Legal Draft Beer Co. in Arlington Shutters

Central Arlington lost a local brewer this week. A letter posted on Legal Draft's website thanked everyone for an outpouring of love and support over the past six years. A lockout notice posted by the landlord on the brewery door indicated rent hadn't been paid since September.

The brewery sat in the middle of a burgeoning area of Arlington. Hurtado’s Barbecue, Cane Rosso, 4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge and Cartel Tacos all generate a buzz around this once-desolate area.

The craft beer industry has exploded in North Texas over the past decade. In a 2021 year in review, Beer in Big D reported that there are 95 breweries in North Texas and, for the fourth year in a row, 14 new breweries opened and only two closed last year.

Legal Draft opened in 2016 near downtown Arlington with a large taproom and great outdoor space. They hosted events, food vendors and concerts over the years. The name, Legal Draft, is a reference to the owners' day jobs as litigators. Their beer was also sold through retailers and bars, which co-owner Greg McCarthy had previously told us accounted for more than half of their business.

In April 2021, Legal Draft applied for and was granted a $200,000 financial incentive from the city of Arlington as part of an initiative to help local businesses. According to the Small Business Administration database, Legal Draft also received two Paycheck Protection Program loans; the first was for $108,200 in April of 2020 and another for $135,020 in February 2021.

Alas, co-owner Greg McCarthy wrote in an email to the Observer, “The beer business is tough and complicated, especially during a pandemic. In the end, our hard work and the following of our wonderful customers was just not enough for us to survive.”

According to the letter on the website, Legal Draft's beer is still available in stores until it's gone. At which point, it's all gone.