The scale and size of professional breweries always intimidates me, but really it’s just a scaled up version of an all grain system that us homebrewers use. Except a lot more of everything! 3 garbage cans full of spent grains, holy cow! And brick oven cheese pizza? That’s awesome. Pizza and beer were meant to be together, period.

Great write-up, Jeremy! Thanks for sharing.

Cheers!

Since then, Jimmie has been replaced as general manager and is no longer the majority owner in The Tap Exchange. Although he maintains ownership in the business, there is a new general manager and a new direction the principle owners wish to take.

As stated in my article, the Tap Exchange as Jimmie envisioned it was to be a craft beer bar the likes of which could not be seen anywhere except outside Texas. Not a chain craft beer bar, like the Flying saucer which has a great selection, but caters to a ‘partying crowd’, but a neighborhood bar that own could call home. A place that a true beer lover could appreciate. Just what do I mean by a true beer lover? Well, just that. Someone who has broadened their horizons, evolved their beer palate and appreciates what the American craft beer industry has to offer. Styles of beer and flavors of beer are so diverse, wine pales in comparison. Where as wine as but a handful of true styles, beer has so many your head would spin.

Texas already has a reputation as a backwoods, hillbilly, Budweiser drinking state. There are a few true craft beer bars in Texas; Dallas, Houston, Austin and even San Antonio has one other. There are a growing number of brewpubs and production breweries, however by and large this state is lacking in a true presence for craft beer when compared to the rest of the country. Recently, there was a change in the ownership and management at The Tap Exchange. Several of the craft beers on tap and in the bottle have not been re-ordered when they ran out. What seems to have replaced them is ‘dollar beer night’ and karaoke Saturdays. Moreover, it seems the new majority ownership seems more intent on being just another ‘insert your name here’ bar on the corner, than a unique neighborhood place and interest in helping to evolve the craft beer industry in Texas. Where is their Texas pride?!

I won’t digress much longer. The craft beer industry in the U.S. is both thriving and becoming well respected. So much love and creativity is poured into craft beer in the U.S., that it really seems to represent that American attribute of standing out against the world. One example is Brew Dog out of Scotland. They have taken on the attitude and adventuresome brewing of American craft brewers. Although a craft beer bar and not a brewery, The Tap Exchange Alehouse and grill attempted to highlight this uniqueness and help to further the industry in Texas. Now I fear another great craft beer establishment has fallen prey to the greedy ambitions of ignorant people interested only in money and being ‘just another bar on the wall’….