Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 7 best new bars for March

Where to drink

Boozie's/Facebook

A fresh batch of new bars has popped up in recent weeks, and this round is prime for spring sipping. All offer either expansive patios or picturesque interiors, and there’s plenty of space at each to spread out; so going with a group is welcomed. Live music is also a common theme with this collection of new spots – five of the seven places offer it regularly. Add these to your must-visit list and start checking it off.

Old Texas Brewing Company
The Burleson-based brewery and restaurant has breathed new life into the former Baker Street Pub location at 6333 Camp Bowie Blvd., which has sat dormant since December 2017. Opened in late February, the 7,000-square-foot space has been completely renovated to offer a 360-degree bar, spacious seating, live music, and TVs galore. While Old Texas Brewing Company is not currently “brewing” its own beers, there is a wide selection of local craft options and lots of happy hour specials for domestic beers and well drinks. (Note that Friday is “full price Friday.”) Also go hungry for tacos, barbecue, seafood, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads, and weekend brunch.

Boozie’s
When Dallas’ Bishop Cider acquired Fort Worth-based Wild Acre Brewing last May, changes were in store for Wild Acre’s satellite burger and beer joint at 6473 Camp Bowie Blvd. Now the restaurant and bar has officially transformed into Boozie’s Brewery & Gourmet Sandwiches, with former Wild Acre chef David Hollister now leading the helm as a co-owner. (A Fairview location is also in the works.) The interior looks mostly the same, but the menu has been updated with a big focus on gourmet sandwiches – think house-brined Wagyu pastrami and croque madame with bechamel sauce. An on-site brewery is in the works, but until then, Boozie’s offers 12 local beers on tap along with wine. There are also craft cocktails thanks to a new mixed beverage license for the space. Try the Nylund, a rose-infused cosmopolitan shaken with super chilled vodka and topped with an airy foam, or the bacon fat-washed old fashioned called Buzzed Belly that’s garnished with a bacon-infused cherry.

Goat & Vine Restaurant and Winery
Could this Italian restaurant and Instagrammer’s paradise perhaps be the GOAT for a cursed Montgomery Plaza corner space? At least nine restaurants have opened and closed in what’s been referred to as the “Bermuda Triangle” of West Seventh Street. But Goat & Vine may change that. Owned by Chicago-based restaurant group WeEat Hospitality, the concept serves its own private label wine along with house-made pastas, bottomless brunch packages, and photo-worthy dessert towers, cocktails, and spaghetti flambeed tableside in a parmesan wheel. (There’s also a location in Plano and another in Allen on the way.) The decorative interior is also a draw, with its separate bar area offering velvet, high-back stools and low chairs, a shiny black-and-white tiled floor, and plenty of photo ops with chandeliers and faux greenery. Try the Rose Spritz made with Aperol, Goat & Vine rose, Grand Marnier, and club soda; or the Silver Lining with tequila, pomegranate juice, plum bitters, and elderflower. During happy hour, Monday through Friday from 4-6 pm, all signature cocktails are $10 and wines by the glass and bottle are half-off.

Truck Yard Alliance
Dallas’ favorite “backyard bar garden” opened its fourth location in mid-January in the booming Alliance region of far north Fort Worth, at 3101 Prairie Vista Dr. Two months in, the come-as-you-are hangout is hitting its stride just in time for spring. The indoor-outdoor destination sits on almost two acres – enough space for everything from fire pits to an operational Ferris wheel. The Truck Yard is known for its food truck fare (think nachos and cheesesteaks), live music, and vintage decor – including old trucks that have bench seating in the bed. A sister concept to Second Rodeo Brewing in the Fort Worth Stockyards, the Truck Yard serves Second Rodeo draft beer along with craft cocktails on tap, frozen drinks, and even top shelf flasks. This location has debuted new technology that allows for ordering drinks by phone from any table to be delivered by a server, so prepare to sit and stay awhile.

