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Past meets present at Ancient Future Beer Dinner, July 15
Image courtesy of Priory. Priory Beer Dinners & Collab Brews has announced plans for its next beer dinner, with the group set to team up this time around with Celestial Beerworks of Dallas. As always, the Priory team collaborated with the brewery beforehand to create a recipe using a unique culinary ingredient not typically seen in modern-day beer. In this case, the ancient grain fonio adds to the foundation for a hazy IPA, meaning there is an old school meets new school kind of coupling at the core of this partnership. Fonio is a type of heritage millet grain grown in West Africa and has been cultivated for over 5,000 years, making it Africa’s oldest cultivated cereal crop. It has a small grain structure similar to quinoa or couscous, but much smaller. What’s truly unique about this grain is that it needs very little water to grow and can be harvested multiple times per year. This makes fonio very versatile and sustainable, especially in arid climates. Fonio is more well kno
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Simpsons show-runner bringing mystery dinner to Vector Brewing
Image credit: Bill Oakley. Have a cow, man, or maybe not. After all, the menu for this seven-course mystery dinner must remain a secret. But what can be shared is who’s behind it: Vector Brewing of Dallas and Bill Oakley , former show runner of “The Simpsons.” Yes, those Simpsons. He isn’t creating cartoon pop culture anymore. Instead, Bill has decided he wants to be a food celebrity. So far, so good. His many food-related projects include the creation and curation of an American Culinary Curiosity Dinner, which he’s bringing to Dallas via Vector Brewing. “Bill reached out to us on our website. I couldn’t believe it,” says Veronica Bradley, co-owner of Vector Brewing. “In fact, I didn’t believe it. I had actually just watched a Simpsons documentary with him in it, so I thought friends were pranking me.” According to a press release, the dinner will include seven courses of popular city-specific meals from around the United States. There will be an amuse bouche, two appetizers, a soup, a
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Thomboys Brewing Co. signs lease on space in Van Alstyne
Image credit: Thomboys Brewing Co. A new project to be called Thomboys Brewing Co. has set its sights on Van Alstyne after signing a lease on a spot in the city's 121 Business Park , located just west of U.S. 75 at 14333 FM 121. Thomboys is led by Bryan Thomas, who is looking to forge his own path with this self-branded venture after building a brewing resume which includes stops at Ivanhoe Ale Works of Denison, Steam Theory Brewing Co. of Dallas and others. Obviously, it's very early in the development process, but Thomas hopes to get to work right away on the space with the goal of opening by the end of the year. Once that happens, plans are to focus on distribution at first, with a taproom to follow at a later date.
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Three locals honored at 2026 National Homebrew Competition
Image credit: American Homebrewers Association. Three area homebrewers were honored tonight at the 2026 National Homebrew Competition (NHC), taking place this year in Asheville, North Carolina. Hosted by the American Homebrewers Association , this year's event drew 3575 entries from homebrewers located around the world. Submissions were then judged across 40 categories covering homebrewed beer, cider (and perry) and mead. Award winners from North Texas are summarized below. You can also click here to view a complete competition summary. Barry Forrest of Dallas. Silver in the Smoke-Flavored Beer category. Club Affiliation: Horsemen of the Hopocalypse . Karl Wayne King of Colleyville. Silver in the Strong European Lager category. Club Affiliation: Cap & Hare Homebrew Club . Jarrett Long of Arlington. Gold in the Specialty IPA category. Bronze in the Specialty Mead category. Club Affiliation: Horsemen of the Hopocalypse . Cheers and congratulations to all!
