More than 10 microbreweries opened this year already, but drinkers should prepare for another. Intrinsic Smokehouse and Brewery celebrates its grand opening Saturday, Dec. 5.
Like many others in Dallas-Fort Worth, Intrinsic is a family operation, created by Cary Hodson (owner and brewer) and his brother-in-law Casey Vincent (taproom manager and assistant brewer). The two have been hard at work converting a historic, 3,200-square-foot building in downtown Garland into a brewpub with a seven-barrel brewing system and attached patio. And yes, that includes preparing craft beers.
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For the grand opening, Intrinsic will serve five house beers in addition to a handful of other Texas beers on draft or in bottles and cans. House beers include Lunch Date (blonde), G-Town Gratzer (smoked wheat), IP80 (IPA), Tamarind Habenero (fruit/pepper beer), and Picker Porter (porter). The brewery also makes and serves sangria on draft. See the full menu below.
Patrons can expect more than just a cold beverage here, however. In April, Intrinsic announced it would partner with pitmaster Tex Morgan and add barbecue to the menu. Hodson says because of local laws, Intrinsic needed a food component or the business would need to relocate from downtown.
"After about a year of going through trying to talk to the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, the state, the city, we found that food was the clearest option," Hodson says. He hopes Intrinsic will be part of the revitalization the downtown Garland.
The food menu offers a variety of house-smoked meats to stand alone, to be sandwiched between bread or tossed on top of nachos. For dinner, the restaurant will also sell wings, flatbreads, ribs and dessert, including ice cream made by Hodson's father, Daniel Hodson. For the grand opening, he's created bacon vanilla, porter and sangria ice cream flavors.
Although Intrinsic's brick and mortar location is new to town, the brewery has been at the front of craft beer nerds' minds and palates for more than a year. In 2014, Intrinsic won a homebrewing competition at Deep Ellum Brewing Co., which afforded them the opportunity to commercially brew and release a honey basil hefeweizen over the summer. Additionally, the owners ran a successful crowd-funding campaign that offered free beer for life to anyone who donated $2,000.
Stop by on Saturday between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. to check out the space. Admission is free and patrons pay by the beer and bite. If you find something you like on draft, you can also take it home in a growler.
Intrinsic's regular hours are Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The business is closed on Mondays to brew.
Intrinsic Smokehouse and Brewery menus:
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