Articles about beer

Scenes from Brew Riot 2013 in the Bishop Arts District

Girls having fun (photos by Matthew Shelley)

Girls having fun (photos by Matthew Shelley)

Brew Riot pumped  right into the heart of the Bishops Arts District on Sunday. The line to get in was long and the smiles were plentiful. So much beer. This is the fifth time this celebration of home brewing has gone off with tremendous success. There were countless masters of home brewing in attendance, delivering a diamond studded array of beer to what seemed to be every man, woman, and child in the city. It was a full house, and the warm weather suited the limitless suds quite well. The beauty of home brewed beers lies in the brewer’s need only to make something delicious. There are no sales quotas, distribution hurdles, or marketing campaigns to misalign the beauty of the beer itself. These hearty folks make beer just for the love of doing it themselves. For the few of you that did not make it, you should add it to your calendar for next year. It’s my favorite beer celebration in this city and a true testament to craft beer in Dallas. With so much love surrounding the third most popular drink in the world right here in our fair city, I almost melt under the sensation. Please pardon any lack of cohesive narration due to this being less than two days from Brew Riot. You feel me.

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The Barbecue at Daniel Vaughn’s Book Signing Parties is Lick-Your-Fingers Good

Daniel Vaughn in a snazzy shirt (left); Tim Byres' smoked meat (right) photos by Matthew Shelley

Daniel Vaughn and his snazzy shirt (left); Tim Byres’ smoked meat (right) photos by Matthew Shelley

Don’t worry, guys. Daniel Vaughn, the BBQ Snob and new Texas Monthly barbecue editor, will never get too big for his brisket. Even though he did hold his most recent book signing for The Prophets of Smoked Meat at a place called Stodghill Manor last Friday, everyone wore “barbecue attire,” drank beer, and dug in to fatty meats with their fingers. I think Mayor Rawlings even popped up at the end, if my eyes didn’t fail me. (I heard he cussed up a storm at the “A Way With Words” charity event last week. 10 points for Gryffindor!)

At Friday’s event, Franklin’s (#1 on TM‘s 50 Best BBQ List), Pecan Lodge (#2), Lockhart Smokehouse(also on the list), and Smoke all made it to the event. Big bad boys in one, big bad place. Aaron Franklin came all the way up from Austin and borrowed a smoker from Justin Fourton of Pecan Lodge to make the most beautiful brisket I’ve ever seen. Charred black edges encircled a pink ring around smooth brown meat. That’s what I call teamwork, guys – when the number one and number two best barbecue joints in Texas join forces in the name of friendship. Cool beans.
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Giveaway: Two Passes to Flying Saucer’s 4th Annual BeerFeast

Yesterday might have been the end to American Craft Beer Week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep drinking your favorite suds. On Saturday, June 15 from 2 to 8 p.m., BeerFeast is Flying Saucer on the Lake’s way of saying, “We love you. Here’s an event with 25 breweries and 50 different craft beers for you to choose from. And, yes, we are also providing you with six rare beers throughout the festival.”

Interested? Tickets to BeerFeast are $30 and you can buy them here. OR you can do the smart thing: save your money for the food trucks that’ll be there and try entering for our two free passes to Garland’s big event. I’ll email the winner of this giveaway on Friday (5/25) at noon.

Jump for the form.

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Go Brew-B-Q on Memorial Weekend

image002It’s too dreary outside for me to type. Or maybe I’m just using that as an excuse. Either way, I’m going to let Tait Lifto from Deep Ellum Brewing Co. take it away. He’s more eloquent about beer than I ever will be.

“Announcing our 3rd annual Brew-B-Q and this year should be bigger than ever! The 1st Brew-B-Q we held in the parking lot at Life-In-Deep-Ellum as the brewhouse wasn’t quite open yet. Last year for our 2nd Brew-B-Q, we sold out at max capacity around 800 people. This year, we’ve expanded the brewery into the entire building and thus have more room to spread out but we’re still going to cap the tickets to prevent overcrowding.

There are two different tickets available this year:

General Admission – Brew-B-Q Commemorative Glass, beer, Pecan Lodge BBQ, live music including Vic Duncan Band, Grant Jones & The Pistol Grip Lassos, and local headliner Sugarfoote and Co., ‘live’ art by local artist Jason Ice, on-site screen printing of limited edition shirts by ArtLoveMagic co-founder Justin Nygren.