Hearsay
Opened on March 3, this swanky new speakeasy is located inside Arlington’s Choctaw Stadium, where the Texas Rangers used to play. The luxe space, with its jewel tone lounge seating, velvet pintuck booths, and gold tiled bar display, has lots to offer. There’s upscale dining for lunch, brunch, and dinner, a stage for live lounge music, private lockers for wine and spirits, and a rooftop cigar patio overlooking Choctaw field. Craft cocktails on the menu include Raspberry Tart made with gin, lemon juice, and rose syrup, and Joe’s Old Fashioned featuring TX Bourbon and Fireball. Note that Hearsay has a dress code, meaning no shorts, flip-flops, or gym wear. Save this destination for when you're feeling fancy.

Branch & Bird
While not new, this sky-high downtown bar and restaurant has just reopened after an extensive renovation that took nearly three months. Perched on the 12th floor Sky Lobby level of the Frost Tower at 640 Taylor St., Branch & Bird comes back with a sophisticated new look. The dining area now offers sleek booth and table seating in tones of muted blue, while the updated separate bar area features cush high-back seating and a lit bar that glows like a setting sun. All areas provide skyline views, especially the breezy patio. Branch & Bird is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but don’t miss high-rise happy hour, Tuesday- Friday from 4-6 pm. It’s when craft beer, margaritas, and the featured cocktail are only $5, and domestic beers are only $3. There’s also live music on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room (coming soon)
Make your calendars: March 16 is the soft opening date for Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room, new in the corner spot at 1100 Foch St. that was once home to The Dogwood, Punch Bowl Social, and Times Ten Cellars. Music artist and East Texas native Koe Wetzel has a longtime cult following for his edgy songs that teeter between Texas country and rock genres – and he’s sure to make an appearance on occasion. Hospitality heavyweight Emil Bragdon (Whiskey Garden, Reservoir, Your Mom’s House) is a partner in the venture and says the space will feature an expansive patio and a DJ booth that’s been fabricated from the front of a Ford F-350. A full dining menu will feature dishes with influence from Wetzel, like cornmeal crusted catfish, slow-smoked beer can-stuffed chicken, and The Sancho – a “surefire remedy for one of Koe’s hangovers” – featuring a brisket-stuffed grilled cheese sandwich on garlic toast with a side of brisket queso. Wetzel fans know the Jack Daniels is sure to flow freely here – it’s Wetzel’s beverage of choice (by the bottle) during concerts.

Boozie's/Facebook

Boozie's makes pretty cocktails on Camp Bowie Boulevard.

Photo courtesy of Caterina's

Fort Worth's most romantic bars top this week's 5 hottest headlines

This week's hot headlines

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 7 best bars for romantic date-night cocktails. Celebrate love with luxurious cocktails all month long at these seven bars that just ooze elegance. Some offer dimly lit nooks for intimate seating while others present drinks whipped, shaken, and stirred with a flamboyant show.

2. 3 Fort Worth restaurants make Texas Monthly's list of best new spots in the state. Texas Monthly editor Patricia Sharpe has published her list of Texas' Best New Restaurants in 2023. One Fort Worth Mexican restaurant makes the list: Don Artemio, the upscale Mexican restaurant in the Museum District. Tim Love’s Italian restaurant Caterina’s and the revamped Paris Coffee Shop make the list of honorable mentions.

3. Texas literary giant Larry McMurtry's personal estate up for grabs at auction. The partial estate of one of the Lone Star State's most esteemed and prolific writers, Larry McMurtry, is about to go to auction — and fans will be able to get a first glimpse online. Taking place at San Antonio-based Vogt Auction Galleries on May 29, "The Estate of Larry McMurtry" auction will include items from the author's home in Archer City, Texas, including his writing desk, typewriters, artwork, and much more.

4. Huckleberry's bountiful breakfasts with Cajun twist to debut in Keller. There's big breakfast news for residents of Keller and beyond: Huckleberry's, a breakfast-and-lunch chain based in California, is opening a location in Keller at 711 Keller Pkwy., in a former location of Dickey's Barbecue Pit.

5. Willie Nelson is back at the ranch with a smokin' hot lineup for 2023 Luck Reunion. Willie Nelson says he's never been accused of being normal, and that's certainly true of his alternative music festival Luck Reunion. Returning for its 11th year, Luck Reunion is expanding from one day to three, featuring one-of-a-kind culinary and music experiences, March 15-19.

