Event Review - Peticolas 1 Year Anniversary Party

You can't help but to be impressed at how far the Dallas craft beer scene has come in just a few years (of course, when you are starting from virtually zero, and after the rest of the country has been enjoying huge successes for many years, even a little success could be seen as a huge leap ... but I digress).  In our estimation the finest of the new breweries is Michael Peticolas' self named creation located in the Design District. 

Their new digs were not finished for their self-congratulatory party and the heater decided to quit the night before, but the fans were in good spirits and hey, there was a wedding going on at the same time, and who doesn't love a wedding?  It is too bad that there was not a band .... What?  Fish Fry Bingo was playing!!?  Damn, I didn't see or hear them at all!  Why not?  Because the warmest room in the building was the brewing room and knowing that there was only a thin bit of steel between me and many, many gallons of beer somehow gave me comfort, so there I stayed. 

Wintervention

The commemorative glass handed out at the door came with 3 tokens that you could use to fill your glass with Peticolas' line of fine brews, as well as a special beer made for this event.  Some of their special beers were included:
- Wintervention, which reminds me of a beer enjoyed many years ago called Christmas Farm Ale from the Dunedin Brewery in Florida.  Lots of great flavors and plenty of alcohol to warm your bones.  Really, really good beer.
- Great Scot, that ever so rare ale which is now even more rare as that this was the last keg to be found, though rumor has it that they are aging a keg or two for later release.
- Vanilla Bean Velvet Hammer, made specially for this event, was nice, but I'll be darned if we could smell or taste any vanilla.
The regular cast we present as well, Velvet Hammer, Golden Opportunity and their GABF award winning Royal Scandal.
The food trucks at the event were a nice touch, with more sliders than I have ever seen in one place, and provided the sponge that was needed to soak up our enjoyment. 

For many years Texans have suffered through having to drink mediocre, misguided and just plain awful beers and it would be a slam dunk for a start up brewery to provide more of the same.  Peticolas and a few others like Deep Ellum, Lakewood and Revolver have all made the decision to not follow decades of traditional Texas swill beer production.  Let's hope that this craft beer movement is not a trend and that we that we get to enjoy these creations for a great many years.