Dallas Observer Brewfest is Coming! And We've Got a Presale Password for You!

Join Dallas Observer on Saturday, September 13th at the Dallas Farmers Market as we celebrate the 4th Annual Dallas Observer BrewFest presented by Whole Foods Market. BrewFest is an outdoor beer-sampling event and festival that will feature over 150 beers from around the globe, local food vendors and live music! Twelve (2oz) beer samples are included in the ticket price. Doors open at 6:00 for VIP and 7:00 for General Admission. 21+ ONLY We are excited to offer you this exclusive presale opportunity to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public! Starts: July 8 @ 10am Ends: July 10 @ 10pm Promo Code: IntheKnowDallas Public On sale: 7/11 @ 10am VIP Ticket includes: 12 – 2 oz. Beer Samplings from 150+ Beer Options PLUS Early Entry into Event one hour earlier at 6:00, access to VIP Area with liquor sampling and exclusive catered food. All Tickets Include: 12 – 2 oz. Beer Samplings, with additional sampling cards available for purchase at the event and Live Music All Guests must be 21+, with a Valid I.D. Websites: Website: www.dobrewfest.com Ticket Site: www.ticketfly.com/event/600187 Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/1431578153785792/ Event Hashtag: #BrewFestDAL

Don't Swear Off Beer - North Texas Beer & Wine Fest is Coming May 10!

You had a lot of fun at the Big Texas Beer Fest last weekend. So much fun you likely felt it the next morning. But before you go swearing off beer, keep in mind that you have four weeks to get back into tip top beer tasting condition with the North Texas Beer & Wine  Festival coming up on May 10.

They've got seminars on home brewing, performances in the beer garden and great chef demos (learned how to make the Velvet Taco Elotes last year thankyouverymuch).

Click here to get more info and get your tickets before they sell out!

Spring Break Block Party in the Dallas Arts District!

On March 14th (Friday!), Dallas Arts District is helping you celebrate Spring Break by closing down Flora and Harwood streets to throw an EPIC Arts Block Party!

Starting at 6:00 pm, the Dallas Museum of Art, Crow Collection of Asian Art, and Nasher Sculpture Center are hosting this free family event. Grab dinner or dessert from gourmet food trucks lining the streets as you enjoy all three museums and participate in special activities, live concerts, guided tours, films, and more!

Click here for all the artsy details.

Brace Yourself . . . Big Texas Beer Fest is Coming

The Sig-O and I hit up the Big Texas Beer Fest last year and it was AMAZING. Featuring local beers, as well as some very not local (aka international) beers, this is a contender for one of the best beer festivals in town. Tickets are already on sale, and are likely to sell out (particularly the VIP tickets). VIP is the way to go if you've got the cash to spend (Just found out VIP has already sold out!), otherwise you'll likely find yourself in a line that snakes around the Automobile Building at Fair Park.(Also found out that they took note of that last year and are staffing up with lots of volunteers to fix this). I know we've got this one on our calendar again and are looking forward to checking out some new brews as well as revisiting favorites. www.bigtexasbeerfest.com  

Cans for Cans Food Drive with Real Ale Benefiting North Texas Food Bank!

Big Texas Beer Fest is Coming!

Looking for Saturday afternoon day drinking plans? We've got the perfect plan - The Big Texas Beer Fest. 

The Big Texas Beer Fest 2013 is North Texas’ second-annual 100 percent craftbeer inspired festival. Last year’s festival featured approximately 80 breweries, and they're planning on topping 100 this year. That means we're talking about 400+ beers. That's a lot of beer. Some of the participating breweries have even promised exclusive kegs, rare beers and other specials just for the lager lovers, hopheads and other beer fans. 
The Big Texas Beer Fest runs at the Automobile Building at Fair Park 2-6:30 p.m. (starts at 1 p.m. for VIPs, but you didn't get your tickets early enough.) See you there!

If you don't have your tickets yet, you won't get to be a VIP(they sold out), but you can still get your general admission tickets here for $35. (IF they happen to have still have tickets at the door, the price jumps to $50, so just buy yours now) Your ticket will get you in the door, a cool sampling cup, and 12 samplings throughout the festival. (You can buy more, something about silly TABC rules.)

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?

Things You Should Be Doing: Weeknight 5K's

You always mean to go do a 5K race or fun run, but the problem is that they happen on Saturday mornings. And Saturday mornings are rough because Friday nights are so much fun. The good news is, that worthless excuse of being too tired or needing to sleep in on the weekends is gone with two fabulous weeknight 5K's coming up. So register and mark your calendars for these two great weeknight runs that are right around the corner!

• The Man Run - Wednesday, May 2 - $20 - 6:30 p.m. at Reverchon Park - Ryan Harms is competing in the One Man Dallas competition and his service project is The Man Run. The Man Run will benefit Back on My Feet, a local nonprofit helping the homeless population of Dallas. Beneficiary: Back on My Feet is committed to creating independence and self-sufficiency within the homeless and other underserved populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem. For more information about Back on My Feet, please visit www.backonmyfeet.org. To register for this awesome run, visit  http://www.themanrundallas.com
• The 14th Annual Michelob Ultra Katy 5K - Thursday, May 10 - $40 - 7 p.m. at Reverchon Park - The Katy 5K is a great 5K, but more importantly, it's the best post-race party in town. You and 5,000 of your closest friends will run, drink free beer and enjoy free food from 50 of the best restaurants in town. Oh, and all the money benefits the Friends of the Katy Trail. They're the ones responsible for keeping the Katy Trail clean, safe, beautiful and AWESOME. Register at www.KatyTrailDallas.org 

There's no reason for you not to be there. There might be a reason for you to skip work after the Katy 5K.

