News You Can Booze

Neat Whiskey Ranch distills spirits with history at old Fort Worth golf club

Combining 80,000 square feet of distillery space with a legendary 18-hole golf course, Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co.’s Whiskey Ranch opens to the public Friday, November 10.

The distillery, located on the grounds of the former Glen Garden Country Club in southeast Fort Worth, is touting itself as the largest west of the Mississippi River. And while it's not a "ranch" in the usual sense of the word, it is meant to be a destination and gathering place.

The expansive space includes multiple rooms and buildings for meetings and events, shopping, tours, and tastings. Co-owner Leonard Firestone calls it "an historic venue where friends can celebrate, gather, learn, and experience whiskey together."

Historic, because the old golf club is where legends Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson learned to play the game; golfing memorabilia acquired from Glen Garden is on display.

Guests enter through a massive iron front gate, where they pass rolling hills and golfing greens en route to the Ranch House. That’s where they can shop in a retail store for everything from logo shirts to leather goods and sip whiskey samples and cocktails in The Tavern.

Starting Friday, guests can stop and sip a while at The Tavern, where they can drink TX straight-up or in a handcrafted cocktail. (Don't miss the Pecan Old Fashioned and the TX Smash.)

A secret door in the “barrel breezeway” leads to a small room available for private dining. With the turn of a key, stacked barrels rise to reveal the room’s doorway.

Reclaimed wood and metal are prominent design touches throughout the Western-inspired facility, as are cowhide rugs, leather seating, and reclaimed whiskey barrels. The facility offers sprawling views of the downtown Fort Worth skyline and places to get cozy by indoor and outdoor fireplaces.

Owners Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson launched TX Blended Whiskey in 2012 from their original distillery location, at 901 West Vickery Blvd., just south of downtown. In December 2016, the distilling duo debuted their highly anticipated bourbon, which flew off the shelves as a hot Christmas present.

Firestone & Robertson will move production of both whiskeys to Whiskey Ranch and keep the original location to produce small batch whiskeys.

Their move to Whiskey Ranch was not seamless. When Firestone and Robertson bought Glen Gardens in 2014, they were met with well-publicized resistance from neighbors who worried that a distillery would bring noise, traffic, and general bad behavior. But zoning issues were cleared, and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission refused to hear protests against the distillery's application for a permit.

Robertson told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “It was to be expected that people … would be concerned. They really didn’t know what to expect. There aren’t many distilleries in the state. Certainly not in North Texas. But I think now, hopefully, they’ve seen that it’s a very well-done property and buildings. We’re not a liquor store. We’re a business, a manufacturer, but more of a lifestyle and entertainment venue.”

Whiskey Ranch can be booked now for private events, although tee times aren’t available while parts of the course are still being revamped. Tours won’t be offered until 2018 as bottling lines and the distilling room is still under construction.

On Thursdays and Fridays through the end of 2017 (except during holiday weekends), guests can visit from 12 noon-5 pm to experience the grounds and drink at The Tavern. Find it at 2601 Whiskey Ranch Road, Fort Worth, 817-840-9140, www.frdistilling.com

Cozy up by the fire and take in gorgeous views from the back patio.

Photo courtesy of Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co.

Cozy up by the fire and take in gorgeous views from the back patio.

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Restaurant News Roundup

New pizza and cinnamon knots sweeten this Fort Worth restaurant news

Mountain Mike's

Cinna-Knots now at Mountain Mike's.

Fort Worth is experiencing an unusually busy period right now in dining news, with openings, closings, and everything in between. That includes new menus for fall, seasonal items, special drinks, and lots more.

Here's what's happening in Fort Worth restaurant news:

Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery have opened a co-branded location at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, 1500 Cooper St., on the first floor of the newly expanded Dodson Specialty Clinics. The store will be open weekdays from 8 am-5 pm for hospital guests, staff, and patients.

Jeremiah's Italian Ice has opened a location at 7032 Blue Mound Rd. in Fort Worth. It's owned by former lawyer Steven Dubberly who also owns a Jeremiah's in Keller, which he opened in May.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opened a location in Burleson at 608 SW Wilshire Blvd. This is the 500th location for the chain which is known for its unusual burger patties, pressed thin to create crispy edges, and finished with their "famous" Steakburger and Fry Seasoning.

Little Brother's Pizza, an independent pizzeria founded in Burleson, has opened a second location in north Fort Worth at 9500 Ray White Dr. They're unique in that they do pizza by the slice with deals at lunch like 2 slices and a drink for $6. They do both regular crust and deep dish pizza, calzones, garlic knots, sub sandwiches, and pastas.

Sushi Nomi, a well-regarded sushi restaurant at 8653 N. Beach St. in north Fort Worth, has closed after seven years. The restaurant posted a notice on its Facebook page stating that it would be closing down "until further notice." They first opened in 2016 and built up a following for the freshness of their fish and ingredients, and their attentive service.

Tributary Cafe, which had been doing comfort and Cajun food in a charming old house at 2813 Race St. since 2016, closed. Owner Cindy Crowder Wheeler chose not to renew the lease.

West Side Cafe will close temporarily from October 23-31. According to a Facebook post, the closure is to execute repairs to utilities under the building. On November 1, they'll go back to their usual breakfast-and-lunch from 7 am-3 pm.

Jane the wine bar-restaurant in Southlake has rolled out new menu items for fall including Buffalo Breeze Shrimp Tacos with jalapeno ranch slaw, Chicken & Waffle (served all day and night), Salmon Bites, a herbivore meatless burger with avocado, and loaded waffle fries. New cocktails include a Fire Orchard Mule with Honeycrisp Apple Vodka, Apple, Cinnamon and Ginger Beer; Pumpkin Jack with Aviation Gin, pumpkin, orange, and vanilla; and a Blood Orange Margarita.