Photo courtesy of Caterina's

Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 7 best bars for romantic date-night cocktails

Where to drink

Celebrate love with luxurious cocktails all month long at these seven bars that just ooze elegance. Some offer dimly lit nooks for intimate seating while others present drinks whipped, shaken, and stirred with a flamboyant show. Most are in Fort Worth proper, and two are worth the drive to one of Tarrant’s ritziest neighborhoods. Date night definitely warrants the extra effort.

61 Osteria
Brand new in downtown, just across from Burnett Park, 61 Osteria is the latest concept from restaurateur Adam Jones (Grace, Little Red Wasp) and chef Blaine Staniford. This one is high-end Italian - think house-made semolina flour pastas, Atlantic swordfish, and olive oil cake. The spacious bar, with its sunny palette of yellow stools and chairs and floor-to-ceiling windows, seats 50. It’s where guests will find a sophisticated list of drinks, like the Bergamot Spritz with Prosecco from Italy, bergamot liqueur, lime, and mint. But don’t miss the Sexy Italian, a lovely lemon-colored sorbet of house-made limoncello whipped with more of that nice Prosecco in a copper bowl to order. The stylish cocktails are sure to kick off an evening of amore.

Photo by Celestina Blok

Cocktails are made to order at a bar cart at Caterina's.

Caterina’s
Chef Tim Love generated lots of buzz when he opened Caterina’s, his Italian fine dining establishment in the Fort Worth Stockyards, last summer with some big restrictions: jackets required for gentlemen, and no cell phones allowed. The restaurant has loosened its collar a bit – only for the fourth Friday of the month. That’s when they're open for a more laid-back lunch, one where the dress is casual and guests are free to take all the cell phone photos they wish. Ordering a cocktail in the dining room (which only seats about 40) is a must. A red-vested, bowtie-clad server will wheel a bar cart to your table for a truly entertaining experience. With glassware, cocktail shaker, ice bucket, and ingredients in tow, servers whip up libations tableside with a show. Try the Hugo, made with elderflower liqueur, rose Prosecco, soda water, mint, and lime; or the blue-hued, limoncello-infused Angelo Azzura. Patrons can also snag a seat at the six-person bar. Note that during the fourth Friday lunch, there is live music from a jazz ensemble and martinis are half-off.

Thompson’s Bookstore
The intimate downtown bar was one of the first craft cocktail destinations in town, having opened in 2015. The drinks, prepared with great precision, take time here, so don’t be in a hurry. Instead, find a plush velvet loveseat and take in the scenery. The building dates back to 1910 and formerly housed a pharmacy, an actual bookstore, and maybe even a brothel at one point in time. (Note the underground speakeasy is currently under renovation for a new look to be debuted later this year.) If you visit from February 11-14, take advantage of Thompson’s sweet and spirited Valentine’s package, which includes two glass of sparkling rose, any four cocktails, two cheesecakes from Sweetie’s, chocolates, and a long-stemmed rose. The deal is $100 and includes gratuity. Or visit anytime for The Saint, made with vodka, Aperol, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and sparkling brut. It’s the perfect nod to St. Valentine himself.

Refinery 714
Take love to new heights with a visit to this sky-high bar on the 24th floor of the Kimpton Harper hotel downtown. The sweeping 360-degree views are enough to take your date’s breath away, setting the tone for a romantic time. While whiskey is big here (the list runs deep), don’t miss the pretty little Lilac Lover. This gin-based cocktail is lavender in color and made simply with lemon juice, simple syrup, and lavender bitters. If you go on a Wednesday, you'll get to enjoy live music and a whiskey tasting from a local distiller starting at 7 pm.