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'Craft Beer for the Soul' set to be served at Smittox
Photos: Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D. Some dreams take a little longer to be realized than others, and that is certainly the case with Smittox Brewing Co. , which is set to become the area's first fully black-owned brewery once it opens this weekend at 930 E. Clarendon Dr. in Dallas. Founded by Kuumba "Smitty" Smith, the Smittox name has been known to the industry since the company's inception in 1998. That same year, the brewery's recipe for Short Order Porter, an imperial breakfast porter infused with coffee, maple syrup, cacao nibs and hazelnut, won the Riverside Shootout Homebrew Competition at Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth. After the success of the event, Smith began searching for a place to set up shop. Collin County was the original target, but by January 2023, Smith had signed a lease on the Clarendon space in Dallas, which was then approved for a brewpub license the following April. From that point on, it's been a matter of navigating a number of hurdles t
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Rahr to begin brewing select brands at Lakewood
Image courtesy of Lakewood Brewing Co. Bringing together two of the area's stalwart brands, Rahr Brewing Co. of Fort Worth and Lakewood Brewing Co. of Garland have announced a new contract brewing partnership that will expand production capacity for select Rahr brands. Since closing its own longtime Fort Worth facility in May 2025, Rahr has been seeking additional brewing capacity to help meet increasing Dallas demand. According to a press release, Lakewood will now produce certain Rahr brands at its Garland facility, while Rahr will continue brewing beer in Fort Worth. As a result of this new partnership, Rahr beers will be served on tap at the Lakewood Taproom. “This partnership is built on friendship, mutual respect, and a shared belief in the future of Texas craft beer,” says Fritz Rahr, founder of Rahr Brewing. “Together, we can continue to innovate while honoring the traditions that have made both of our breweries successful.” Lakewood founder Wim Bens added, “Rahr Brewing has lo
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Local pours and more for your World Cup watch party
Image credits: FIFA, Maple Branch Craft Brewery, Texas Ale Project, Lakewood Brewing Co., Peticolas Brewing Co., Four Corners Brewing Co., HopFusion Ale Works, Community Beer Co., Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. A rather fantastical football event is on the horizon for North America, with North Texas playing a role as well. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be contested by 48 teams from around the world at venues located in Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 until the World Cup Final on July 19. In the span of those 39 days, there will be 104 matches , with nine taking place in Arlington at AT&T Stadium , or what will be called Dallas Stadium for the duration of the event. Area bars, breweries and restaurants are gearing up for the festivities with plans to be open for special hours in order to show the games. There will be watch parties, there will be themed merchandise and, of course, there will be beer. A list of what sort of beer and swag you can expect to find at local b
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Lakewood releases new and renewed seasonals for summer
Image credit: Lakewood Brewing Co. Lakewood Brewing Co. of Garland has released two beers, one being new, while the other is a returning favorite. The new beer is Fruition Pineapple Ginger Blonde (4.2% ABV), which is described as "light and ridiculously refreshing with just the right pop of juicy pineapple up front and a little ginger spice on the finish to keep things interesting. Golden, bright, and built for easy drinking, it’s smooth, and seriously crushable." As for the legacy beer Lakewood is bringing back into the summer seasonal fold, Raspberry Temptress (9.1% ABV) launched the brewery's limited Seduction Series in 2014. Infused with fresh raspberries, this Temptress variant is "raspberry forward with a hint of coffee." “If you don’t walk through our doors a beer lover, we hope you’ll find your perfect match by the time you leave,” says Wim Bens, founder and president of Lakewood. “We keep two dozen options rotating on tap that range from IPAs and lagers to popular seasonal rel
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East Dallas Brewing Co. no longer in development
Image credit: East Dallas Brewing Co. The principals behind the highly-anticipated East Dallas Brewing Co. have decided to cease development on the venture which had targeted the city's popular Lower Greenville neighborhood. First announced in early 2024 by a founding group consisting of John Mitchell, Michael Stone and Andrew Huerter, the company had begun to introduce itself by way of collaborations with Lakewood Brewing Co. and Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery, both of Garland. From there, East Dallas last poured preview beers at the 2025 Big Texas Beer Fest. As for the future, Huerter currently has eyes on a new beer project, the details of which will be revealed once due diligence has been completed. Prior to more recent stints with Oak Highlands Brewery of Dallas and Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. of Fort Worth, Huerter was the head brewer at BrainDead Brewing of Dallas, which closed in November 2021.
