903’s Dreamsicle Smoothie Style Beer

      Located in Sherman, TX north of Dallas, 903 is one of only 4 breweries in the United States that is brewing fruit slushy/smoothie style beers. Their “Dreamsicle” beer is a tangerine, vanilla and lactose smoothie style Gose Ale. This beer definitely has the tartness that a Gose comes with but has the sweetness from the tangerine and vanilla and lactose to soften the tartness. This ale is fruity and thick like a smoothie. This would definitely be a great dessert beer with all of the fruit and tartness involved.  903 often releases new fruit smoothie style beers every couple of weeks and have a popular following here in North Texas.  These beers are available in beer stores in DFW but are better enjoyed at the brewery. 

        903 offers a spacious taproom with live music on the weekends, trivia nights during the week and an excellent lineup of food served in house. They have great grilled cheese sandwiches with the option to add bacon or brisket to your sandwich. Their pizzas, high stacked burgers and trash can nachos are also very popular.  Although it’s a bit of a drive north of DFW, the beers, the overall brewery experience and the food are well worth the drive to check out 903 Brewers. 

Clint Doherty

The Best in-house grub at DFW Breweries

We all love food and beer right? And while lots of breweries have food options and/or food trucks at the brewery; many of the breweries in DFW are making their own food in-house while serving up their own craft beer. Today I’d like to take a look at 14 of my favorite places that I’d recommend to get good grub while drinking a craft beer at the brewery. I’ve ranked them from #14 all the way to #1. Cheers! 

14. Parker County Brewing Company - Willow Park

Located west of Fort Worth in Willow Park, Parker County offers charcuterie boards, pretzels and signature pizzas. A new favorite is their Mia Bella pizza made with pepperoni, Parmesan, San Marzano sauce topped with ricotta and basil pesto. Recommended beer - 1879 Prohibition Era Ale

13. 903 Brewers - Sherman

Located in Sherman, 903 has tons of space and variety of good food. Their pizzas, high stacked burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and trash can Nachos are all very popular. Recommended beer - Any of their Fruit slushy beers available. 

photo courtesy- 903 Brewers

12. Cowtown Brewing - Fort Worth 

Serving up good BBQ near downtown Fort Worth,  Cowtown often has daily specials and also offers brisket tacos, wings and a Fried Bologna Sandwich. Recommended beer - Rhinestone Cowboy - Kolsch

 

11. Brutal Beerworks - North Richland Hills

Known for their hazy IPAs and fruited sours, Brutal is offering thin crust pizzas that are made to order and pair really well with their beers. You’ll enjoy the fun artwork on the walls of the brewery too.  Recommended beer - Gusherz fruited sour. 

10. White Rock Alehouse & Brewery- Dallas 

On the Southside of White Rock Lake, White Rock Ale house and Brewery offers sandwiches, flatbreads, wraps, and other American fare. One of their more well liked dishes is their Fish and Chips. They offer their “Rise and Shine” brunch on saturdays and Sundays featuring their breakfast tacos and Chicken and waffles. Recommended beer - Capsized Kayak Wheat. 

9. Wild Acre Brewing Company - Camp Bowie - Fort Worth

Wild Acre’s 2nd location on Camp Bowie opened early 2020 and offers “Sweet Chicken Chili Lollipops” starters and sandwiches and burgers. They’re wagyu beef burgers are popular with the option to add Tillamook Cheddar, smoked bacon and fried egg. They also offer “Spam Fries” - fried Spam and Sambol thousand island. Recommended beer - Juicy Bingo Series IPA 

photo courtesy- Wild Acre Brewing Co.

8. Steam Theory Brewing  Company - Dallas

Just across the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge in Dallas, Steam Theory Brewing company offers Wagyu Burgers, Signature Pizzas and sandwiches. Their “Wing and beer pairing flight” is a favorite. Recommended beer - Hops against Humanity IPA

7. Braindead Brewing - Dallas/Deep Ellum

Braindead has a very eclectic menu and it’s hard to find something that doesn’t sound delicious. Things that caught my eye are the Smoked Butcher steak, the Cheezus is King Burger featuring Dr Pepper glazed tomatoes and their Stout Chocolate Milk and fresh cookies. I thoroughly enjoyed the Bacon and beer flight pairing. The bacons available were Pork, Beef belly, Lamb and duck and all paired great with their beers. Recommended beer - Hammer of the Gods Imperial Porter 

6. Vector Brewing - Dallas

Located near Lake Highlands, Vector Brewing provides their customers with options like salads, pasta, and craft pizza. Vector’s pizza dough and sauces are made from scratch every day.  They even offer a vegetarian Red Curry based pizza with tofu. Don’t forget about their brunch on Saturdays and Sundays which features an “All Gravy” pizza - cream gravy, cheese, cheddar jalapeño biscuits and sausage. Recommended beer - Microscopic Sharks IPA

5. Funky Picnic Brewery and Café - Fort Worth

Just south of downtown Fort Worth, Funky Picnic has mastered their sandwiches, burgers and wings. I really enjoyed their “Cluck Norris” sandwich that has fried chicken, bacon, ranch, avocado, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato on a sesame seed bun. Recommended beer - Two Peanut Butters, One Cup Milk Stout. 