VIP Admission – Brew-B-Q Commemorative Glass, beer, Pecan Lodge BBQ, live music including Vic Duncan Band, Grant Jones & The Pistol Grip Lassos, and local headliner Sugarfoote and Co., ‘live’ art by local artist Jason Ice, on-site screen printing of limited edition shirts by ArtLoveMagic co-founder Justin Nygren, one-hour early admission, access to the air-conditioned VIP front tasting room, special tappings of limited DEBC brews in the front tasting room and early admission to Pecan Lodge BBQ.

Sunday May 26, 2013, 5pm-10pm (VIP allowed in at 4pm)

Tickets can be purchased here. Tickets will sell out. Up-to-date info on our Facebook page.”

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It’s American Craft Beer Week! Here’s Where You Should Get Your Beer On.

It’s Monday and you’re already wishing it was the weekend. Lucky for you, these next seven days are going to feel like the weekend. American Craft Beer Week (May 13-19), put on by the Brewers Association, is a celebration of small and independent craft brewers all over the nation. Hold on tight. There are a ton of beer events to geek out over. I’ll keep updating the list as emails flood my inbox. And when I get a second or two, I promise to make this post look more visually appealing. I know, I know. It’s fugly right now.

 

FM Smokehouse

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Meet Jeffers Richardson of Firestone Walker Brewing Company at Lone Star Beverages in Carrollton

BrewsNews_final[3If you are free at 3PM today, swing by Lone Star Beverages (3065 Josey Lane #62) in Carrollton to meet Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s brew master Jeffers Richardson.

Firestone began making craft beer deep in the wine country around Buellton on California’s Central Coast in the prehistoric age, 1996. They are best known for their pale ale. Jeffers will host a casual Q&A.

Celebrate D Magazine’s 100 Best Restaurants in Dallas on May 22 at Trinity Groves

Top 100 winnerI have just completed D Magazine‘s  June cover story: The 100 Best Restaurants in Dallas. Yes, I wrote 100 restaurant reviews and ranked the top 100 restaurants in Dallas. To complete the task, I had to toss out Fort Worth, Grapevine, and the mid-cities. Maybe next time. (Which will not be in my life time.) I’m so tired I thought it would be a great idea to throw a party and celebrate the 100 best restaurants in Dallas. The marketing people agreed.

Join me and many of the 100 best restaurants in Dallas for a giant soiree on May 22 from 6-8PM at Sharon Van Meter’s 3015 Trinity Groves. The festivities will feature food from the top chefs in Dallas and the fare will feature an eclectic mix of haute cuisine, off-the-beaten-path barbecue, and a variety of dishes from ethnic restaurants. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to mingle with an unprecedented gathering of chefs and restaurateurs from the top restaurants in Dallas. Along with the food tastings, there will be cocktails by Brugal Rum, beer by Trumer Pilsner, DJ Jose Guevara, Land Rovers on display and a See’s Candy buffet. Additional sponsors include Express Working Capital and Poggenpohl.

I’m thinking about doing a “Throw a Cream Pie in Nancy’s Face” booth to raise money for my favorite charity. Could happen. Buy your tickets here. 

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Into Shelley’s Belly: Idle Rich Pub

Vegaetarian Burger, upgraded (photos by Matthew Shelley)

Vegaetarian Burger, upgraded (photos by Matthew Shelley)

My crotchety old neighbor used to tell me that the way to a woman’s heart is through your own. Get a knife, jam it into your chest, pull out your beating blood engine, and then give it to her on some fine china. Ok, so my neighbor wasn’t the most romantic soul, and he died alone with his thirteen cockatiels screaming bloody murder for three days until someone finally called the police. The reason I’m telling you this is because his birthday is this month and he loved beer. To celebrate the old bastard, I decided to commemorate his bitter Irish soul by going to one of my favorite Irish bars in Dallas, The Idle Rich Pub.

Idle Rich’s age-worn, wooden interior lends itself to a community gathering as well as to one of those nights when you sink into the darkness of the pub’s loving bosom for some much-needed privacy and ale. Nothing about this place is guarded, and you are welcome to be here.

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Katy Trail Ice House is Expanding in Dallas

One of the owners of Katy Trail Ice House, Buddy Cramer, has told me that they’re opening a second location in the DFW area that’s “going to be out north.”

“I can’t reveal to you a location,” he said, “but we’re going to have a major announcement soon and another one shortly.”

Recently, the bar/restaurant has been embroiled in the Decibel Battle of Katy Trail, Ice House vs. Park Towers residents, so it’s been busybusybusy. Especially with the opening of a new location. Let’s hope this second one won’t be near any apartment complexes.

