Each year, Saint Arnold Brewing Co. in Houston releases their Divine Reserve beers: single-batch beers brewed differently each time. Most of the Divine Reserve beers have been heavier, stronger recipes. From double IPAs to barleywines to Belgian strong ales, the variance has been successful, with beer snobs seeking it out…
These days, our likes are used to determine our dating partners, direct millions of advertising dollars into our Facebook feeds, and perhaps most important, show off just how cool we are. When it comes to cocktails, what you order when you belly up to the bar says a lot about…
At this year’s Brewfest, the number of local breweries was impressive. The big guys always dominate the Observer’s annual beer event, but this year the tide appeared to be turning. Local breweries accounted for just over 25 percent of the participants, taking over an entire row of tents and pouring…
Going to the State Fair of Texas is a tradition for many people. Many, many, many people. Hordes, in fact. Sometimes the best way to deal with the stress brought on by the crush of corny dog munching humanity is to down a few beers (which is true even without…
The bar at On Premise seems like a study in contradictions. The “steampunk” aesthetic, created by minimalist decor, the presence of metal gears and exposed filament lighting, is broken up by shiny, faux-gator banquettes. The crowd is equally disparate, ranging from dining families to drunk people who’ve just caught their…
There’s a sweet, new trend brewing, and it’s threatening fans with potential dental work and serious buzz on the side. Audacity Brewing has been kegging up a new beer called Evil Cream Soda. To be clear, the brew is actually a beer, but just one sip will confirm why it…
As much as we’re happy for summer to be on its way to a close — finally and thank God — the flavors of summer are something we seek year-round. We purchase mealy, mushy imposters that pretend to be tomatoes in December, sit on patios when it’s too damn cold,…
Where Michael Martensen goes, good drinks follow. We first enjoyed his libations at The Cedars Social and have since been sipping way too many fancy drinks at Proof + Pantry. Last week, Martensen and his collaborators at Misery Loves Company opened the doors to Madrina, their “French-Mex” concept in Highland…
I’d like to believe that Dallas Observer readers are the type who order local beers at their favorite watering holes, rather than some sort of yellow swill, like Bud Light or Coors Light. Unfortunately, whenever someone orders craft beer, there is always some d-bag who attempts to be snarky and…
Several months ago, when the owners of Lonestar Beverages opened their Lewisville location, Taps and Caps, they made it worth the trek by being the first retail store in the U.S. to offer their customers crowlers. Additionally, Noble Rey Brewing has their own crowler machine, which retails for several thousand…
Much to the delight/dismay of many craft beer fans, pumpkin beers are coming back. If you have noticed more Oktoberfest beers on tap in your preferred bar and fewer summer releases, rest assured that soon several will be replaced with pumpkin beer. While pumpkin beers haven’t exactly taken off with…
Remember when BrewFest was something called Brew at the Zoo? I know, the memories are somewhat hazy for me too, but if I search the recesses of my brain for recollections I find pink flamingos, dancing women dressed up like zebras and a lot of big box beer. What I…
Schlitz is the beer that made Milwaukee famous — we don’t know what for exactly, or anyone who drinks Schlitz, for that matter, but never mind that. Anheuser-Busch was once the heart of St. Louis. Now it’s the appendix of Belgian-Brazilian consortium InBev. Anchor Steam is San Francisco’s iconic brew,…
Downtown Denton was always where Armadillo Ale Works co-founders Yianni Arestis and Bobby Mullins wanted to be. The brewers and their brand have taken quite a circuitous route, but they look to be on their way to their dream location after securing a lease for the old Sanford Muffler &…
Earlier this summer, Jameson Irish Whiskey invited several American craft brewers to come to their distillery in Ireland to meet with the people who make Jameson and learn about their process. The schooling and travel was all a part of Jameson’s “Drinking Buddies,” in which part of the sweet deal…
Bishop Arts has a new wine bar with a personality that fits the neighborhood. Wine Poste is artsy, smart, enthusiastic, but above all easygoing. Don’t come to Wine Poste to be pretentious about your favorite exclusive single-lot vintage. Don’t come to see and be seen. Snobbery is not allowed. This…
When you first step into Rapscallion, it feels a bit like chaos. This newly opened restaurant is still finding its footing in terms of managing service and logistics, but it operates like a finely tuned machine if you look beneath the frenzied-looking servers. Once you’ve bellied up to the bar,…
Last night, nearly 350 of Dallas’ biggest foodies helped Chefs for Farmers kick off their 2015 season by drinking a lot of summer punch and gorging on street food. The Mix Off, held in downtown event center, DEC on Dragon, was a competition including five of Dallas’ best sous chefs…
In truth, what put Grapevine Craft Brewery on the map was probably its Lakefire rye pale ale, whose use of Cascade and Centennial hops balances with a sweet maltiness and subtle fruitiness. But in its new and expanded location near downtown Grapevine, the taproom is going to put butts in…
As we’ve said before, the Dallas-Fort Worth area gets a new brewery about every 10 minutes, as the craft beer industry grows locally and nationally, some worry about an economic bubble. Until that bubble pops, if you live out in one of the suburbs that still lacks a brewery, just…
Whenever you’re craving a summery drink, nuance really doesn’t factor into the equation. You want something that’s refreshing enough to make you stop sweating in all those weird places and strong enough to get you drunk. The flavors are really quite often secondary, but they don’t have to be. If…
The differences between the drankin’ scenes in London and Dallas become evident when one first sets foot into one of the many cozy but ornate public houses that dot the landscape of what barmen and pint-seekers alike call the best city in the world. The English “pub” and our “bar”…
