A Message from Us

Happy Friday, friends. At Dorćol, we’re all about sharing good brews and great experiences. Viruses, not so much.

Jokes aside, we’re taking several precautionary measures to ensure guests of Dorćol continue to have an amazing time while here.

         Aside from handwashing and sanitation rules we already follow, we’ll be relocating bitters, garnishes and straws from our bartop. We’ll be increasing our sanitation procedures on all areas of the tasting room and patio. And we are encouraging guests and employees, who feel unwell, to stay home.

         There will be no change to regular business hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but we will continue to monitor the situation around COVID-19.

         We’re open, and we hope you continue to support us and the bars and restaurants that carry HighWheel and Kinsman, like you have the past six years.

         If social distancing is your vibe, don’t forget to pick up your favorite HighWheel brew to while away the hours. Pick up your growlers, or HighWheel Betty cans and Kinsman bottles to enjoy at home from our tasting room at 1902 S. Flores.

— Boyan, Chris, Randy + the Team

Hop To It: Our Dark Anniversary Offerings

Tis the season for dark brews! Though we have a penchant for opaque brews like the HighWheel Porter, which can be enjoyed year-round, there’s something about pitch black ales that really warms your bones.

As we headed into December, Randy decided to brew a slew of dark beers to cap off our year. The black saison hit taps in October and a barrel-aged Porter followed in November.

This December 13, we’ll celebrate six years of Dorćol Distilling + Brewing Co. with the release of two Small Batch beers. First up, an Imperial Black IPA with a flavor profile that includes a touch of caramel sweetness, a hint of coffee roast, as well as a big dose of citrus and tropical fruit. We’ll follow it up with a very limited release of the Peanut Butter Barrel-Aged Porter, which takes the barrel-aged porter and is then dry-hopped with peanut butter. The latter will only be available at Dorćol for a very limited run, so… hop to it!

A Visit to the Hoppy Monk

Ricardo Ruiz and Brittany Dinhobl of Hoppy Monk

It takes a certain kind of company to open a beer depot with locally sourced beers and foods, but that’s exactly what Hoppy Monk did when they first opened their doors in El Paso, and later replicated that same magic in a completely new city while still offering independent breweries a spot on their taps and offering the public a solid menu of high-quality bar snacks and more.

These days, the Hoppy Monk keeps the Northside’s thirst for quality craft beer sated with an enviable wall of beer taps, and food made with ingredients sourced from independent farmers. It’s that attention to detail that helped draw the staff to Dorćol.

When co-owner Joseph Valenzuela began exploring San Antonio, he was introduced to our little tasting room on South Flores by friends, and he shared his newfound spot with his staff. As manager Ricardo Ruiz recalls, “he turned us on to this little bar called Dorćol, it was when Nick was working there, and started going and really enjoying rakia. We were floored by the fact that there’s no other spirit there, and that y’all were making lots of cocktails.”

Ricardo and Joseph brought Kinsman onto their opening menu at Hoppy Monk, and since then, the spirit has remained a favorite.

Betty and the De Pêche Mode

And we’re not just saying that. The De Pêche Mode, a peachy concoction created by bartender and manager Brittany Dinhobl, is currently back on their Greatest Sips menu, a collection of fan-favorite cocktails. Brittany, who started at Hoppy Monk in 2015 and has served just about every position available since, combined the Kinsman with Aperol, lemon juice, and Pêche peach liqueur for a winning combination that’ll sneak up on you.

“It’s pretty popular with the ladies,” Brittany said.

It’s not just Kinsman that gets all the love. The Pale Horse cocktail features 2 ounces of Betty, Scotch, lemon and honey.

“Betty is always easy to talk about. It’s such a good, light beer,” Brittany said.

Randy often sits down with Pedro Longoria, part-owner of Hoppy Monk, whenever he’s got a new brew in the works. New menus are often collaborative efforts between staff members to try and get things right, and this extends to events, on and off-site.

Take for instance our annual Helado Borracho competition that tasks participating bars and restaurants with creating San Antonio’s official, Kinsman-infused ice cream. Hoppy Monk’s kitchen staff works closely with Britt and Ricardo to nail creative and creamy desserts. After winning People’s Choice and Critic’s Choice during the inaugural event, the Hoppy Monk is ready to bring the trophy back home.

Whether you’re looking for your new favorite sipper, or you’re hoping to try one of Dorćol Distilling + Brewing Co.’s latest brews, Hoppy Monk should be on your list.

“They picked Stone Oak because they wanted to put a stamp in this area especially with it being family-friendly out here. UTSA is not too far away so we have everything from frat kids, to people in their 70s out for date night,” Brittany said. “Whatever the case, we cater to everybody.”

HighWheel Coq Hardi Wins Bronze at L.A. Beer Competition

The name is tongue in cheek, but this win certainly is not.

HighWheel Coq Hardi earned a bronze at this year’s Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition this April.

Of the 1,520 entries from 244 breweries hailing from across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, HighWheel Coq Hardi was only bested by the Beachwood BBQ-Long Beach’, Un Atout and the 2kids Brewing Company’s Rocket Powered Geese, which won gold and silver, respectively.

HighWheel Coq Hardi is one of Dorcol Distilling + Brewing’s year-round offerings, and was one of the original four beers made by head brewer and co-owner Randy Ward. Coq Hardi, named after the Walloon flag, is a traditional saison.  This food friendly beer is made with a strain of yeast from a well respected saison brewery in the Walloon region of Belgium.  

“The yeast strain, coupled with the simple malt bill and combination of two different hops, gives this beer a crisp flavor with notes of clove, pepper, and bubblegum,” said Ward.

Get a taste for this distinctive brew in our taproom at 1902 S. Flores St., Bar 1919 and SoHill Cafe.