Craft Beer News

Special beer from Dallas Design District brewery salutes veterans

TAP founder Kat Thompson and her charitable beer.

Photo courtesy of TAP

A Dallas brewery is brewing a beer that comes with a little something extra: It benefits military veterans.

The beer is a pale ale called Good To Go, made by Texas Ale Project (TAP), a brewery in the Design District. TAP partnered with a group called Honor Courage Commitment (HCC) that helps military veterans navigate their way back into the civilian workforce.

Kat Thompson founded TAP three years ago with a vision to make good beer, but also with a mission to do good things. Together, TAP and HCC brewed a beer, covered the can in camouflage, and named it "Good To Go" after a common military phrase used in response to the question, "All clear?"

"It also just fits the beer," Thompson says. "This is an easy-drinking ale, just good to go."

Thompson's husband and TAP's brewer, Brent, is a four-year Navy veteran, making it a natural fit for them to support other veterans wishing to become entrepreneurs.

"When we met [the folks] at HCC, we could see they'd be great partners and they didn’t believe in handouts," she says. "They believe in empowerment, hard work, and earning something for yourself, which is a mutual belief all four of us share."

Texas Ale Project donates 10 percent of the sales of Good to Go Pale Ale to HCC; the brewery's donations have already totaled almost $9,000. Proceeds are put directly into an entrepreneur training program that's free for veterans who apply. So far, 85 veterans have attended.

"The program, and others like it, are a critical way for veterans to gain the tools necessary to go on to greater things," says Cliff Sosamon, HCC executive director. "We know that veterans have the aptitude to learn quickly, adapt, and adjust to a changing landscape. However, when starting a business, the learning curve is steep because mistakes cost money; and if not handled correctly, it can be detrimental to many other life factors."

While this is a charitable endeavor, the beer has won over beer drinkers, too, and won a recent blind tasting at Flying Saucer Addison.

"It has a certain energy to it — it's not a boring beer," Kat says. "It’s a dry-hopped, balanced pale brewed with a mix of malts including Pilsen and honey malt. The honey malt gives it a touch sweetness while the citrus-forward hops add a beautiful aroma and hop balance."

More than 380,000 vets currently live in the Metroplex.

"Our main mission with Good to Go was to raise awareness among craft beer drinkers of what Honor Courage Commitment, Inc. does for veterans and its DFW community," Kat says.

"We're proud to help spread the word about their entrepreneurship training to get more veterans involved right on our cans. We feel this is the big impact that Good to Go Pale Ale is making toward HCC’s success."

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RIP Al

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat dies at 69 after ALS battle

Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, RIP

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, founder of the acclaimed local steakhouse Al Biernat's, passed away on November 13, following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; he was 69.

Biernat was one of Dallas' all-time great hospitality figures, dating back to his days at The Palm steakhouse, for whom he worked in Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas.

Biernat founded his namesake restaurant in 1998 on Oak Lawn Avenue, where his standard of excellence and doting charm made it a destination for special occasions, Park Cities swells, and celebrities in town.

His sense of hospitality had little competition in Dallas. He was a charming and personable host who genuinely liked people, and it didn't matter whether you were Conan O'Brien, David Crosby, or one of the other high-profile diners that visited his restaurants — or else just a regular schlub: He had a knack for making everyone feel special and remembered.

Biernat was born on August 20, 1955 and grew up in Michigan, then lived in Colorado, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, before moving to Dallas to work at The Palm in the West End, where his dynamic presence gave the restaurant an incomparable vitality; it closed in 2017.

He opened Al Biernat's at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. in 1998, followed by a second location in North Dallas at 5251 Spring Valley Rd. in 2017.

He began to experience ALS symptoms in May 2023, was diagnosed in December, and revealed his condition in February 2024. The revelation was met with an outpouring of sympathy and well wishes from the hospitality industry — a sign of the high regard in which he was held.

The average life expectancy for people with ALS is two to five years after diagnosis. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing, or in the hands, arms, legs, or feet. He began to have difficulty communicating in September, and spent his last days in a hospice.

On September 18, he broached the topic of dying, before ending on a note of gratitude to friends and family.

"Having Bulbar ALS I am realistic about my future," he said. "Friends and family have asked me if I’m afraid of dying, and this is what I say to them. Because of the salvation of Jesus, I will be rejoicing in my spirit to see him in all of his glory. Since we are all flesh, soul, and spirit, only my flesh is being left behind. But don’t get me wrong, I have a blessed life in this world, with a loving wife, and a beautiful family and many wonderful and caring friends. I am grateful!"

Both Al Biernat's locations will continue to remain open under the management of Biernat's nephew Brad Fuller, as they have for nearly the past two years.

Biernat is survived by Fuller, as well as his wife Jeannie and three daughters: Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat, plus five grandsons and two granddaughters. . According to family members, details regarding a celebration of his life will be announced soon.

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