If you’re looking for a place to try out multiple types of craft beer from several different breweries, we’ve got the place for you today. On Rotation Brewery not only makes their own craft beer, but they have about half of their 40 taps dedicated to guest brews from other local breweries. These taps rotate every time a keg runs out, hence the name On Rotation.
Sitting off of Lemmon Ave, literally in the footprint of Love Field Airport is On Rotation Brewery. You can literally grab a beer, sit on the patio, and watch planes take off and land. They share a fairly large parking lot, and have a really modern building housing their operation. You’ll walk up the stairs towards the front door, and you’ll see a patio on either side with seating. Immediately inside to the right is the to-go fridge, and left is a closed off seating area. Straight ahead is a large bar with 3 TV’s on the left wall displaying their huge menu. The inside is very open, with tall ceilings and very colorful designs on the walls throughout. To the right is more seating, and there is an open window to the kitchen. The nice and modern bathrooms also sit to the right. Behind the bar is the brewing equipment, which is a huge plus for us. We’ve had their food before, and it’s excellent, but we did not sample any today. One downside is a lack of TV’s if you’re looking to catch a game. But we really love the design and aesthetic of the taproom. Another downside is there’s always a ton of children around, despite there not being any children’s activities. But I guess if the parents want great beer, the kids will always be around.
Stouts are known to be a winter season beer, so there will probably be more of them being reviewed, which is the case today. The Cafe Au Lait is a 7% ABV New Orleans’ Style Coffee Milk Stout. Coffee flavored stouts are a very common type, and as I’ve said before, can be hit or miss. This is somewhere in the middle. It’s coffee flavor is a bit strong for my taste, but it’s a lower percentage stout, so it doesn’t take you back too much. There’s a nice stout profile with the chocolate and roasted notes you’d expect. They used cold brew coffee with chicory, which is a New Orleans special, hence the name. It’s a very nice brew, I just wish they toned back the coffee flavor a little.
The Belgian Tripel is a style of beer I don’t often talk about, but the MP3 is too good to not mention. A Tripel is a pale ale known for being light bodied, but with a high alcohol content. This is no exception at 9.6% ABV, and they added mango and peach to enhance the fruit flavors that are also common with Tripels. It’s an absolute fantastic representation of this style. It drinks fairly light, but you can tell it’s got a bigger kick to it. The mango and peach blend perfectly with the ale style of beer. The MP3 is exactly what they brewed it to be and a really great beer.
My absolute favorite beer that On Rotation makes is Buzz the Tower, a 6.1% ABV Vienna lager with peanut butter and honey. And not just any honey, honey made from bee farms from the fields on Love Field Airport. Vienna lagers are very similar to ambers, known for sweet and crisp flavors with no bitterness. Add in honey that is made by hives that sit on the fields of Love Field Airport, and peanut butter & they hit a home run with this brew. They describe it as a fresh piece of toast slathered with creamy peanut butter and drizzled with warm honey, and it’s exactly that.
Having 40 beers on tap is definitely something to brag about, and supporting other local breweries is a very cool thing to do within your own brewery. On Rotation Brewery has a very cool set-up, and a very unique model. They make some of the best beers around, including some very different brews that you don’t find everywhere. Add in good food, and they’re definitely killing it. With the only downsides being the TV’s and the over presence of children, we’re giving On Rotation 9 🍺! It’s definitely a spot to check out, and Always Drink Local!