The Amber Room
Date night done right is easy with a visit the Amber Room, the not-so-secret speakeasy tucked inside Wishbone & Flynt in the Near Southside. Enter through the unmarked door on Bryan Avenue or inside the restaurant through the gold door dotted with multiple doorknobs. Once your eyes adjust to the dimly lit interior, jewel-toned drapery, retro lounge chairs, imported rugs, twinkling chandeliers, and exposed brick walls will be revealed. The vibe is lavish with drinks to match. Cocktails are categorized by spirit and the menu is lengthy. Luxurious fan favorites include the Lavender Nuptials with vodka, honey lavender syrup, crème de violette, and whipped egg whites; and the smoking hot Strait Spice, made with George Strait’s Codigo Blanco tequila, pineapple, jalapeno simple syrup, lime, and honey. Note the bar is open late on Friday and Saturday nights.

Leela’s Wine Bar
Take a trip to Trophy Club for this pretty neighborhood wine and cocktail bar, which is connected to its sister concept, HG Sply Co. With emerald green booth seating, feathered chandeliers, and candlelit tables, the boutique bar serves libations and a small menu of pizzas and salads. Leela’s is extra lovey-dovey this month with a Valentine’s-themed pop-up that will run through February 26. Go for photo ops galore with floral backdrops and red and pink cocktails, some served with a fiery sparkler. Try the Buy Myself Flowers, made with strawberry and hibiscus infused gin, elderflower liqueur, guava, lime, rhubarb bitters, and served with a positive affirmation card.

Social Oak
Yet another reason to trek to Trophy Club is Social Oak, a wine and whiskey lounge opened late last summer that features a unique self-pour dispensing system with more than 50 wines and nearly 30 whiskeys. Guests can navigate their own tasting experience with pours ranging from one to two ounces for whiskeys and one to five ounces for wine. There’s also a cocktail menu for those who prefer to sit back in a leather booth and not lift a finger. Try the Daiquiri made with rum and key lime juice, or the Trophy Wife shaken with passion fruit and vanilla vodka. On Sundays happy hour starts at 4 pm with discounted self-pours and half-price select cocktails and bites.

Photo by Stacy Luecker

Best neighborhood Christmas lights shine in this week's 5 hottest Fort Worth headlines

This week's hot headlines

1. Best neighborhoods and homes for Christmas lights around Fort Worth in 2022. Loading the family into the car and driving around, looking at Christmas lights, is a cherished holiday tradition. But, where to go? Here is a list of top local homes and neighborhoods for Christmas lights this season. For a larger list of spectacular Christmas lights around Fort Worth, including drive-thrus and commercial displays, click here.

2. Cinemark opens select theaters for college football playoffs including TCU bowl game. The Cinemark movie theater chain is bringing back a special viewing experience that involves not movies but sports: The Plano-based company is teaming with ESPN to bring college football games to the big screen. This postseason, fans can catch three of the biggest games, and that includes TCU's bowl game on New Year's Eve, as well as the College Football Playoff National Championship in January.

3. ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd team up for first time with tour coming to Fort Worth. It will be a classic rock bonanza when ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd come to Fort Worth as part of their first co-headlining tour, "The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour," which will stop at Dickies Arena on July 29, 2023. Fort Worth will be the fourth of 22 stops around North America for the tour in summer 2023.

4. Texas hot spot hooks No. 1 ranking as best college city in America. It might be a bit reductive to call Austin a college town, but that's what makes it so good. It certainly benefits from the creativity and industry of college living, but there's a lot more to do than go to gentrified lunches and cool, underground shows. Recognizing this special balance, financial website WalletHub has declared Austin the No. 1 college city in the United States for 2023, beating out some obvious contenders like Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio.

5. Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 7 festive bars for holiday cocktails. Tis the season for holiday cheer – which often comes in the form of a great cocktail. And the more merriment, the better, it seems, as more bars are getting serious with their seasonal offerings. There’s no such thing as “over-the-top” for these Fort Worth bars - some brand new, some old favorites - all worth a stop this month for making spirits bright.

Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 7 festive bars for holiday cocktails

Where to drink

‘Tis the season for holiday cheer – which often comes in the form of a great cocktail. And the more merriment, the better, it seems, as more bars are getting serious with their seasonal offerings. In addition to wintery-themed drinks, some feature floor-to-ceiling holiday décor, festive glassware, and one venue even installs colorfully lit, igloo-shaped bubbles available by reservation. There’s no such thing as “over-the-top” for these Fort Worth bars - some brand new, some old favorites - all worth a stop this month for making spirits bright.