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Oak & Stone opens first Texas franchise in McKinney
Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D. A new craft kitchen with "loaded taps" is encouraging patrons to make pour decisions, now that it's open in a recently-built retail center at 8575 W. University Dr. (U.S. 380) in McKinney. First founded in 2015, Oak & Stone is a Florida-based concept under the Artistry Restaurants banner featuring a self-pour tapwall experience. As of now, the company has eight locations in Florida, with McKinney being the first one established in Texas. It won't be the last, though, since another locale is set to open later this year in Addison. A sign declaring that "Beer Tastes Better in McKinney" is the first thing you'll notice when entering the new North Texas spot, which consists of around 6,000 square feet. Seating options are split between the indoor public space, and a covered patio section outdoors. On the consumables, the food menu at Oak & Stone has an elevated pub grub feel (apps, wings, pizzas, burgers/handhelds, salads), but the centerpiece of
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Beer, BBQ & burros: A look at Village Creek Brewing Co. in Rendon
Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D. If you're looking for a place to go where you can get away from it all, a new venue in Rendon may be just the sort of spot you seek. What's more, with the primary offerings being craft beer and barbecue, one wonders what more does a Texan need? Founded by Art & Sunny Anderson, you could certainly call Village Creek Brewing Co. a labor of love, considering the couple has been working to make the business a reality since 2019. That year, they poured beer at Luckapalooza V , hosted by LUCK at Trinity Groves, while they were scouting locations for their future endeavor. By the end of 2019, the Andersons had purchased a 4.7-acre site in Rendon, with the brewery and an expansive biergarten set to front the property while occupying around an acre of that land at 6690 Levy County Rd. So, why did it take six years to get here? Well, to start, there was this pandemic thing that caused a few disruptions. Beyond that, by all accounts Village Creek was built
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A look at 2025 North Texas production numbers
Click to enlarge. This is the annual update of the breakdown of brewery sizes in North Texas, based on 2025 production data as reported to the Brewers Association (BA) and published in the May/June 2026 issue of The New Brewer . Note, not all brewing companies provide their numbers, and some report statistics combining multiple locations. For 2025, roughly 80% of brewing companies active in North Texas are accounted for in the BA's production report. Data also includes production from breweries that closed during the course of 2025. As a result, the number of entities represented in the chart is not equal to the total number of breweries open and operating at any given time. Inside the numbers: Brewery tiers in North Texas, based on production (shown alphabetically): Regional (> 15,000 bbls) Manhattan Project Beer Co. of Dallas. Large (> 10,000 bbls) Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth. Mid-Size (> 5000 bbls) Co
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Lucky Vines closes tasting room in Dublin
Image credit: Lucky Brewing Co. Lucky Vines Vineyard & Winery has announced the closure of its tasting room in Dublin. While not explicitly mentioned, this presumably means the company's side project, Lucky Brewing Co., is closing as well. Owners Jeff and Kimberley Hutchins added house beers to the menu in August 2021, roughly three years after opening the winery in late 2018. The company's name and logo had an Irish theme, in deference to the more famous Dublin city across the pond, which extended to stylistic beer offerings like Beour Blonde, Emerald Isle IPA and Luck-in Bock. From a social media post: "After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close the Lucky Vines Vineyard & Winery Tasting Room." This is not goodbye to Lucky Vines — it is simply the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. While our Tasting Room has closed, Lucky Vines will continue through wine sales, private events, and honoring all currently booked events. We are excite
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Second Rodeo joins Firefly Park project in Frisco
