rabbit hole brewing - follow the white rabbit

Rabbit Hole Brewing

Everyone knows the legendary tale of Alice in Wonderland and her adventures therein; falling down the rabbit hole, the white rabbit, meeting the Mad Hatter, the playing cards and the Queen of Hearts, Drink Me and Eat Me. It's a story that has captivated the imaginations of many and countless adaptations on the big screen. 

A Dallas area brewery has taken their love for the incredible story and transferred it into their love for beer. Enter Rabbit Hole Brewing out of Justin, TX (just north of Fort Worth). Tom Anderson, head brewer and official Hatter, doesn't want to brew beer just to get on tap walls around the area, he wants to brew damn good beer representing classic styles while still capturing the heart and soul of the legendary Alice story.

Rabbit Hole Brewing does this by celebrating three seasons, just like in the story. Most people associate seasons with the four seasons of Earth (Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring). Rabbit Hole Brewing does things a little differently. Below is a description of the seasons which Laron Cheek, co-founder, sent to me. 

Season of Virtue (current):  This season starts on May 1st and ends August 31st.  This season is controlled by Alice and is mostly easy drinking, sessionable beers.

Rabbit Hole Wonderlust

One of the delicious beers of this Season of Virtue includes the Wonderlust, a take on the classic saison. Floral and citrus notes dominate the nose with a hint of peppery bite, deep yellow color with a hint of haze and intensely dry on the palate make this one a must drink session beer of the hot Texas summer.

Season of Fear:  This season starts September 1st and ends December 31st.  This season is controlled by The Red Queen and is strong, powerful beers -  High in alcohol and IBUs.

Season of Delirium:  This season starts with the new year and ends April 30th.  This season is controlled by Mad Hatter and you never really know what crazy thing the Hatter will throw at you next...but it won't be a cup of kindness.

I don't know whether I'm more excited for the Season of Fear or Season of Delirium. I'm envisioning Imperial versions of classic styles, experimentals and perhaps a Barleywine? Who knows, we'll just have to wait and see what the Hatter has in store for us.

Rabbit Hole 10/6 English IPA

Another delicious beer from Rabbit Hole is their 10/6 English IPA. I had no idea what 10/6 meant, but Tom explained (again) to me that it's a reference to the card in the hat of the Mad Hatter. Basically, a price tag saying you can buy this hat for 10 shillings and 6 pence. I don't know if any Dallas bars will take shillings, but you can sure try (good luck figuring out how the old English currency system worked). The 10/6 English IPA pours a beautiful deep amber. The nose is filled with English malts, hints of toffee, dark fruit and earthy herbs. It's not terribly bitter and has a great toasty malty background.

Other delicious beers in their lineup include the Mike Modano's 561 Kolsch (yes, that Mike Modano) and the Rapture Brown.

The creativity of this brewery is beyond measure. Not only that, they brew damn good beer. I highly recommend getting a pint the next time you see it on tap around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Cheers!

Rabbit Hole Brewing
608 Topeka Ave, Justin, TX

Tap Room:
Occurs: Every Saturday
Time: 12-4pm
More info: http://rabbitholebrewing.com/wp/events/
 - Looking to have tap room hours Wednesday-Friday as well in the future (TBD)

For more information on the Dallas beer scene, please follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

rabbit hole brewing - follow the white rabbit

Rabbit Hole Brewing

Everyone knows the legendary tale of Alice in Wonderland and her adventures therein; falling down the rabbit hole, the white rabbit, meeting the Mad Hatter, the playing cards and the Queen of Hearts, Drink Me and Eat Me. It's a story that has captivated the imaginations of many and countless adaptations on the big screen. 

A Dallas brewery has taken their love for the incredible story and transferred it into their love for beer. Enter Rabbit Hole Brewing out of Justin, TX (just north of Fort Worth). Tom Anderson, head brewer and official Hatter, doesn't want to brew beer just to get on tap walls around the area, he wants to brew damn good beer representing classic styles while still capturing the heart and soul of the legendary Alice story.

Rabbit Hole Brewing does this by celebrating three seasons, just like in the story. Most people associate seasons with the four seasons of Earth (Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring). Rabbit Hole Brewing does things a little differently. Below is a description of the seasons which Laron Cheek, co-founder, sent to me. 