The Down ‘n Out
Despite its name, there’s nothing down and dreary about this brand new bar at 150 W. Rosedale St., currently home to a nationwide Christmas-themed pop-up called Sippin’ Santa. From the same folks who launched the New York City-based Miracle pop-up (more on that below), this tiki-themed version goes tropical with island-inspired cocktails, glassware, and décor. Throw on a Hawaiian shirt and try the Tequila Yule Tide, which is shaken with lime and maple-cranberry syrup and served in the most adorable Santa “merman” mug. Or bring a friend and share Rudolph’s Rum Rhapsody, a large format drink made with two kinds of rum, fruit juices, ginger, and aromatic bitters served in a vessel that features Santa sitting in a hot tub with Rudolph. (Insert eyebrow raise.) Even better, all said glassware is for sale.

Birdie’s Social Club
Open since August, this open-air, multi-space bar and venue sits in the former Lola’s spot between 5th and 6th streets. It boasts multiple patios, indoor and outdoor bars, and right now, all the Christmas spirit one can responsibly handle. Think twinkling lights, hanging tinsel, blow-up Santas, spiked hot chocolate with marshmallows fire-torched to order, a Christmas paper-wrapped bar, and photo ops aplenty. Grab a seat by the video-projected crackling fireplace on loop and sip a Son of a Nutcracker, just one of several holiday cocktails on the menu right now. It's a spin on the classic Old Fashioned made with pecan-brown sugar bourbon and smoked cinnamon. The Gingersnapped, made with pecan-brown sugar bourbon and cinnamon and ginger-spiced cream, is also fun.

Nickel City
This South Main Street bar is no stranger producing holiday magic. Nickel City is home once again this year to Miracle, the nationwide Christmas-themed pop-up bar currently activated in more than 100 cities. Originating in New York City, Miracle takes bar-goers to a wonderland of holiday merriment. At Nickel City, it’s raining Christmas cheer with colorfully wrapped presents and string lights hanging from the ceiling. Intricate glassware sets the tone for the season, serving festive cocktails like the Christmaspolitan, Snowball Old-Fashioned, and the hilarious new Grandma Got Run Over By A T-Rex, which comes in a T-Rex-shaped mug. The pop-up will run through December 31. Fun fact for parents: kids can visit between the hours of 12-7 pm daily.

Blackland Distillery
This sophisticated Fort Worth distillery is known for its elevated approach to spirits and cocktails and for its intimate setting geared toward grown-ups. Its seasonal selections this month are no different. Visit now for Pecan Eggnog made from scratch and spiked with Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon and Blackland Rye Whiskey. There’s also a potent mulled cider made with Blackland 100 Proof Rye, cloves, orange slices, and maple syrup. Or go more minty with Alexander’s Sister, featuring Blackland’s popular gin along with crème de menthe and cream. The booth seating, horseshoe-shaped bar, dim lighting, and crystal chandeliers lend to the modernly merry vibes.

Bacchus
The glitzy restaurant at Grapevine's Hotel Vin downtown is home to a real winter wonderland with the installation of igloo-shaped dining bubbles along the restaurant’s WineYard lawn. Available by reservation only, these cozy nooks for noshing come with heaters, faux fur-covered seating, festive fondue, and lights that change colors with the tap of a remote. (Select green if you need your server to check in.) The winter wonderland theme continues with Bacchus’ Christmas cocktail menu. Don’t miss the White Christmas Margarita rimmed with coconut flakes and made with coconut milk and Cointreau, or the popular S’mores Martini garnished with a crushed graham cracker rim and toasted marshmallow. Other wintery selections include the Campfire Smoked Old Fashioned; Après Toddy with reposado tequila, honey, and lemon; and the Winter Berry Gin & Tonic with berries and smoked rosemary. Make time to mosey around the hotel to take in the gleaming Christmas decorations or sit by the lobby fireplace.

