Local Sips

Dallas brewery expands into white-hot hard seltzer market

Dallas' Deep Ellum Brewing Company has been turning out innovative brews since 2011, when it became the city's first craft brewery. It has since expanded with an off-site small-batch brewery and taproom in Fort Worth called the Funkytown Fermatorium.

When it comes to what Dallas (and beyond) is drinking, DEBC has been bold, fearless, and unapologetic from the start.

Now it's made the leap into hard seltzer, the most popular drink of the moment, with the release of Blind Lemon. Like everything Deep Ellum Brewing does, it's made to stand out — and here's how:

The story behind the name
The moniker is in tribute to blues legend "Blind Lemon" Jefferson, who began his career in the 1920s playing guitar and singing on the streets of Deep Ellum neighborhood. He went on to become one of the biggest-selling down-home blues artists in American history. He was known for his unusual vocal range and loud volume, and in homage to the original Blind Lemon, this hard seltzer bubbles over loudly with lemony flavor.

Natural ingredients
It starts with natural lemon flavors, then continues with only one gram of carbs and zero grams of sugar per 12 ounce serving. Oh, and it's only 100 calories, with 5 percent alcohol by volume.

How it's made
Crafted with a process similar to DEBC's other brands, Blind Lemon makes use of cane sugar instead of the usual malted barley that is in a typical beer. When yeast is added, the result is an unusually spritzy and light brew, great on its own or even better as a cocktail base.

Drink up, do good
DEBC has partnered with many amazing local organizations including Foundation45, Deep Ellum Community Association, Deep Ellum Foundation, and Paws in the City, to name a few. Now you can feel even better about supporting this Texas brand.

How to get it
Blind Lemon is available both on draft and in 12-pack cans. While you're at it, be sure to load up on Dallas Blonde, Deep Ellum IPA, the Mexican-style lager Neato Bandito, and Easy Peasy, a session IPA brewed with lemon and tangerine peel.

Deep Ellum Brewing Company now has hard seltzer: Blind Lemon.

Deep Ellum Brewing Blind Lemon hard seltzer

Photo by Ashley Gongora

Deep Ellum Brewing Company now has hard seltzer: Blind Lemon.

breweries promoted cocktails craft-beer drinks deep-ellum

This week in gluttony

Airport culinary contest tops 5 best food events in Dallas this week

Photo courtesy of Taste of the Tarmac

Taste of the Tarmac takes place at Addison Airport on Thursday, April 2.

A Farmers Branch smokehouse credited with bringing a fine dining approach to barbecue will mark four years in business this weekend with an all-day party and a big menu special. But before that, there's a Spanish wine dinner, a bourbon dinner, and a tasting event for a good cause - all on the same night, so choose wisely. End the week with a matcha pop-up on Easter Sunday. Speaking of Easter, here's our list of where to make brunch reservations in Dallas for the big day.

Thursday, April 2

Emilio Moro Wine Dinner at MoMo Italian Kitchen
As part of the Lake Highlands restaurant’s on-going 40th anniversary celebration, MoMo Italian Kitchen’s first wine dinner of the year will feature Emilio Moro wines of Spain with guest speaker and Madrid native Juan Lopez. Highlights from the four-course menu include a tomato tapa to start, Basque-style cod, seafood paella with fideo, oxtail stew, and Spanish egg custard. The dinner is $120, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Taste on the Tarmac
Taking place at the Addison Airport, this fundraiser tasting event benefiting Metrocrest Services Sack Summer Hunger program will feature bites from local high school culinary arts students. Guests will get to vote for their favorite during the sip-and-stroll format on the tarmac. The $75 ticket includes unlimited bites, one drink ticket, live entertainment, and complimentary valet. The event will run from 6-8 pm.

Garrison Brothers Bourbon Pairing Dinner at Yardbird
The upscale Southern fried chicken chain will host a four-course pairing dinner with neat pours of Garrison Brothers bourbons. Start with a Texas old fashioned with an amuse bouche of black-eye pea chili before moving to courses of bourbon maple-glazed quail, lemon fish with grilled langoustine, wild board pappardelle with black truffle pearls, and hot banana waffles with candied bacon, peanut butter mousse, and butter pecan panna cotta. Dinner is $125, and begins at 7 pm.

Saturday, April 4

Pitmasters Damian Avila (left) and Tim McLaughlin of Crossbuck BBQ. Crossbuck BBQ & Smokehouse/Facebook

Crossbuck BBQ 4th Anniversary
The Farmers Branch craft barbecue destination founded by pitmasters Tim McLaughlin and Damian Avila (a Tastemaker Awards nominee for Restaurant of the Year) will host an anniversary party to mark four years in business. Take advantage of an anniversary special featuring four different meats for $44. There’ll also be $1 margaritas, live music on the patio (12-2 pm), and giveaways all day.

Sunday, April 5

Keki Matcha Pop-Up at Toyota Music Factory
The popular Sachse spot for matcha and Japanese cheesecake will host an Easter Sunday morning pop-up in Irving at the Toyota Music Factory. Keki specializes in light and fluffy cheesecake made with whipped meringue and matcha beverages in more than a dozen varieties. Visit from 9:30 -11:30 am.

food events