The Future Fortress BeerWorks | Photo courtesy of Fortress BeerWorks

“As huge craft beer fans ourselves, we’re beyond excited to become a part of Houston’s quickly expanding craft beer scene, and eager to help slake the thirsts of the beer drinkers of our great city,” said head brewer and co-owner Dion Billard. “It’s an invigorating time for craft beer in the greater Houston area. We look toward our neighbors to the west at Lone Pint in Magnolia, to the north at B52 Brewing, Copperhead and Southern Star in Conroe, and to the south at 11 Below as inspiration, and can’t wait to make beer that will further cement north Houston’s reputation as a can’t-miss craft beer destination.”

Dion says Fortress BeerWorks expects to launch with a Double India Pale Ale, Blonde Ale, Witbier and the brewery’s signature Smash IPA as they open their doors, with seasonals and special releases throughout the year. Dion also said that Fortress will offer Crowlers, and may also enter the 16-ounce can sale arena down the line as well.

Fortress has plans to send some product out to retail, though expects to spend much of its focus on providing the best possible experience for its patrons at its taproom. The brewery expects to be open Thursday through Sunday at the outset, with expanded hours an eventual possibility. Additionally, they will partner with local food trucks to ensure there is always a food option for taproom visitors.

Local commercial real estate firm NAI Partners arranged the lease transaction for the space. NAI has become something of a go-to firm for craft brewery leases, having also completed Great Heights’ lease on Wakefield Drive last year. (Editor’s note: Larry is VP of Marketing at NAI Partners.)

You can follow Fortress Beerworks on Facebook at @FortressBeerworks, and Instagram at @FortressBeerworks.

The post Fortress Beerworks Aims to Open in Spring This Fall first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Fortress Beerworks Aims to Open in Spring This Fall appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

After a 2017 filled with controversy for the Treadsack group, D&T remained as one of the three entities in the company’s portfolio, alongside Down House & Johnny’s Gold Brick. The closure of their Thai restaurant Foreign Correspondents (with attached Canard cocktail bar) on North Main was shortly followed by the shuttering of the Bernadines / Hunky Dory restaurant compound on Shepherd. In the wake of a spate of lawsuits and unflattering press reports about the turmoil swirling around the Treadsack group, many D&T fans were more than a little concerned for the future of the place. Fast forward a few months and D&T seemed to be staying the course, albeit with a great deal of staff turnover, including the departure of general manager Amber Miller and her husband Jason Moore – who together had been standard bearers for the craft pedigree of the little icehouse since it opened in 2013. Regardless of the change it seemed as though D&T seemed to be holding on through the tempest, keeping its status as a bulwark of Houston craft beer and a neighborhood focused watering hole, but apparently a sale was in the works.

New ownership will keep D&T open, but changes are evident. Gone are the ‘pay it forward’ chalkboard, the daily selection of happy hour specials served in pints or Mason jars, the jukebox, the kitchen and even the original sign (replaced, sadly, by a new black and white logo). I noticed that the specialty bottle beer selection and beer engines were gone, although the staff told me they still had the cask service equipment and would use it as they needed it, and there’s a new list of cans and bottles. Set-ups are no longer listed on the menu, but the staff confirmed they are not pursuing a liquor license, so those might still be available. The frozen shandies also remain as a popular holdover from the old menu.

The new sign at D&T Drive Inn | Photo: D&T Drive Inn via Twitter

Arrived are a nearly complete staff turnover, a tap wall aiming at being 100% Texas beers, and a set of specials that feels aimed at being a neighborhood stopover type place, with industry night, big-ass beers and such. Weekday happy hour is every day, 2-7pm, and includes 22 oz pours of lower ABV/low IBU brews at pint prices. I had ‘big ass’ pours of Saint Arnold Orange Show and Southern Star Spring Pilsner in the ~6-7 dollar range.

HopDrop is using D&T as a source for delivery for the area, so there is a crowler machine behind the bar to meet those needs, but it didn’t seem like crowlers were an option for takeaway from the bar – just branded full size glass growlers.

The old D&T food menu is gone and the notoriously small kitchen is literally shuttered. For the time being they are hosting a Venezuelan arepas vendor on Thursdays and food trucks on other nights. They told me they aim to build out a full kitchen into a shipping container inside the back patio area, and aim to serve a more full-featured menu than the tiny space in place would allow. Additional plans include adding coffee service, and opening in the mornings as a coffee shop with breakfast from the to-be-built kitchen. They also plan a regular Sunday brunch.

Big changes in progress for one of the best craft beer bars in the city. Here’s hoping the careful tap wall curation that had come to define D&T can carry on in some fashion.

The post D&T Drive Inn Is Moving in a New Direction first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post D&T Drive Inn Is Moving in a New Direction appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Rockwell has been under current ownership since 2010. During that time they built themselves into one of the premier craft beer-centric bar/ restaurants in the Cypress area. Many beer nerds, including myself, found Rockwell a welcome addition to an area that could still be somewhat described as a craft beer desert. Despite an increase in craft availability and demand throughout the region, none has been as craft beer centric and focused as Rockwell.

I personally discovered Rockwell in 2012 as the big craft boom truly kicked into the fervor we now know. And though I had been drinking craft for several years prior, Rockwell helped introduce me to an even greater number of breweries, especially many up-and-coming local options like Karbach, No Label, and Buffalo Bayou.

Along with a rotating selection of great local, national, and international brews, Rockwell maintained a quality menu, supported mostly by an assortment of delicious burgers. This helped to anchor the business for several years in an area where craft beer growth has been a bit slower than other parts of the greater Houston region. Rockwell was one of the first locations in the area to offer beer to go, including growler fills. They were also one of the only restaurants to allow frequent bottle shares, including one I personally have participated in for over three years.

I reached out to the owner, Tiffany Richie, regarding the unfortunate news:

“We have made the decision to close Rockwell. We have struggled with various elements throughout the year and our landlord’s indifference to do his part to remedy ongoing maintenance issues was the scale-tipping factor. Maintenance and environment quality have become so compromised that we feel it has become an impairment of our core values of fresh quality food, great craft beer, and outstanding customer experience. We love all of our customers and will miss interacting with everyone on every level. Our involvement with the craft beer community over the past five plus years has been extremely rewarding and we look forward to continued love and support.”

When asked about her thoughts on the craft beer market in the Cypress area,Tiffany had this to say:

“We have seen local craft beer growth even in the wake of economic downturn. I think people are still excited to support local independent brewers and try new beers. Our friends at the local breweries are turning out some of the best, most consistent beers we have seen and they will continue to be dynamic players in the industry. We look forward to seeing what they accomplish. The craft beer community is part of our family and we will continue to stay involved.”

Regarding their future,Tiffany hinted at a very exciting project in the works:

“…we are partnering with our friend, Eddie Jackson (winner 2015 Next Food Network Star, BBQ Blitz, Kids BBQ Championship), on a project at his upcoming Rosehill Beer Garden. We will release further details closer to launch. If you are a craft beer fan in the Northwest Houston/ Harris County area, you will not be disappointed.”

As a BBQ and beer fan, I am excited at the potential in this.

Rockwell was certainly one of the highlights in an area desperate for a true craft beer bar. They will be missed.

The post Rockwell Grill is Closing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Rockwell Grill is Closing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.