Leave it to the Bishop Arts District to take the craftbrbrewery craze and make it craftier. The city-folk founders and ciderbrenthusiasts Joel and Laura Malone don't have a bachelor's in brewing, but theybrdo have Internet access. After launching a successful Kickstarter campaign andbrfishing through mounds of bureaucratic red tape, the daring duo hunted the webbrand gathered apples and other exciting fixings to add to their recipes. In 2014,brBishop Cider Co. (BCC) emerged as Dallas' first cidery bringing fresh ingredients,brfresh thinking and a little beginner's luck to the craft cider world.
Those who think ciders are only super dry and tart arebrin for a tasty treat. Of course, BCC has their own version of the standard,brwhich they call High & Dry. Thisbrcrisp and potent (6.8% ABV) cider brings forth plenty of pucker-inducingbrtannins that will make your lips smack. However, the not-so-standard yetbrequally popular Suicider (6.5% ABV)brhas a precarious mixture of spices that speaks to the founder’s spiritedbrattitude. Here, the familiar holiday flavors of cinnamon, allspice and clovebrcombine for a playful nod to the little chemist in all of us—or as they put it,br“A tasty mess.”
The Malone's definitely tapped into the right market,brand within a year BCC outgrew its original cidery. The former Bishop Avenuebrlocation has since been resurrected into a small yet noble tasting room forbrtheir creative concoctions. Upon walkingbrin, a long wooden bar calls your name. We suggest you belly up and order abrflight of the latest potions available while a friendly bartender walks youbrthrough the history of cider making. Did you know cider was a thing beforebrProhibition? Now you do.
Thankfully, Prohibition is no more, and today localbrcider fans can enjoy a myriad of hard ciders like BCC's Crackberry, a cranberry-blackberry infusion or Cat Scratch Fever, which incorporates jalapeños (and an 8.5% ABV)brto bring a bit of heat to your sweet. Six days a week (the tasting room isbrclosed Mondays), patrons can relax at one of several small tables or fill abrgrowler to go.
The Malone's didn't stop at the first sweet taste ofbrsuccess. To meet the increasing demand for craft ciders, the couple expandedbrinto a larger production facility in the Dallas Design District.
It was in this space that Joel chose to portion off abrfew thousand square feet to turn into an arcade. Yes, that's right. ThebrMalone's took a space the size of your average suburban home, added a rotatingbrgallery of arcade classics and dubbed it as the Cidercade! Thanks to thebrbacking of a family arcade game collector, the Cidercade boasts a wide varietybrof popular titles like Guitar Heroand well-worn classics like Frogger and Asteroids to keep even the biggestbrgamer happy.
Want some fight with your pint? Order up a Schilling Mischeif Maker (fruit-forwardbrcranberry and pomegranate, 6% ABV) and challenge a friend to a game of MortalbrKombat over in Figher’s Row. Just beware; on Thursday nights the Cidercadebrinvites serious gamers to take part in regular tournaments with prize pools inbrthe thousands of dollars.
Those looking for a more classic buzz are advised tobrtap their inner Gene Simmons at the KISS pinball machine. Pair it with somebrdry-hopped Bishop Galaxy (citrus andbrpassionfruit cider, 10% ABV) and you’ll RockbrN Roll All Night!
Whatever your flavor, the Cidercade is bound to havebrsomething for you with two dozen specialty ciders on the menu. Leave thebrquarters at home because from noon until midnight (and 1am on Friday andbrSaturday) a modest $10 admission fee will have you playing all the games tobryour heart's content.
The Malone's may take their cider seriously, but atbrtheir tasting room and Cidercade, the overall vibe is laid-back with a nod tobryour sweet-toothed, joystick-navigating inner child. The next time you're inbrDallas, consider leveling-up for a fun night out with Bishop Cider Co.
BishopbrCider Co. Tasting Room
509 N Bishop Ave. Ste C
Dallas
214.364.7728
BishopCider.com
BishopbrCidercade
2777 Irving Blvd.
Dallas
214.364.7728
Cidercade.com