Division Brewing—a well-loved brewery in Downtown Arlington for over seven years—offers a rotating selection of more than a dozen beers on tap in a no-nonsense, relaxed setting.
Division Brewing
J.R. Bentley’s Pub used to be my go-to place for a beer. I went there one night in February hoping for a pint of Guinness, but they were closed—a handwritten sign on the door blamed a water leak. I don’t think they were open again after that and soon closed for good. That night, I decided to try Division Brewing, and since then, I’ve become a regular, finding a place that has good beer and that I enjoy visiting.
Opening on New Year’s Eve in 2015, Division Brewing was Arlington’s first—and is currently our only—hometown brewery. Revolver Brewing from nearby Granbury has a small brewery and taproom in our Entertainment District, and Bishop Cider from Dallas is opening a “cidercade” (cidery and arcade) in Arlington this year. Nonetheless, I don’t count those as hometown breweries, as they’re not from here. I was disappointed when Arlington’s Legal Draft Beer Company shuttered its doors in March 2022, but I must admit, I’ve been rather impressed with Division and should have tried them much sooner.
Wade Wadlington, Division’s Co-Founder/Brewer, grew up in Arlington and returned here later in life. Like many in the business, he started out homebrewing in his garage. He left his “real job” in finance to turn his brewing hobby into a career. His brewery is a fine place to enjoy beer and a vibrant part of Downtown Arlington.
(Division Brewing logo – divisionbrewing.com)
(Signs, stickers, and logos)
(Division Brewing sign & entrance — day versus night)
Taproom & Patio
Division Brewery is one of those places that, if you didn’t know what it was from the outside, you probably wouldn’t know it was a brewery. I like that. In its previous life, the building was Specialty Auto Trim, a company that did window tinting, pinstriping, and molding—as evident by the lingering sign on the back of the front door. I like when places keep nostalgic touches like that. The brewery made few changes to the exterior, and not surprisingly, the building is understated, simple, and bare-boned, with muted, monochromatic colors and a no-frills utilitarian feel. The inside theme compliments the outside, with much of the décor being functional brewing equipment. There are abundant brewery stickers on the walls and restroom doors for some color and personality. They focus more on the beer than the aesthetics, and that’s fine with me.
(Kegs, taproom, and cooler of cans)
(Brewery stickers / décor)
Division Brewing’s taproom has limited seating indoors, but the patio has room to spread out. The brewery sometimes has local food trucks or other vendors on-site. Across their patio is GROWL, a record shop owned by Division Brewing, selling vinyl records, posters, and other music-related items. They have a small stage inside for live music, with a larger stage outdoors on the patio.
(Patio views)
Breweries offer a more communal and community atmosphere than bars, providing a decent mix of people. People also aren’t drinking heavily and partying, as it’s more about enjoying the beer and atmosphere. I usually visit the brewery on off-times when they’re not quite as busy, as I like a quiet place to enjoy a beer. When the weather is nice, the patio is the place to be.
In addition to draft beer, they sell cans to-go, with the can artwork displaying bold colors, designs, and personalities. I need to get a t-shirt and a pint glass from their merch shelf.
I was in the taproom one Saturday afternoon when a couple of guys approached the counter. I overheard them say that they had never been there before. The bartender, I believe his name is Mark, gave them a warm welcome, asked what they wanted, and gave them a few samples when they weren’t sure what to order. He then pointed out that everything they saw on the beer board was made right behind them as he motioned to the tanks and brewing equipment. That’s one thing you can’t get from a bar—fresh, fresh beer—and most bars won’t let you sample the goods either.
Beer
Let’s get to the good stuff! Division Brewing offers up to 20 beers on tap, with a lineup that regularly changes. (Check their website for the current beer list.) They have the usual craft beer-style lineup of IPAs, stouts, blondes, pale ales, pilsners, and others. The beer board is sometimes fuller than others, but they usually have a decent variety. They have a “Coming Soon” section where you can see what they’re working on next.