Brass Tap, the Florida craft beer chain, is opening a location in Cross Roads, at 11450 US 380 #160. The location will open on October 23. It's from franchsee Sid Patel, who owns The Brass Tap in Allen, Frisco, and Prosper, and has plans to open five more locations across DFW.

Mountain Mike's Pizza, the California-based chain known for its crispy, curly pepperonis and mountain-sized pizzas, which just opened its first location in Fort Worth, at 3488 TX-144, across the street from the Texas Motor Speedway, already has something new on the menu: Cinnamon Not-Knots, made with cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and mozzarella cheese. It's the brand's first dessert release since its Mini Churrs in 2021, and join their savory Garlic Not-Knots! counterpart as the latest new product Mountain Mike’s has introduced including Mountain Fries, Mini Churrs, and seasonal Heart Shaped Pizzas.

Thirsty Lion, the gastropub with locations in Euless, Dallas, Irving, and The Colony, has launched its seasonal fall menu available through November 26, featuring seared rare ahi tuna, arugula & beet salad with fennel and candied walnuts, Wagyu beef burger with Malbec-caramelized onions and sharp white cheddar, shrimp & butternut squash linguine with red peppers, black cherry BBQ pork tenderloin with white cheddar mashed potatoes, and whiskey Bing cherry bread pudding.

Hat Creek Burger Company has launched a new Green Chili Queso, featured in three new side dish items: Green Chili Queso and chips, fries, or tots, through the end of 2023.

Hopdoddy has an October burger of the month: The Upstate, featuring grass-fed beef, meat sauce, macaroni salad, French fries, onion, mustard, & Mayo, inspired by The Rochester Garbage Plate, a staple in NYC and often found at NYC bodegas.

Cicis Pizza has a new Tots N’ Bacon Pizza topped with tots and bacon, available to-go in varying sizes, from $10 to $14, through November 26.

Freebirds World Burrito has brought back the Shredded Beef Birria through the end of 2023.

DQ restaurants in Texas has a new Spicy Chicken Strip Country Basket with fries and Texas toast, $10-$13 depending on order size. They already serve a chicken strip basket; this is just a spicy version and it's available for alimited time, how long that time is, they do not say.

White Rhino has new fall drinks: pumpkin spiced chai latte, Caramel Apple Cider, a S'mores-flavored Campfire Latte, and Blue Chai with butterfly pea powder. New seasonal snacks include Pumpkin Loaf, Spiced Krispie Treat, Pumpkin Whoopie Pie with spiced pumpkin cake, maple frosting filling, and white chocolate drizzle, Caramel Apple Tart with streusel topping, Whiskey Peach Pop-tart, and the Pear and Pecan Salad.

Gong cha bubble tea chain with nine DFW stores Dallas area has two Halloween drinks: Chocolate Horror Delight featuring chocolate, coconut jelly, Oreo milk foam, and Oreo crumble; and Bloody Taro with white pearls, strawberry syrup, strawberry milk foam, and strawberry swirl, available through October 31.

SusieCakes has spooky selections through October 31 including Ghost and Pumpkin Sugar Cookies, a Cookie Decorating Kit featuring six pumpkin cookies and six ghost cookies, Black “SusieKitty” Cake, Vintage Spiderweb Cake, Barbie Halloween Cake featuring a Halloween skirt covered in ghosts, Ghost Cake, Candy Corn Cake, and a “Boo” 4-Cupcake Box.

Tiff’s Treats has Halloween cupcake flavors like Spooky Tie Dye, Green Goblin, Eyeball, and Bear-ied Alive, plus a cookie flavor of the month: Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie with Reese’s Pieces.

Smoothie King, the Dallas-based smoothie chain, has two new Smoothie Bowls flavors: Açai Cocoa Haze and Coco Pitaya-Yah, packed with vitamins and antioxidants and topped with a dairy-free and vegan chocolate hazelnut drizzle. Each bowl boasts superfoods like açai or pitaya, topped with fruit, granola, coconut, dairy-free cocoa nibs, and a new chocolate hazelnut drizzle made with only four ingredients.

Yogurtland has a new frozen yogurt flavor: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie, accompanied by mini caramel Stroopwafel topping.

El Chico has a seasonal cocktail: Mr. Fireball ‘Rita, a frozen margarita with Fireball cinnamon whiskey, grenadine, and Mr. Pibb, available through January 8.

Blue Goose Cantina has two new margarita flights – one frozen, one on the rocks, at all seven Blue Goose locations in Frisco, Plano, Highland Village, McKinney, Grapevine, Fort Worth, and Grand Prairie, for $20. The frozen flight has the original, mango, and a swirl; the rocks flight has a classic, hibiscus, and mango.

Bar Louie has a limited-time Fall Spiced Old Fashioned with Maker’s Mark bourbon, pumpkin spice, orange bitters, orange peel, and cinnamon stick, classic for $11 through November 30; and Louie’s Cosmo, their featured Martini of the Month with Absolut Citron, O3 Liqueur, simple syrup, lime, cranberry, and a lemon twist.

El Taco Rico won the 2023 Save The Tacos Contest held by the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau, placing first with their El Taco Rico, a beef taco marinated in orange and lime juice, cumin, Mexican oregano and chipotle peppers, topped with pickled onions, cilantro, cotija cheese and avocado crema in a flour tortilla beating eight other participants.

Farm Sanctuary is one of the many organizations urging consumers to speak out against the "EATS Act," introduced by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), which would override states' autonomy and dictate that every state allow the sale of products that are harmful to the environment or to animals. It's an attempt to override recent state intiatives banning the sale of pork from cruelly confined animals at factory farms. Link here to weigh in.

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