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A mixed pack of beers offered by 4 Corners Brewing Co. from Dallas.
A peek inside an active night at Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth.
The front of Tall City Brewing Co. will be loaded with food trucks annd festival goers come 3 p.m. on Saturday.
File photo: Tall City Brewing Co. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 3303 West Golf Course Road. Jacy Lewis/Reporter-Telegram
File photo: Brewmaster Jack Sparks checks on brewing beer on Thursday, April 20, 2020 at Tall City Brewing Co.
Aaron Pachlofer and Jamie Ehl will be among the group of breweries serving beer Saturday, representing their business Eccentric Brewing Co.
File photo: From left, Aaron Pachlofer and Jamie Ehl pose for a photo before starting to brew the first batch beer that will be sold at the newly opened Eccentric Brewing Co., May 9, 2018, at their facility on Cotton Flat Road in Midland. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram
From local breweries to canned imports, craft beer continues to infiltrate West Texas, shining light on the delicate and tedious process of creating the perfect brew. Hoping to enlighten the Permian Basin even further — and introduce other shops to the area — Tall City Brewing will hold an invitational Saturday unlike any other, featuring 13 Lone Star breweries, two out-of-state, a winery and Hye cider. With more than 75 taps on the bill, this festival not only ensures an afternoon overflowing with enticing grainy sips but also a gathering of like-minded connoisseurs educating patrons and clinking mugs to the maturity of a simple ingenuity.
“There’s no shortage of events bringing together huge numbers of breweries, but they weren’t exactly the kind of vision we were going for,” Stephen Alexander, Tall City’s sales and marketing manager, told the Reporter-Telegram. “We wanted to celebrate the city of Midland, Tall City Brewing, craft beer, West Texas and breweries coming together. It’s such a better experience for everyone when the brewery ownership, brewers and staff are at a festival. They want to showcase their best beers for each other, and it creates such a different vibe.”
The invitational, also known as Squad Up 2022, takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. at 3303 W. Golf Course Road. For non-alcoholic drinkers, Glazers Beer and Beverage will be providing thirst quenchers along with free spring drinking water. As for food, The Kitchen by Laurie, Jammin Nymniz and Gillis Mobile Diner will all be parked by the patio. Live music will be provide extra entertainment, and no one under 21, including infants, will be allowed to enter the festival. Tickets can be bought at www.tallcitybrewing.com/tall-city-invitational. For information on what a ticket gets each customer, as well as a list of prohibited items and other frequently asked questions, visit www.tallcitybrewing.com/invitational-info
Wondering what kind of flavors and people you may meet? Check out the menu from all 18 crews below, including what some of them have to say about the craft beer family.
Brick Vault Brewing and Barbecue Marathon
Established in 1886, Brick Vault will be bringing four beverages to town for guests to enjoy. For a pale ale, try their “Blue Quail” with an ABV of 5.2%. “Dampf Rock” (6.2% ABV) will represent in the dampfbier category, “Sour Dweezil” (4.5% ABV) in the Berliner Weisse, and “Trost” (5.3% ABV) for Vienna Lager. www.brickvaultbreweryandbbq.com
Chateau Wright Winery Fort Davis
Created in 2011, Chateau didn’t produce its first wine until 2016, proof that good drinks take time. James Smith, the winery’s POI, said, “We do Rhone style wines with varietals from that region of France but with some Texas influence and terroir. We hand prune, harvest and bottle all of our wines in house at our winery and tasting room in the Davis Mountains.”
Chateau will bring “Mitre Red,” a dry medium body with 12.5% ABV; “Heraldic Red,” a dry full body with 14.5% ABV; “Starboard,” a sweet option with 15% ABV; and “Chateau White,” a dry blend with 13% ABV to Saturday’s festivities. www.chateauwright.com
Drylands Brewing Co. Lovington, New Mexico
This New Mexico collection will be bringing three tasters. “Smurfberry” stands as a blueberry blonde with an ABV of 5.2% while “Golden Boy” pours as a classic pale ale with a 5% ABV. For those whole like something a little darker, try amber ale “Drylands Amber” with an ABV of 6%. www.drylandsbrewing.com
Local duo Jamie Ehl and Aaron Pachlhofer join the party as well with three drinks. The brewery celebrated its fourth birthday in July with the release of a new ale, Pork Barrel Ale, which was aged in a whiskey barrel for 10 months. Since then, the team has continued to experiment with their grains.
