Tag Archives: DALLAS TX

MEDDLESOME MOTH

BEER PUB, ,

Meddlesome Moth, Design District, Dallas | Zomato

DALLAS, TEXAS

Inside an ivy-covered red brick edifice deep in the heart of Dallas, premier gastropub MEDDLESOME MOTH opened in 2010 and boasts 40-plus beer taps plus three beautiful stain glass murals honoring rock legends Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Maintaining an upscale appearance and classy sportsbar atmosphere, Meddlesome Moth’s 20-stool pewter-top bar services a cavernous dining space (with plush leather booths and tables). $1,100 in silver quarters don the draught board (with 40 taps) and an open kitchen offers large portions of gourmet pub cuisine.

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The prominent Cathedral-like ceiling and broad brown wood columns arch down towards the back end and a wood-furnished side patio offers extra seating.

Visited on a sunny Sunday in April ’18, Meddlesome Moth is packed at noon. I got to quaff four previously untried brews, including Boulevard Jam Band Berry Ale, Peticolas Match Day Session IPA, Peticolas Too Soon IPA and St. Arnold’s Bourbon-Aged Bishops Barrel 10 (all reviewed in Beer Index).

www.mothinthe.net

 

BRAINDEAD BREWING

United States Brewpubs, ,

Deep Ellum's Braindead Brewing Will Reopen This Weekend Amid Dispute Between Its Owners - Eater Dallas

DALLAS, TEXAS

Open during 2014, Dallas-based BRAINDEAD BREWING quickly became friendly competition for neighboring Deep Ellum Brewing.

A no-frills pub with a mind-blowing 30-plus taps of proprietary beers and ales, Braindead’s best fare may well be the one-off barrel aged elixirs, robust Imperial Stouts and brettanomyces-laden sour ales.

Serviced by an 18-stool polyurethane-wooded bar with diamond plate backing and unique refrigerator-doored tap mounts, this roomy freestanding site also features a spacious front deck with fireplace and umbrellas as well as a street-side black railroad engine.

Several wood tables and booths plus two vast community tables and stacked liquor barrels consume the interior. Illuminating palletized drum-shaded lamps light the facility. In the back, large brew tanks hold the serious suds I’ll quaff with my friend, Jeff, during a 2-hour stopover, November ’17.

Out of the four ‘Core’ offerings, only Gritz, a pre-prohibition-styled cream ale, will be missed.

Zesty beige-yellowed dry-hopped wheat ale, Nimbus, brought lemony grapefruit tanginess to grassy herbal notions.

Pleasantly off-dry Red gathered raw-honeyed grapefruit tartness, crisp cereal grain toasting, mild grassy hop bittering and quaint candied spicing.

Easygoing Export Extra Stout coalesced mild espresso bean, dark chocolate and chalky cocoa bittering with dried black currant spicing above dark toffee malts.

Approachable Imperial Pale Ale, P-Wing, let sweet honeyed malts contrast piney hops while orange-juiced tangerine and peach tanginess briskly surfaced.

Fruit Loops-like Belgian Pale Ale, Fumble Brag, allowed dry-hopped floral fruiting to access herbaceous whims as sugared grapefruit, orange and white grape spicing took hold.

Leafy Octoberfest, Gemutlich, let dry fig-apricot fruiting lightly creep into biscuit-y cereal malts and astringent hop resin.

Elegantly tart saison, Good Morning Dave, brought limey grapefruit souring to horse-blanketed hay dryness.

Distinct compost-wafted sour ale, Dr. Dreipricot, regaled orange-peeled apricot puree with sour-candied lemon peel bittering over wild oats.

Softer thirsts should imbibe the three lagers found on this initial perusal.

Simple Mexican Dark Lager, Cerveza Oscura, a mocha-malted moderation with muted mango fruiting and mellow toffee hints sufficed. As did light Polish-style pilsner, Exhausted Nihilist, musky malt liquor-like fodder with mild grassy-hopped astringency and biscuit-y malts. Another, wildflower-honeyed Honey Lager, stayed dry as floury grist consumed grassy hop astringency, unripe fig tartness and herbal notions.

Things got much more interesting with the complex dark ales to follow.

Mincemeat-like Imperial Stout, We Own The Night, draped bitter Blackstrap molasses over spicy dried fruiting, dark chocolate malts, cold-brewed coffee tones and tarry hops (gaining tertiary tobacco chaw, maple oatmeal and  walnut illusions by the bittersweet mocha finish).

