Dallas

Dallas Breweries: Where to Find Craft Beer

by Ana Astri-O’Reilly

Photograph by Ana Astri-O’Reilly

dallas breweries

Plenty of choices are on tap at Deep Ellum. (Photo courtesy of Deep Ellum Brewing Co.)

The Dallas beer scene has really taken off in recent years, and the city is now home to many different breweries that have opened their doors to the public, offering both guided tours and tastings. Of course, you can also grab one of their beers at any bar or restaurant in the city. Let’s take a tour through some of the best craft beer breweries in Dallas.

Lakewood Brewing Co.

Lakewood beers marry top-shelf quality with traditional methods and innovation. One of the varieties produced all year long, and also one of the most popular, is Temptress, an imperial milk stout with a great body and a chocolate and caramel finish.

Their Lakewood IPA is less bitter, with bursts of tropical fruit. The Lakewood Lager is made in the Viennese style, with a balanced blend of hop and malt flavors.

Four Corners Brewing

Four Corners beer cans are easy to identify, thanks to their colorful designs. Some of their standout annual beers include El Chingón, an IPA with hints of citrus; Local Buzz, a refreshing beer made with honey and rye; and Sol y Luna Lager, with more hops than your average Mexican beer, but just as invigorating.

Community Beer

dallas breweries
Beer with a charitable cause? We’ll have another, please. (Photo courtesy of Community Beer Co.)

Community Beer combines a passion for beer with a desire to help out the community through charity events. Ongoing production includes Mosaic IPA, made in the West Coast style; Texas Lager, mild and light; Silly Goose, a tart wheat ale with fruity notes; Witbier, a Belgian-style wheat beer; and Public Ale, an English-style bitter.

Peticolas Brewing Company

Established in 2011, Peticolas Brewing Co has garnered a great reputation in the world of Dallas beer. Velvet Hammer, one of its earliest creations, is an imperial red ale that is light in color but has a lot of inner strength. Golden Opportunity is a medium-intensity kölsch. Their Sit Down or I’ll Sit You Down is an imperial IPA with quite a kick, at 10% alcohol by volume.

Deep Ellum Brewing Co.

dallas breweries
Sip the wares at Deep Ellum Brewing. (Photo: Courtesy of Deep Ellum Brewing)

Dallas Blonde, a golden wheat beer with citrus notes balanced out by malt, is perhaps Deep Ellum’s best known beer. Close behind are the Deep Ellum IPA, with the bitterness of American hops, Deep Ellum Lager, Local Legend (a milk stout), and Neato Bandito, their interpretation of a Mexican lager.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.

Rahr & Sons has been brewing good-quality beer for the last 14 years. Highlights from their repertoire include Rahr Blonde, a subtle and bright lager; Dadgum IPA, with notes of citrus and pine; Texas Red, a red ale with notes of caramel and toasted malt; and Ugly Pug, a delicate black lager with notes of caramel and chocolate.

Bishop Cider

dallas breweries
Your brew comes with an extra side of fun at Bishop Cider. (Photo: Kathy Tran)

OK, Bishop Cider makes cider, not beer, but it’s nice to try something different every once in a while, right? You can find the brand, which eschews sugar and fructose, in a couple of stores or try it in their tasting room located in the Bishop Arts District (509 N Bishop Ave., Suite C).

Besides the traditional apple flavor, Bishop Cider makes other fruity-flavored ciders, like pineapple, blood orange, and fig.