Season of Virtue (current):  This season starts on May 1st and ends August 31st.  This season is controlled by Alice and is mostly easy drinking, sessionable beers.

Rabbit Hole Wonderlust

One of the delicious beers of this Season of Virtue includes the Wonderlust, a take on the classic saison. Floral and citrus notes dominate the nose with a hint of peppery bite, deep yellow color with a hint of haze and intensely dry on the palate make this one a must drink session beer of the hot Texas summer.

Season of Fear:  This season starts September 1st and ends December 31st.  This season is controlled by The Red Queen and is strong, powerful beers -  High in alcohol and IBUs.

Season of Delirium:  This season starts with the new year and ends April 30th.  This season is controlled by Mad Hatter and you never really know what crazy thing the Hatter will throw at you next...but it won't be a cup of kindness.

I don't know whether I'm more excited for the Season of Fear or Season of Delirium. I'm envisioning Imperial versions of classic styles, experimentals and perhaps a Barleywine? Who knows, we'll just have to wait and see what the Hatter has in store for us.

Rabbit Hole 10/6 English IPA

Another delicious beer from Rabbit Hole is their 10/6 English IPA. I had no idea what 10/6 meant, but Tom explained (again) to me that it's a reference to the card in the hat of the Mad Hatter. Basically, a price tag saying you can buy this hat for 10 shillings and 6 pence. I don't know if any Dallas bars will take shillings, but you can sure try (good luck figuring out how the old English currency system worked). The 10/6 English IPA pours a beautiful deep amber. The nose is filled with English malts, hints of toffee, dark fruit and earthy herbs. It's not terribly bitter and has a great toasty malty background.

Other delicious beers in their lineup include the Mike Modano's 561 Kolsch (yes, that Mike Modano) and the Rapture Brown.

The creativity of this brewery is beyond measure. Not only that, they brew damn good beer. I highly recommend getting a pint the next time you see it on tap around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Cheers!

Rabbit Hole Brewing
608 Topeka Ave, Justin, TX

Tap Room:
Occurs: Every Saturday
Time: 12-4pm
More info: http://rabbitholebrewing.com/wp/events/
 - Looking to have tap room hours Wednesday-Friday as well in the future (TBD)

panther island brewing - real good

One of the newest breweries in Fort Worth has officially invaded Dallas. Panther Island Brewing has only been in production for about a month but they are already making quite the impact with their laid back approach to brewing and rocker attitude. Last night, Craft & Growler had three Panther Island beers on tap. Real Good (cream ale), Boom (Blonde) and Allergeez (American wheat). I sampled all three, all of which were deliciously dry and crisp.

I went with a full serving of the Real Good, their cream ale. As you can see from the picture it has a pretty good haze to it, which threw me back a little at first. However, I learned that it's intentional, and it really does lend to having a creamier texture. It was intensely dry and had a nice citrusy hop background. I really enjoyed this take on a cream ale. Look out for this one on nitro, supposedly it's divine.

I got to chat with Michael Harper, head brewer of Panther Island. Before Panther Island he worked under Michael Peticolas, a legend in the Dallas beer scene. He honestly doesn't know where Panther Island will be going in the future, all he knows is that he wants to make good beer and have fun while doing it. They currently have a 30bbl system and a 10 gallon homebrew setup for experimentals which he wants to have fun with for their future tap room. A couple beers to look out for in the near future; IIPA (10% abv) brewed with coriander and a strong Scotch ale. I'm anxious to taste more of Panther Island in the future. Cheers!

thoughts on the sierra nevada beer camp

12 different beers, 12 collaboration breweries. Amazing concept really. Typically mix packs contain 3-4 various styles of beer, but from the same brewery. This time around, you're getting 12 different beers, 12 different styles from 12 different collaboration breweries like Russian River, Bell's and Ninkasi. There was so much hype around this 12 pack that the Texas Let's Talk Craft Beer Facebook group was flooded with photos of people running over the elderly just to get their hands on one.