On the sweeter Imperial Stout side, creamily resilient We Own Brunch poured Blackstrap molasses and dark chocolate syrup atop sweet vanilla, sugared coffee, maple oats and cinnamon spicing, leaving slight burnt wood notions at the back end.

Luxurious Imperial Wheat Porter aged in bourbon, Hammer Of The Gods 2017, seduced its creamy chocolate-coated sweetness with bourbon, burgundy and port tones as well as vanilla-sugared cinnamon and nutmeg spicing.

Didn’t get to try these barrel aged elixirs: Given To Rye To Rye Brown Ale aged in Whiskey barrels; red wine-barreled raspberry-pureed Sexport Stout; oak-aged Memory Hole Barleywine; bourbon-rye-barreled dubbel, Priory Of Orion.

www.braindeadbrewing.com

 

FOUR CORNERS BREWING CO.

United States Brewpubs, ,

Four Corners Brewing Co. Is Sparking Multicultural Connections - D Magazine

DALLAS, TEXAS

One mile south of Deep Ellum’s arts community in South Dallas’ light industrial Cedars district, FOUR CORNERS BREWING CO. outgrew its initial spot near the Aquarium and now consumes two large, well-maintained buildings as of October 2017.

Moving its brewing operations to a separate storage facility also utilized for prodigious canning and increased keg capacity, Four Corners decided to keep their sizable taproom independent.

Inside a rustic red brick-walled edifice with painted proprietary beer banners, epoxy floors, exposed pipes and high ceilings, the meticulous, yet spare, taproom (with open kitchen) features a 12-seat left side bar with aluminum-chaired wood tables, a few comfy lounge couches and upside down assorted lamps. Neon lettering above the bar spells out the brewery’s moniker while windowed silver tanks store smaller beer batches and a stage area in the rear hosts local entertainers.

Across the way, Four Corners sprawling brewing operations take up an entire factory-sized compound. Part of the Cedars’ recentralized urban cosmopolitanism, this rooster-symbolized brewery currently crafts six year-round offerings and a few special one-offs.

On my sunny Saturday afternoon November ’17 visit, I try their six staples alongside two new recipes.

First up, dry golden ale, Local Buzz, utilized locally sourced honey to spice up its musky brown tea likeness and toasted rye breading.

Sessionable pilsner-malted Sol Y Luna stayed brisk as carbolic lemon fizz tickled earthen-grained fennel, straw wheat and spelt crisping.

Dry-hopped amber ale, Heart ‘O Texas, slipped lemony grapefruit tanginess into mild toasted grains.

Honeyed citrus gave El Super Bee its misty zest over corn sugared pale malts. 

Murkily piney fruited India Pale Ale,  El Chingon, let grassy hop resin seep into cedar, floral and citric illusions.

Bitterly mocha-smoked oatmeal stout, Notorious O.A.T., surrounded treacly black chocolate with cola nut, dried prune and leathery grain nuances.

As for the one-off specialty beers, cereal-grained Homie Brew Texas Steam Beer plied mild sour fruiting to millet, wheat and alfalfa grist.

Best bet: easygoing East Coast-styled IPA crossover, El Oso White, a spicy tropical-fruited moderation, brought floral-bound grapefruit, orange, peach and mango tanginess to mild piney hop bittering and lightly sugared pale wheat malting.

Bringing just a hint of Mexican spirit to proudly mainstream Texas beers, Four Corners relies on centrist brews for casual tastes.

www.fcbrewing.com

 

PEGASUS CITY BREWERY

United States Brewpubs, ,

Image result for pegasus city brewery

DALLAS, TEXAS

Residing at a well-maintained warehouse in Dallas’ Design District (five miles northwest of Deep Ellum’s arts and entertainment neighborhood), PEGASUS CITY BREWERY concentrates on crafting five endlessly approachable core beers as well as a few reliable seasonals since opening July ’17.

At the right side entrance, a natural varnished wood bar top invites customers to the modest pub. Eight tap handles service the eight-stooled bar where a wood-engraved, black-outlined, white lettered Tiny Tap sign sits atop the bar. Across the way, two overhead garage doors saddle a large-ceilinged lounge area with wrought iron patio furnishings and a massive rear brewing area.

On my November ’17 jaunt, I grab a seat in the lounge and sample all seven currently available draught offerings.

Easygoing Summer Special Blonde Ale, a polite Belgian-styled moderation, brought honeyed citrus tones to the fore as mild grassy hop astringency contrasted light banana-clove sweetness and minty lavender herbage.

Another seasonal offering, Big D Jamboree Festbier, let raw-honeyed dryness seep into dried fig, nutty caramel and baked bread illusions for a crisp marzen styling.

As for the Core 5, “deceptively easy-to-drink” Nine Volt DPL Tripel unveiled white grape esters and bittersweet orange tanginess to complement its candi-sugared spicing and contrast its earthen grain bottom.

Crisply clean Cannoneer Bold Amber coalesced grain-roasted caramel malting with dewy earthiness and chestnut illusions.

Mild flagship beer, Highpoint Porch Ale, an English mild, delivered roasted mineral graining to casual honeyed nuttiness and latent vegetal nuances.

Dry-toned Sixth Floor Easy Porter relied on dewy compost earthiness to scour its day-old roasted coffee souring, bittersweet Baker’s chocolate mustiness and desiccated plum snip.

Dark-roasted German-Mexican-styled Texican Black Lager relegated its maize-flaked South of the Border influence for Germanic oats-sugared mineral graining and toffee malting (picking up latent prune and raisin fruiting).

www.pegasuscitybrewery.com

PETICOLA’S BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs, ,

Image result for peticolas brewing COMPANY Image result for peticolas brewing INTERIOR

DALLAS, TEXAS

Easily one of the most popular draught breweries ’round Dallas, PETICOLAS BREWING COMPANY lies just off the main drag in a spacious freestanding warehouse at Turtle Creek’s Industrial Park district. Owned and operated by Michael Peticola, its busy taproom opened January 12, 2017, and found instant favor with local denizens.

With its judicious slogan promising ‘honest, friendly, down-to-earth brewers delivering world class passion in a glass,’ Peticolas blue and white insignia dons the brick exterior while an expansive cement-floored tap room with 20-plus draught handles, separate ground-floored community tables, rustic backroom bar, mezzanine loft (with foosball and shuffleboard) and exposed black pipes affix the interior.

During my 1-hour stopover with wife, youngest son and old college pals Bob and Jeff, quaffed a rounded selection of fine draughts. While the sun baked outside, we grabbed a table in the loft to consume sampler trays of nine reliable brews this sweltering July ’17 afternoon.

Dry light-bodied Golden Opportunity Kolsch brought mild lemon souring to light herbal musk and doughy bread crust. Crisply clean Come And Take It (a Cascadian Kolsch) regaled a refreshingly tart Cascade-hopped lemondrop-candied piquancy and leathery oats-dried backdrop.

Dry Scotch licks affirmed Great Scot!, a moderate Scottish ale with a lemon twist and rye whiskey misting.

Mild Irish Red Ale, Irish Goodbye, let dewy peat earthiness seep into red apple, pear and apricot fruiting.

Brown-sugared caramel sweetness draped flagship Imperial Red Ale, Velvet Hammer, with floral-hopped pine resin and nutty residue picking up mild medicinal alcohol warmth at the polite finish.

Supremely confident Sledge Hammer Triple Imperial Red Ale lent a light woody smokiness to dewy peat mossing, brisk orange-peeled grapefruit bittering and red licorice snips.

Nitro Irish Dry Stout, Turn Out The Lights, gained sedate black patent malt bittering and sour-milked black chocolate luster for its mildly creamed Guinness-like eclair-headed mocha setting.

Decadently dark-roasted Imperial Stout, Black Curtains, coalesced black chocolate, cocoa bean and espresso overtones above muted hop-charred bittering.

Before leaving the crowded hotspot, enjoyed vibrant fruitful cornucopia, The Duke, an amber-paled barleywine allowing lemon-soured citrus zest and tangy orange, peach, pineapple and mango juiciness to create a veritable ‘passion punch.’

www.peticolasbrewing.com

NOBLE REY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs, ,

Noble Rey Brewing Co. Has Been Sold and Is Closing | Dallas Observer

DALLAS, TEXAS

Inside a taupe brick industrial building on Farrington Street near the Trinity Strand Trail, Dallas-based NOBLE REY BREWING COMPANY opened in 2015 and proved to be one of the most eclectic pubs in the Lone Star State. An old wood-paneled floor offers support for the open warehouse area and red umbrellas with tables fill the chaired deck.

Several colorful caricatures line the pub and the serving station’s tap handles are built into the black-boarded wall. A small front stage, cozy couch area, arcade games, a few TV’s and a beer-to-go refrigerator inundate the one-room setting.

A second Noble Rey taproom will open on nearby Harwood Street, November ’17.

My friend Jeff and I visited the charmingly roughhewn brew room July ’17, quaffing each of the twelve wide-ranging draught selections available.