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Into Shelley’s Belly: Scardello’s Beer and Cheese Pairings

The Bombshell Blonde (left); Camembert, bottom, Tomme Crayeuse (right) photos by Matthew Shelley

The Bombshell Blonde (left); Camembert, bottom, Tomme Crayeuse (right) photos by Matthew Shelley

In my list of supplies to include in my wheel barrel of fun (after I win the lottery and move to Big Sur) are many things. Lots of beer, bacon, honey, cashmere jumpsuits, chocolate, and cheese, to name a few. Cheese and beer are probably the most important (aside from the framed picture of Jennifer Capriati and the ziplock bag of Rihanna’s hair that I collected (stole) from her tour bus bathroom). Cheese enlivens our wits and encourages our senses to be courageous. I decided I needed some education, though; and having been to some classes at Scardello, I thought it would be a wonderful place for a lesson in pairing beer and cheese. Lance Lynn, Scardello’s most aptly anointed beer master agreed to host me for an evening of beer and cheese pairing. Even though this is a slightly impromptu, organic collection of pairings, the purpose of this post is to showcase some exciting and accessible pairings that are available for you, your friends, and your enemies.

Lance is an interesting cat. His warm smile and effortless, hip style are surpassed only by his knowledge and love for what he does. And it’s very much a consistent attitude throughout the entire shop. Lance reads about beer and cheese, attends seminars, and discusses the two with erudite deftness. I allowed him to choose the cheeses, and we worked together to select the beers. First up is the crowd pleasing, American blonde ale from Southern Star Brewing Company called Bombshell Blonde. It’s a very clean, golden beer with a biscuity flavor profile that goes down easy. Instead of rambling on, I’ll just make a list from here on out.

(Disclaimer: Most of the subtleties that are pointed out with sophisticated vocabulary come from Lance. Fortunately, this allowed me to impart my beer sloppiness while he maintained his disarming, sophisticated demeanor. Lance is a pleasant man.)

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Brews News: Untapped Festival, Pairing Dinners, Brewery Tours, and the New Denton Beer

Armadillo Ale Works Quakertown Stout

Armadillo Ale Works Quakertown Stout

Festival in Fort Worth: The biggest brews news surrounds this weekend’s Untapped Festival in Fort Worth. It’s a truly remarkable array of offerings from breweries around the world. They’ve brought out some seriously sexy guns for this shindig as well as some dope tunes. Is that the cool way to say it? Besides my totally hip vernacular, this festival is a monstrous celebration of amazing beer, music, art, and beer culture. Be safe, and never go thirsty.

Taking Tours: The saison (hehe, that’s French for season, jokes!) for brewery tours is on, and the weather is still quite friendly. Deep Ellum Brewery offers tours on Thursday evenings from 6-8:30 with live music, and  the Si Tapas food truck, The Spanish Lunch Box, was in attendance last Thursday with chorizo, serrano ham, manchego and many other delicious Spanish bites to partner with the beers. Four Corners Brewery also does tours on Thursdays, but I have yet to find a beer to rave about over there. They’re good, just not great. Peticolas, Lakewood, and Community all host tours on Saturdays. Tickets usually average $10 and get you a few full pours. Celebrate our local beer and tour your body down.

Beer+Food: There are also a few interesting beer dinners coming up this month and in early May. Deep Ellum Brewery is hosting its first pairing dinner with Park Tavern this Friday night. Tickets are $60. They are also releasing a new Barley Wine at the untapped festival called Numb Comfort. Somehow they’ve summed up my dream life in two words. Yes, please. Also, Brew Riot is coming in May, and I cannot wait.

Big Beer From Little D: The last bit of news comes down from Denton. Armadillo Ale Works is the new brewer on the block, and their first release is called the Quakertown Stout. With the help of the folks at Deep Ellum Brewery, they’ve been able to get their beer out and in our faces. I decided to run by one of my favorite beer bars, Strangeways, and try out this new stout just for you. I will keep this short: It is absolutely beautiful. Try this dark, brooding stout right away. You’ll find a warming dark roast with sensuous chocolate notes and, with more than 9% ABV, it’s remarkably easy to drink. I would actually say gulp, which is what I did. It’s a buttery, deep dancing beauty and should not be missed.