My soon-to-be brother-in-law and I set out to finish the 12 pack in one sitting while our significant others were out to dinner. It was more difficult than I imagined and we even had to take an Eno's pizza break. Now, don't expect an in-depth review of each one. As each beer was consumed we began to become more and more engrossed in conversation so the beer (as it always should) became a backdrop to good conversation. Mind you, we didn't really have a 'bad' beer, they were all good...just some better than others.

Electric Ray/IPL/Ballast Point - I haven't had enough IPLs to compare against but it was good. A nice hoppy background, crisp dry finish.

Tater Ridge/Scotch Ale w/ sweet potatoes/Asheville Brewers Alliance - Meh. Didn't get much sweet potato out of it.

Torpedo Pilsner/Hoppy Pilsner/Firestone Walker - Hell yeah! Give me a six pack of this shit.

Double Latte/Coffee Milk Stout/Ninkasi - Another winner, great coffee flavor and a sweet punch like drinking an iced latte.

There and Back/ESB/New Glarus - Not going to lie, was hoping for a sour or fruit ale from this collaboration. Oh well, it was still a good ESB. Nice biscuity background to it with hints of caramel. Also, the name reminded me of The Hobbit/LOTR, so that made me happy.

Maillard's Odyssey/Imp Dark Ale/Bell's - Can honestly say I didn't make any mental notes of this one.

Alt Route/Altbier/Victory - A good altbier. That's all really.

Yonder Bock/Imp Maibock/Cigar City - I really enjoyed the citrusy notes in this beer like pineapple and mango. Well done.

Chico King/Pale Ale/3 Floyds - Another one I'll take in a six pack. Huge hits of hop aromas and a nice lingering bitterness lent by the reliable Mosaic hop.

Canfusion/Rye Bock/Oscar Blues - Big spicy pepper notes on the nose, big burst of hops you'd expect from an Oscar Blues beer. Enjoyed this one as well.

The next two were by far my favorites.

Yvan the Great/Belgian Blond/Russian River - Aroma profile similar to an American pale/IPA with big citrus notes and huge fruity esters from the Belgian yeast.

Myron's Walk/Belgian Pale Ale/Allagash - Again, similar to the one above with the Belgian yeast playing so well with American hops.

Overall, great 12 pack and I'm looking forward to trying the 22oz Double IPA bomber as well. Cheers!

malai kitchen - a thai-vietnamese brewpub?

Deep in the heart of the West Village neighborhood lies a Thai-Vietnamese brewpub. Yes, you heard that right, a Thai-Vietnamese brewpub. Many looking from the outside of Malai Thai-Vietnamese Kitchen wouldn't realize it, but they brew and sell beer on site. Malai has been here for awhile now, but the recent change to be a licensed brewpub put it on my radar. And since Dallas is lacking in the brewpub area, my excitement grew. Everything at this restaurant seems to be hand made, including their Sriracha sauce, a spicy garlicky red pepper sauce that everyone thinks is made by roosters. Their house made version is so good it inspired me to make my own at home.

Many people don't associate Thai-Vietnamese cuisines with beer, let alone house made beer. However, it makes absolute sense to brew your own beer at a Thai-Vietnamese restaurant. Those cuisines, especially Thai, are all about a balance of flavors hitting all of the senses using a lot of fresh ingredients. Their house made ThaIPA (a Thai IPA) is no different, incorporating the best of sweetness and bitterness and a lot of fresh Thai inspired herbs. The aromas on this beer are intoxicating because of the herbs used. The ThaIPA could pair well with any dish on the menu, especially anything spicy. Not only does the bitterness of the beer boost the spice level but the herbaceousness of it just seems to accentuate the fresh flavors of the dish as well.

Malai Kitchen ThaIPA

The dish I had with the ThaIPA was their pulled pork Banh Mi sandwich, a staple in any Vietnamese restaurant. The Banh Mi hit almost all of my senses with sweet, salty, spicy and sour. The sandwich itself had a nice crunch with the fresh carrot slaw and the spicy aioli gave it a nice creaminess. My only beef (or pork in this case) with the sandwich was the bread, it was far too crunchy. It chewed more like a cracker than bread. With that being said, it was still a tasty sandwich that paired perfectly with the ThaIPA.