Curfew
This one takes a bit of navigating but is worth the extra effort. Located underground beneath The Tower downtown, Curfew greets guests with Zoltar the fortune reader, who’ll guide you downstairs beneath the big blow-up Santa Claus for a holiday experience decked out in disco balls. There are strings upon strings of holiday lights, hanging tinsel, paper-wrapped barstools, and Christmas movies projecting on repeat. Don’t miss the interactive Tableside S’mores Platter (complete with a personal flame); refreshing Hibiscus Mule with vodka, ginger, mint, and lime; or the rum-infused campfire cocktail garnished with a toasted marshmallow, called I Want S’more. Curfew also serves tasty stone-fired pizzas.

Miller Tavern at Texas Live!
Wrap it in Christmas paper and they will come. This Arlington sports bar inside the Texas Live! entertainment complex by the Globe Life Field is currently drenched in holiday spirit thanks to another Miracle pop-up. From the bar to the walls and even the ceiling, every inch of this establishment is either paper wrapped, adorned with stockings, dripping with Christmas lights, or sprayed with canned snow. Because it’s home to a Miracle pop-up, the Christmas cocktails will sound familiar: there’s the Christmaspolitan and Snowball Old Fashioned, but don’t miss the new Holiday Spiked Chai made with Jamaican rum; Santa’s Little Helper made with gin, eucalyptus, and spiced caraway syrup; and the Christmas Cricket made with tequila blanco, dark chocolate, cream, and minty liqueur. The Miller Tavern will also host lots of theme nights to add to the fun. Visit Mondays for movie night, Thursdays for karaoke, holiday movie trivia this Tuesday, and an ugly sweater party on Friday with DJ music. The kitchen is also open nightly for bar bites.

Miracle on 5th Street/Facebook

Get jolly with one of Miracle's Christmas-themed cocktails at pop-ups in Fort Worth and Arlington.

Photo courtesy of TX Whiskey

Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 5 best bars for cozy fall cocktails

Where to drink

Autumn often gets lost between long hot summers and the countdown to Christmas. But with consistently cool weather finally here and a couple weeks left in November to enjoy it, the time is right to sip something spirited and fall-spiced. Think rich bourbons, buttered rums, and flavors of pear and pumpkin. Throw on a sweater and check off these five Fort Worth bars for the best of fall cocktails.

Lockwood Distilling Co. Fort Worth
Celebrating its one-year anniversary since opening a location in Fort Worth, this Richardson-based distillery boasts its own portfolio of spirits. The lineup includes gin, straight bourbon whiskey, hibiscus flavored vodka, an array of rums, and the sweater weather fan-favorite bourbon cream liqueur (try it in coffee). All spirits are available for purchase by the bottle to-go (a great gift for at-home mixologists) but stay to find fall vibes at the bar. This month’s featured cocktail is called The Apple of My Rye, which combines straight rye whiskey, apple cider, brown sugar, and fall spices. Feel good about ordering it because a portion of this month’s sales from the cocktail will benefit Mindset Charities, which provides adaptive exercise for multiple sclerosis patients. Folks can also cozy up with new cocktails that will carry over into winter, including Not The Gumdrop Buttons made with bourbon, gingerbread syrup, and holiday spices, and The Nog Days Aren’t Over made with vanilla rum, eggnog, black walnut bitters, brown sugar, and sweet vermouth.

The Basement Lounge
The modern rustic underground bar on Camp Bowie Boulevard creates a cozy atmosphere with its warm fireplace, fluffy pillows, and a slew of cool weather-inspired cocktails. On the menu is Autumn in Ridglea, a bourbon whiskey beverage spiked with vanilla vodka and blended with pumpkin, brown sugar, and nutmeg. (Think pumpkin pie in a glass.) There’s also a fall spin on the classic old fashioned – the Beauregard Old Fashioned infuses Beauregard sweet potatoes with TX Whiskey, brown sugar, and baking spices. It’s served beautifully garnished with a dehydrated ribbon of sweet potato. Also don’t miss the Averna Antica, made with rye whiskey and served in a coupe glass combining hints of orange and licorice with notes of juniper, berries, cloves, and sage. The classic Smoked Old Fashioned, presented in a smoky glass box, is also good for warming up inside and out.

