Kat and Brent Thompson with son, Austin: Photo by Matt Abendschein of youstayhoppydallas.com
If there’s one thing Oak Cliff residents take to heart the most, it’s family values. That’s one of the biggest reasons why Brent and Kat Thompson, owners of the newly opened Design District brewery Texas Ale Project, fell in love with the Oak Cliff community. After living in downtown Dallas for almost eight years, the Thompsons and their growing family decided they needed something different. In July of 2014, a 1923 American Craftsman-style house in Winnetka Heights tugged at their heartstrings, and they made the move. I asked them what they liked best about Oak Cliff, and it was evident that it was all about the small, communal and neighborhood feel that they fell in love with, along with the amazing food and drink scene that is embracing their brewery’s beer.
Not only that, they’re only five miles away from their brewery, which is situated within the Design District just off of Riverfront (you can actually see their large space when driving on the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge). Texas Ale Project has been a project four years in the making that came to fruition in November of 2014 when they began selling their beer around Dallas bars and restaurants. They have three mainstay beers that have already made quite the impact in the local beer scene. Fire Ant Funeral is a well-balanced Amber ale with a nice toasty aroma and a clean finish. Somethin’ Shady is their dark yet light-bodied porter boasting big roasty chocolate aromas, but it finishes very clean, giving this porter summer drinking qualities. My favorite of the three, Naked Truth, is a hoppy American wheat with big fruity citrus aromas thanks to the New Zealand Nelsan Sauvin hops used. They also have a well balanced and hoppy IPA, 50 Ft Jackrabbit, on the market. Kat describes their beer as well-balanced while Brent describes them as epic, yet thoughtful. They’re beers that they want to drink. They’re not quite session beers (beers at or below 5% abv) but they drink like them, yet with enough complexity to keep you more than interested.
You can find Texas Ale Project beers at some of the Thompsons’ favorite spots to eat and drink in Oak Cliff, including Eno’s, Ten Bells Tavern, PhD and Zoli’s NY Pizza. So if you see a Texas Ale Project beer on tap, grab a pint and raise your glass to your fellow Oak Cliff neighbors.
Texas Ale Project tap room hours are Thursday and Friday from 5-9 p.m. and Saturday from 1-9 p.m. Tours begin in March, so stay informed with their Facebook and Twitter feeds.
They will also be having a grand opening party on April 25 to celebrate with friends, family and fans. Get your tickets here. Check out more photos of Texas Ale Project below.
(See also: Small Brewpub is making a big mark on the local beer scene)
