We’ve got a little bit of a bonus as we’ll be doing two breweries today, kind of. Sitting just off of I-35 in Historic Downtown Carrollton, is 3 Nations Brewing Company, which also houses Symbol Brewing Company. 3 Nations Brewing Company took over an old grain silo and built a huge brewery, big enough that they also house a separate but partner company in Symbol Brewing.
There is a ton of free parking in downtown Carrollton, but it is for all of downtown, so you may have a walk to the brewery. As you walk in you pass right by the brewing equipment and make your way towards an open air, indoor seating area. Dogs are not only welcomed but encouraged here. On your right is the air conditioned taproom with a bar that doesn’t seem big enough for the business they do. Merch is inside along with the big, digital menu they need because of the ever changing craft beers on tap. Back outside there is a separate window to order in house food from and further on is more open air seating. My only complaint is this is Texas and it does get hot here. So the non-air conditioned area can get a little uncomfortable, but the recently installed misting fans do help some. Overall I really do enjoy the space. It gives you the feeling that you’re sitting in the middle of where the beer is brewed because of the equipment and the warehouse setting. Symbol doesn’t have its own space, they serve it along side 3 Nations brews in the taproom.
First up is the Cozy Bavarian as it is getting close to fall and it’s time for those Oktoberfest brews. It’s a 6.4% ABV Bavarian marzen lager with notes of dark cherries, toffee, and chestnuts. Marzen lagers are similar to ambers in color and flavor, and they are traditionally made in spring and aged during the summer to be ready for the fall festivals. 3 Nations makes a great marzen lager here, with the right amount of maltiness and bitterness. You definitely get the toffee and chestnuts, but I had a hard time catching any of the cherry flavor. It’s a great Oktoberfest brew for fall.
Next up is the BBA Balarion, a bourbon barrel aged stout made for their anniversary party. It’s a dark, roasty imperial stout and at 13%, it definitely has a kick to it. One of my problems with whiskey barrel aged beers is they often taste too strong, but this one seems like it was aged for the correct amount of time. It’s a strong stout so it definitely has some bite too it, but it has a good taste for a stout.
I think my favorite sour from 3 Nations is the Tigers Blood. They have a Berliner Weisse line of sweet and tart ales that they do different varieties of. Berliner Weisse beers are meant to be light, sour wheat beers, often compared to wine or champagne but for beer lovers. This one is 4.5% ABV and is done with strawberry, coconut, watermelon. I really liked this beer. It’s not too sour or tart, and you get all of the flavors that are meant to be there. It’s as if you’re drinking an a Tigers Blood snow cone beer.
We’re going to do a few from Symbol here as well, starting with Tales from the Crysp. It’s a 6.0% ABV cold-fermented crispy IPA made in collaboration with Prost Alehouse. The fermentation process taking place at colder temperatures helps to produce a crisp, clean beer with lower bitterness. And at 32 IBUs it definitely has that flavor profile. It’s got a great flavor of tropical and citrus with just the right amount of bitterness. I really enjoyed this IPA.
And finally my favorite brew of the day was the Symbol PainKiller sour. It’s a 6.5% ABV sour meant to taste similar to the popular tropical drink by the same name. You definitely get the taste of a tropical drink with pineapple, orange, and coconut flavors loaded in this beer. It’s not too sour so your mouth doesn’t pucker after each sip either. A really fantastic sour.
Overall, I really love 3 Nations Brewing. It’s a great place to go hang out and get some craft beer. The only downside being the air conditioning and there’s not a ton of TV’s if you’re wanting to catch a game. But definitely check them out and take some home. Very few things to knock but the parking isn’t great(especially if downtown is busy), and the lack of AC in the main seating area is why 3 Nations is getting 9 🍺. And always Drink Local!
