Craft Beer News

3 Dallas bars where Troy Aikman will personally pour you a beer

He'll only be pouring one beer so don't be a wise guy.

Courtesy of Eight

UPDATE 4-29-2022: Troy Aikman will be pouring his Eight Elite Lager on Friday April 29 at Bar Louie at 8166 Park Ln. Bar Louie is hosting the NFL Hall of Famer along with Dallas sports radio station 103.5 The Fan to celebrate the launch of Eight Elite Light Lager at all Bar Louie Texas locations. The Fan will be there from 3-7 pm; Aikman will be there from 5-6 pm.

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Does beer taste better when it's been poured by a celebrity? My guess is yes, but you can find out on March 9-10 when ex-Dallas Cowboys Troy Aikman hits six bars across Dallas-Fort Worth in a cross-town guest-bartending wave.

Aikman will not be pouring just any beer: He'll be pouring Eight Elite Lager, the new light lager for health-minded drinkers who watch what they consume, which he co-founded and launched in February. This is a promotional thing, so don't be a wise guy and ask for a Bud or Blue Moon or a Guinness, even if it is just days away from St. Patrick's Day.

Eight Elite Lager is now available on tap in bars and restaurants in Dallas, and Troy will show how a three-time Super Bowl winner can transform his pass-throwing skills into the surgical act of pouring beer from a tap.

Eight is marketed as having organic grains, "antioxidant-rich" Hallertau Taurus hops, and no adjuncts, cheap fillers, or sugars. It's a light lager with 90 calories and 2.6g carbohydrates. The beer took two years of research and trial, including a partnership with Oregon State University's Food Science and Technology Department.

The company is based in Austin with a team that includes brewmaster Phil Leinhart (Anheuser-Busch, Harpoon Brewery, Brewery Ommegang), Doug Campbell (former president of Brewery Ommegang), operations manager Ruchi Desai, and brand strategist Jake Duneier.

The Eight team did a promotional mailing and sent me two cans, and I liked this beer. Maybe it's that I received it for free, or maybe the "organic" resonated, but I usually find lager to be thin and boring, and this had a subtle spicy thing going on. Would definitely buy some.

Aikman will do one night in Fort Worth and the next night in Dallas, and he'll be at each of the six bars for only 20-30 minutes each. So if you want to catch him, you definitely need to make note of the exact times he's scheduled to show up.

Troy Aikman's guest bartending schedule over the next two days is as follows:

March 9 - Fort Worth

5:30-6 pm: Boomerjacks, 6001 SW Loop 820, Fort Worth
6:30-6:50 pm: Woody’s Tavern, 4744 Bryant Irvin Rd Suite #946, Fort Worth
7:30-8 pm: No Frills Grill & Sports Bar, 12846 South Fwy, Burleson

March 10 - Dallas

5:15-5:45 pm: Christie’s, 2817 Greenville Ave, Dallas
6:15-6:45 pm: Cedar Springs Tap House, 4123 Cedar Springs Rd #100, Dallas
7:30-8 pm: Happiest Hour, 2616 Olive St, Dallas

celebrities craft-beer sports

Quonset Hut News

Familiar names take over Quonset hut for new Far-Out Dallas bar

Yelp

Wriggly Tin is now Far-Out Dallas

There's a new Dallas restaurant and bar coming to everyone's favorite Quonset hut: Called Far-Out, it'll take over the space at 1906 E. Haskell Ave. in East Dallas that was previously home to Wriggly Tin, with a grand opening slated for 2025.

Founders Caroline and James Lee are calling it Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria and promise that a culinary adventure awaits.

"After months of creative brainstorming and a bit of furniture rearranging, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new pioneering concept that will open its doors in 2025," the duo says. "Introducing Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria, a dynamic new restaurant and brewery born from the collaboration of industry veterans."

The team includes some beloved East Dallas names:

Marc Cassel of The Green Room and 20 Feet Seafood Joint
Christopher Jeffers of Bolsa and Smoke
Stephanie Houston, the trailblazing first Latina Production distillery owner in America

Also joining the team is Bar Director Adam Mercado, whose resume includes stints at Billy Can Can and Brass Ram.

Marcado will crafting a unique beverage program, with support from mixologist Brian McCullough. Together, they will create what the founders call "unforgettable drink experiences to complement our delicious culinary offerings."

Wriggly Tin opened in November 2023 as an ultra-hip pizza and craft beer spot inside a renovated Quonset hut near Dallas' Fair Park — a former Cajun fried turkey place which they gave doting makeover with custom plaster walls and art objects from around the world. They replaced one whole side of the hut with glass for sunsets and created a spacious outdoor patio in front.

They earned two nomination in CultureMap's 2024 Tastemaker Awards, one for Best Bar and another for Best Patio.

Alas, the original founders, who'd previously owned Small Brewpub in Oak Cliff, parted ways shortly after it opened. And the bar closed down in September 2024, for what they called "internal changes."

Now the hut is back: The new Far-Out bar is already up and running a few days a week. In the coming days, they will offer updates and sneak peeks as they gear up for the opening of their kitchen.

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