4. Intrinsic Smokehouse and Brewery - Garland

A staple in downtown Garland, Intrinsic has outstanding BBQ offering brisket, pork, ribs, sausage and delicious sides.  On Fridays, they offer a tasty brisket French dip, but Instrinsic is known for their Chicken Fried Brisket with mashed potatoes and burnt end gravy that is available on Tuesdays.  They’re famous for it. Recommended beer - Texas Shake-Milkshake IPA
photo courtesy- Intrinsic Smokehouse and Brewery

3. Malai Kitchen - 3 locations. Dallas, Southlake, Fort Worth

Malai Kitchen is a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant but they do brew their own beer in house. You’d be hard pressed to find better Thai food in DFW. With dishes like Drunken Noodles, Lemongrass Chicken and Vietnamese Pork Ribs, it’s hard to choose something that doesn’t sound tasty. My favorite is the Thai Chicken Wings. Jumbo whole wings, Thai chili garlic glaze and toasted sesame seeds. Recommended beer - Peach Tea Wheat. 

photo courtesy-Malai Kitchen 

2. Union Bear Brewing Company - Plano

Union Bear describes itself as a restaurant and brewery with a west coast feel and deep Texas roots. They have something for everyone offering salads, flatbreads, sandwiches and plates that will leave you impressed. My favorite was their Mesquite grilled Texas quail glazed with bourbon bbq sauce,  brussel sprouts, creamy corn with bacon and red peppers. They also offer a great brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Recommended beer - Union Bear New England IPA.

photo courtesy- Union Bear Brewing Co.

1. Bankhead Brewing Co. - Rowlett

Nestled in downtown Rowlett, Bankhead is named after the transcontinental highway that ran through Rowlett. Bankhead is a rustic style brewpub that has great sandwiches, pizzas, and entrees that they will always recommend which beer to pair with your meal. With dishes like Lobster Mac and cheese, Roasted Salmon and their Chicken Fried Ribeye, you will find something that you’ll love. They constantly have daily flavorful specials that aren’t always on the menu. This is their Bacon-wrapped Mahi-mahi on a bed of mashed potatoes and asparagus accompanied by grilled shrimp finished with lemon caper butter. Recommended beer - Hoofer’s Hef Hefeweizen 

photo courtesy- Bankhead Brewing Co

Clint Doherty

Twitter - @DFWBeer

DFWBeerscene

Untappd - Cldaggie

A look at Waco’s growing craft beer scene

Waco and Central Texas has been experiencing growth like the rest of Texas. Today we’ll look at 5 breweries in Waco and I’ll also give you a handful of suggestions on places to eat with a really good local craft beer selection too. 

1. Bare Arms Brewing - Waco, TX 

Bare Arms opened in 2015 and was the first brewery to open its doors in Waco since the former Bosque Brewing opened in 1995 and closed in 1997.  They have engrained themselves in Waco and do have a good following locally. They were one of the first breweries in Texas that went with crowlers before crowlers became popular.  They were purchased by Two Rivers Brewing Company late last year and new CEO Kevin Yackley has added a few new beers to their standard lineup. Located near Waco’s traffic circle east of 35, they have an inviting taproom and is worth a visit to check these guys out

2. Brotherwell Brewing - Waco, TX

Brotherwell opened in 2018, near downtown just off of Martin Luther King Jr boulevard just north of the Brazos. Their popular “Bridge St Wit” and “Act of Faith” Tripel are a couple of their mainstays. They have recently started canning and have beer to go now. Worth it to check them out while in Waco.

3. Waco Ale Company - Waco, TX

Waco Ale company opened in August of last year on Austin Avenue right in the heart of downtown Waco. With a great location, Waco Ale Company brews very solid beers and have a friendly tap room with TVs to watch sports and hang out with friends. They have their “Pearly Gates Pale Ale” and many other staples and are often releasing new beers. They usually have food trucks parked outside so you can grab something to eat while you’re there. 

4. Southern Roots Brewing Company - Waco, TX

Southern Roots opened in October of last year and is also in downtown right around the corner from Waco Ale Company. They offer great pizzas, wings and have a menu of starters as well. They  strive to produce drinkable, fresh beer.  Their “Smokin Aces IPA” and “Heart of Texas Blonde” are a couple of their most popular beers. 

5. Balcones Distilling & Brewing

Known for their award-winning whiskies, Balcones started brewing in February of this year and started with a New England Pale Ale, an English Mild Ale and an English Bitter. They are brewing new beers and plan to produce many other types of beers. They are currently doing Growler fills only. Obviously, many people are hoping they will brew some barrel-aged beers that will blend well with their whiskey. 

Beer bars and good grub in Waco

1. Dancing Bear Pub - just a stones throw from Baylor’s campus, Dancing Bear has its own food truck and always has a great selection of the latest and best craft beer available in Waco. They’re a local favorite and everyone there is really friendly. 

2. Shorty’s Pizza Shack - around the corner from Dancing Bear, good Pizza, Calzones and hot dogs along with good craft beer on tap at Shorty’s, a local favorite. 

