Texas brew review: Ship comes in for Rahr beer named after USS Fort Worth
When out-of-towners talk about Fort Worth there are several landmark places that usually come up. The Stockyards, Sundance Square, Billy Bob’s, Bass Hall, the Cultural District, the Fort Worth Zoo. Heck, even iconic restaurants like Joe T. Garcia’s or Lonesome Dove enter the conversation.
For beer lovers, Rahr & Sons — Fort Worth’s longest-running and biggest craft brewery — is as iconic as any other established Fort Worth institution. Relative newcomers like Martin House and Collective are doing great things, but Rahr still hits the most radars across the state and beyond.
As a Fort Worth icon, it would only make sense for Rahr to jump at the chance to brew a beer named after the active naval ship USS Fort Worth.
It was first brewed last year as a seasonal with some proceeds from The Fort Worth donated to a foundation associated with giving aid to servicemen that serve on the ship.
The beer itself is one that is accessible and easy to love. Pale yellow and light-bodied, The Fort Worth is billed as an “American Session Ale,” which is basically a generic term for an ale that is low in alcohol.
True to its description, it’s crisp with a bit of citrus and a hint of earthy hops. This would be quite appropriate to enjoy on the deck of a ship traveling across the ocean if that kind of thing wasn’t roundly frowned upon.
Rahr will prominently feature The Fort Worth in its Saturday tour on Armed Forces Day — May 21 — from 1 to 3 p.m. The brewery will present its donation to the USS Fort Worth Support Committee and all past or present military members will receive a discounted admission.
The Fort Worth enters full-time rotation in cans and on draft. With its new canning line, Rahr has doubled its canning capacity and has added Summertime Wheat to a canned repertoire that also features Rahr’s Blonde, Pride of Texas Pale Ale and Bucking Bock.
Expect to see more canned offerings in the future. rahrbrewing.com.
Quick sips
Homebrew day in Haltom City: Texas Brewing Inc. is ringing in National Homebrew Day with brewing demonstrations Saturday. The Haltom City store has expanded to double its size and specializes in providing education and supplies to area homebrewers. txbrewing.com.
Brew Riot: The annual event in the Bishop Arts District will be 4-8 p.m. May 15. Due to the nature of the event (with an entrance fee being charged and mostly unlicensed homebrew beer being served), a membership to the Texas Homebrew Society is required to attend. A membership is $25, which includes entrance to Brew Riot. www.brewriot.com.
Four Bullets, Tupps and 903 celebrate: Three breweries will throw anniversary parties over the next two weekends. This Saturday, Richardson’s Four Bullets will celebrate its first year from noon to 6 p.m. ($10 at the door) and Tupps Brewery in McKinney throws down for its first from 11 a.m. to midnight ($25-$40 in advance and at the door). 903 Brewers in Sherman will have its party 5-9 p.m. the following Saturday. There’s no entry fee at 903. fourbulletsbrewery.com; tuppsbrewery.com; 903brewers.com.
Have a question or tip for Scooter? Shoot him an email at texasbrew@dfw.com. And for more beer columns and news, visit www.dfw.com/beer.
This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Texas brew review: Ship comes in for Rahr beer named after USS Fort Worth."