Corn-flaked popcorn-like light body, Sex In A Canoe Lager, allowed wispy sour apple, spiced fig and dry whiskey illusions to flutter.   

Stylish peculiarity, Golden Rey Dandy Bavarian Witbier cuddled banana-clove-coriander sweetness with sour lemondrop tartness and strangely, a herbaceous peppercorn-parsley-ginger twist.

Raw-honeyed citrus souring deluged Bee Hurder Honey Kolsch, a dryer-than-usual stylistic moderation with lemon-rotted pale malt musk.

Spiced apple and peach tones guided Off The Leash Red Ale, a Lipton tea-like moderation with dewy amber-grained malt crisping.

To support Ales For ALS, Ice Bucket Pale Ale let honeyed citrus spicing and floral-perfumed herbage meander thru the dried fruit midst.

With its brisk IPA fruiting and pine tones, Paladin Pale Ale brought tangy grapefruit and orange juicing to perfumed hop spicing. 

Sharp East Coast-styled IPA, Tactical Combat Firefighter, linked cherry, grape and orange fruiting to polite hop astringency and dry gin snips.

Another East Coast-styled IPA, The Juice Is Loose, gained a juicy peach-orange-pineapple tang above caramelized pale malting.

Sessionably mellow Vertigo Double IPA stayed off-dry as its spiced grapefruit-mango-peach-orange-berry tang picked up dank earthen mustiness.

Dry lager yeast informed Steampunk Hoppy Amber Ale, a California Common Steam beer with dewy tea earthiness and leafy hop astringency contrasting mild honeyed fig-apricot sweetness.

Earthen nuttiness sheltered Baracus Brown Ale, a light-roasted medium body with molasses caramel-spiced walnut, dark chocolate and vanilla illusions.

The most eccentric delight, Pink Tuxedo Kettle-Soured Blonde Ale brought hibiscus flowering to oaken cherry dryness, puckered cranberry bittering, cologne-like musk and mildly pungent alkaline acidity.

www.noblereybrewing.com

 

DEEP ELLUM BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs, ,

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DALLAS, TEXAS

In the bustling arts and entertainment section East of downtown Dallas, DEEP ELLUM BREWING COMPANY came to fruition during 2011.

Inside a rustic blue and gray brick warehouse with a nifty Love Runs Deep mural on its side corner, this spacious pub features a wide right side bar with colorfully designed chalk-painted beer plaques, community tables, stool seating and a tucked-in merchandise area.

A grain silo, aluminum-covered stage area and oversized beer can collection enhance the back deck for this sweltering Saturday afternoon block party, July ’17.

Cool local minions and a steady flow of brewpub-searching travelers try to beat the heat sucking down several rewarding suds. A great local band, enjoyed by all, plays raspy blues-rock and baritone sax-led Morphine vignettes.

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We stand in the furthest back space behind the brown trellis wall and quaff six trusty brews, three of which were well-defined India Pale Ales.

First up, sessionable summertime quencher, Easy Peasy IPA, brought brisk lemon-peeled grapefruit, peach, pineapple and tangerine tanginess to the fore as its mild resinous pine bittering contrasted the tenacious sweet pale malting.

More rounded than Easy Peasy, mid-range flagship brew, Deep Ellum IPA, let its lemon-peeled tangerine adjunct integrate with floral-bound orange, grapefruit and mango tropicalia spread across moderate piney hop bittering.

Raw cane-sugared Dream Crusher Double IPA allowed dry oaken pine bark to embitter its lemony pineapple and grapefruit tang above honeyed Vienna malts.

Mild sun-kissed sour ale, Cherry Play Date, merged dry cherry tartness with mild date tartness (and lemony green apple subtleties) above lactic acidulated malts.

Gentle lemon-peeled chamomile and hibiscus flowering caressed easygoing dry rye spicing for Deep Summer With Spice, gaining distant date and fig illusions at the finish.

Sessionable milk-sugared dark ale, Local Legend Stout, plied dark-roast coffee, espresso, dried cocoa and black chocolate to mild oats-dried hop bitterness.

On November ’17 revisit, discovered three more brews.

Musky Deep Ellum Lager placated pale lager malting with earthen grains as well as sour lemon and wayward cabbage nuances.

Hybridized Neato Bandito Czech-inspired Mexican Lager combined musky herbal hops (Czech) with dry barleycorn crisping (Mex), leaving unripe fig illusions in its wake.

For Stage Fright IPA, lemon-sugared pineapple and orange tang contrasted mild grapefruit bittering and grassy hop astringency.

www.deepellumbrewing.com