3. Barnett’s Public House - Pub in downtown Waco with American fare and usually a good craft beer tap list. 

4.  Slow Rise Slice House - Pizza place with pizza by the slice and a solid craft beer tap list. 

Clint Doherty

Twitter - @DFWBeer

DFWBEERSCENE 

Untappd- Cldaggie

5 beer documentaries to watch while on Covid Lockdown

Since some of us are experiencing no-sports sadness, I thought I’d help with giving you 5 beer documentaries worth giving a shot. Best watched with a cold craft beer in your hand. Cheers 🍻 

5.  Beer Wars - 1 hr 29 min - YouTube, ITunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play

Released in 2009, this is an older film that documents the struggle smaller breweries have in fighting AB-InBev both in government and shelf space. Things have definitely changed since this was released but this helped expose AB-InBev. Still a worthy watch. 

4.   Beerocracy - 1 hr 16 min - Amazon Prime

This is a documentary about the craft brewing industry in New Brunswick, Canada - a small province vying to be a national beer destination. It tells the stories of brewers both big and small, drinkers, and the regulations that shape, help and hinder the popular craft alcohol industry.

3.  Beers of Joy - 1 hr 58 min - YouTube, Amazon Prime, Hulu

Released just last year and funded by AB-InBev, this documentary has a few different storylines. It follows a few guys who are taking the test to get their Master Cicerone designation (there are only 13 in the world). It also follows a female brewer who goes to Germany to learn how to brew her favorite Berliner weisse. This was a fun and enjoyable watch.  

2.  Craft: The California Beer Documentary - 1 hr 28 min - YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime, iTunes 

Released in 2015, this film features the history and popular California craft beer scene. It shows the struggle California faces with government regulation and the history of beer in California. Sierra Nevada, Russian River, and Anchor are heavily featured. They also have interviews with 80 other breweries in California. Does also feature the birth of the west coast IPA. This is a well done documentary. 

1.  The Irish Pub - 1 hr 16 min - Amazon Prime

Released in 2013, this show interviews Pub owners from all over Ireland. It shows how important the Irish pub is in Ireland and how it’s part of the fabric of everyday life there. It really gets into the details of the heart of what makes the “Irish Pub” the institution that it is. This doc is less beer based but is more camaraderie based. Rotten Tomatoes gave this a 100% rating. I truly enjoyed this film. 

Now, get to watching!! 

Thanks, 

Clint Doherty

DFWBEERSCENE 

@DFWBeer

Untappd- Cldaggie

903 Brewers- Brewing great beer in Grayson County

       I got to visit with Jeremy at 903 Brewers in Sherman. They are brewing really solid beers. They’re slush beers with tons of fruit have been a big hit with consumers. They’ve always been known for their great Barrel Aged Stouts but their Fruit slushes are what sets them apart for me. They have a Peach Mango slush that tastes more like a smoothie than a beer. Very smooth and great fruit flavor. I also got to try their “Treat Yo Self” Banana Split Chocolate Milk stout. Very smooth chocolate milk stout with lots of vanilla and chocolate flavor. The entire staff really takes pride in what this brewery is doing and it shows.  It’s apparent that everyone here is part of a successful team.                                   

           I got try their upcoming Dreamsicle slush. It heavy on the tangerine and is absolutely delicious.  I’d like to thank Jeremy, Colby and the rest of the great staff at 903 for hosting me today. Follow me on Untappd at Cldaggie and Cheers!! #DFW

Funky Picnic Brewery & Cafe

        I got a chance to visit with Harper at Funky Picnic Brewery and Café in Fort Worth this week. It’s obvious that Harper has a lot of experience brewing great beer. They have a great variety of different beers for all patrons. Their soft opening is Wednesday June 26th and are planning on releasing a few new beers then. They will have their official grand opening on Saturday July 20th. 

         As good as as their beers are, they are really focusing on pairing good beers with good food. Being a brewpub, they offer a good variety of great food to pair with their beers. Look for great things to come at Funky Picnic and I hope you can visit them during their grand opening. Thanks to Harper and Samantha and all the staff at Funky Picnic for their hospitality. Follow me on Twitter at @dfwbeer and on Untappd at Cldaggie. Cheers 🍺- Clint 

Just Plain good beer at The Plains Brew Co in Lubbock

        I got the chance to visit with Mickey and his family this week at The Plains Brew Co in Lubbock. They are good people and are brewing good beer in a budding Lubbock/West Texas market. They opened in 2016 selling kegs locally and opened their taproom/tavern in 2018.  Mickey and the family built their tavern and it is a great place to hang out with friends while enjoying their beer. My favorite beer there was their Amber which is their flagship beer. It’s being sold in cans in West Texas. It is smooth with a clean finish. 

        Their brewhouse has a fun game room too, complete with billiards and darts and is a great place to hang out. I’d like to thank Mickey and his family for their hospitality. Next time you are in Lubbock, go suppport this great family owned brewery in Lubbock. https://the-plains-brew-co.business.site/?m=true is their website. And you can also follow them on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/plainsbrew/

Follow on Untappd at Cldaggie and on Twitter at @DFWBeer. Cheers!