It’s been 17 years since Arlington-born rock gods Pantera roamed and ruled the heavy metal landscape, but that gulf of time doesn’t mean the influential group does not continue to occupy a large spot in our head-banging hearts.
Even the deaths of brothers Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott in 2004 and Vinnie Paul Abbott in 2018 can’t diminish D-FW’s attachment to the band. The latest example of that enduring adoration can be found in an upcoming beer from Dallas brewery Texas Ale Project.
Set to be released in March 2021, Pantera Golden Ale will be a 5.4% ABV ale brewed with cascade and citra hops, according to a press release. The recipe for the beer is designed to make for an easily-downed, sweat-cooling chugger.
“They [Pantera] were known to throw back a few beers,” the release states. “Reflective of the times during the band’s glory days in the 90′s and the lighter broad and approachable beers the band members would typically drink, the recipe for this collab screamed ‘golden ale’.”
It’s not just us local folks who appreciate how Pantera bludgeoned our eardrums. No respectable list of greatest all time mental bands or albums excludes mention of the group. In 2017, Rolling Stone named the band’s 1992 masterpiece LP Vulgar Display of Power as the 10th greatest metal album of all time, landing higher on the list than legendary records from icons such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath.
Dimebag was known to appreciate a quality beverage, and is often cited as the inventor of the Black Tooth Grin, a cocktail featuring Crown Royal, Seagram’s 7 and a splash of cola. Given the number of collaborations between North Texas breweries and bands in recent years, it’s little surprising Pantera is only now getting its name on a local brew. Local rock titans the Toadies have teamed with Fort Worth’s Martin House Brewing for several beers, including the Bockslider Texas Bock, and southern rock outfit Quaker City Night Hawks worked with Panther Island Brewing, also in Fort Worth, to create Queso Blanco Mexican Lager.
The beer will be available for purchase at craft beer retailers across Texas, as well as through the Tavour craft beer delivery app. There will also be announcements in the future regarding release events for Pantera Golden Ale. So, crank up your copy of Far Beyond Driven, and be ready to rock when next spring rolls around.
Texas Ale Project is located at 1001 N. Riverside Blvd., Dallas. texasaleproject.com.