The Fitzgerald
Chef Ben Merritt is going strong at his Camp Bowie Boulevard coastal-inspired restaurant, The Fitzgerald. Weekend brunch is brand new here (it’s reminiscent of a Sunday in the French Quarter, minus the jazz trio) and with it comes new cocktails ideal for finding fall vibes. There’s Hot Buttered Rum made with demerara, spiced butter, and nutmeg; and the refreshing Café de Valencia, made with Valencia orange tequila, coffee liqueur, and cold brew coffee served frothy in a coupe glass. Also don’t miss the Apple Pie Old Fashioned made with bourbon and Granny Smith apples.

Whiskey Ranch
Any excuse to visit the sprawling Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., known as Whiskey Ranch, is a good one – especially when fall cocktails are calling. Visit the on-site Tavern bar for specialty libations perfect for sipping by the stone fireplace on the distillery’s ranch-inspired Back Porch. The current cocktail of the month – which may be served hot or cold – is the TX Cider, made simply with TX Whiskey, apple cider, maple syrup, and garnished with apple slices and cinnamon sticks. There’s also a Spiced Pear concoction infused with pineapple, fall-spiced syrup, and lemon; and the Pecan Old Fashioned made with TX Bourbon, brown sugar pecan simple syrup, and bitters. Cocktails also come with a sunset skyline view. Note that the Whiskey Ranch Tavern is open select Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and during special events.

The Usual
The OG of craft cocktail bars in Fort Worth, The Usual on West Magnolia Avenue has upped the bartending game in town since 2009. (Don’t ask for a pumpkin spice martini here.) Visit now to experience their fall menu of sophisticated cocktails with elaborate names, like Caught in the Rain. This one starts with apple brandy that’s stirred and shaken with coconut syrup, Bruto Americano bitter apertivo liqueur, and lime juice. Or try the mezcal-based La Pierda Claro, made with agave, celery, and cardamom bitters. This season’s Daiquiri special features aged rum, apple brandy, cinnamon syrup, and lime. Note that happy hour is all night Sunday and Monday, and 4-7 pm Tuesday through Friday.

Whiskey Ranch Maple Apple Cider cocktail, TX Whiskey

Photo courtesy of TX Whiskey

Whiskey Ranch Maple Apple Cider, featuring TX Whiskey.

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

Carter Museum in Fort Worth showcases rare Western photos by celeb shooter

Photography News

Photographer Richard Avedon is best known for his work in fashion and portraits, but the Amon Carter Museum of American Art is showcasing another glorious side.

Called"Avedon's West," it's an installation of select works Avedon shot from 1979-1985 for an exhibit that was commissioned by The Carter in 1979. That exhibit, called "In the American West," was a landmark body of work of 124 photographs.

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Avedon's birth, the Carter will showcase 13 of those 124 photographs, several on view for the first time since their 1985 premiere.

The museum-wide installation is on view at the Carter now through October 1.

"We are excited to take part in the national celebration of Richard Avedon’s 100th birthday and to have the opportunity to highlight this influential project, which our museum commissioned nearly 45 years ago,” says Carter Executive Director Andrew J. Walker in a statement.

"Today, Avedon’s 'In the American West' is regarded as a turning point in the photographic canon, challenging conceptions of portraiture and late twentieth-century American life," Walker says. "We are proud to be a part of the history of this monumental project, which is rooted in the Carter’s long-held commitment to working with living artists to tell a broader story of American art."

In 1979, the Carter commissioned Avedon to create a portrait of the region. He spent the next six summers, from 1979 to 1984, traveling to 189 towns in 13 states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming — and into Canada.

He conducted 752 sittings of everyday and often marginalized people - oilfield and slaughterhouse workers, coal miners, students, and service workers - in the same iconic style he used in portraits of celebrities and politicians: against a seamless white backdrop, designed to remove visual markers of place and focus on the individuality of each person.

Each photograph is titled with subject name, location, date, and an occupation. The 1985 exhibition was regarded as a landmark work of portraiture and a definitive expression of the power of photographic art.

