The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is home to an ever-growing list of top-shelf craft breweries. Along with worthy beer flights, these tap rooms showcase local food trucks, promote dog-friendliness and family-friendliness, and have a sense of community that’s hard to find in bars or public spaces. From tap rooms in trendy city locales to tucked away neighborhood gems, you’ll find suds for every palate. There are dozens of breweries in Dallas worth checking out, and exploring them all can easily be an ongoing journey. Here is a guide that serves as a good starting point.
Celestial Beerworks
The Dallas beer scene can get a bit IPA-heavy. While there’s no shortage of hazies at Celestial Beerworks, these aren’t the same ales you’ve sipped a thousand times before. For the best way to experience the brewery’s variety, grab a table in the colorful taproom and order a flight. The “Sit Down and I’ll Keep You Down” Triple New England IPA is just the right mix of citrusy and bitter. Hoppy pilsner “The Interwebs” is particularly refreshing. Celestial brews a nice selection of non-alcoholic beers too. 2530 Butler St., Dallas, celestialbeerworks.com
Bear Science Sour House
Anyone who likes to nerd out on sours will love this sour-specific brewery beside the Truck Yard in the Colony. Owner, Dennis Wehrmann, grew up in breweries, has a Master’s degree specializing in the brewer’s business, and is something of a sour-brewing mad scientist. He’s serious about everything from the particular bacteria he employs for fermentation to the oak-barreling process. Go for the sours served in glass beakers, stay for the food trucks and daily live music. 5959 Grove Ln. Ste. B, The Colony, truckyard.com
False Idol Brewing
About 10 miles northeast of Fort Worth, False Idol is producing consistently high-quality Weisses, IPAs, and stouts, as well as a slew of high-APV barrel-aged selections. Always equipped with a couple dozen beers on tap, the tap room is out of the way and immediately gives you the feeling that you’ve stumbled on a hidden gem. The vibe is laidback and lively, with sports playing on the TVs, indoor and outdoor seating, and four-legged guests galore. 7924 Maplewood Ave. North Richland Hills, falseidolbrew.com
Martin House
There are beer nerds who obsess over brewing particulars, and there are those who drink beer to party. The folks at Martin House in Fort Worth are a fun mix of both, known for their raging backyard bashes and famous special-release brews, like the Hot Dog Seltzer and the pizza-flavored Space Pizza. The Salty Lady is many a Texan’s go-to summer refreshment, while the brewery’s 12-15% ABV stouts will keep you toasty during the frigid winter months. In short, Martin House makes some of the Metroplex’s best beers. 220 S. Sylvania Ave, Fort Worth, martinhousebrewing.com
Peticolas Brewing Company
It’s impossible to write about North Texas beer without mentioning Peticolas. For one thing, it’s rare to find a bar or restaurant in Dallas that isn’t offering the brewery’s Imperial Red Ale “Velvet Hammer” on the menu. For another, Peticolas rakes in the awards, with plenty of fanfare both locally and nationally. Perhaps most importantly, lawyer-turned-brewery-owner Michael Peticolas famously joined forces with two other breweries and sued the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for trampling on craft brewers’ rights. His subsequent win helped pave the way for Dallas craft breweries to thrive. Visit the brewery’s three-floor tap room, and experience all that there is to love about Peticolas. 1301 Pace St., Dallas, peticolasbrewing.com
Three Nations Brewing
Three Nations Brewing boasts industrial-style tap rooms in Carrollton and Anna, and is all about variety. You won’t find 20 straight taps of IPAs in these joints. The Royal Blood, an ale with notes of blood orange is a local favorite, and German-style lager, Go Time, is also a hit. The seasonal and rotating beers branch out from the basics. During the holidays, the Gingerbread Ale is cozy, but not cloying, and the Mexican Chocolate Stout manages to be indulgent, without feeling heavy. 1033 Vandergriff Dr., Carrollton, 3nationsbrewing.com
