On a simply wonderful December 17th with suprisingly warm weather and sunshine, DEBC opened it’s doors to the public. Yelp’s community manager was on-hand to allow visitors that checked into Yelp go in 30 minutes early. And it’s a good thing for those Yelpers out there as there were a few surprises in the beer offering department that were small batches and disappeared quickly.
The two mainstays of the young DEBC, the Backslider Blonde and the Double Brown Stout, were available at portable taps outside as well as from the gleaming permanent metal taps inside where you could also try the Festivus (for the rest of us!) Black IPA. Early arrivers also had a 5 tap setup to try additional beers from, but with full pint pours those blew quickly so I won’t tantalize you with tales of Double Rye IPAs, Belgian Golden Ales named Wealth & Taste or Coffee Browns with coffee from Oak Cliff. That would just make you jealous.
What stood out the most about this day? The buzz in the air – most attendees were familiar with how momentous of an occassion this opening was, and had looked forward to the opening with great anticipation. Smiles were everywhere despite long lines to get a sample. Beer was met with enthusiasm and everyone enjoyed getting a peek at the gleaming brewery setup inside this Deep Ellum warehouse. Music filled the air and craft beer flowed.
“It’s been a lot of hard work,” explains brewmaster Drew Huerter, “but we’re finally here and it’s great to see Dallas embrace us like this.”
Huerter, sporting his new “shorter hair” look, was the head brewer at Mattingly Brewing Company and then brewed at Schlafly in St. Louis before being lured down to fight City Hall in Dallas. With old law books, sometimes moving forward takes a lot of effort – just ask the Food Trucks of Dallas. And usually, that requires someone willing to be that pioneer and take the lumps. That’s where Deep Ellum Brewing Company comes in, and believe me people are noticing.
And while DEBC is the first we’ll soon see Lakewood Brewing Company and Peticolas Brewing Company – Dallas will actually become a real craft beer town. And with a population of around 6 million people, it’s shocking that only Rahr (Ft Worth) and Franconia (McKinney) have been brewing in the metroplex. It’s about time!
Saturday’s Beer Lineup: ■Backslider Blonde ■Brown Double Stout ■Festivus ■Coffee Stout ■Common ■Farmhouse Wit ■Wealth & Taste ■RyeBut ultimately, I encourage you to try every DEBC beer you can get your hands and lips on. You may like something I don’t like and vice versa – just remember, beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder. -Tait
Deep Ellum Brewing Company is in the heart of Deep Ellum at 2821 St Louis Street, Dallas TX 75226. Read more on their website, follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook .
Tait Lifto is a free-lance craft beer blogger and photographer from Dallas, TX.