The brewery is generous about giving samples, so I try a taste of almost everything that comes out. (I always ask, “What’s new?” when I get there, and they’re proud to show off and share their latest offering.) More often than not, I like it enough to get a pint. I also like that they offer half-pints—8 ounces instead of 16 ounces, in case you want more than a sample but not a whole pint. I like trying new ones, but I like the dark side even more, and I will almost always take a stout or porter if it’s available. During one of my earliest visits in the winter, they had four stouts available, including two imperial stouts, an oatmeal stout, and a casked version.
My favorites
My favorite beer of theirs remains the Ben Stout—a hearty 7.2% oatmeal stout made with Cascade hops. Ben Stout is smooth, rich, well-balanced, and not too sweet or not too bitter. It has subtle chocolate and coffee flavors in its taste and aroma. The beer pours darker than a cave at midnight and has a fluffy, tan-colored head. It’s traditional, sippable, flavorful, enjoyable, and one of the best local stouts. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that it was seasonal and wouldn’t return until fall. As much as I like stouts, they are usually better in the fall and winter, although lighter stouts can be enjoyable in warmer months.
(Division Brewing’s Ben Stout on the patio and info sheet)
(Division Brewing’s Ben Stout at home)
Macaroon Morning, a 6.8% Coconut Porter, is another of my favorites. It’s dark, smooth, refreshing, semi-sweet, and pairs well with any weather. So far, it has remained on their beer board since I started going, but it’s another one of their seasonals. I’m still trying to figure out their regular lineup, seasonals, and special releases.
The Ditch Witch, a 6.5% hearty Brown Ale, was a little too sweet the first time I had it, but it quickly grew on me. It’s an excellent alternative to stouts and porters and has become one of my new favorites. It pours a dark mahogany brown and is slightly sweet, with a smooth, nutty, rich, and robust flavor.
Beers I’ve tried
I enjoy myself at Division Brewing and have been working through their beer lineup. One of the things that keeps me coming back is the variety and new releases. While some have been more to my liking than others, all the ones I’ve tried were very decent and worth trying.
(Some of the pints along the way)
Here are the ones I’ve tried so far, along with my tasting notes—when I remembered to write them down. I’ll keep adding to the list.
- Ben Stout – Stout | dark, smooth, rich, well-balanced, and one of my favorites
- Pride of Angram – Stout | dark, smooth, slightly carbonated
- Macaroon Morning – Coconut Porter | dark, smooth, refreshing, and semi-sweet
- The Kintner Boy – IPA | no notes
- Teleporto – Blonde Ale | no notes
- Jimmy Jack – Kölsch | pale-colored, cloudy, refreshing, clean, crisp with a bite; enjoyed a sample of this one straight from the tank when it wasn’t canned or on the board yet
- Rosalee – Hibiscus Wit | bright pinkish-red hue, refreshing, floral, something different; they said it was probably like nothing I had ever had, and it was
- Love is an Alien – IPA | no notes
- Ditch Witch – Brown Ale | dark mahogany brown, slightly sweet, smooth, nutty, rich, and robust; I was excited to see a dark beer on the board amid the spring/summer lighter beers; enjoyable and a nice beer for the pre-summer months
- Draco’s Tale – Pale Ale | brand new beer that they’ve never done before; crisp, refreshing, hoppy, smooth with a nice bite, deceptively simple — more complex than it seems; very tasty, especially for warmer months
- Square Body – Pale Ale | crisp, refreshing, less hoppy than other pale lagers; love the can artwork
- Strawberry Beers Forever – Strawberry Sour | I only had a sample of this one; definitely out of my comfort zone, as I’m not too familiar (or comfortable) with the style; it wasn’t bad, more sweet than sour, but probably not something I would have again (sours seem to be a divisive style—you either love them don’t)
- Drought & Blight – Irish Stout | coming soon, and I’m excited to try it!
Check out Division Brewing next time you’re in Downtown Arlington. Support your small businesses and local breweries!
Division Brewing
506 E. Main Street
divisionbrewing.com
Also check out this short video about Division Brewing from Downtown Arlington’s YouTube channel!
Blog post & photos by Jason S. Sullivan, 05-14-23
Jason S. Sullivan 