Craft & Growler offers something that’s becoming increasingly popular in Dallas lately, an impressive selection of craft beers on draft. But Craft and Growler has a leg up on the other guys. At this so-called “Beer Filling Station,” you can get your craft beers to go.
Say what?
Here’s how it works: Stop in to Craft and Growler, located across from Fair Park, and sample from a rotating tap of mostly local craft beers on draft. Be forewarned, with thirty beers on tap, it’s almost craft beer overload. If you can’t make up your mind, order a flight of 4 smaller pours to help narrow down your list. Then when you’ve picked a favorite, make a one-time purchase on a reusable “growler,” which is an antiquated name for a type of ceramic beer jug, and buy your favorite craft beer to take home with you. Insane, right? According to the bar staff, this is completely within Dallas’ growler laws (and who the hell knew those even existed?). Whatever the legal loopholes, you’ll want to kiss the owners once you’ve sampled some of Craft and Growler’s delicious craft brews, like the wine-like goodness of Adelbert’s Flying Monk out of Austin, or the sweet, hoppy punch of Revolver’s Blood and Honey Ale out of Granbury. And take our word for it, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried the bewitching complexity of Deep Ellum’s Darkest Hour, made right here in Dallas’ own backyard.
You’ll feel delightfully criminal carrying your favorite draft beer out the door in your very own growler—too bad you're well within the law. But Craft and Growler is so cool, you might even prefer to enjoy your beer in-house. There’s a slight catch: according to the law, growlers themselves can’t be consumed on premises; instead, any beer enjoyed inside must come from pint glasses or flights. This shouldn’t be a problem, because the joint makes for a great hangout. Craft and Growler has an old timey, mercantile feel. The design work is simple, long picnic tables laid out “beer garden” style, designed for bringing beer drinkers together; big clunky bar stools made out of recycled beer kegs; shelves filled with various styles of growlers, just waiting to be filled and taken home. For a beer joint, Craft and Growler is just so damn neat, from the polish on the tables, to the shining row of long-handled taps behind the bar, everything is kept clean and sparkling, inviting, just like a bar should be. And granted, while getting draft beer to go is a strange concept for most, we found the staff courteous and eager to answer any questions. There are also helpful menus scattered around the bar which serve as indispensible tools in profiling each beer’s flavor characteristics, as well as providing facts about alcohol content and the beer’s IBU, or international bitterness units, for true beer nerds.
Craft and Growler just opened last November, and it already feels like one of Dallas' best kept secrets. So get in there while it's still relatively new. With its original concept, delicious craft beers, and fun vibe, this place won’t be secret for long.
For more info: Craft and Growler is located in Exposition Park across from the Cotton Bowl near Fair Park at 3601 Parry Avenue, Dallas, TX; (214) 821-1122.
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