Two New Deep Ellum Beers

DALLAS - Deep Ellum Brewing released two new beers this week at two different venues around Dallas' Uptown area.

The first beer is the summer seasonal Wealth & Taste, a 9.5% ABV Belgian strong golden ale aged in Chardonnay barrels. The second is a new year-round offering named Dallas Blonde, a light blonde or extra pale ale.

Union Bear Opens

DALLAS - Union Bear opened this week in the West Village area of Dallas, sporting 40 craft beer taps and plans to operate as a nanobrewery.

The latest venture from the owner of Eno's Pizza Tavern in the Bishop Arts district, Union Bear will dedicate at least one tap to beers brewed on-site. Brewing equipment is still being set up but they expect to have their first beer ready within two months.

Peticolas Brewing Opens

DALLAS - Peticolas Brewing became the latest operational craft brewery in Texas with their first brew day this last week of 2011.

Located just blocks away from the Meddlesome Moth, Peticolas is the second craft brewery to open in Dallas in the past few months after the city's lack of any production breweries for many years. Beers are expected to show up on local taps soon into the new year.

Dallas Brewers in D Magazine

DALLAS - The three new Dallas-area commercial craft breweries will be featured in the January 2012 issue of
D Magazine.

Brief profiles are included of Peticolas Brewing, Lakewood Brewing and the already operating Deep Ellum Brewing as well as the owners and brewers themselves in an article entitled "Dallas Brews" by David Hopkins.

Deep Ellum Brewing Opens

DALLAS - Deep Ellum Brewing Company has finally cleared all paperwork hurdles and will be brewing its first commercial batch this week.

Deep Ellum Brewing becomes the first commercial package brewery to operate in Dallas since 2006. Bottling operations are planned but will not be operational for at least several months. Beers should be available on local draft accounts within just a few weeks.

Spec's to Open in North Texas

DALLAS - Houston-based chain Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods has plans to open two or three stores in the greater Dallas area, with the first opening before the end of the year.

Currently with 93 stores and a goal of expanding state-wide, North Texas is the last major metro area in Texas without any Spec's locations.

Peticolas Brewing Company

DALLAS - The Peticolas Brewing Company is currently under development, still searching for a location in the Dallas area.

Owner/brewer Michael Peticolas has secured a brewing system and expects to open sometime in 2011.

Dallas TwoRows Closed

The Greenville Avenue location of the TwoRows Restaurant & Brewery brewpub chain in Dallas has closed permanently, effective March 30th. The company cites rising expenses and a changing demographic as reasons for this closure.

Other TwoRows locations in Addison and Houston should remain open.

Ginger Man Hosts "Taste of Texas"

The Ginger Man hosted its first "Taste of Texas" beer tasting at its newest Fort Worth location yesterday, February 16th. A similar event is planned for its Dallas location next Saturday, February 23rd.

This tasting featured a selection of beers from various Texas brewers, including Real Ale, Live Oak, Saint Arnold and Rahr & Sons. Presenting their beers and fielding questions were Kendra Harrell (North Texas Sales, Saint Arnold), Chip McElroy (Brewer and Owner, Live Oak) and various staff members from the local Rahr & Sons brewery. Representatives from Real Ale were scheduled but unable to attend.

Points of note from the tasting include:

• Real Ale's next planned commercial beer will be called Real Heavy, a Scottish-style wee heavy due out later this year.
• Due to the recent hop shortage, Live Oak's Liberation IPA will be cut back to a seasonal offering. To compensate for customer demand, their year-round Pale Ale recipe will be modified slightly to near IPA strength and flavor.
• The next edition of Saint Arnold's Divine Reserve will depend on expected new equipment recieved at the brewery, both for timing and for style. Early delivery will mean added capacity for the next release of an in-house recipe this summer; late delivery will mean the next release will be taken from the winner of the Big Batch Brew Bash in May.
• Rahr & Sons featured a keg of their End of Winter Warmer, a limited release of their standard Winter Warmer aged in Maker's Mark bourbon barrels.

This "Taste of Texas" beer tasting is an annual event with the North Texas Ginger Man locations.