Rendering of Firefly Park in Frisco (Wilks Development). For the past two years, Second Rodeo Brewing of Fort Worth has been actively exploring options for a second location, with the latest possibility - a least in North Texas - a new development being built in North Frisco. Coming from Wilks Development of Fort Worth, Firefly Park is a mixed-used urban village set to occupy a 217-acre tract of land on the southwest corner of the Dallas North Tollway and U.S. 380, expanding down to PGA Parkway. According to a press release, once completed "Firefly Park will feature 3 million square feet of Class A office space, 400,000 square feet of retail, dining, and entertainment, 1,200 hotel rooms, 230 townhomes, and 1,970 residential units." Second Rodeo signed on as a tenant in late April. The brewpub, a concept from Jason Boso and Brain Storm Shelter (the group behind Truck Yard), debuted its original location in the Fort Worth Stockyards during the summer of 2021. "Second Rodeo Brewing has al
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Dirty Job closing brewery in Mansfield
Image credit: Dirty Job Brewing. Dirty Job Brewing has announced it will close its doors in Mansfield. A group made of Derek and Lashawn Hubenak, along with Justin Watson, opened Dirty Job on N. Main St. in Historic Downtown Mansfield during the summer of 2017. And at the time, it was the city's first and only brewing operation. The brewery's most popular beer was The Short Stack, a maple pecan porter, though a personal favorite was Sluggo's Black EyePA. Dirty Job also produced No Big Dill, a cucumber wheat, throughout its run, with that beer and The Short Stack being examples of the company's trademark willingness to experiment with different flavors in its recipes. From a social media post: "We are ready to let you all know. It has taken some thinkin’, some reflectin’ and a lot of back-and-forth decidin’. We are officially closing up shop here in Mansfield. Do not be sad for us. We came to this decision for multiple reasons, but mostly because we are ready to get back our time
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Blue Flag now flying over familiar Fort Worth spot
Single malt in the bottle, Blue Flag Pale Ale in the glass (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D). A new beverage alcohol business called Blue Flag Distillery has taken over a long-time familiar spot in the Near Southside neighborhood of Fort Worth. Led by Will Rucker and Nate Swan, Blue Flag replaces Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. at 701 Galveston Ave., with the brewery's former taproom transformed into a special event space known as The Vault. Blue Flag has been hosting private events there for a few weeks, but a Saturday soft opening was the first time The Vault's doors were open to the public. Incidentally, Rucker comes from an oil and gas background, while Swan spent many years as a cellarman and brewer at Rahr & Sons, which for him means this new venture makes for a full-circle moment. So, what's the "blue flag" all about? It's drawn from a tradition built around neighborhood gatherings. Symbolic of an open invitation, if a blue flag was being flown outside of someone's hous
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Manhattan Project working to build facility in Waco
Foster Pavilion and parking garage at Baylor University (City of Waco). According to the minutes of a council meeting held by the City of Waco on Tuesday, a North Texas brewery may one day be operating a new location within its borders. Council members approved a lease agreement that would allow Manhattan Project Beer Co. of Dallas to construct a 10,260 square foot facility at 600 S. University Parks Dr. in Waco, the targeted location a retail development on the ground floor of the parking garage serving Foster Pavilion at Baylor University . To be built by K4 Construction , site functions would involve the "operation of a craft beer brewing and manufacturing facility, including the production, packaging, storage and distribution of beer; a taproom and bar for on-site consumption; a full-service restaurant and kitchen serving elevated bar foods and chef driven menu items; and a coffee and beverage concept." Manhattan Project produces beer at its original site on Sulphur St.
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3 Nations notches another win at 2026 World Beer Cup
Image credit: Brewers Association. Tonight in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, winners were announced at the 2026 World Beer Cup (WBC). While the WBC hasn't always been a yearly event (annual competitions began in 2022), this was the 30th anniversary of the first WBC, which took place in 1996. Over that period, 24 beers brewed in North Texas have been recognized as being among the best in the world. For 2026, in a repeat of last year's result, 3 Nations Brewing Co. of Carrollton was the lone North Texas honoree, taking a bronze for its year-round Mexican lager, Texian. It's the third overall WBC award for 3 Nations, having previously won medals at the 2022 and 2025 competitions. Competition Statistics: 8,166 beers judged based on entries sent by 1,644 breweries and cideries representing 50 countries worldwide. For a historical comparison, 600 entries were submitted by 250 participating breweries in 1996. 356 medals awarded across 119 style categories covering craft beer (114) and cider (5).
