Since then, guests have swarmed to the new venue, which faced numerous delays in the construction process.
“The beer was flowing as fast as gravity would have it come out of a tap,” founder Keith Lewis said about opening weekend. “I think there was a lot of pent-up demand, obviously, when it took so long to get the thing completed.”
We stopped by on a buzzing Saturday when many were flocking to the new location for an afternoon of brews, food and a boho market. The wide-open campus allows room for dozens of booths and plenty of space to roam.
Three main buildings, sandwiched by outdoor hangout spaces, make up the property. The Grain Room Taproom houses the main bar and kitchen area, with indoor tables and large projectors for sports. To enjoy the nice weather, we opted for the beer hall, a covered patio with long tables and a small stage where musician Benton Lawson played an acoustic set.
TUPPS has an affinity for IPAs, such as Evil Dankster Imperial IPA, TUPPS IPA and Juice Pack, a crowd-favorite hazy IPA. The new Color Machine is a nearly opaque hazy IPA that’s double dry hopped with Galaxy, Cryo Citra and Mosaic hops. Also on draft is Chilton, an option from Blur hard seltzer that tastes like lemonade, made with juice and a bit of salt.
Eastside lager is TUPPS’ newest core beer, on the light side at 4.6% ABV but with more flavor than you might expect from a lager.
Along with the move, TUPPS launched a brand refresh in 2023 with Brethren Design Co., revamping its logo and overhauling the can design.
“The goal was to unify the brand, so when you look at all of the TUPPS products on the shelf, they’re easily identifiable,” Lewis said. “And then to update it, make it more fun and eye-catching.”
Building Blocks
TUPPS’ relocation from its original site encountered numerous roadblocks. In 2020, the brewery received an $11.3 million grant from McKinney Community Development Corp. to aid the effort. The planned 11-month build was held up by COVID, supply-chain issues and the challenge of retrofitting 100-year-old buildings to suit modern brewing needs. The project ballooned into 26 months.Now, those delays are all in the past.
“From buildings, to landscape, to equipment, the whole package kind of came together just great,” Lewis said.
Instead of hosting food trucks like the old brewery, the new TUPPS houses a full-service kitchen. We tried the house-made salt and vinegar potato chips ($4), which had a satisfying crunch and texture. The truffle garlic waffle fries ($9) and masa-dredged pickle fries ($8) were both flavorful and exactly what you’d want to pair with some beers.
For lunch, the crispy chicken sandwich ($14) came topped with pepper jack cheese and was brined using Juice Pack. Lewis has a fondness for the salmon fish and chips ($20), which is beer-battered using Backyard Bock. The Full Grown Man bacon jam burger ($18) uses TUPPS’ Full Grown Man stout in the jam. There are plenty of ways to both drink and eat your beer.
“[The kitchen] definitely attracts a lot of young families with kids," Lewis says. "It’s an affordable place to hang out, for kids to play, grab a beer and get some food.
The TUPPS campus will also host a coffee shop called Lelo’s Coffee Co., which just started renovations on an existing structure on the far north side of the property. Lelo’s coffee is used in brewing Full Grown Man Stout.
The facility has plenty of places to explore, like the mezzanine above the bar, with a foosball table, couch and TV for a living room vibe. Lewis is looking forward to opening up the outdoor stage for a summer concert series on Saturday nights.
The brewery is now open every day but Monday.
TUPPS Brewery, 402 E. Louisiana St., McKinney. Tuesday – Thursday, 4–9 p.m.; Friday, 4–10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 6 p.m.; closed Monday.
