Cocktail News

First-of-its-kind distillery making rice liquor debuts in Dallas-Fort Worth

Definitely the first in Texas, maybe even the first in the U.S.

Photo courtesy of Su Ti

Texas has enjoyed a boom in distilleries in recent years, focused primarily on making whiskey. That's why SuTi Craft Distillery is such a special one-of-a-kind. This newly opened distillery in Kennedale is the first in Texas, and possibly even the U.S., to specialize in rượu đế, AKA authentic Vietnamese traditional rice liquor.

The most well known rice-based alcoholic beverage is Japanese sake. Sake is comparable to wine, with an alcohol content at about 14 percent.

What SuTi is doing is more comparable to spirits, with a higher alcohol content of 40 to 45 percent ABV.

Rice liquor has been distilled in Vietnam for centuries — but only informally, as an at-home project, like moonshine. About a decade ago, the rice liquor category began to emerge as a global trend when distilleries in Vietnam began to turn it into a business.

SuTi is from Suy Dinh and Tien Ngo — "Su" + "Ti" — two Vietnamese natives and friends who emigrated here after the Vietnam War, joining a large population of Vietnamese immigrants in the Kennedale/Arlington area.

They opened the distillery on November 23 in Kennedale near the center of town, where they're making two products:

"Old Man," an 80-proof rice liquor
"Lion 45," a 90-proof rice liquor

"This kind of liquor is widely popular in Vietnam," Ngo says. "We like to drink, and we didn't see anything like this, anywhere in the country."

Ngo is an architect and Dinh is an engineer. They spent a few years in development until they arrived at a product that pleased everyone who tried it.

They make everything on-site, from rice grown in Texas and Louisiana. "We make it 'from rice to glass,'" he says.

Their facility is at 528 W. Kennedale Pkwy., in what was originally a modest home and also, at one point, a tavern. They added a new building with a production operation as well as a tasting room. They're taking a "craft" approach by making small batches.

The flavor is subtle, but unlike vodka, it does have a flavor.

"It's more like white dog, it's a white whiskey, but it does have a delicate flavor with a hint of rice," Ngo says. "We age it for about a month, but it's not aged in barrels, so it's clear."

You can sip it solo or use it in your favorite cocktail. At their tasting room, which is open Monday-Saturday afternoons, they serve free tastes of up to two ounces. Visitors can also buy bottles, priced from $35-$42, although purchase is limited to two bottles per month.

"We can only sell it here," he says. "We're getting requests from around the country, but we aren't allowed to ship, so it's really special for people who live in this area."

One of the things they're most proud of is their role as emissary for the rice liquor tradition.

"You see Vietnamese food everywhere, but not this beverage," he says. "We're hearing from young people who appreciate that we're putting it on the map."

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McKinney News

Acclaimed restaurant team to open Centro on the Square in McKinney

Photo courtesy of City of McKinney

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There's an exciting new restaurant coming to McKinney from a team with serious cred: Called Centro on the Square, it'll open in Historic Downtown McKinney at 112 E. Louisiana St., across from the McKinney Performing Arts Center.

Centro on the Square is a collaboration between restaurateurs Brian Dunne, owner of Mexican Bar Company in Plano; and George Stergios, owner of Knife Steakhouse Plano.

After six-plus years as neighbors in the restaurant district at The Shops at Willow Bend, the two decided to pool their considerable expertise and open a new concept together in McKinney.

Dunne logged many years in the hospitality industry, working in cities such as Washington DC, New York, and Chicago, before relocating to Allen and opening Mexican Bar Company in 2018.

Stergios is currently famous as the owner of Knife Steakhouse, and was previously head of food & beverage at the Highland Dallas hotel, where the original Knife opened. But he's also the son of Basil Stergios who, with his brother, owned the venerable seafood institution Vincent's Seafood, which closed in 2015 after a century. George has grown up in the Dallas dining scene.

With these combined credentials, Centro surely seems promising. Opening day is a ways off — they're looking at early spring — and details on the menu and concept are still in the works. But they're planning on an exceptional dining experience with an inviting menu, serious craft cocktail program, historical setting, and top-notch service.

The menu will feature standout starters and salads, fresh seafood, locally raised steaks, and house-made pasta prepared daily. They'll start out with dinner, then add lunch and brunch.

Centro is going into a renovated 100-year-old building, in a space that was previously home to acclaimed restaurant Harvest, which relocated in 2023. They'll do a space blending historic charm with modern touches.

Dunne and Stergios are both longtime locals: Stergios has lived in McKinney for more than six years, while Dunne has resided in nearby Allen for nearly a decade.

In a statement, they say they've always been drawn to the energy of Historic Downtown McKinney, and watching the steady foot traffic and vibrant activity on the Square during construction reinforced their decision to open a restaurant there.

"The Square is truly unique and has a pulse of its own," they say.

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