer in Lufkin, TX

I got to visit with Jeremy at Big Thicket Brewery on Wednesday. These guys have a great setup and awesome location in downtown Lufkin. The brewery and taproom are in the same location. They opened in January of 2015. They are currently bottling only bombers right now. They have their LoneStar Electric Imperial IPA and PineyWoods IPA currently available for sell at various retailers in East Texas. I got to try both of these IPAs and they were both well balanced and really good beers. I also got to try their Sucker Punch (sour) and Radical Raspberry. Both of these hit the spot and were also really good. Bottling has worked better for the guys at Big Thicket because Angelina County, the county they're in, is a dry county and you can only drink at a place or bar if you have a membership. One of the impressive features about Big Thicket is that their taps are always rotating. They will be brewing a Banana Bread wheat and Tangerine IPA very soon. Their taproom is very inviting and a great place to hangout. They do have food trucks that come to the brewery. For a list of events check their website at www.bigthicketbrewery.com. If you're ever in Lufkin, go check out Big Thicket Brewery and you won't be disappointed!