Original Flying Saucer Moving

FORT WORTH - The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium located in Sundance Square, the first of the multi-state franchise, is moving out of its original location.

Currently located downtown in the historically protected Land Title Block building since 1995, the move is required because of restoration of the 1889 building to its original layout. The Flying Saucer will relocate across Sundance Square to the present site of 8.0 Restaurant & Bar, which will close on February 24.

Developer and restauranteur Shannon Wynne owns both the Flying Saucer and 8.0, and decided to retire the 8.0 concept in favor of a nearby larger, redesigned Flying Saucer location.

The Flying Saucer will continue to operate in its present location through the end of the Main Street Arts Festival, and will reopen at its new location sometime in late April.

South Austin Brewing Opens

AUSTIN - South Austin Brewing becomes the latest craft brewery to open in Texas with a grand opening celebration planned for next month on February 11th.

Head brewer Jordan Weeks plans to focus on artesianal and Belgian-inspired ales, offered in traditional cork-and-wire-capped 750-ml bottles.

Buffalo Bayou Brewing Opens

HOUSTON - Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company became the fifth craft brewery to open in Houston this week with a kick-off party at the downtown Flying Saucer.

Owner Rassul Zarinfar and brewer Ryan Robertson started off with only one beer named 1836 but plan on brewing more traditional styles with their own unique touches. A grand opening is planned at the brewery in mid-March.

Cedar Creek Brewery Signs Lease

ATHENS - The planned Cedar Creek Brewery has just signed a lease on a location in Athens, with an expected opening date around May of this year.

As reported by Teresa Gubbins of Pegasus News, owner Jim Elliott found a location near the Cedar Creek Reservoir on US Highway 175. Elliott and brewer Damon Lewis plan to build one of the few craft breweries ever located in the East Texas area.

Revolver Brewing Planned

GRANBURY - Another new brewery is planned for the greater North Texas area, Revolver Brewing Company, to be located in Granbury, southwest of Fort Worth.

Owner Rhett Keisler has hired Grant Wood to be his head brewer. Originally from the North Texas area, Wood has spent the past 16 years working as the senior brewing manager for the Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams).

Keisler plans to have the brewery operational by July of this year.

Firewheel Brewing Planned

ROWLETT - Another brewery is planned for the North Texas area, Firewheel Brewing Company of Rowlett, with plans to have beer available by summer.

As reported by Teresa Gubbins of Pegasus News, owner and brewer Brad Perkinson is planning only a "nano-brewery" to start, with little more than 500 kegs his first year, and serving the local eastern cities of the Rowlett and Garland area.

Odell Brewer Coming to Austin

AUSTIN - Joe Mohrfeld, head brewer at Colorado's Odell Brewing Company, is leaving to start his own Austin brewpub, as reported recently on Beernews.org.

Mohrfeld plans to open Pinthouse Pizza with a 7-barrel system sometime in mid-2012.

Fort Bend Brewing Planned

SUGAR LAND - A new brewery is planned for the southwest Houston area, Fort Bend Brewing Company, with an opening expected in spring of 2012.

As reported by Houston Craft Beer Examiner Brian Carey, Fort Bend Brewing is to be a retooled effort of Jeff King, Ray Self and the former Kreuz Creek Brewing, a craft brewery start-up that failed to materialize as planned in 2011 for undisclosed reasons. The new brewery is to be located in the Sugar Land area and should package beer in kegs, bottles and cans as early as April.

Of interest to North Texas consumers is the former owner and brewer of Fort Worth's award-winng The Covey Restaurant & Brewery, Jamie Fulton, will be involved in Fort Bend Brewing as a consulting brewer.

Correction: Fort Bend Brewing is not associated with the former Kreuz Creek Brewing but is a separate effort by Ty Coburn of the same area, bringing King and Self on board as a new venture.

Houston Breweries in Chronicle

HOUSTON - A good summary of the past year's growth of the Houston craft beer scene is found in the Houston Chronicle in a piece by Ronnie Crocker entitled "2011: A year for beer to flow in Houston."