Fort Brewery Opens Up a New Drinks Wonderland in Fort Worth — Expect Creative Brews, 162 Wines by the Glass and Plenty of Space

Fort Brewery picked up where Chimera Brewing left off when it rebranded in June of 2018 on Magnolia Avenue. Now, the siblings behind it — Will Churchill and his twin sister Corrie Watson — have completely overhauled a warehouse space behind Autobahn Volkswagen in the yet-to-be-named district which sits across White Settlement from The Foundry District in Fort Worth.

Fort Brewery has turned the warehouse into a cool tap house, brewery and event venue dubbed Fort Brewing at 2737 Tillar Street. After a sneak peek tour, I can tell you they took the full plunge and have big plans for this little brewery.

“We are open,” Corrie Watson tells PaperCity Fort Worth. “This past weekend was our first weekend fully opened and we are so excited to be back up and running.”

Assistant GM Alex Kresena took me back of house for the full tour of a project that’s been in the works for nearly a year. You enter through the patio. There’s a  retractable roof, colorful walls of murals, an AstroTurf cornhole court, a music stage complete with a $100,000 sound system, and seating for about 175 people. Fort Brewery went from about 7,000 square feet on Magnolia to more 25,000 square feet in this new Tillar location.

The full plunge in this case is really more like a backwards two and a half somersault with very little splash. In other words, Fort Brewery is no longer a side venture for these siblings.

They even hired Kevin King to serve as head brewer. He brings years of experience from the likes of Stone Brewing Co., Pyramid Brewing Co. and Redhook Brewery. King also brings along his penchant for Crisp Malt (a British malt company), which I am told is the secret ingredient that makes his brews so fresh and crisp tasting.

Fort Brewery now has a lineup of about 15 beers on tap, including its seven year round staples. These include Los Muertos Mexican lager and a blonde Ale called Clara, named after the first child born in Fort Worth.

Churchill and Watson are also the duo behind Frank Kent Cadillac. The twins took over leadership of their grandfather’s namesake dealership and launched Kent & Co. Wines on Magnolia as well. They pulled that out of Magnolia in 2019, turning over the keys to the space to Marty and Marilyn Englander, who finally renamed the wine garden Magnolia Wines last year.

For those still mourning the loss, though the name on the door of this new spot clearly reads Fort Brewery, you can expect a rebirth of Kent & Co. Wines too. You can enjoy 162 different bottles by the glass. A beautifully etched Riedel crystal glass, that is.

“We are using the Corvain system to keep the wines fresh,” Kresena says. “Guests can sample a flight in two ounce pours, or by the glass in a five ounce pour. And we are selling bottles as well.”

Food options at the new Fort Brewery still lead with pizza. There are 14 specialty selections plus a build your own option, all available in regular round or Detroit-style. You can also nibble on wings or brats, salads or sandwiches. There are four burgers, including a veggie burger.

“We have six pizza ovens and two flat top griddles, one of which is a dedicated vegetarian grill,” Kresena says. “That was important to me. I am a vegetarian. Because when you cook a beef burger and then throw a veggie burger on the same grill, it’s no longer vegetarian.

“We are also a nut free facility so that takes the guess work out of it for people with nut allergies.”

There is even a brunch selection to get your weekend off to the right start.

Fort Brewery is still finishing out two separate event spaces, one called the Wine Room complete with Kent & Co. Wines signage and the other dubbed the Barrel Room. These are tailor made for private parties and events. Live music from the patio stage even can be streamed in through the sound system.

The brewery is also experimenting with a few barrel aged stouts for fall and winter. Beer lovers can sample and taste, or take some home in a crowler, a growler or even a keg.

Fort Brewery is now open Mondays and Tuesdays from 11 am to 3 pm; Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 am to 11 pm; Fridays from 11 am to midnight; Saturdays from 10 am to midnight; and Sundays from 10 am to 10 pm.

Fort Brewery is ready to reintroduce itself to Fort Worth, and it’s built with expansion in mind.