HopHeads, Start Your Engines: BrewFest Pre-Sale Starts Today

Get ready, beer fans: The Dallas Observer’s sixth annual BrewFest, sponsored by Whole Foods Market, will take over the Dallas Farmers Market on Saturday, September 10. The outdoor beer sampling event features more than 400 beers from around the globe, plus live music and local food vendors. The ticket price for…

There Are Only 650 Bottles of Balcones’ New Texas Rum

Balcones Distillery in Waco last week released a small batch of Texas rum that the distillery says will slowly makes its way onto Texas shelves — and then quickly disappear. This particular batch of rum, Balcones’ third, started with Barbados-style and blackstrap molasses and was put away to mature in…

Cocktail of the Week: The Smoke on the Water at Abacus

A relative to tequila has been showing up of late on cocktail menus all over Dallas. Mezcal is a spirit made from agave, but with some seriously smoky notes. For the uninitiated, Abacus’ Smoke on the Water is the perfect gateway drink to the smoky spirit, thanks to tequila infused with…

Oklahoma City’s COOP Ale Works Takes Their Maiden Voyage to Texas

A group of visionary Oklahomans made their inaugural appearance at the Untapped Festival last year, gripping attendees’ attention with a self-assured style honed in a hostile environment. This year, for the Fort Worth edition of the cool beer/good music festival, our neighbor to the north has gifted DFW with a…

Let’s Get Bitter: Negroni Week Hits Dallas Bars June 6-12

If ever there was a time to treat yourself to FT33’s $15 cask-aged Agave Negroni, June 6-12 is it. Negroni Week is back, with bars around DFW serving up classic and modern takes on the classic gin-vermouth-Campari cocktail, and a portion of sales from every negroni sold go to a…

Big Bend Brewing Brings a Modern Western Legend to DFW

New breweries turn up on North Texas taps every month, but not many come carrying the same legacy as Big Bend Brewing. Founded deep in the heart of the Lone Star State’s last frontier by the punk rock godfather of independent Texas brewing, Big Bend bottles (or rather cans) the…