For Saturday’s shindig, Eccentric will highlight their flagship APA “Pig Slayer” which contains a 6% ABV, a double IPA known as “Tactical Nuke MK1” with a 9% ABV, and fest bier “Oktoberfest” with a 7.3% ABV. www.eccentricbrewery.com
Hailing just a little bit from the north, the people over at Goodline come stacked with a wide variety, satisfying just about any tastebud imaginable. Here’s what the company had to say about each.
“Clouds of Fog” 7.2% ABV: “This is a very spot-on Hazy IPA. It checks all the boxes for a New England style IPA with notes of citrus, pithiness, grapefruit, pineapple and a little dankness while finishing semi-dry so it's not too heavy or sweet.”
“Electric Candle” 5.3% ABV: “A dark German style lager with notes of coffee and dark chocolate but still finishes dry and is very drinkable. We call it a ‘sundown’ beer — perfect for evenings around a campfire.”
“Range Life” 4.5% ABV: “By far the best-selling beer in our taproom. It's a northern German style pils, meaning it's dry and hoppy. We describe it as snappy, super crushable and crisp!”
“I’m a Lot Like You” 6.9% ABV: “a collaboration we brewed with Pondaseta, it's a ‘cold-IPA’ which is a new-ish style, taking all the notes of a big juicy IPA but fermented with a lager yeast so it's dry and very drinkable.” www.goodlinebeer.com
With a shared interest in the brewing of the grain, Matthew Cogburn, David Kasselman and Jeramie Sivley opened Grain Theory in 2020. Now, the brick and mortar offers a full kitchen serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as 12 different beers and a pour-your-own system.
Kasselman said, “We’re thrilled to join a long list of other great craft breweries to showcase the quality and unique flavors available with craft beer.”
The trio will serve the following: seasonal malty and crisp amber lager “Oktoberfest” 5.9% ABV; dessert inspired fruited pastry sour “Blackberry Crumbler” 5% ABV; and hazy double IPA “Heavy Metal Hula” 8% ABV. www.graintheory.beer
HopFusion Ale Works Fort Worth
Since opening their doors in November 2016, HopFusion has created an array of beloved lagers. The ale lovers will bring a dark Mexican lager known as “Tejano Oscura” 5.6% ABV, a Mexican special blonde called “Fiesty Blonde” 8.2% ABV, and a pomegranate and tangerine gose titled “Pom Wizard” 4.4% ABV to the festival. www.hopfusionaleworks.com
A testament to the strength of the craft beer community, owner and head brewer Mike McNeil said he’s excited to attend the invitational to not only see old friends but also make new ones. McNeil will bring a Mexican lager named “Thirsty Gringo” 4.4% ABV, Marzen-style German fest beer brewed once annually and appropriately titled “Oktoberfest,” and “Mesquite Bean Brown Ale,” an English-style brown ale brewed in part with locally harvested mesquite beans, making it one of their most popular (5% ABV). www.hornytoadbrewery.com
“These products are all gluten free and are considered a specialty wine, made only with apple juice and honey. Anecdotally, everyone will taste the apple juice and honey, but because palates are so different, the experience is often unique for everyone,” Hye Cider told the Reporter-Telegram. “It is our hope to find and serve all of the cider drinkers in the Midland community.”
On the cider lineup, guests can expect “Hye Note,” a tart and lightly sweet beverage that earned the silver medal at the 2021 Great American Cider Competition (10% ABV); “Hye Bay,” a savory and herbaceous brew, awarded a silver medal at the 2019 TX Mead Cup (9% ABV); and “Hye Season Vol. 6,” a packed-with-flavor holiday spice blend (9.2% ABV). www.hyecidercompany.com
After opening in 2010, this Hill Country farmhouse has become a staple in the Texas brewing community. Jester King will bring the following to West Texas.
2022 World Beer Cup Gold Winner and barrel aged wild ale with raspberries “Atrial Rubicite” (4.9% ABV), spontaneous fermented beer and blended with hoppy Farmhouse “Biere de Coupage” (5.9% ABV), farmhouse ale with blueberries “Blueberry Grisette” (5.7% ABV), and farmhouse table beer “Le Petit Prince” (2.9% ABV). www.jesterkingbrewery.com
Martin House Brewing Co. Fort Worth
A 9% ABV rum barrel-aged imperial pineapple sour called “Castaway,” a 10.5% ABV whiskey barrel aged sour called “Hyper Jellyfish,” an 8% ABV margarita sours with strawberries called “Saint Rita” and a 5.2% ABV fruited sour called “Blueberry Lemonade” makeup the menu for Martin House.
