History of breweries in Fort Worth, Texas

Brief History of Fort Worth

Fort Worth started as a military outpost on November 14, 1849. Its purpose was to defend Texas settlements against Native Americans at the time. Eventually, the outpost was abandoned in 1853, becoming more of a residential town. Driving cattle dominated the local economy during the 1860s, eventually being named “cowtown” in 1876. During the 1900s, the Fort Worth economy boomed as a result of the meatpacking industry, oil, flour milling, and military bases. As a result, the population tripled within 10 years.

The History of Local Craft Beer

In 1900, only two breweries existed in the local areas. Dallas Brewery in Dallas and the Texas Brewing Company in Fort Worth. Prohibition was around the corner in 1920, causing both breweries to cease production of beer, but instead, shift to non-alcoholic drinks. After prohibition ended in 1933, breweries would come and go in the local area. Not until 1969, did the largest brewery in North Texas come to the local area buying out Carling Brewing - The Miller Brewing Company. Miller became the largest brewery in Texas, with the popularity of its light beer being introduced in 1975, Miller Lite. Microbreweries still weren’t commonplace at the time because of state laws making it difficult to sell on-site beers. This difficulty became resolved when brewpubs became legalized in 1993.

Local Brewpubs and Microbreweries

After legalization, Brewpubs became the next big thing in North Texas Brewing. Many were opened in the post-1993, but many just came and went. In the late 1990s, the trend started to fade. Too numerous brewpubs and low-quality beers led to many brewpubs closing down. The 2000s saw a resurgence in microbreweries. Between late 2011 and early 2014, a new brewery opened in North Texas every six weeks. Subsequently, there are more than 20 breweries in North Texas by 2014. Respectively that number would only keep increasing.

Brewpub in Fort Worth, Texas