Untapped Dallas craft beer festival marked highlight of weekend

I tackled a real-life Sasquatch this weekend.

And it tasted amazing!

It was just one of many delicious beers I had the pleasure of sampling lastf Saturday at Untapped Dallas, a music and craft beer festival held outdoors at Gilly’s Dallas. The annual event showcased more than 300 beers on tap from craft breweries all over the country, including 15 local DFW breweries. A 12-band lineup, headlined by Cake, provided a steady soundtrack to the buzzy event.

Speaking of Cake, festivalgoers had plenty of tasty food to wash down as well.

Bishop Arts-based Bolsa provided the main menu, while Hypnotic Donuts was on hand to offer their brand of traditional donuts with a twist. I have to admit that I was leery of putting bacon on a donut, but Hypnotic Donuts proved me very, very wrong.

The festival naturally draws quite a few beer connoisseurs, but having a refined craft beer palette was hardly a requisite for having a great time. Guests received a festival program and commemorative tasting cup when they arrived, and from there the idea is simple: eat, mingle, and sample the smorgasbord of beers on tap while enjoying the live music.

With so many beers to choose from, it was a little overwhelming deciding where to start. With names like Birthday Suit, Legendary Gator, Black Rhino, and Dreamcrusher, everything sounded interesting so I just rolled up my sleeves and dove in. Despite large crowds all day, the abundance of options kept the lines pretty short and they all moved quickly.

After more beer samples than I can remember a few beer samples, I had to try some of the amazing food I had been smelling since I arrived. On a day set aside for brew, Bolsa completely delivered the goods on the food. The Smoked Chicken Drumstick with lemon pepper was a delicious take on a traditional fair favorite. There were also some excellent flatbreads, particularly the Twig and Branch with roasted grapes, goat cheese, and arugula.

But for me, nothing could top the Texas Chili Frito Pie with scallions. Pairing this hearty classic with a Revolver Blood & Honey isn’t for the faint of heart, but was a match made in beer fest heaven.

After all that food, I needed a little exercise, so I swung by the FC Dallas Game Garden that featured Ping-Pong, giant Jenga, foosball and Connect Four. I don’t think I burned many calories, but I did go 4-0 in foosball.

I had hoped to hang around long enough to see Cake close out the festival, but I didn’t quite make it. After a full day of beer sampling, food tasting and soccer (table soccer, but still), I was tapped out.