Malai Kitchen has two other beers on tap, a Vietnamese lager and a rotating tap (Belgian Blond last I checked brewed with Japanese Sorachi Ace hops which typically give off a dill aroma). I didn't get a chance to try the Belgian Blond but the Vietnamese lager was interesting to say the least. Incredibly dry with a slight dankness to it, maybe a bit of DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide, can contribute to organic aromas like cooked vegetables). While it's far from my favorite lager, I can't complain at only $3 per pint.

Malai Kitchen also has a great happy hour Mon-Fri 4-7pm and all day Sunday. $3 beers. Yes, $3 all day Sunday for their house made deliciousness. I honestly can't think of anything better than sipping on a $3 ThaIPA while dipping sticky rice in their spicy house made Sriracha sauce.

cedar creek dankosaurus ipa

Legends have it that deep within the depths of Seven Points, TX lies a creature so vile, so dank that no living person had the guts to resurrect it. Thankfully, Cedar Creek Brewery had said guts to bring forth to the public this creature by the name of Dankosaurus IPA.

From their website:
This East Texas nod to West Coast IPAs is full of bold pine, citrus, peach and tangerine hop flavors balanced by a velvety malt backbone of US 2-Row and German Munich. It has been dry-hopped with 15 lbs per batch of a blend of experimental hop 05256, Apollo, and Bravo to impart a fruity, dank aroma.

This beer pours a beautifully deep orange color with a thick white head. Things get really interesting in the aroma department with huge dank aromas reminiscent of some of the great West Coast style IPAs. However, the addition of intense tropical aromas like pineapple, tangerine and grapefruit really sets this one apart. Dankosaurus finishes with a slightly fruity, bitter and dry flavor that keeps you coming back for more.

You can find Cedar Creek beer at most retail stores in Dallas. They come in four packs of 16oz tallboy cans. Cheers!

for the love of craft beer - matt quenette

Matt Quenette of Meddlesome Moth

Deep in the heart of the Design District of Dallas lies a shrubbery covered building with a large moth on the sign. Yes, a moth. The name? Meddlesome Moth. Meddlesome Moth has fast become a craft beer haven in Dallas thanks to the passion from their Certified Cicerone (think Beer Sommelier) beer steward Matt Quenette (their food ain't half bad either. Actually, it's pretty f#$%%* amazing). If you ever want to talk about beer with someone, Matt's your guy. He's knowledgeable, approachable and just serious enough to know he cares. Plus, his name is Matt so he can't be all that bad right? Check out below what he has to say about craft beer, the Dallas beer scene and his top desert island beers.

What does craft beer mean to you? 

It really means so much these days. Good and bad. The term ‘craft’ beer is becoming so popular that the term is starting to become watered down. Anybody can slap a ‘craft’ label on a beer and most consumers will believe that it is craft beer, which a good chunk of the craft beer on shelves is not. Craft is kind of becoming like ‘free range’ chicken eggs. Let’s be honest with the reality of free range eggs. A small yard off the side of the feed lot that the chickens are too freaked out to take that pastoral jaunt of freedom is not really free range. It is simply misleading to the reality which is similar to beer shelves at your grocery store or even your beer savvy store front.  It is mass produced without much thought other than for the profits or targeting the new consumer demographic. 

Another side of the bad is a lot of craft breweries simply make pretty bad beer. When a newbie to craft beer drinks something horrible that tastes like butter candy corns or cabbage or the recipe is poorly constructed or executed with flaws, they will probably think twice about trying craft beer again. They will just go back to that trusty vodka tonic or whiskey on the rocks. Fail, lose. All of this happens every day in Dallas. On the bright side, I consider thoughtful beer to be a marriage of science and artistry/creativity executed with passion, patience and precision. 

Thankfully, truly artisanal beers occur every day too. If you have been drinking good beers for a while, you know that you go through different phases just as you do with anything in life. From big badass, knock you on your butt hoptastic IPA’s to barrel aged wild ales to low ABV session beers, it all makes sense to you….the drinker. 