Thursday Night Brewery Tours at Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Not going to lie. I totally just cut & pasted this from D, but it sounds awesome:


Starting this Thursday, Deep Ellum Brewing Company will host Thursday evening tours of the brewery from 5-7PM. They kick off their new program with live music by Whiskey Folk Ramblers. Food, for purchase, is available from Buzzbrews Deep Ellum. $10 at the gate which includes DEBC souvenir glass and DEBC beer. 972-439-2413.

Drink Local: TexasFest at Sigels Elite

I'm a good Texan, so is the Sig-O, despite technically from Oklahoma. So, we're all in favor of drinking local, which is why we're excited about Sigel's upcoming TexasFest - A Lone Star Celebration of Texas Craft Beer, Spirits & Wine at Sigel's Elite (3209 N. Fitzhugh)

Reserve Your TexasFest Passport

 

Your TexasFest Passport entitles you to taste any 12 of the following:

21 Texas Brews, 19 Texas Spirits & 6 Texas Wines 

Distillery, brewery and winery representatives will be on hand to sample a selection of Texas-made libations and to answer any questions you may have about them. Enjoy special sale prices on all the products. Whether you are a novice trying to broaden your knowledge or a seasoned connoisseur looking to refresh your palate, this spectacular Texas event should not be missed!

 Click here to RSVP & reserve your Passport

It Doesn't Matter How You Feel About Yelp, It's About the CHEAP Drinks

Save The Date! 

Yelp Drinks is back and better than ever! You might even need to hydrate for the next two months to gear up for this week full of awesome happy hour prices, yelp
tastic themed events, and overall debauchery!

When: February 27th - March 4th, 2012
Where: Various locations

Click here for all the details

Where the $#%@ Should We Drink Tonight?

Put in your location and this website will tell you what's nearby so you can get your drink on. Not gonna lie, stole this one from the Dallas Observer today, but it's awesome so I had to pass it along to you in case you're not crawling all over the web today. Here you go:  http://wherethefuckshouldigofordrinks.com/

Dish Has Your Thanksgiving Eve Happy Hour Covered

Happy Anniversary to the Donkey and You Get Free Food!

$5 Happy Hour Alert at One Arts Plaza

Just saw this from D Magazine Nightlife: 
‎$5 HAPPY HOUR ALERT: One Arts Plaza in Dallas Arts District is the place to be for happy hour on Five Dollar Tuesdays. Fedora Restaurant & Lounge serves up $5 individual pizzas today during happy hour in the bar or on the patio. (We vote patio.) Need a cocktail to go with your pie? Try $5 signature cocktails, $5 wells, $7 house wines, and $1 off all brewskies. If the Italian scene isn't your gig, try Tei-An. Order $5 saki sangria and $5 Kirin with free edamame. At Jorges TexMex Cafe, you can choose from a menu of $5 entrees (including molitos and mini tacos), $3 sides (salsa trio, please), and $5 drinks, which include a flavored house margarita of the day, Palomita (tequila and grapefruit soda, yum), and wines of the day. Give Screendoor and The Commissary - Dallas a try, too, for MORE $5 drinks and snacks. We love Tuesdays.

Your Dog Will Get you $1 Beer Today/Tonight

From Red Fork's FB Feed: ‎$1 Dog Night! Bring your pup and come support the RANGERS - $1 BL/ML drafts - dogs drink free!


Glad the pup drinks free. We all know how Rowser gets when he drinks. http://www.redforkdallas.com/

Brew at the Zoo is This Weekend

What's more fun than grabbing a tasty brew and watching animals at a bar? How about grabbing a tasty beer and watching live animals at the zoo. I thought so. Get your tickets NOW!

Free Food at Cafe Brazil in Bishop Arts

In honor of the third anniversary of their Bishop Arts location, Cafe Brazil feeding us for free! Just stop by this Wednesday (17th) between 6:30 am and 6:30 pm for a free order of chicken crepes, pasta de tigre (not to be confused with cougar), pumpkin pancakes, or the wine country salad. Save room for the free slice of red velvet cake or banana cheesecake. Extend your good fortune by wearing a Cafe Brazil t-shirt; do so and your drink will be on the house as well.

Rum Sale at Sigel's to Celebrate National Rum Day on Tuesday!

In case you did not know it, Tuesday, August 16 is National Rum Day. There will be no parade, no nationally televised fireworks, no speech from the White House or Capital, and frankly, you will be left to celebrate this holiday on your own. Well Sigel's is here to help. Sigel's shelves are stocked with over 200 fantastic Rums. Many of these Rums are already on sale from our everyday low prices and on National Rum Day (8/16) we will mark down the remaining Rums 15% off!

Party with the Dallas Observer at House of Blue with Cheap Drinks!