Beer is one of those paradoxical liquids that can make one feel both supremely good and devastatingly bad. In our never-ending effort to help them imbibers of Dallas maximize their good vibes and justify their wrongdoing, we've compiled this list of local craft beer companies that make a point of giving away a portion of their profits to charity. So, the next Sunday morning your hung-over ass is pondering all the bad decisions that led to you feeling miserable, be comforted by the knowledge that your purchase did some good to balance out your debauchery.
Community Beer Co. Taproom Not only is Community Beer Co. one of the top three breweries in North Texas, in my totally unscientific opinion, they also work hard to keep their taproom calendar full of tours, music and arts shows, and charitable fundraising events. Most of our local beer makers host the occasional nonprofit fundraiser, but it seems that Community goes above and beyond to seek out good local organizations and give them a venue to get their message out and raise money. Points also go to Lakewood Brewing Co., which has given to dozens of local charities and (I've heard) is always receptive to a good cause. Although, it should be noted, these folks are also trying to run successful small businesses and make a marketable product. They can't always give to every cause, regardless of worthiness, so don't make a stink if you don't get picked.
Union Growler Company Growlers are a great way to take fresh beer with you to drink at home, at the park, in the Dollar General parking lot -- wherever the mood strikes. Also, there are a few breweries who don't can/bottle everything they brew (or, in some cases, anything at all), so a growler is really your only opportunity to enjoy their beer anywhere that's not an established bar. Union Growler Company is a fairly new company, based here in Dallas, that sells good-looking glassware that gives a portion of its sales to various charities. For example, if you buy the one with a butcher's diagram of a pig, UGC donates money to the local food bank. Also, every time someone says, "Hey man, cool growler," you can casually say, "Oh thanks. I gave money to charity. Because I'm a spectacular citizen. And you're just a boozehound."
Craft and Growler Every Tuesday, one of Dallas' best beer bars hosts "Non-Profit Tuesdays," in which they give a percentage of the nights sales to a select local charity. I looked back at the last few months worth of events, and the nonprofits represented include an organization that helps veterans combat PTSD through cycling, a local no-kill animal shelter, a public garden and a group that works with afterschool programs for low-income youths in Dallas. A great beer list, hard-to-find local releases, Scott Reitz's approval AND they give to charity? These are all good things.
Best Little Brewfest in Texas & Big Texas Beerfest As strange as this would have sounded five years ago, I have a pretty hard time keeping up with all of the various beer festivals going on in North Texas. Many of them advertise some sort of charitable aspect, but the Best Little Brewfest in Texas and the Big Texas Beerfest seem to give the most. The Best Little Brewfest, held at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2013 and in Old Town Lewisville this past summer, boasts to be Texas' only 100 percent charity beer festival. In 2014, they gave all of their proceeds to Cloud 9 Charities, which benefitted the Alzheimer's Association and teen suicide prevention. The Big Texas Beerfest is also committed to donating a portion of ticket sales to a nonprofit organization, most recently the North Texas Food Bank.
