Drinking Local: Rahr, Franconia, DEBC, Community and Lakewood

The Sig-O and I have recently been on a quest to try all the new local breweries that seem to be popping up all over town. To date, we've checked out:

• Rahr Brewery - One of the older, more established ones in the area. Downside: It's in Fort Worth, so that's far to go to drink and still have to drive back to Dallas. Last time we visited Rahr, we made it a FW weekend, so it's like a staycation, without actually having to use that stupid word. The beer is great, the setting is good, as long as it's a nice termperature outside. We went in August without knowing and nearly died. But the beer was cold, so we lived. Beer Recommendation: Ugly Pug
• Franconia - It's another one that's far, but not as far as Rahr. Franconia is in McKinney, so it's a hike, but manageable. Again, when you visit the breweries that are farther away, I'd recommend making a day of it - beer, grabbing a bite in McKinney, and doing some outlet shopping in Allen - because outlet shopping is way more fun after a few beers. Beer Recommendation: Franconia Lager or Dunkel
• Deep Ellum Brewing Company - DEBC has got the Saturday tour thing down. Good beer, great patio, live music and usually a food truck or two. It's a great one to hit with a few friends and the location and the name are actually in agreement since it's actually in Deep Ellum (looking at you, Lakewood). Again, probably not a great option in the heat of the summer, unless you're prepared to sweat. There are also good food options in walking distance - Cane Rosso, Twisted Root, Angry Dog, just to name a few. Beer Recommendation: DEBC Double Brown Stout
• Community Beer Company - The Sig-O and I recently checked this one out. A relative newcomer to the local craft brew scene, these guys are ready to take DFW by storm. They've got a big warehouse space that will allow them plenty of room to continue to grow. The beer tour was interesting and the tour guide was talking about how they cultivate their own yeast, have a special lab, blah, blah, blah, but the Sig-O was interested. I was more interested in grabbing another beer. They also feature local artists, have live music and a food truck or two. Beer Recommendation: Regalement, it's seasonal, and it's awesome.
• Lakewood Brewing Company - This is the one with the confusing name since they're actually in Garland, but we'll give them a pass since nobody wants to be Garland Brewing Company. They're in an industrial/business parky area of Garland, so you'll be glad that you're using Google Maps rather than the iPhone Crap Maps. I'm not going to lie, Lakewood has the best tasting room set up, being set up with tables and a bar, rather than the usual big warehouse with nowhere to sit. They have the big warehouse too, for the beer tanks, and the usual food truck out back, but where they won me over (other then the great beer) was definitely the tasting room. Yes, call me a whiner because I don't want to be sweating or freezing to death, but Lakewood is definitely on the short list for a return visit. Beer Recommendation: Temptress.

We've got several others on the list to check out - Peticolas, Firewheel and Four Corners will definitely be coming up soon. Did we forget anyone?