{"id":7036076,"date":"2026-08-10T03:04:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T03:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/beer\/belgians-on-the-southside-north-texas-beer-blog\/"},"modified":"2026-08-10T03:04:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T03:04:14","slug":"belgians-on-the-southside-north-texas-beer-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7036076","title":{"rendered":"Belgians on the Southside \u2013 North Texas Beer Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"


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One aspect of modern craft beer that is too often overlooked in this space is the rich depth and variety of Belgian beer styles. With a focus primarily on the breweries of the North Texas region, these beers are missed as no locals are fully \u201cof the Belgian tradition\u201d and too few of them attempt the demanding and complex classic styles that can be a challenge to sell to locals.<\/p>\n

That oversight is a disservice to the readers here. As a stylistic category, Belgian brewers<\/a> are known as rule-breakers, not bound by the often restrictive brewing heritage and conventions of other European countries. The beers they have produced for centuries, including those by Trappist monks, are often more yeast-forward and unafraid of fruit and other adjuncts, and can often defy more narrow flavor classifications. Some house yeast strains have been distinctly cultivated for centuries, and wild (natural) fermentation is also embraced for sometimes unexpected and unrepeatable results.<\/p>\n

So when Shawn Howell, a long-time Forth Worth craft bar manager and local craft beer majordomo, decided to host a Belgian Beer Dinner<\/a> this month at Southside Cellar, I jumped at the chance for both the beers and the venue. Southside Cellar<\/a> opened as a craft beer and wine bar and bottle shop in 2020 on the city\u2019s revitalized South Main (\u201cNear Southside<\/a>\u201c) district, and has become a strong local rival to the downtown\u2019s original Flying Saucer<\/a> for the most significant curated craft beer scene in the area.<\/p>\n

The multicourse meal was prepared in conjunction with and hosted by Collin Zreet of Priory<\/a>, a self-proclaimed \u201cghost brewery\u201d enterprise that collaborates on specialized brewing and custom events such as this. Zreet himself is one of our state\u2019s rare Advanced Cicerones<\/a> and a former owner of Funky Picnic Brewery & Cafe, which once operated just down the street (closed in 2024).<\/p>\n

The casual, communal evening proceeded with some astonishingly good food and beverage pairings:<\/p>\n