Whilst exploring the Bishop Arts District in the blazing hot summer afternoon, a refreshing stop at Bishop Cider Brewery was a must. And after putting back the sampler with some friends, I noticed tickets laying on the bar as if they were being offered gratis. As if the $0.00 stamped on the pile of tickets wasn’t enough, I had to ask the barkeep if they were handing these out for free. They confirmed they were so I was not reluctant to grab one for me and each of my friends.
It didn’t take much to convince my buddies to come along. I think I had them at the word ‘brews’. That’s right, Local Brews Local Grooves at the House of Blues was officially on our agenda for the day. But not before a stop at Dude, Sweet Chocolate. You have to stop by Dude, Sweet Chocolate if you’re nearby. Unless you do not like chocolate, fret not! They will change your mind and empty your bank account in the process.
After all the samples of the rich dark chocolate our stomachs could handle, we ventured on over to the festival at HOB. We were gladly surprised to see a plethora of food available at the event, along with representatives for just about every brewery in Dallas, even Bishop Cider, pouring drinks of their delicious craft brews in either the sampler glass handed out to purchasers of the $15 wristband, or a bigger solo cup if that 4 ounce sampler cup did not suffice.
Don’t get me wrong, this event was a blast. But shoot, I’ve never seen beer so expensive, and yes, I have been to AT&T Stadium. Even for the craft beer; $9 for a 12 oz cup or $3 to fill your 4 oz sample cup, even if you were fortunately to receive a fill to the brim, is just plain unacceptable in my book. My wallet didn’t allow for much drinking, but the food on the other hand was a bargain for the quality. This is the second annual Local Brews and Local Grooves and surprisingly so they definitely need to work on a way of not hiking those prices so high you don’t get two beers out of a wristband.
The music was great with bands from the area like The O’s, the Dallas String Quartet, and the Effinays, plus many more. Four stages were constantly being occupied by great eclectic sounds familiar to some knowledgeable Dallas residents in deep with the music scene. HOB put on one hell of a show Saturday evening and partied into the night with thousands of public participants filling the seats.
Overall, it’s events like these that are helping explode the Dallas craft beer scene and bringing breweries more into the public eye. So I applaud thee and tip my hat to the people who helped put this together and of course House of Blues for making this an annual celebration of the three things I love the most, music, beer, and Dallas. And thank you Bishop Cider for the tix! Be sure to check out Local Brews Local Grooves around the same time next year, you won’t want to miss it! And don’t forget the many beer festivals to come this fall along with the many Oktoberfests that take place around North Texas.
