Gary Humble, founder and CEO of Grapevine Craft Brewery doesn’t mince words when it comes to his vision for his brewery: “We’re the six pack you keep in your fridge whenever you’re having a barbeque out back and hanging out with family.”

“The six pack you keep in your fridge”. Gary makes sure we understand that Grapevine’s brews are not meant solely for those intimately familiar with the nuances of craft beer, far from it: “We’re not the beer that, you know, it’s ten bucks a pint and you sit there and sip it for an hour, and just, oh my God this is the best thing I’ve ever had in the world. It’s just good, consistent beer, that’s part of, we hope, everyday life, made for people that enjoy good craft beer made here in Texas.”

Good, consistent, and local. Three defining characteristics of Grapevine Craft Brewery. The brewery has only existed in their current location of downtown Grapevine for a little over a year. Prior to that, they were based out of Farmer’s Branch, operating in a much smaller space than their current building. Heather Larson, manager of Grapevine’s taproom, describes their old space as “just a warehouse” with only a small four tap area for public tours to sample the brews. They’ve grown considerably since those early days. Now there’s a proper taproom space attached to the brewery, as well as a patio area complete with picnic tables and awnings. It’s a place where patrons can relax and enjoy Grapevine’s stable of products in a fun, relaxed, and social environment. Visiting the taproom, it’s easy to see what Gary means when he describes his beer as “the six pack you keep in the fridge” for hanging out with family and friends. This is the kind of community they foster at Grapevine Craft Brewery.

While they’ve experienced substantial growth at Grapevine, they certainly haven’t let this early success result in a less carefully crafted product. As we sit on the patio enjoying a glass of Grapevine’s eminently drinkable staple brew, Sir William’s English Brown Ale, it tastes every bit as nutty, chocolatey, and delicious as it must have when it won the Great American Beer Festival’s gold medal for best English style brown ale in 2014. As we sample the crisp, refreshing Monarch Pilsner in the beer garden, enjoying the sunny afternoon, Gary’s vision of the ideal “six pack” kind of craft beer starts to come clearly into focus.

Curious to learn how Grapevine puts out such a quality, consistent product, we asked head brewer, Jonny Daylett, to describe for us what makes their brewing process unique. Echoing Gary’s earlier sentiments, Jonny told us, “We aim to make beers that are approachable. A lot of people come to the taproom that really aren’t huge craft beer drinkers, but they enjoy all of our beers because we make it for them. We make it very easy drinking and very balanced.” While Jonny is clear to point out the Grapevine also dabbles in seasonal brews and more adventurous one offs, it’s evident that Grapevine’s method as a brewery is guided by a desire to be approachable above all else.

Should you ever find yourself in downtown Grapevine, or perhaps the next time you’re on your way out of town and want a quick pint on your way to the airport, don’t hesitate to visit the Grapevine Craft Brewery taproom. There you’ll find a friendly staff eager to serve you a cold glass of good, consistent, and local craft beer that’s both approachable and delicious. You’ll also find Sir Williams on Nitro, which imbues the already fantastic brown ale with an additional creaminess that is well worth the trip.