BrainDead Brewing: A cool time on a hot afternoon
There are a lot of breweries in DFW now. Like, a lot. Big ones, small ones, old ones, and new ones. Everything in between. Some make really good beer, some not so much. BUT, there are VERY FEW that sell their own beer, and sell beer made by others. BrainDead is one of those breweries, and it's super refreshing.
We visited on a very hot late-October Sunday afternoon, after having a late lunch at Pecan Lodge. SO, needless to say, we weren't in the market for any snacks. At all. But, we did want one more beverage before running last-minute Halloween errands, so ran across the street to BrainDead Brewing.
The decor is perpetually quirky, with industrial robot art the name of the game. And their attitude matches the quirkiness of the decor--they don't want to be like every other "serious" commercial brewery. They want to be weird. They want to be quirky. They want to do their own thing, and don't apologize for doing it. That includes their beer program.
They currently have fourteen different beers that they brew themselves available for consumption / purchase at the brewery. But they also have beers from several other breweries and cideries throughout North Texas. Since we didn't have a lot of time, we had a self-imposed one-drink limit. I opted for the Rhymes w/Tangerine--an American Pale Ale that uses German Mandarina hops and orange essential oils to get a refreshing citrus finish on an otherwise big beer (7.5% ABV, 66 IBUs). Really delicious. A little heavy to follow Pecan Lodge (my fault, not theirs), but still very enjoyable. I would definitely drink this on its own around the house on a hot summer day. Or really any day. Natalie opted for a non-BDB option: Crackberry by Bishop Cider Co. Crackberry is a cider made with a mixture of apples, blackberries, and cranberries, and is, frankly, delicious! It is light, slightly tart, sweet, and luscious! You definitely won't want to stop at one of these babies! In our opinion, one of the best ciders on the market!
If you have the time, BrainDead also has a pretty extensive menu, and the things I've had on the menu are all good, hearty pub fare. If you're in the mood for a cold one, or want a cool, quirky place to have lunch, head to BrainDead in the heart of Deep Ellum!