Highlights of the works on view in Avedon’s West include the following subjects and commentaries:

Ruby Mercer, publicist, Frontier Days, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 7/31/82 (1982) — This portrait is on view in the Modern America gallery, which highlights the explosive growth of technological advances and urban development in the twentieth century, and artists’ responses to these dramatic transformations. Avedon’s portrait of Mercer not only highlights the role of working women in the West, which is often overlooked in antiquated narratives of the region, but her profession as a publicist emphasizes the business of selling the West as a commodity.

Carol Crittendon, bartender, Butte, Montana, 7/1/81 (1981) — While most western art features male figures such as Euro-American cowboys, "In the American West" expands the narrative incorporating women more fully into the story of the West. Two photographs of Montanan women, including this portrait, are on view in the Legacy Gallery alongside iconic works by Charles Russell, who lived in Montana for over 40 years, broadening the gallery’s presentation of the American West to include other genders and professions.

Blue Cloud Wright, slaughterhouse worker, Omaha, Nebraska, 8/10/79 (1979), Avedon’s portrait of Wright is on view in the America as Landscape gallery, a space dedicated to depictions by nineteenth-century artists of the landscapes of what is now the United States. This positioning allows viewers to confront the reality of the slaughterhouse industry in a gallery that probes the relationships between humans, animals, and land in American national identity.

Rusty McCrickard, janitor, Tracey Featherston, motel maid, Dixon, California, 5/10/81 (1981) — As a photographer who spent his career photographing the powerful and famous, Avedon’s decision to turn his attention toward picturing everyday people in the same monumental style declares their importance and poses questions about class and equality that reverberate today. This portrait, on view in the Opulence and the Everyday gallery, focuses on the artwork that blossomed out of the affluence of the late nineteenth century. The insertion of Avedon’s subjects within the surrounding representations of wealthy socialites further reinforces the artist’s mission to democratize portraiture.

Country music bad boy Morgan Wallen headlines ACM Awards benefit show in Dallas-Fort Worth

Country concert news

Dallas-Fort Worth will be the center of the country music universe on May 11, when the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards are broadcast from The Star in Frisco. As with any worldwide, Super Bowl-level event, there'll be many happenings leading up to it. First up: a benefit concert headlined by Morgan Wallen.

The country music bad boy (and current superstar and reigning ACM Album of the Year winner) takes top billing on "ACM Lifting Lives LIVE: Morgan Wallen & Friends," a fundraiser for Lifting Lives, the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music. The "friends" taking the stage with him include reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year HARDY, reigning ACM New Female Artist and Song of the Year winner Lainey Wilson, ERNEST, Bailey Zimmerman, and DJ 13lackbeard.

The show will be held at 7:30 pm Wednesday, May 10 on the golfing green at Topgolf in The Colony. It will follow the Topgolf Tee-Off and Rock On Fundraiser, presented by VGT by Aristocrat Gaming, taking place earlier that day; the concert is ticketed separately from the golf tournament.

Just what does Lifting Lives do? According to a release, "in addition to distributing more than $4 million to date through its Covid Relief Fund, ACM Lifting Lives provides critical support through the Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund, significant annual commitments to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Music Health Alliance, and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, and individual grants to organizations that reach communities all across America."

Now in its fourth year (and first in Texas), the golf tournament brings together artists, industry members, and fans for a golf skills competition and an extended day of live entertainment.

"ACM Lifting Lives does great work providing aid in times of need to folks inside and outside of the music industry,” Wallen says in the release. “My band and I are excited to help them raise funds to continue doing this amazing work.”

Now, for the ticket details, per the release:

General Admission tickets to the concert became available to ACM Members, ACM A-List subscribers, 58th ACM Awards ticket holders, and Topgolf Friends and Family through an exclusive presale that started at 12 pm Thursday, March 23.
Remaining tickets will be available for a general public onsale beginning Friday, March 24 at 10 am through AXS.
Tickets to the benefit concert only are $350 plus service fees.
Those who have purchased bays for golf will be able to remain in their bay for the concert, with the bay serving as a suite to watch the show. A limited amount of VIP fan golf bays for the Topgolf Tee-Off and Rock On are available for purchase; email rockon@acmcountry.com.

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