New Drinks Haven Swings Into Fort Worth — Lockwood Distilling Quietly Opens

Lockwood Distilling has officially opened its first Fort Worth location at 1411 W Magnolia Avenue in Near Southside. The soft opening of this new Lockwood was in the operating team’s words, “our super soft, very gentle, whisper opening.”

The garage doors are lifted, and pups are invited to join you on the patio as Lockwood introduces itself to thirsty Fort Worthians.

“It has a similar vibe,” owner Evan Batt tells PaperCity Fort Worth about the newly opened distillery.

Just like the Richardson original, Fort Worth’s Lockwood has a crisp, brick bar back lined with powder coated black shelving, with stool seating along the counter. There are concrete floors and the same pop of rich forest green on feature walls.

Lockwood Distilling hails from Richardson, where it serves lunch, dinner and drinks, made with its own spirits. This includes Lockwood’s Straight Bourbon and Straight Rye, the Texas Style Gin, which adds a little orange peel and grapefruit to the still, and two vodkas ― one standard, the other hibiscus flavored and hued. There are also three rums ― a silver, a pineapple and a vanilla flavored rum. But the most addictive is possibly the Bourbon Cream Liqueur. It begins with Lockwood Bourbon then adds a touch of vanilla, almond, Texas pecan and real Wisconsin cream to make a memorable mark on the adult coffees and milkshakes world.

Lockwood Distilling’s Menu

“We have a smaller menu and will feature a Dirty South Frito Pie, which is so much fun, like our dirty tots in Richardson,” Batt says. “The Frito Pie uses our famous dirty South mixture of the poblano pimento cheese, house-fermented Fresno chili hot sauce, crema, topped with Texas brisket pastrami chili.”

Other sharables include the Southern bean dip, made from marinated butter beans, with lemon tossed arugula salad and toast points.

Under the Sammys and Doggies section of the menu you’ll find a smoked bologna sandwich; a muffuletta with smoked olive tapenade; the Jive Turkey with havarti cheese and grape chutney; and the Chill E Dog featuring a 44 Farms hot dog.

The drinks all feature Lockwood spirits ― currently crafted at the Richardson location, but Batt says distilling equipment will start making its way over to Fort Worth soon. He plans to do blending and bottling in Fort Worth too.

The opening cocktail menu stays in the $9 to $10 range and features a frozen Fall Fangria blended with Lockwood pineapple rum, along with sidecars and mules. The Mr. Sean mixes jalapeno-infused hibiscus vodka with lemon and club soda. The Lockwood 76 is the same, except it’s topped with sparkling rosé instead. The two draft cocktails are Lockwood’s hibiscus basil lemonade and old fashioned.

You won’t find beer on the menu, but there is a curated wine list (California/Italy/Spain), available by the glass or the bottle. If you find one you like, you can ask your server about taking a bottle home.

“We really feel like this neighborhood is a great fit,” Batt says. “Everyone was so welcoming the first two days. We will get back to the super soft and gentle opening. We cannot wait to meet our future regulars and get involved in the community.”