Fort Worth’s Rahr & Sons Brewing might have closed its doors in May to look for a larger space, but the facility is already being transformed by a new distillery.
Blue Flag Distillery plans to open the first North Texas distillery focused on American single malt whiskey by this fall. The 37,000 square-foot space located at 701 Galveston Avenue, just off South Main Street, is being revamped and will have a private tasting room, retail sales, and event space to host up to 600 people. The production area will be upgraded to accommodate distilling as well as brewing, and will include a brewhouse, four new handmade copper pot stills, a hybrid pot still, a vodka column, and a gin still.
“Everything, including the event space, will be completely redesigned with more natural light and a warm, hospitable ambiance,” founder and president Will Rucker tells PaperCity.
The Inspiration Behind Blue Flag Distillery
Blue Flag got its start on Rucker’s family porch in the Ryan Place neighborhood of Fort Worth, where his family would fly a blue flag to let the neighborhood know that all were welcome to come over and join in. Blue Flag Distillery is a natural extension of that hospitality, and Rucker is thrilled to find the distillery’s new home in Near Southside, noting that it was his first choice. “Finding a spot that could accommodate our vision in a timely manner was difficult,” he says. “Once we found that the former Rahr location was available and purpose-built, it was an easy decision.”
Alongside Rucker, the distillery is led by head of operations, Nate Swan, who was previously a head brewer at Rahr & Sons, Martin House Brewing, and Brew Aleworks, and has more than 10 years of experience as a brewer. “Nate, having worked with most of the equipment and knowing the ins and outs of the facility, was a bonus,” says Rucker.
The focus on whiskey comes from Rucker’s introduction to single malt whiskey while living abroad near friends from the U.K., where single malt whiskey is popular.
“We always knew that would be the spirit that would anchor our production,” Rucker says. “Now that the new category of American single salt whiskey has been ratified, we are even more excited to bring our own Fort Worth-based expression to our community and beyond.”
American Single Malt Whiskey
American single malt whiskey was recently recognized as a whiskey category by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The whiskey must be mashed, distilled, and aged in the U.S., distilled from 100-percent malted barley at a single distillery, and aged in oak barrels. Blue Flag’s whiskey will age for an anticipated three years, but the company is also producing artisanal gin and brewing beer on site. While the whiskey will still be aging when the space opens this fall, customers can expect sourced whiskey that Blue Flag has finished maturing in Fort Worth, and blended and bottled at the distillery.
“We are sourcing whiskey of a quality that we aspire to, and while it will be similar in style to what we will produce ourselves, each will carry their own nuance and unique flavor profile that really can’t be replicated because of some many discerning factors, with location being a significant one for multiple reasons,” says Rucker. “That’s what is so wonderful about trying different whiskeys, and producing them, as they are truly an expression of the place they are made.”
A variety of cocktails will also be available, including Rucker’s specialty — gin and tonics. Stay tuned for opening details.