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