When you pull up to Turning Point Brewery, you start to wonder if they took over a Piggly Wiggly from 40 years ago. They chose an old shopping center off of Hwy 121/183 in Bedford. But don’t let the outside fool you, they’ve done an excellent job creating an incredible brewery inside.
When you walk in, you’ll find a huge bar to the right with their massive menu above and merch behind. It’s a large open space with tons of seating and plenty of old whiskey barrels for ambiance. They do have a small kitchen, but they were out of food on this particular day. There is usually a food truck outside during the busy times as well. The bathrooms are at the far back are a little outdated, having a shared sink outside of the actual bathrooms, but not dirty in any way. They do have 2 old stand up retro video games in the back, my only complaint being that there’s only 2 because the place absolutely has the vibe of retro video games. The brewing equipment is in the open, which is a big plus for me. And it appears they are expanding and building out another taproom in the room next door.
I’m going to start off with Highlight the Lowlites, a Schwarzbier which is a 4.8% ABV German black lager. Schwarzbiers are fairly uncommon because of the difficulty to brew them correctly. The key to a good one is getting a dark, toasty taste but with a light body and mouth feel, which they absolutely nail. It drinks like a pilsner but tastes like a porter, it’s a great example of what a Schwarzbier is supposed to be.
Next up is You’ll Never Drink Alone(kind of ironic as I happened to be drinking alone this day), a 6.0% ABV Irish Red Ale. Very similar to an amber, Irish reds are usually brewed with kilned malts and roasted barley to give it a roasted and slightly sweet taste. It was good but it definitely didn’t have as strong of a flavor profile as I’d prefer. It had a hint of roastiness, but it was lighter than it should be.
Sours are a secret favorite of mine, so of course I had to try the Blueberry Scone. It’s a 5.8% ABV sour ale that’s supposed to taste like a blueberry scone. Not all sours taste sour specifically, but they have a tart taste because of a unique fermentation process used during brewing. This beer hits it perfectly. It has a slightly tart blueberry taste with a bready finish. Its not too sour and it still tastes like beer. Turning Point hit it perfectly with this brew.
Turning Point is one of the better breweries in DFW. The inside aesthetic is one of the best I’ve seen, they have a huge menu, and they make fantastic craft beer. Overall, I’d definitely recommend taking a trip to Bedford to check them out. The lack of food, the kinda strange bathroom setup, and some of the brews sampled being just average is why Turning Point is getting 8 🍺. And always Drink Local!