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Craft, a new Canadian beer and food concept, now open in Dallas
The beer - Manhattan Project White Sands Witbier, the food - Brewmaster Chicken Sandwich (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D). A new Canadian import is now serving up a wide-ranging menu of beer and bites in the Preston Center commercial district of North Dallas. Simply called Craft , the restaurant located at 5974 W. Northwest Hwy is part of a venture founded by entrepreneur, P.J. L'Heureux. And since debuting the first Craft location in 2011, his company has gone on to open nine restaurants in seven Canadian cities. Now, for Craft's first foray into the U.S., L'Heureux has partnered with Dallas Stars owner, Tom Gaglardi, to develop a two-story gathering spot which consists of a 10,500 square foot indoor space topped off by a 5,250 square foot open-air rooftop patio/beer garden. As for the vibe, Craft fits the mold of an upscale sports bar/restaurant (with plenty of widescreen televisions throughout). Yes, the beer selection is literally a centerpiece, with a large two-sided tap
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Maple Branch, Flix Frisco/Little Elm medal at 2026 Best of Craft Beer Awards
Image credit: Best of Craft Beer Awards. Two North Texas breweries have been honored at the 2026 Best of Craft Beer Awards competition. Held in Central Oregon since 2014, and reported on here since locals were first awarded medals in 2016, the Best of Craft Beer Awards is billed as "one of America's fastest growing competitions." For the 2026 edition, the event drew 1,498 entries from 270 breweries, with submissions judged against style guidelines covering 58 beer and beer-adjacent categories and subcategories. Among this year's winners were Flix Brewhouse Frisco/Little Elm and Maple Branch Craft Brewery of Fort Worth. This is the first Best of Craft Beer award for the crew at Flix Frisco/Little Elm, while Maple Branch has now nabbed four medals at the competition. In fact, Maple Branch's winning beer, Raspberry Fields, has been recognized at three separate competitions, including the Great American Beer Festival (2022) and the Texas Craft Brewers Cup (2023, 202
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Brewery proposal targets Old Town Roanoke
Image credit: Pirate Panda Brewing/Spiars Engineering & Surveying. A new brewery may be in the works for Old Town Roanoke , based on the minutes of a Planning & Zoning Commission meeting that took place in the city on Monday, April 6. Tentatively called Pirate Panda Brewing, the project would be a new construction located on what is now an approximately one-acre empty lot at 200 S. Oak St., just across from Hard Eight BBQ. Plans call for the build-out to consist of a "4,328 square foot brewery, a 3,500 square-foot patio area, and a 200 square-foot kitchen." Should the proposed venture come to fruition, Roanoke would then be home to two brewing operations, with Pirate Panda joining The 206 Brewery & Bar on Oak St., with just three blocks separating the two establishments. Also of note, ownership appears to be based in South Florida, which may have been a proposed destination for the project at one time based on a logo design contest held on the graphic design marketplace, 99
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Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen debuts in Downtown Plano
Plano Pils and the Okie Smash Burger at Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D). What better way to celebrate National Beer Day than with the debut of a new craft beer destination in North Texas. Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen is now open at 1001 14th St., Suite 500 in Historic Downtown Plano . The spot is an offshoot of Odd Muse Brewing Co.'s original brewery in Farmers Branch, with the "Craft & Kitchen" naming chosen for a couple of key reasons. For one thing, the Plano locale features a full-service kitchen, upping the culinary game for the company's patrons. Then for another, with no on-site brewing operations, it just made sense to forego the "Brewing Co." tag in creating a clear identity for the satellite location. Of course, the beer being served is all Odd Muse, with the pub's 23 taps (plus a side-pull) sourced from Farmer's Branch. Recipes will rotate just as they do at the brewery, though co-founder Bobby Diaz says to expect Plano to fea
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Black Fox closes brewery in Denton
Image credit: Black Fox Brewing Co. Black Fox Brewing Co. has announced its closure in Denton. Michael Velasco opened Black Fox in October 2023 after taking over a space previously occupied by Howling Mutt Brewing at 205 N. Cedar St., just steps away from the Downtown Denton Square. The product portfolio at Black Fox leaned on a back-to-basics approach, with classic styles brought to the forefront. Black Fox Stout, a straightforward American stout, was the highlight, being a beer Velasco first introduced while taking part in the Homebrewers League at Barley & Board of Denton. From a social media post: "We want to take a moment to sincerely thank you for [your] continued support and patronage. Serving this community as well as those from afar has been an incredible experience, and we are truly grateful for the relationships and interesting conversations we’ve experienced along the way. Sadly, we have made the extremely difficult decision to shut the doors at our location on N
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Odd Muse expanding to Historic Downtown Plano
Image courtesy of Odd Muse Brewing Co. Odd Muse Brewing Co. of Farmers Branch has announced the upcoming opening of Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen, a new satellite taproom and full-service kitchen concept set to launch in Historic Downtown Plano in Spring 2026. Set to be located at 1001 14th St., Suite 500 (in a space formerly occupied by Voodoo Brewing Co. of Pennsylvania), Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen will bring the brewery’s acclaimed lineup of craft beer to one of the region’s most vibrant dining and entertainment districts. According to a press release, the new spot features approximately 3,000 square feet of interior restaurant space and an additional 1,000 square feet of patio seating, creating an inviting indoor-outdoor destination for beer lovers and food enthusiasts alike. Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen will offer up to 23 rotating taps of its award-winning beer, including flagship favorites, seasonal offerings, and limited-release specialties. The Plano taproom will also feature