Long before Fort Worth and its downtown areas became an ideal place to watch Disney’s Aladdin on a sultry Wednesday eve, it was home to a less idyllic crowd. With the cattle and railroad came a certain clientele prone to debauchery and hard-living that eventually found a home in what would be dubbed “Hell’s Half Acre”. If you wish to find Hell’s Half Acre today, plant yourself in the middle of the Water Gardens and you can imagine an area rife with, in the words of Johnny Cash, “the mud and the blood and the beer.”
Well it is no secret that today Fort Worth has one item of Mr. Cash's list checked off, and in a big way. I am, of course, speaking of beer.
Set to join the fray, not too far away from their infamous namesake, is Wild Acre Brewing, who will be bringing their beer - and a little less debauchery than the rabble-rousers of old - to the Fort Worth market the week of June 20, with an eye toward Saturday tours beginning mid-July.
Wild Acre's space is decidedly less rough and tumble, inhabiting the old Ranch Beans building off of El Paso. They have built out what will surely be one of Panther City’s new favorite beer destinations. With an air-conditioned, tidy and inviting taproom and a wonderful outdoor space where I am told live music and other activities will occur. Wild Acre will roll out with four beers, available in cans and on draft (coming the week of June 20), to start:
- Billy Jenkins, a session bock
- Moonlight Shine, an unfiltered, slightly hoppy wheat
- Soul Pleasure, a “southern” stout
- Tarantula Hawk, an India Red Ale
The creature for which Tarantula Hawk is named is, after a quick “academic” online image search, one of the most terrifying I have personally seen. About the size of a human hand, it is a member of the wasp family that roams the southwest of America and HUNTS tarantulas… don't worry, it took me a bit to process that as well. The beer, however, is a delightful (and not terrifying) combination of two styles I prefer in the hotter months, a Red Ale and an IPA. Hopped with Amarillo and Mosaic hops, it provides some of my favorite IPA aromas - citrus peel, pine, honeysuckle - and at the end, imports you to a tropical locale. At first sip, the blend of malts, which provide the beer with its deep red color, fortify your tastebuds as you are led to a dry and bitter finish. Weighing in at 6.5% ABV, it could lull you toward an evening similar to the one of a past unsuspecting cowboy, who found himself mud-covered and confused as to the prior night's proceedings come morning. Those that are used to an American-style IPA surely won't be “stung” (couldn't resist) by this smooth drinking ale, but all who have an aversion to hops may not find it a creature they love.
Overall, this new entrant into our budding brew scene, with its well-designed space and offerings that will surely please many, is a welcome addition and I look forward to trying Wild Acre's other offerings and raising a glass to the cattlemen of old.
Cheers!
