As Texas breweries received permission to begin reopening, individual business owners had to grapple with a difficult question: How do you safely open an alcohol-dependent business during a health crisis? Many local breweries delayed their openings to spend more time contemplating that question. Welcoming the public back into a taproom…
On Monday, Phase 2 of the Governor’s Strike Force to Open Texas was released, which allows bars to reopen at 25% indoor capacity, with no restrictions on outdoor areas, starting Friday. A bar, according to the state, is any establishments where 51% or more of their sales are alcohol. Also…
I miss eating alone. I mean, when you live alone during the time of COVID, you do that a lot. Too much. Way too much. So let’s get to what it’s really about: I miss sitting at the semi-circle bar top of Cosmo’s, eating broth-drowned dumplings by myself. Everyone who’s…
The need to distance during the COVID-19 pandemic combined with people working from home or not working at all, combined with cabin fever, has created an unprecedented demand for trails and parks. Major cities around the world have responded to this demand by closing streets to automotive traffic to make…
When restaurants and drinking establishments were forced to close their dining rooms and bars due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, part of Texas’ disaster proclamation allowed restaurants to sell alcohol to-go. It was a huge break for them. Margaritas and quarantine survival kits with bottles of…
In March, when the Texas restaurant industry had the emergency brake slammed on it, Gov. Greg Abbott threw it a life ring: As part of the disaster proclamation, for the first time ever restaurants were allowed to sell booze to go and for curbside pickup. As owners and operators have…
Have you masked up, sanitized all over and gone to the supermarket, but found yourself unsure of wine to buy while you’re sheltering in place? The good news is — especially if you’re looking to stock up — it’s possible to spend about $10 a bottle, or even less, for…
I can’t believe I’ve been writing about this for a month, but the deeper we looked into the mess that is the state’s approach to alcohol sales in the pandemic, the more confusing and disturbing it became. We wrote about when the governor said mixed drinks were allowed and TABC…
As we continue to hunker down across North Texas, a lot of breweries have marched on, as well as they can, through these very strange times. The last time we spoke with Wim Bens of Lakewood Brewing Company, he was a bit frazzled figuring out how to transition to a…
Gang, the docs came in from the to-go cocktail debacle, and I think the less I describe them, the more batshit insane they’ll look to you. I got these late in the day April 9, and I’m still mad. Here’s everything I got about why restaurants were blocked from serving…
Apparently, online alcohol sales in the U.S. have jumped 243% during the coronavirus pandemic. Specific to wine, online sales are up 66%. Har, har, people like wine and they’re consuming more of it while they’re “working from home” all day, every day as we try to flatten the coronavirus curve…
Peticolas Brewing Company has an excellent process for curbside pickup, probably the best I’ve experienced. And though its owner is grateful for the chance to keep business flowing because of that curbside plan, the company isn’t immune from coronavirus-fueled economic anxiety. On March 16, when Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced…
In the decades before the American Revolution, Britain profited greatly from its colonial possessions by not very strictly enforcing its own trade laws that otherwise would have extracted onerous payments from the colonies. This policy of salutary neglect kept things running smoothly for almost 100 years before war debts and…
Government officials’ attempts to mitigate the extreme damage done to alcohol-selling businesses by new COVID-19-related regulations and by stubborn enforcement of old three-tier regulations have been inconsistent, confusing and difficult to explain. They’re also not working. March 15, a date that now feels like a year ago, Dallas County Judge…
Most of the news sort of sucks right now. Except gas prices. Those are fun. So whaddaya say at 5 p.m. this Friday, we all crack one open and give a collective “cheers!” to a week that is certainly one for the books? Bid adieu in frothy fashion, while remembering…
Here’s how to enjoy The Capital Grille’s Stoli Doli at home.
Monday, the city of Dallas ordered bars to close, and restaurants must close for in-dining service. And meanwhile, our local breweries are navigating how they continue. Michael Peticolas of Peticolas Brewing Company offered a stinging prediction: “We will make it through this, but expect to see numerous North Texas breweries…
Dublin native Alan Kearney is one of our favorite local Irishmen. He talks fast and energetically, while juggling multiple restaurants here in Dallas and Ireland. He’s also got an inherent Irish optimism. And as we all get our heads around the term “social distancing,” it’s hard to imagine Dallas not…
Here’s something few, and more likely, absolutely zero, North Texas craft beer lovers thought they would either utter themselves or read about only a few years ago: Not all spicy pickle beers are created the same. Now, for those who have been paying close attention to what’s going on west…
Lochland’s Weekend Holiday cocktail will be the highlight of your staycation.
We’re a few weeks into Lent now, and if you chose to give up alcohol for 40 days, surely, you’re feeling like you’re missing out, especially given the number of bars and restaurants in Dallas. If that’s the case for you, or you’re a non-drinker, there are still a good…
Dallas Arts Month is a citywide celebration of art, held during the month of April. Originally established by Mayor Mike Rawlings in 2013, it’s designed to build awareness and appreciation for our local artists and the “cultural renaissance in Dallas.” This year, the city’s Office of Arts and Culture is collaborating with…
