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