I don’t know what Ft Worth is doing to attract quality brewmasters or to appeal to people who know how to build a great brewery, but there’s definitely something in the water, besides hops. We made a trip to downtown Ft Worth to the area known as Bricktown, and found a gem of a brewery in Hop Fusion Ale Works.
As you walk up to the non-descript, white brick building, with a decent size patio out front, you’re not sure exactly what to expect. Hop Fusion Ale Works had the garage doors open in the front, so we walked through the patio area into what I can best describe as a sports dive bar type of feel. There’s a stage to the right, a projector showing games to the left, and a massive menu behind the bar. They have t-shirts hanging on the walls, and the bathrooms are on the left behind the projector wall. It’s decorated fairly dark with wood accents but they have a ton of hanging lights and random decor, and it may just be me, but I love it inside. We only have 3 small complaints; they don’t have food, but there was a food truck there, there is no parking, and the only seating is picnic tables that are very uncomfortable. The brewing equipment is behind the bar, and not totally visible, but it’s there enough to add to the aesthetic. They had 25 crafts on tap this day, including THC and seltzer options, so we weren’t sure exactly where to start.
First up is the Feisty Blonde, an 8.3% ABV honey vanilla blonde lager. They describe it as being made with honey, raw Mexican vanilla, and raw Mexican brown sugar. A problem I have with a lot of honey lagers out there is there’s not enough flavor of honey. That’s not the case here. You get the honey, you get the vanilla, it’s got a light body like a blonde lager is supposed to. A fantastic brew, exactly what it’s supposed to be.
Next we sampled the El Gran Pepinillo, a 5.8% ABV pickle and pepper lager. There’s a lot of pickle beers out there that overpower with pickle and sour flavor, but this is not one of them. Its a very nice lager and it doesn’t overwhelm you with pickle and pepper. They even offer an option to mix it with their Mexican lager and create a Bloody Mary beer. A very surprising and easy drinking brew.
My wife’s favorite beer of the day was the Feisty Redhead. It’s essentially the same brew as the Feisty Blonde but aged on Hibiscus cherries. At 8.6% ABV it’s a little bit robust for a lager, but it’s very well done. You get a ton of the cherry and tart flavor with some of the sweet honey and vanilla. It’s really fantastic beer.
My personal favorite brew of the day was the Coco Anejo, an 8.9% ABV Imperial milk stout aged on roasted coconut. I love stouts and I love coconut flavors in beer, and those two are often mixed together, but this might be the best one I’ve ever tried. There’s 2 types of coconut flavor, the imitation flavor often used in candy & drinks and the flavor that tastes like you cracked open a coconut and started putting shavings in your beer. This is the second one, it’s a very moderate coconut flavor along with the chocolate and caramel notes that come with stouts. Not too strong on any one flavor but blended together well, a fantastic brew.
I can’t say enough good things about Hop Fusion Ale Works. They really know how to brew quality beer, and they have a beer they’re renowned for called Zombie Crack, but it’s still aging in whiskey barrels. We will definitely be back to sample that. If not for the picnic tables and the parking, this might have been our second perfect rating. We loved everything else about this visit, and we are giving Hop Fusion 9 🍺. It’s also a veteran owned business, so next time you’re in the area go support veterans and Always Drink Local!
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