HOPPY SAYS,
“Support your local craft breweries!”
Maple Branch Craft Brewery – Fort Worth, TX
The next visit took place at Maple Branch Craft Brewery. They opened in 2020 and they were named “Best Brewery” by Fort Worth Weekly in 2025.
During the visit Hoppy enjoyed a Longbottom Leaf Hazy IPA – Brewed exclusively with Strata hops. 6% ABV.
Pictures from the visit follow:
Phase Three Brewing – Lake Zurich, IL / Pax Verum Brewing – Lapel
We interrupt the Southwest tour postings to report on the Phase Three Brewing tap takeover at Creatures of Habit Brewing, in Anderson, last Saturday. Phase Three opened their doors in 2019, and their focus is on marrying hop flavors together, big imperial stouts, and heavily fruited ales.
Hoppy imbibed a mug of Swells IPA, described as a blend of Midwest malted barley with a heavy focus on orange pulpy Simcoe with support from lemony Centennial, and a little bit of tropical forward Citra in the kettle. Straw colored, with just enough sweetness to balance the bitterness. 6.5% ABV.
He also drank a flight of the following:
Lost in the Moment IPA – Described as a modern American IPA with Citra, Cryo Mosaic, and Amarillo hops. 6.6% ABV.
Herbasaurus West Coast Imperial IPA – Described as super dank and packed with a sticky, pungent combination of Eureka, Apollo, Simcoe, Columbus, and Centennial hops. 8% ABV.
Pixelated Beezer DDH Hazy Double IPA (collaboration with Old Irving Brewing) – Brewed with four types of Citra and four types of Mosaic hops. 8% ABV.
Eunoia Batch 23 Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout: Cacao Nibs, Peanut Butter & Tahitian Vanilla – Rested an average of 24 months in a selection of Henry McKenna, Heaven Hill, and George Dickel 15-Year bourbon barrels. Conditioned on peanut butter, Madagascar vanilla, and TCHO Ecuador cacao nibs. 14.7% ABV.
Pictures follow:
During his visit, Hoppy had the privilege to taste a behemoth of a beer from Pax Verum. This was Sins of Our Fathers Bourbon Triple Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. This was aged across three bourbon barrels – 6 months in Four Roses, 16 months in honey bourbon from Starlight Distillery, and 24 months sealed in an 8-year Heaven Hill barrel. Described as fudge and chocolate brownie batter leading the way, while being full-bodied without leaning sweet. Warming spirits rise slowly, the alcohol hidden at first, then building from the inside out, and finishing with a subtle tingle at the neck. What’s left is dense, layered, and inevitable. 19.4% ABV, 50 IBU.
The continued posting of the Southwest tour will continue next, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Anthem Brewing – Oklahoma City, OK
The last visit in Oklahoma was at Anthem Brewing. They are one of Oklahoma’s original craft breweries, founded in 2012. Although their original focus was on Belgian-style ales, they have since developed into a well-rounded craft brewery covering a wide swath of styles and flavors.
While there, Hoppy quaffed the following:
Hoparazzi IPA – Described as a perfectly balanced IPA, blended of West Coast prestige and New England flair, co-starring in a blockbuster feature you won’t soon forget. 6.5% ABV, 84 IBU.
Golden One – Their flagship beer paying homage to the traditional blonde ales. Described as a crisp Belgian-style blonde ale with fruit and spice notes of lemon, orange, white pepper, and coriander. 7% ABV, 26 IBU.
Pictures from the visit follow:
The Big Friendly – Oklahoma City, OK
The next visit was at The Big Friendly which originally opened as a mobile beer bus in 2015, but opened their brewery/taproom in 2020. They have won the Brewery of the Year, in the small brewery category, in both 2022 and 2023 at the Great American Brew Festival!
While at the brewery, Hoppy enjoyed imbibing the following highly rated brews:
Composition Double West Coast IPA – Brewed with Mosaic, Nelson, Citra and Mosaic Cryo. 8.3% ABV.
Joe’s Tropical Preserves – Fruit beer made with pineapple and mango. 6% ABV.
Joe’s Jammy Jams – Fruit beer made with raspberries, cherries, and blueberries. 6% ABV.
Pictures from the visit follow:
Skydance Brewing – Oklahoma City, OK
The next stop on the tour was at Skydance Brewing. It is Oklahoma’s first Native American owned craft brewery, and it was founded in 2018, and launched its OKC brewery in 2021. They believe in the importance of community and the important job of brewing great beer to bring people together.
During his visit Hoppy quaffed the following:
Skoden 015 Triple New England IPA – Described as a tropical punch bomb featuring Krush and Dolcita hops. Krush is known for its intense aromas and flavors of mango and guava. Dolcita delivers lots of peach and pineapple. 9% ABV, 18 IBU.
1491: Barrel Aged Stout (Batch A125) – Aged in Old Elk Bourbon barrels for 18 months. Described as having strong dark fruit and chocolate notes with some caramel from the long boiling process. 14% ABV, 20 IBU.
Pictures from the visit follow:
Prairie Artisan Ales – Oklahoma City, OK
Hoppy’s second visit on his Southwest tour was at Prairie Artisan Ales OKC. They opened this location in 2017 after being founded in 2012 in Krebs, OK. They are distributed in more than 40 states, and around the world. They have a rich history under prior names, including brewing illegally in Oklahoma before it even became a state. Their interesting story can be found here.
Hoppy enjoyed three sour ales, for which they are noted, during his visit.
These were as follows:
Thai Delight – A Mango sticky rice inspired sour ale with mango, flaked rice, and cream of coconut. 6% ABV.
Tiny Esses – Sour ale with skittles. 5.9% ABV.
Kiwi McSqueezy – Described as a smoothie style sour ale with marionberry, kiwi, and apple. 6.5% ABV.
Pictures from the visit follow:
