Work, work, work. Sometimes work takes me to places that have awesome beer. In this case, staying in downtown Fort Worth made me take stock and see what was close to me (and by close, I mean within reasonable Uber range). Rahr & Sons Brewery met this criteria since my Uber charge was only $5 each way. Plus, you can’t beat a place that has been recognized as one of the best breweries in the U.S. based on the success they saw at this year’s Great American Beer Festival.
My first visit to the brewery made me realize that I would have gotten lost if trying to find it myself. It’s in a warehouse district that was very vibrant for a Wednesday night. With a few hundred people present, it’s clear this is a Fort Worth institution. Considering that for $10, you can get three beers and a free pint glass, I can see why.
My first beer was the Oak Spiral Winter Warmer and my third beer was the Winter Warmer. To me, these beers tasted very similar. This dark ale had a lot of raisin taste in it and was a very full-flavored beer that needed to be served in a snifter, not a pint glass. I would have greatly enjoyed drinking this out of a glass that would allow me to enjoy the full aroma. Regardless, it was delicious and the fruit and chocolate flavor was still very enjoyable.
To make sure I sampled different styles of beer, I also had the Summertime Wheat. This hefeweizen is a little out of season since the weather is changing, but it sure was a tasty wheat beer. Like most hefeweizens, you taste the banana and clove flavor on your palette, but I found the grainy flavor came through strong on this beer, giving it a unique German flavor.
The brewery itself was packed with an array of different people from business people to college students to retirees to the beer faithful. The eclectic demographic made it a very enjoyable time as we got to meet several different folks from all over the world including a German beer lover (a Bayern Munich jersey gave it away) and a Dutch beer lover.
This is definitely a must-visit place the next time you come to Fort Worth. According to the staff, the Wednesday tasting is much less crowded than the Saturday tasting. Based on the sheer number of people, I’m sure it’s shoulder to shoulder on Saturdays, so I advise making a weekday trip to visit this great brewery.
Whether you’re a local or a tourist, this place is for just about everyone. There is plenty of space to walk around, sit and enjoy beers with friends, and with a food truck on site, there is food for those needing something to soak up the suds.