Field Rating

8

out of 10

Seriously, go to Adair’s after.

Field Note

There’s a certain comfort in a brewery that’s a few steps away from a massive interstate exchange, boxed in with only limited exposure to the ever-present threat of overly aggressive progress. Deep Ellum takes its name from the Dallas neighborhood of the same name, a hub for music, alcohol and food just east of downtown.

The area itself deserves a bit of coverage as it’s easy to look at it as just another arts district pulled back from a less-than-desirable part of town, but the area’s roots as a Dallas destination reach back into the 1800s. In the 1920s, the area started its ascent to notoriety for its jazz scene, an entertainment reputation that has served the neighborhood since.  Cycles of development have come and gone, notably a burst of popularity in the 1990s tempered somewhat by a perception of violence in the area, with the most recent round accelerated by the Deep Ellum Brewing’s decision to locate in and borrow the name of the area.

Generally, the bars and breweries featured here are smaller operations, but Deep Ellum’s status as the largest independent brewer in North Texas is balanced by the credibility that comes with being the first craft brewery in the city, especially one that took root in a part of the city before it became the hip spot it is today. Deep Ellum’s location at the southern tip of the neighborhood offers ample opportunity to explore the area, making it a good place to start an evening, especially with dive bar superstar Adair’s Saloon just a couple of blocks away.

The taproom itself is impossible to miss, a building adorned by a massive, eye-catching mural easy to see even at night. Inside, the space is predictably warehouse-like, with hard surfaces balanced by metal accents and exposed brick. The bar itself is short and the rest of the space is dotted with tables, making up the majority of the seating. Legit food pairs with the rotating selection of beers. A barbed wire-ringed patio out back reclaims some of the charm of the area.

As for the beer, the selection is as vast as to be expected from a brewery the size of Deep Ellum, with a slight bent to a variety of IPAs (yes, some juicy/hazy). A handful of favorites are selected below as noteworthy examples of the brewery’s focus, but with beer brewed a handful of feet away from the bar, it can be hard to go wrong.

Deep Ellum is the anchor of a historically-relevant and modernly-hip part of Dallas and its location alone makes it worth a visit, serving as a perfect launch pad for a meandering visit to the area (one that will inevitably stop at Adair’s).

Beers to Try

Manic Confidence (6.5%)
Year-Round | Hazy IPA

Not every brewery rushed headlong into juicy beers, with Manic Confidence serving as Deep Ellum’s foray, a more balanced beer than the “stuff as many hops in there as possible” offerings that are a little more prevalent.

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