Good news if you have a craft beer lover on your good list: there's a lot of options. Bad news: there are just so many options! Dallas has done well in embracing the craft beer wave. From breweries, to retail spots, home brewing outlets and chef-driven beer bars, there's plenty to put under the tree.
Here are some ideas:
Homebrew Headquarters If your favorite hophead recently said, "I should do this all my bigself!," and at first you tried to be supportive and half-heartedly said, "You totally should," but now since you're in the holiday spirit you're actually considering it, then send them to Homebrew Headquarters with gift card in-hand. There they can 1) meet some of the nicest people ever; 2) No, really they're SO nice; 3) buy a brewing starter kit ($65) or a slightly more advanced kit for around $100. And let the madness begin...
A Mixed Six Pack Several spots around town will allow you to buy a mix of beers (singles). If you're clueless as to what to get, most places will gladly walk you through, like The Bottle Shop, Lone Star Beverages, Sigel's, Hall's, Mom's Liquor Cabinet in Pantego, Central Market and Whole Foods.
The Bottle Shop The Bottle Shop on Greenville is good for anything beer related. Imbibe with a mixed six, buy a growler for unlimited fun or swing by any night for any number of events, like Free Taco Thursday! They'll custom wrap a gift set for you and have it ready for pick-up the next day.
Brewing Class at Community Beer Co. Since Community Beer Co. got a new fancy new tap room, beer school went on break, but they promise to start it back up in January. Follow their social media for the new schedule and get your jazz hands ready (for the tap room. You get that right? Jazz hands).
Craft and Growler Craft and Growler is part bar and part filling station. Scruffy hipsters freshly peeled off the couch after a three hour nap stream in with empty growlers all day. It's cute. There are a few other places that sell growlers, but at C&G you can order a flight of testers for $10 and it's a pretty cool communal spot. A gift card here is the start of a beautiful friendship.
The Beer Belly With this clever amenity-of-no-shame, craft beer drinkers can casually attend bad-beer gatherings without looking like a total snob. Casually sip on your slightly warm local craft beer dubiously disguised as fat, while the boss does a keg stand over Bud Light.
The Beer Purse! Check out this beer purse for safely transporting growlers. Because growlers need a safe place too. Purses/koozies start at $29, but really can we put a price on safety?
Untapped Tickets to Fort Worth Untapped on March 8 are already on sale. This was a great event last year with local music, food and great craft beer. Win, win and winning!
Dinner and Beer Every Monday night at 6 p.m., The Common Table hosts The Pour Man's Beer Dinner with four courses paired four beers for $29. So, hop over for a gift card. There are a lot of other bars that pair good beer with good food. It pains me to start listing them because I'll leave something out and then you'll spew hate in the comments and it's the HOLIDAYS, dammit! I'll start - you finish. The Libertine, The Holy Grail, Meddlesome Moth, Goodfriends, Strangeways, Jack Mac's, who am I forgetting here...
