Where to Drink Now

Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 5 top spots for creative cocktails

Jack Rose cocktail at Clay Pigeon in Fort Worth

The handcrafted Jack Rose cocktail at Clay Pigeon.

There's nothing that'll make you feel fancier than sipping on a handcrafted cocktail mixed right in front of you. And Fort Worth has its fair share of places to try a craft cocktail. But these five establishments and their standout concoctions are a cut above. So, step out of your cocktail comfort zone and give one of these spots a try.

The Usual
Situated in the heart of Magnolia Avenue's restaurant and bar scene, this Prohibition-style bar is as unassuming as you'd expect. The Usual has an extensive cocktail menu and knowledgeable bartenders who will ensure you end up with a drink sure to please the palate. Their Montpelier is a warm but sweet bourbon cocktail that includes rum, vermouth, and smoked maple syrup.

Little Red Wasp
This uncomplicated restaurant has a solid food menu and a bar featuring local brews and delicious cocktails. We recommend the Bitter Beauty, which combines vodka, Deep Ellum IPA, grapefruit juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and agave nectar. Craft beer in a cocktail? Sign us up.

Grace
Little Red Wasp’s upscale brother has an expansive bar and patio right on Main Street, pairing great views with featured cocktails. The Bee Sting is a must-try, as it contains gin, jalapeño honey, lemon juice, and egg whites, topped with a red jalapeño. But don't stop there, the bar is lined with a vast liquor selection, providing the opportunity to order any classic cocktail.

Clay Pigeon
This impressive restaurant features quite the selection of special cocktails. The K21 stands out as a mixture of blueberry-infused gin, lemon velvet tea syrup, lemon juice, and prosecco. It's a refreshing pick-me-up for a hot summer day. Equally refreshing is the Jack Rose cocktail, with Apple Jack brandy, pomegranate, grenadine, and fresh lime juice. And as with its cocktails, all the food is handcrafted and based on fresh, seasonal ingredients. Be sure to check in regularly to catch any new offerings.

Woodshed Smokehouse
Woodshed has made a name for itself by dishing up a selection of smoked offerings, and that's not exclusive to the food. The Smoked Old Fashion is made with whiskey, bitters, and smoked ice, for good measure. We recommend pulling up a chair on the bustling patio and sipping on this drink as you listen to live music.

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Doughnut News

Luscious doughnut shop Duck Donuts makes Fort Worth debut

Photo courtesy of Visit Addison

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A decadent new doughnut shop is coming to Fort Worth: Duck Donuts, a North Carolina-based chain known for serving doughnuts made to order, will open a shop at 6387 Camp Bowie Blvd. #A within the Ridglea Plaza Shopping Center in Fort Worth.

According to a release, the shop will open on Saturday December 21 at 7 am.

Duck Donuts opened its first locations in 2007 in the beach resort towns of Duck and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with the intention to create an oasis for vacationers. They're now headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and began franchising in 2013, with more than 150 locally owned and operated shops across 26 states and international locations. There was previously a DFW location in Addison on Belt Line Road that opened in 2020 but it did not survive the pandemic.

The Fort Worth shop is owned and operated by husband-and-wife Justin and Morgan Thomas.

“We are delighted to be opening in Fort Worth,” Justin says in a statement. “The community has been patiently waiting for us to open our doors, and now we cannot wait to sprinkle happiness to all with our warm, delicious and made-to-order doubhnuts.”

The 1,035-square-foot shop reflects the franchise’s reimagined design which gives a modern twist on their iconic beach theme and family-friendly atmosphere. Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by the aroma of warm, light vanilla cake doughnuts.

Customers can create their own combination by choosing from coatings, toppings, and drizzles, including traditional favorites such as chocolate icing with sprinkles and more adventurous creations such as maple icing with bacon.

Key to their appeal is the viewing area where children and adults alike can watch their doughnuts being made.

Many of their flavors have a beachy theme such as the Beach, a cake doughnut with vanilla icing dusted with cinnamon sugar; the Sunrise with lemon icing and raspberry drizzle; and the Beach Ball with vanilla icing, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle.

They rotate in seasonal offerings such as the current lineup of mint-flavored flavors including chocolate icing with mint buttercream. The doughnuts themselves are limited to vanilla and chocolate cake; the flavors come primarily from icing.

In addition to doughnuts, the Fort Worth location will serve coffee, doughnut breakfast sandwiches, doughnut sundaes — in which a doughnut is topped with ice cream and syrup — plus frozen beverages and milkshakes.

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