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A night with Todd Usry from Breckenridge Brewery @ The Meddlesome Moth

 

This Week, The Meddlesome Moth is hosting their 3rd annual April Ale week with a salute to “Wood Inspired Beers.” Their entire tap has been swapped out, and I feel confident in saying it’s one of the most impressive, dynamic and robust beer lists ever comprised in our age. So I might be a little flighty since last night I tried to rampage through the entire thing, but you must go see for yourself. The video above is from last night’s intimate gathering around the flannel wearing, hip haired, bad-mother-beaver named Todd Usry. He’s the brewmaster from Breckenridge Brewery, and he completely gave himself to everyone who attended with friendly conversation and stories about how his beers came to be. His favorite beer is the Vanilla Porter, but don’t tell him that. There are more events going on through the rest of the week, so head over to the Moth’s website for details and get your fine self up in there.

All about Beer with Matt & Wilhelm

Stone Old Guardian Oak Smoked Barley Wine (left) Rogue Hazlenut Brown Nectar (right)

Stone Old Guardian Oak Smoked Barley Wine (left) Rogue Hazlenut Brown Nectar (right)

Hello, friends and internet browsing people. I want to tell you something. I love you. And during my loving of you, I want to tell you about my most favorite food love. It’s of no great mystery to those who suffer in my presence at my incessant conversation surrounding said love, but you may be unaware. It’s beer. So I’ve convinced Nancy that it would be a good idea for me to drink a couple new beers each week, mostly those new arrivals that I am notified about from the amazing Jason Schuchard over at Whole Foods, and then tell you about them. We can go on this journey of suds together. If at any time you feel yourself stifling vomit or just unexpectedly aroused, that’s cool. I have the skin of a Middle Eastern tree nymph, and my mom says I am special, so go with it. I must warn you though, when I begin the beer tasting, my alter ego Wilhelm Van Hausenbaum takes over, and he can be a bit verbose. We’ve discussed this on many late night massage circles, but he refuses to conform. I hope it works on some level for you. And if you have any suggestions about beer or tastings or anything in this city related to beer glory, send me a line. Here goes.

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Into Shelley’s Belly: Mockingbird Taproom at Mockingbird Station

Entrance to the Tap

Entrance to the Tap (photos by Matthew Shelley)

Poised on the brink of a new destiny, I catapulted myself from the bubble bath and laid my garments out before me on my new vintage futon. Tonight will be a night of unparalleled revelry, and I shall dance with Venus before the moon parts the sky. Would she have me? I suddenly became preoccupied with thoughts of probable failure, for I could not bear to lose another lover with such magnificent cologne releasing from my pores. But with bedroom eyes, a staunch appetite for abandon, and a well-oiled set of legs, I began my sojourn with steadfast determination.

Five of my closest companions were awaiting my arrival at the newest Mockingbird Station addition, Mockingbird Taproom. It was a long overdue replacement for the previous tenant, if I do say so myself. And I do say so. I strutted into the station with much the same candor as any young Honeyboy Wilson would, and my friends were awaiting with cheerful demeanor. With much time for levity, we filled our mouths with the elixir of the lord: beer.

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Texas Fest at Sigel’s Tonight

Over the past several years the entrepreneurial spirit has grasped many spirit loving individuals throughout our state, taking hold in a variety of forms from wine to craft beer to quality spirits, even mead.  Tonight from 6-8pm Sigel’s will welcome many to their Fitzhugh location for a celebration of all things Texas, including Post Oak Red Hots, the incredible gourmet Chicago-style hot dogs created by Chef/Owner Brian Luscher of The Grape.

Some of the libations to be tasted include selections from Lakewood Brewing Company, Duchman (including their stellar Vermentino), Becker and Pedernales Wineries, and spirits from Western Son Vodka, Deep Eddy Vodka, Balcones Whiskey, Waterloo Gin, and the recently introduced Silver Star Texas Whiskey.   Guests will have an opportunity to taste 12 samples (all for free) and everything featured at the event will be specially sale priced, but you must RSVP here.

 

Where to Party for St. Patrick’s Day in Dallas

stpaddys-1

photography by Jason Acton

Despite what other news outlets have reported—or what the city renames the parade—the Dallas St. Patrick’s Parade on Greenville Avenue will continue to be a party this year. I mean, Snoop Dogg, er, Snoop Lion, or whatever, is headlining the concert. So pull those glittery clover headbands out of storage; you’ll still be needing them. Enjoy this list of our favorite bars hosting Irish festivities and if it isn’t enough, visit our calendar to see all the St. Patrick’s Day events you can handle.

