The pavilion at the new True Vine Brewing Company location in Tyler, Texas, on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. The expanded location features a larger taproom, pavilion, kids park and dog park, with plans to expand their beers and bring in live music. (Chelsea Purgahn/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

In 2011, husband-and-wife team Ryan and Traci Dixon began brewing craft beers in their garage, focusing on quality and community. It was then they started what would become True Vine Brewing Company, the first craft brewery in Tyler. Seven years later, they’ve moved to a new, larger location, but their mission to provide great beer to the community they love has stayed the same.

Since 2014, True Vine had been located in a 2,000-square-foot space at 219 S. Englewood Ave. With the move to 2453 Earl Campbell Parkway, the brewery now has 10,000 square feet of space, with 2,000 of that dedicated to a large pavilion.

“We were bursting at the seams – we were literally tapped out,” Traci said of their Englewood location. The couple wanted more space to add fermenters but to also have more room for the community to gather and enjoy time together.

Ryan said the new taproom is about the size of their entire building at Englewood. The Dixons also are excited to have a permanent space for Sola Bread & Pizza Company to make pizzas, breads and other upscale bar food for patrons. They say they will continue to host food trucks as well for other dining options.

The brewery bought two new fermenters and left space to grow production needs in the future. Ryan said the extra room and the addition of the new fermenters will raise their production two and a half times, from 100 barrels per month to 250. The taproom will include 24 beer taps.

The new location has given ample room for people to gather – tables are set inside the taproom as well as outside by the large pavilion and stage, a place where the duo hopes to host concerts and bring in local talent as well as artists from outside East Texas. Ryan said at capacity several thousand people could fit under the pavilion, making their venue fit to become a new stop for traveling acts.

Donors have made both a kids park and a dog park possible on the grounds, something the Dixons are happy to provide for families in Tyler, saying they want people to both feel comfortable to come have a drink to unwind after work or bring their families and hang out a while.

The Dixons have spent over a year working on the new space and will host their grand reopening event on March 31, which also happens to mark the fourth anniversary of when they opened their original location.

“We can’t wait to let the community that has been the heartbeat of True Vine finally be at True Vine again and bring that pulse back,” Ryan said. “It’s like we’ve been working on this epic Christmas gift and we’re about to let them open it.”

The grand reopening day will kick off with their second annual beer run at 10 a.m. The event will feature art from local artists, disc golf and corn hole tournaments, tours and live music from Chance Peña, Big Funky Cloud, Al and the Long Shots and The Rocket Boys. More information on the day’s festivities and ticket information can be found at the brewery’s website. The first 1,000 adult-drinker guests to arrive will receive a limited edition four-year anniversary glass.

The Dixons plans to grow don’t stop at this location – they also plan to increase their distribution and one day hope to have their own canning line in house. Their distributor currently covers 13 counties, and they plan to expand to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the coming months.

The Daddy’s Juice Box double IPA has earned a spot as a year-round brew and they are transitioning the Round Table amber pub ale to year-round as well. With increased brewing capacity, they plan to increase their seasonal offerings. They are working on a new blood orange wheat called Crimson Thorn. “Our goal is to continue to make good beer and to raise the bar on Texas craft beer overall,” Ryan said.

The Dixons hope people will see True Vine as an East Texas destination for beer, food, music and events. Most importantly, they want people who step into the doors to feel loved and accepted.

“Our core values are integrity, community and love,” Traci said. “That’s what we started with over four years ago and we continue to bring those to this new spot and continue this business with integrity, grow our community and show love to people.”

“True Vine has grown organically over the years … it’s been one baby step after one baby step,” Traci said. “But when the lights come on outside and the music is playing and people are drinking your beer, it’s like a little pat on the back to let you know you’re doing a good job and to keep going.”

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