Why do I bring up this angle? Well, it is easy to get blown away with all these new flavors, aromas and sensations with incredible enthusiasm about what a beer is or is not but it is easy to forget what great beer is for…social enjoyment. A great and thoughtful artisanal beer can just overwhelm you with a wondrous pleasure that makes you happy enough to share a conversation with a friend or a stranger. And yes, that conversation can be about the beer you or friend are enjoying. What a tangled digression this has become? Simply put, craft beer for me….listening to some records, drinking some session beers and bullshitting about this crazy world we call life. It can really be anything to anyone. Who are we to tell someone what craft beer is? Whoa…. let’s get question 2.

What are your top 5 desert island beers?

Jester King Le Petit Prince…but it would probably be the original version without the mixed fermentation currently being used. the one with the mixed fermentation is damn good too.

A hoppy session beer like Founders All Day IPA, Odell Loose Leaf,  Green Flash Citra Session, de la Senne Band of Brothers, just got back from Belgium…let’s say the 3.5% hoppy blonde ale…Band of Brothers

Jester King Das Wunderkind

Cantillon Lou Pepe Oude Gueze or just the classic Cantillon Oude Gueze

Brasserie Franches-Montagnes SqRt 225

On a desert island,  I want refreshment! Nothing dark malt.

What's your least favorite style of beer and why? 

I don't really have one if it is brewed thoughtfully to my specifications. I do realize that is a selfish statement. That’s kind of like my answer to ‘what’s your favorite music?’ I would not pick up a country vinyl from Good Records but if I heard a country song that caught my ear, I wouldn't turn it off. I  didn't like pilsners for a long time but there are some damn good hoppy pilsners coming out. Never say never.

What's the most annoying misconception about beer? (i.e One of mine is the notion that beer is not as 'sophisticated' as other beverages) 

See the bad of answer #1. Or, that beer could never be anything more than the industrial lager that tasted horrible in their past to the point of refusing free samples or friendly, inviting and informative service about great beer. Or, that every beer from one brewery is always the best thing around.

Another annoying misconception of beer is that abv (alcohol by volume) equates to quality.

Where do you see the beer scene in Dallas in five years? 

I see a massive scene in five years in Dallas and in Texas too. The current pace of growth of the beer scene is astounding. I have been waiting for a washout but, now, I really don’t think it will happen.  The scene is strong. Businesses are seeing the light of all the positives a locally produced product that is both delicious and profitable for everyone and keeps the money in the local economy fir the most part. Just four years ago when working for a local brewery, it was like pulling teeth to get a tap handle in restaurants.  That has all changed with Texas beer only places open and surviving. It would be nice to have a greater diversification of styles, mainly speaking ABV wise towards the low end. Those beers are extremely difficult to make because there is nothing to hide behind it if it goes wrong. A mature scene of more experience, relaxed and chill consumers/businesses behind it all and hopefully some small, quiet Belgian style cafes in neighborhoods here and there. Relaxed laws governing all things beer would be nice too. I think we will all get there. Some of the lobbyist money being thrown around to secure the status quo is ridiculous, but that is nothing new for any industry. I hope that money interests don’t invade the scene. Open market consumerism is a fact of reality but I see people opening breweries that are just in it for the investment opportunity or little experience. That generally produces poor results. But really, who knows? We got a great scene now and it gets better every day.

For more information on the Dallas beer scene please check out:

@stayhoppydallas

www.facebook.com/youstayhoppydallas

franconia double ipa

Has a brewery ever done something that just made you silently, or even out loud, go WTF? Well Franconia succeeded in making me do just that, but in a good way. Why? Franconia is known for their authentic takes on German classics like the Hefe, Dunkel and Pilsner. The Franconia legacy of German beer making goes all the way back to 1800 so it was a bit of a shock when I saw that they had created an Imperial IPA, a staple now in the American craft beer revolution. Apparently it was supposed to be a one-time release but they decided to bottle it (no complaints here).

The beer pours a dark, yet delicate, orange-ish amber color with a thick off colored white head. Huge aromas of citrus and pine dominate the nose while sweet malt definitely balances the palate. Many IIPAs are too malt forward for me, but this one had enough hop bitterness on the back end to keep me coming back for more.

If you can find this one in a store, I highly recommend picking it up as it was a big surprise from a brewery that has done so many authentic German beers in the past. What next, a Triple IPA (please don't)?

For more information on the Dallas beer scene please check out:

@stayhoppydallas

www.facebook.com/youstayhoppydallas