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Second Annual Big Texas Beer Fest is Happening on April 6

As the weather gets warmer, there are only two words you need to think about: cold beer.

Thanks to Chad Montgomery, you’ll have your cold dreams come true on April 6 at Fair Park, when the Big Texas Beer Fest hosts beers from all around the state of Texas. It’s going to be the beeriest event of the summer. Read the press release if you don’t believe me.

Dallas, TX – March 10, 2013 – The Big Texas Beer Fest returns to Dallas’ Fair Park on April 6 after a highly successful inaugural event last year, which drew more than 4,000 attendees. The event will be held in the Automotive Building at Fair Park, and feature more than 100 breweries from around the world, including 20+ from the state of Texas. Montgomery indicated, “Craft beer is really growing in Texas right now, last year we didn’t really even have that many breweries to invite.”

In addition, where last year’s event featured mostly Texas brewers from the immediate area, this year brewers from Austin, Houston and other parts of the state will be on hand to showcase their wares.

“We were fortunate to have really unique beers last year,” said Chad Montgomery, who founded the festival with his wife, Nellie, after visiting the Great American Beer Fest in Denver. “The lineup at this year’s festival will be even better. We’re really pulling out all the stops. Fortunately, we know a lot of these brewers personally because we’re craft beer folks ourselves, so we have special commitments from nearly every Texas brewer on our list.”

The success of the 2012 festival, which was named one of the Top 14 craft beer and spirits festivals in the United States by foodrepublic.com, also gained international attention. Montgomery said Chris Bauweraerts, brewer at Brasserie d’Achouffe in Belgium, will be attending this year.

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Champps in Addison is Closed

First The Melting Pot; now Champps? WTF is going on in Addison? A nice gentleman answered the phone and said: “Yes, we closed our doors for business this morning.”  I’m taking that as a confirmation.

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Bring Good Brews Home From Craft and Growler

craft

The owner invented a technology for filling better bottles. (Photography by Sean McGinty)

Each month Moira Muldoon walks into a bar and writes about it. Here Muldoon paints a picture of Craft and Growler.

Every fall during grad school, my husband would gleefully announce: “Home brew party!” He and his fellow engineering students made their own beer, then brought bottles to share and swap. It was fun—some of the beer was good and some truly, impressively bad—and it always made sense to me in terms of the larger cultural zeitgeist. In an era of Michael Pollan and locavores, homemade anything (everything?) was a reason to throw a party.

All of Dallas now has a chance to have “homemade” beer. At least five new craft breweries have opened in the last 18 months: Deep Ellum Brewing, Peticolas, Revolver, Lakewood, and Four Corners. Four Corners is the youngest, opened in November just past the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in West Dallas. Given the surge of craft beers made locally, it makes sense to have a space like Craft and Growler.

Craft and Growler opened in November and is part bar, part retail space. One wall is shelves filled with empty growlers, which are large, reusable bottles for taking home draft beer. If, for example, you want some of the Peticolas Brewing Company’s Wintervention, you may be able to go out and get a pint at a bar, but the beer itself is made in small batches, so you likely can’t buy bottles at your corner store. If you want to take some Wintervention to your spouse who watched the kids while you went out, that’s where the growler comes in handy.

Stay with her.

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Suds and Smoke Event Next Monday Benefits Foodways Texas

Suds&Smoke-Feb25FoodwaysChefs for Farmers. Farmers for Chefs. Farmers and Chefs for Craft Beer. Produce for Meat. Fiddlehead Fern Rescue…There certainly is a lot of love surrounding our food industry. Sometimes reading about the get-togethers and events taking place around town is like watching a Lunesta commercial: Everyone is smiling and butterflies are free.

If you haven’t joined the love-in, next Monday, February 25, provides perfect entry point. Suds and Smoke, a celebration of smoked food and craft beer, will take place at Deep Ellum Brewing Company. From 6-9PM, you can rub shoulders with the movers, shakers, smokers, and crafters of the business. Such as: Tim Byres from Smoke / Chicken Scratch, Terry Chandler from Fred’s Texas Cafe / Outlaw Chef Ought-Zero Wagon, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Justin Fourton from Pecan Lodge, Brian Luscher from The Grape /Luscher’s Post Oak Red Hots, David Uygur from Lucia, and Central Market.

The evening benefits Foodways Texas, a non-profit organization founded by scholars, chefs, journalists, restaurateurs, farmers, ranchers, and other Texans who have made it their mission to preserve, promote, and celebrate the diverse food cultures of Texas.

Tickets while they last are here.