Yiannis "Yanni" Arestis and Bobby Mullins of Armadillo Ale Works in Denton have been trying to pull this thing together for quite some time. But, building a brewery isn't necessarily easy. Well, backtrack. Building a brewery might actually be the easy part. Building a sustainable and successful beer brand isn't so easy. But, now Dallas-based Deep Ellum Brewing Co. is lending a hand (or tank).
DEBC co-founder John Reardon announced via a YouTube video they will essentially help the two brewers get their business off the ground.
The two beer companies initially met a few years ago on a brews cruise (likely) the night before the North Texas Beer Festival, and Reardon was inspired by the two brewers' "conviction of their craft."
Mullins, head brewer at AAW, worked at Saint Arnold's for several years after graduating from the University of North Texas in Denton. He and Arestis incorporated Armadillo Ale Works in 2010 and since then have gone through a variety of fundraising events. They have a line of sodas that are distributed in the Denton area.
Dedicated to opening their brewery in the Denton-area, the pair are clear that this partnership is a step in that direction, not a change of course. Both parties emphasize that this is a way to get AAW beer on the market while they work towards the ultimate goa.
In the YouTube interview about the collaboration, Tait Lifto with DEBC knocked one out of the park with his Oprah-like interviewing skills. He asked the Armadillo brewers the question we all had on the tip of our collective tongue: "Do you have any interesting stories involving armadillos?"
Mullins unfortunately said, "No, we don't."
To which Lifto, vaguely masking his disappointment, rebuffs, "That's too bad. It would be cool if you did."
But, Arestis did offer that the armadillo is the Texas state small mammal.
About the beer, Mullins said the first release via DEBC will be Quakertown Stout and explained, "It's an imperial stout at 9.22 percent ABV, a lot of oats, brown malt, touch of maple syrup gives it a nice chocolaty, roasted coffee flavor with a hint of nuttiness."
The new beer will be available "shortly" and "soon."
UPDATE: It was previously stated that DEBC is the parent company of Armadillo Ale Works, but that's not the case. They're solely helping them brew and distribute beer.
