A Day in Fort Worth at Martin House Brewery

Martin House logo inside the warehouse

Driving up to Martin House Brewery on Sylvania Avenue, you might wonder if your GPS has failed you. The seemingly abandoned warehouse of the correct address shows no remnants of life. A quick phone call to the main number posted on their website directed me to pull around the corner in the back. Before turning into the actual parking lot, you see a neato view of the Downtown Fort Worth Skyline on the horizon with the river only feet away. The neighborhood is somewhat sketchy, surrounded by rusty junk yards and auto repair shops, but Martin House is neatly placed like a jewel in the middle of a satisfying location.

Patrons at Martin House waiting for tour to begin

The Martin House logo sits high above the warehouse garage door, which is the entrance for patrons taking the tour. I'm greeted by none only but the owner who seems a little tipsy himself. The friendly volunteer at the door accepted the ten dollar cover, which allows me three pints of the beer of your choice and a souvenir glass. As you can see from my twitter posts: 

I did a walk through #video at #MartinsHouseBrewery. I also asked the volunteer server about favorite #beer http://t.co/lHJDQHLQOK
— AJ Peck (@soundlot) November 12, 2014

 The place has a fun atmosphere, which makes you want to semi-party and practically forget about the tour (the tour is really just a guy explaining the brewing process in front of the brewing equipment in the middle of the warehouse.) The floor is concrete, and the benches are contrived of a large block of wood and two kegs. The walls are made of uneven drywall, and painted in quality art with creates a nice aesthetic value. 

Craft beer is a fun past time for me, but it also is becoming the new snob wine. Most of my experience with trying new flavors are from restaurants, but I felt like this was a much more fun and relaxed atmosphere in comparison to the over priced vendors. 



Out of the four beers on tap there are two that definitely hold their own. The pretzel stout has a rich flavor worthy of a meal that, dare I say, Guinness doesn't hold a candle to, and the Daybreak had a lighter honey taste better suited for the connoisseur who prefers less kick. 

Souvenir glasses

This place has a great following, with at least 200 people there, even right up until closing at 5. Music was performed by a lone guitar player with several funky looking guitars and instruments (yes, I probably should have focused on the music a little more, but he was just wrapping up his set as I got there.) In the back yard there are folks playing a bean bag game and playing fetch with their dogs. A Central Market truck in the mostly packed lot served some unique and socially conscious food.

A view outside in the back of Martin House Brewery

Overall, I had a great time, and it seems as though there are at least several other breweries popping up around Dallas and Fort Worth. Have you been to one yourself? What was it like?