Ash & Ember Brewing Co. opened in the toughest time imaginable, in the midst of a worldwide pandemic of COVID-19. Of course, there were doubters – but they certainly didn’t include co-owners Brian Krajcirovic and Tim Martin.
Now, Cedar Hill’s first brew pub is going strong, celebrating two years in business on June 26 with a party in its taproom with a special edition souvenir glass. They also introduced their new Mug Club.
“We want to be a place where people can gather – where locals and visitors can come together. We are a small, family-friendly brewery with the feel of an old-time English pub,” Krajcirovoc said.
“Like so many breweries, bars and restaurants the last two years have been tough and challenging. Unfortunately, we opened our doors the same day all bar-like establishments were ordered to close and could only offer to-go,” Krajcirovic said. “Things started out slow and restrictions kept changing, so we had to keep changing along the way.
“Slowly, things have started picking back up. Thanks to our loyal fan base we have made it this far and hope to continue to share our love for craft beer.”
Krajcirovic and Martin began renovation of their building at 226 Texas Street in September of 2019, which was still pre-COVID. By the time 2020 and COVID hit full force, they were already rolling, though their hopes of opening in February were pushed back to the end of June.
“At this point we had spent nearly six years of planning the brewery and felt the only choice was to keep going,” Krajcirovic said.
Ash & Ember Launches Mug Club
The Mug Club, by the way, is $350 for a year of beer. Members get a 19.5-ounce souvenir, along with a club shirt, and a special anniversary party at the end of the year just for club members – and, of course, free beer.
“To make it easier for our customers we allow them to get two mug fills per visit each month. Beers expire if they are not used within the month,” Krajcirovic said.
They’ve also successfully met the challenges of a craft brewery in today’s market.
Focused On Serving The Community
“We have stayed focused on the taproom and serving the community, offering pints, flights and to-go crowlers (containers) and growlers. We have had to pivot on several of our plans because of changes in the market due to COVID,” Krajcirovoc said. “The distribution market changed, and just business in general changed. There have been so many challenges, including just getting our name out there.”
Special events, of course, help and they hold a variety, including Pint Night Tuesdays, Lotería, trivia, Music Bingo and Game Night as well as beer dinners, special flight pairings, Hike/Yoga & Brews, Candles & Craft classes and more. You can follow them on Facebook to see upcoming events.
Meanwhile, they maintain a traditional approach to brewing.
“Our passion is to create traditional beers that remain true to their styles and revive timeless flavors,” Krajcirovoc said. “The tap-list rotates periodically, but we typically have a range of light to dark beers.”
Currently, they are tapping their Witbier, Helles, Hefe, Tripel, two IPAs, a brown ale and their Oatmeal Stout. They also carry fruit-flavored sodas.
Krajcirovoc said they do have plans to move into downtown Cedar Hill in the future.
“We hope to make it through these challenging times and be able to continue to share our love of craft beer with the community,” he said. “We are so thankful for the support we have received from Cedar Hill and the DFW community from likes on social media, reviews on Untappd and Google to patronage in the taproom.”
August Events at Ash & Ember Brewing
Tuesdays – Pint Night & Street Tacos, 4-9pm
Wednesday August 3 – Game Night @7pm
Thursday August 11 – The Office Trivia @7pm
Wednesday August 17 – Lotería Night @7pm
Thursday August 25 – Disco Music Bingo @7pm
Wednesday August 31 – Game Night @7pm
Fri & Sat – Open Noon – 11pm
