Pondaseta Brewing Co. will celebrate lucky number 7 with an anniversary party Nov. 14 to 16.
Festivities will kick off Nov. 14 at Pondaseta’s Amarillo location, 7500 S.W. 45th Ave., with the tapping of seven new beers, one for every year the Amarillo brewery has been open, says Kaleb West, co-founder and co-brew master.
On tap and in cans will be the Peace Pils, a light, hoppy pilsner, and GoodKat, a cold IPA that’s light in body but with some pronounced hops flavors. Two more are on draft and in 500-mililiter bottles: Straight to the Hearts, a sour aged in tequila barrels that’s inspired by an Old Fashioned; and the Sleventh Heaven, another barrel-aged stout, this one richly chocolatey, that’s been aged for 5 ½ years in Willett Rye barrels. And three more will be available on tap only: the Boss, a 10.5 percent ABV IPA that West describes as “big, boozy and sweet”; the Kansas City Shuffle, a fruitier concoction conditioned by Rooibos tea; and the Double 7s, a Negroni-inspired IPA.
Nov. 14 events also will include a boozy bingo game and karaoke led by staffer and Amarillo metal singer Christian Van Note. “We have to watch him,” West jokes. “After a couple of beers, he starts wanting to sing every song.”
Amarillo bands will provide entertainment throughout the day Nov. 15, with James Owens at 3 p.m., Rhett Uhland & The Morning Shakes at 5:30 p.m., and The Chancy Berson Band at 8 p.m.
The party weekend will close out with brunch food and “Pondatrivia,” featuring questions about the brewery as well as Amarillo and Canyon at large.
West says the party is a good way to thank the community for its support of the business.
“When you first open your doors as a small business, you don’t want to have to imagine closing them for any reason, but it also doesn’t really occur to you the gravity of what it means to be involved in the community for this long,” West says. “We’ve been a part of people’s lives for a meaningful period. These connections and relationships that we’ve been able to nurture and grow have built into long-lasting, impactful things.”
That support has helped the brewery grow from its Amarillo location, which now has an on-site food truck, to an expansion in Canyon, which features a full kitchen in a historic Santa Fe Railroad depot at 1001 Second Ave. (Pro tip: The lunch special, with a slice or two of pizza and salad, is a killer deal.)
“We are honored that the community has supported us the whole time,” West says.
Additional food-related highlights:
Josh Weathers: 7 p.m. Nov. 6; The Western Horseman, 2501 E. Interstate 40; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Vintage Amarillo: 6 p.m. Nov. 8; Amarillo Club, 600 S. Tyler St.; tickets $200; 806-376-8782
Chef’s Dinner: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 8; Yellow City Street Food, 2916 Wolflin Ave.; tickets $125; 806-353-9273
Taste of the Holidays: A Culinary Journey with Wine and Mocktails: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13; Annual AMTech Wine Dinner; 2108 Paramount Blvd.; tickets $100; 512-457-4100
Buzz & Brews Mead Festival: 3 to 7 p.m. Nov. 15; Creek House Honey Farm, 5005 Fourth Ave. in Canyon; admission $35 in advance, $40 at the door; 806-681-3446
National Philanthropy Day Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. Nov. 20; Amarillo Civic Center Complex Grand Plaza, 401 S. Buchanan St.; tickets $100, tables $500 to $1,000; AFPTexasPlains@gmail.com
