When Noble Rey Brewing opened its second location at the Dallas Farmers Market in 2016, brew lovers and local beer-industry leaders alike took note. The satellite taproom allowed Noble Rey to bring its beer line-up to a wider audience without investing in a second set of brewing equipment — an unconventional, yet highly productive, business move for a brewery.
Noble Rey changed owners and closed both of its locations earlier this year, but the new tenants of its former satellite taproom space — David Herrera and Charles Nelson, who re-opened it as The 2nd Tap — hope to build on their predecessor’s concept. “It was very attractive and appealing that [Noble Rey] put another taproom in the Farmers Market like that without actually having the full production,” says Herrera. The 2nd Tap founders met at a local craft distillery where Herrera managed operations and Nelson was systems manager. They later opened Texas Craft Services, offering tap installations and repairs to bars and breweries in the area.
The duo launched The 2nd Tap beer bar in June, hoping that their distinctive “taproom takeover” concept would offer craft breweries–both local and national–a second taproom space similar to the one that Noble Rey had modeled. “We don’t brew any beer ourselves. We work with a brewery to bring them in, make sure they cover all eight taps, and feature them for an extended period of time,” says Nelson. By offering brewers a second, de facto satellite taproom, Herrera and Nelson provide them a space to showcase the breadth of that brewery’s draft lineup — including core beers often overshadowed by seasonal and rotational brews that might be featured on a varied 20-tap wall.
Nelson and Herrera will be offering two pairing events for the holidays to feature some of the best that Texas’ pastry and beer scene has to offer.
Beer and Pie Pairing — November 26th
For Thanksgiving, the taproom partnered with Hey Y’all Bakery in Wills Point, an hour east of Dallas, to curate beer and pie pairings for pick up. “There’s four or five general Thanksgiving pies, but to keep it simpler, we just went with pecan and pumpkin,” and determined pairings based on those, says Herrera. The event pairing itself is spoken for. But if you want to recreate the pairings at home, the taproom has drafts to pair with your holiday pumpkin and pecan confections. Proponents of pumpkin-pie flavors and spices can snag a four-pack of Rabbit Hole Brewing’s Hatter’s Reserve, a Brandy barrel-aged Belgian golden strong ale out of Justin, TX. Those with a pecan preference can opt for 500ml bottles of locally-brewed Barrel-Aged Legion from Community Beer Co., a Russian Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon barrels.
Churro and Beer Pairing Flight — December 6th, 7:30pm
Nelson and Herrera will also host a churro-pairing event with fellow Dallas Farmers Market vendor Twisted Churros in December. Think flights of four churro preparations with accompanying draughts from four Texas breweries.
Original churros will be paired with a churro-inspired dark beer from Four Corners Brewing; strawberry-Nutella churros will be served alongside a cream ale brewed with strawberry cake from 903 Brewers in Sherman (yes, it’s brewed with strawberry cake, and it’s part of 903’s limited-release series Down With the PastryArchy). A cookies-and-cream churro featuring condensed milk, chocolate drizzle, and crumbled Oreos will accentuate the coffee and vanilla notes in Texas Ale Project’s White Russian Imperial Stout; and a cookie-butter-adorned Speculoos churro will jive with Community Beer Co.’s Snickerdoodle Ale.
Did we mention these are anything but ordinary?
Tickets are $18 (vegan options available).