The company told the Reporter-Telegram, “We hope to change the perception of what beer is and what craft beer can be. These fruited are so unique and our most popular style because they’re approachable, redefining what ‘beer’ tastes like to the average person.” www.martinhousebrewing.com
Odell Brewing Co. Fort Collins, Colorado
Founded in 1989 and hailing from Northern Colorado, Odell Brewing will bring five beers.
Double IPA “Myrcenary” 9.3% ABV, acai and guava sour “Sippin Pretty” 4.9% ABV, passion fruit and pineapple sour “Sippin Tropical” 4.5% ABV, Marzen “Oktoberfest” 6.1% ABV, and barrel-aged raspberry and cherry sour “FRIEK” 6.9% ABV. www.odellbrewing.com
Parker County Brewing Co. Willow Park
“My wife and I grew up in Midland, so this is a homecoming of sorts for us. We still have family in the area and come to Midland from time to time, but this will be the first time we’ve brought our beer home to serve to the public, so this is very exciting for us,” owner Ryan Stewart said.
The company will serve the following: “Peach Blonde Ale” 5% ABV, “Pomegranate Blackberry” fruited sour 5.5% ABV, and “Galactic Cowboy” double Hazy IPA 8.8% ABV. www.parkercountybrewing.com
Brewed panhandle proud, Pondaseta will feature five beers for the Midland community to try. “Blended Family” barrel aged mixed culture sour 8.4% ABV, “Crispy Ship” pils 5.5% ABV, “Tiger’s Blood” fruited sour 5% ABV, “Volksbier” festbier 5.3% ABV, and “The Fast & The Hazy” New England IPA 6.8% ABV. www.pondaseta.com
“Our goal has always been to bring people together in community around a great craft beer, whether that be in our taproom, at a customer's restaurant or bar or sitting on a customer’s porch,” co-owner Amber Dekok said. “Where there is community, there is life.”
The independent brewery will bring 5.7% ABV bock called “Big Chief,” 4.7% ABV lager called “Mexican Style Lager,” and 8.1% ABV IPA called “Big Daddy Darryl,” all three earning spots in the top-seller rank at Red Gap. www.redgapbrewing.com
Tall City Brewing Co. Midland
The hosting crew will have most of their most famous and desired taps on hand, including “Five Hour Drive Honey Blonde” 5.5% ABV and “Haze Yall” 6.5% ABV. In addition, the brewery will be releasing four new beers.
“Desert Pals Pale Ale” in collaboration with Brick Vault, “¡Viva! Agua Fresca Prickly Pear” 5% ABV, “¡Viva! Agua Fresca- Hibiscus and Lime” 5% ABV , and “TX Whiskey Jacktime” 10.5% ABV in collaboration with TX Whiskey. www.tallcitybrewing.com
Two Docs Brewing Co. Lubbock
This West Texas establishment will be bringing a Bavarian style Hefeweizen called “Weller Weiss” 5.1% ABV, a contemporary style sour called “Chilton Gose” 5.5% ABV, and a German style Keller bier called “Das Party Fass of Keller Love Pilsner” 5.6% ABV. www.twodocsbrewing.com
Last but certainly not least, market development manager Eloy Leal talked to the Reporter-Telegram about the flavors the Northeast Texas brewhouse will present Saturday.
“El Grito” 4% ABV: “This lager is a celebration of traditions old and new. Smooth pilsner malt balances mild hops for crisp citrus flavors and slight floral aroma.”
“La Chingona” 9% ABV: “Golden Promise malt and white wheat provide a pleasant base while assertive hops add bold aromas of bright citrus and fruity esters.”
“Heart O Texas” 6% ABV: “With a love for Texas flowing through our veins, we proudly dedicate this hearty red ale. A strong malt backbone is balanced with hop flavors of zesty pine and subtle summer citrus.”
“Chingo Haze” 6.7% ABV: “Medium bodied and under-bittered like all Hazy IPAs, this bright yellow beer boasts strong tropical hop notes and a balanced sweetness throughout, just enough of a clean finish makes this a go-to IPA for back yards or a night out.” www.fcbrewing.com